[OSList] Fwd: Guerilla Open Space?

Suzanne Daigle via OSList oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Wed Nov 12 21:32:26 PST 2014


John, some years ago I opened space in the middle of a 3 day conference.
National Alliance of Arts and Culture... 350 people in a fancy hotel in
Boston. No possibility of creating circle of chairs but at least we had a
market place wall. I opened the space by inviting people to create a circle
in their mind. Quite surprising that it all worked. People were in their
sessions within the hour, super engrossed to the point where many skipped
lunch.Topics got added over the course of the conference. Breakouts
self-organized in unusual places with notes posted on walls to meet at the
bar or at breakfast. Was not ideal but it seemed to work
Enough that they created an adapted monthly or bimonthly open space like
conference call for a year or two after. I was not involved.
The sponsors were pleased and the participants were engaged. Not what I
prefer but if I had to do it over again, I totally would.
Suzanne
On Nov 12, 2014 7:38 PM, "John Baxter via OSList" <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Thank you everyone for your examples... I love the demonstrations of Open
> Space incorporated symbiotically into the structure of a more formal
> event.  It is making me rethink what is possible with gatherings... there
> is strong pressure to have prescriptive formal structures even when
> everyone agrees that open space is really needed... so I very much like the
> idea of generative symbiotic combinations.
>
> I'm curious about the Official Story that Open Space doesn't work in
> parallel.  Can anyone speak to that?
>
> I look at Open Space Technology in this context as an attempt to bring
> open space from the background or the cracks of a prescriptive structure,
> into the foreground.  So it should not be surprising at all that those
> cracks can be expanded and built upon with OST??
>
> Thanks
>
>
> *John Baxter*
> *Cocreation Consultant & ​Co​Create Adelaide Facilitator*
> jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/> | CoCreateADL.com
> 0405 447 829
> ​ | ​
> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>
> *Thank you to everyone who came, helped or spread the good word about City
> Grill!*
> *Summary and links: cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary
> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary>*
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 10:39 AM, Harold Shinsato via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>>  The Open Jam events at the Agile 20xx conferences have increasingly been
>> the place where (at least in my opinion) the cool things happen. Even
>> though the official story is that Open Space doesn't work in parallel, and
>> I've definitely seen it work horribly in a software conference attempting
>> to put OST in parallel - the Agile Software community seems to really enjoy
>> hanging out in this space and holding interesting sessions on the fringes
>> of a very well populated main track. Even though it's not "official OST",
>> it's very Open Space like.
>>
>> Thanks to the Agile 20xx conference folks, and to you Diane, for having
>> this as a constant feature in my Agile 20xx experience!
>>
>>     Regards,
>>     Harold
>>
>>
>>
>> On 11/12/14 3:16 PM, Diana Larsen via OSList wrote:
>>
>> One more story:
>>
>>  Since 2008,, every year at the Agile 20xx conference there has been an
>> area called "Open Jam" (in homage to a now defunct Music Festival analogy).
>> It's usually prominently located near the main traffic patterns of the
>> conference and arranged with a variety of sub-areas variously décor-ed with
>> chairs of different kinds, some tables, some not, flip charts, markers and
>> other supplies for easy access, etc.
>>
>>  The "Open Jam" offers an opportunity each morning of the five-day
>> conference to propose new, not-on-the-formal-program sessions that will run
>> throughout the day. It's right out in the Open, not sub rosa at all, and
>> for some attendees, it's the best part of the conference. Every year
>> different folks step up to organize it with a very light touch.
>>
>>  Beyond the Open Jam, the conference organizers work with the new venue
>> to emphasize the importance of a variety of seating + small conversation
>> areas throughout the facility. People use them a lot, and at some times of
>> day it can be hard to find a free one.
>>
>>  It's an acknowledgement of the "always open" nature of spaces.
>>
>>  Diana
>>
>>
>>
>>  ***********
>> Diana Larsen
>> "Your Path Through Agile Fluency"
>> http://agilefluency.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  On Nov 12, 2014, at 2:35 PM, Brendan McKeague via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> A wee story of
>>
>> Last year at a 200-participant (tables of 8) conference, myself and a
>> colleague Peter Wilde (with the blessing of the organisers) offered an
>> 'alternative' space to the mainstream process.
>>
>> We introduced the notion of 'self-organising' conversations at the
>> beginning of the conference and set up a 'market place' for
>> offering/requesting conversations during the breaks and alongside the
>> afternoon pre-planned workshop sessions. The market place was on a wall in
>> the main meeting area and people were invited to go along at anytime and
>> post their topic, indicating where they would meet to host their
>> conversations. Needless to say, these conversations started at the right
>> time, at the right place and continued until they were over...
>>
>> It was a practical way to provide meeting spaces for those who wished to
>> connect with others - and it worked.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Brendan
>>
>>
>> On 12/11/2014, at 4:37 PM, Jeff Aitken via OSList wrote:
>>
>> I remember that story Michael! Some year afterward, John Abbe came
>> south from Eugene and we cofacilitated a two day 'recent changes camp'
>> outside and inside of the Social Text offices in Palo Alto. Folks from
>> Europe were there too.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> On 11/11/14, Michael Herman via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> first, to paul, yes i've definitely done as you say.  was a very small
>> group of us, not a conference but a "team meeting" held too late in the
>> day
>> and made everyone ripe for some harmless mutiny.  i led the charge or made
>> the suggestion, and the next day we did the team meeting in open space.
>>  we
>> put up 8 issues, discussed only 3, and the next weekly meeting looked like
>> all the previous ones, except that the team leader's agenda was really
>> just
>> an ongoing updating of our original 8 issues, which were the answer to
>> "how
>> do we get this project finished successfully?"  mission accomplished.
>>
>> next, to the main question...
>>
>> some years ago, ted ernst (who some here will remember) and some other
>> friends got excited about wiki websites.  they met up in portland, drove
>> to
>> seattle to pick up others, then drove all the way to san diego, using
>> *part* of the minivan windshield as an open space bulletin board,
>> discussing all the way, to a symposium called wikisym.
>>
>> when they got there, this merry band made themselves stickers that said
>> "ask me about open space."  as they met folks, they told the story and
>> made
>> more stickers.  pretty soon everyone knew about open space, a bulletin
>> board was created on a wall in a hallway, sessions went up and started
>> happening.  the conference organizers came to the merry band and asked
>> them
>> nicely not to wreck the conference.  since wrecking was not the intention,
>> it was all worked out.
>>
>> part of that is that the organizers asked ted to facilitate open space at
>> the next symposium and make it official, so to speak.  another part was
>> that some of the merry band, having been teased by these first attempts,
>> wanted to see what happened in a full-blown 2.5 days.  so they organized
>> "recent changes camp" which itself sparked a bunch of other gatherings.
>>
>> gerard muller can maybe say more about the follow-on from the wikisym in
>> open space, as it was in denmark or nearby and i think he ended up working
>> with ted on that one.
>>
>> m
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Herman
>> Michael Herman Associates
>> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>>
>> http://MichaelHerman.com
>> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 9:32 PM, John Baxter via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> I hosted an 'Elephants' Gathering' at a conference once upon a time.
>>
>> I knew there were people there I wanted to talk to, but the program was
>> of
>> little interest.
>>
>> I didn't try to compete with the mainstream agenda, I put it in the
>> evening.
>>
>> Nobody had any intent on the formalities of Open Space, but it was indeed
>> an open space, and the right people came (far less than I thought would
>> come, but all the ones I wanted to talk to!).
>>
>> Someone (Eisenstein?) wrote a post recently, I think posted here, about
>> trying to subvert the structure of a conference and being beaten down.
>> My
>> interpretation of events obviously...
>>
>> The right people can always be found in the cracks (at the bar, the
>> coffee
>> station etc).  Some of them might need an invitation.
>>
>> I don't think it's appropriate to force Open Space on the others in a
>> gathering who have little interest.
>> Good on anyone that makes the call that Open Space is right for everyone
>> and goes with it.  But I fear that may likely more driven by ego than
>> care
>> (e.g the above dramatisation).
>>
>> Good discussion!
>>
>>
>> *John Baxter*
>> *Cocreation Consultant & ​Co​Create Adelaide Facilitator*
>> CoCreateADL.com​ <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B>
>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B> |
>> jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
>> <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
>> 0405 447 829
>> ​ | ​
>> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_> <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>>
>> *Thank you to everyone who came, helped or spread the good word about
>> City
>> Grill!*
>> *Summary and links: cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary
>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary>
>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary>*
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 1:55 PM, Skye Hirst via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> yeah,  indeed flash mob Open Space always a great  possibility.  Thanks,
>> Skye
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 4:09 PM, Royle, Karl via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> Great!
>>
>> Sent by iPhone
>> Karl Royle
>> Head of Enterprise and Commercial Development
>>
>> Faculty of Education Health and Wellbeing
>> University of Wolverhampton
>> 01902323006
>> 07815416698
>> @karlroyle. On Twitter
>> Karlr61 Skype
>> Www.academia.edu/karlroyle
>>
>> On 11 Nov 2014, at 20:51, "paul levy via OSList" <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> <http://rationalmadness.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/w3.jpg>
>> <http://rationalmadness.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/w3.jpg>
>>
>> I wonder if anyone reading this has experiences to share of what I am
>> about to describe. Most published stories of open space tend to go by
>> the
>> book. The book is often referred to as the *user *
>> <http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>
>> <http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>*guide*
>> <http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>
>> <http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>“, and it tends towards
>> a process that is largely based on an* instruction manual*
>>
>> <http://elementaleducation.com/wp-content/uploads/temp/OpenSpaceTechnology--UsersGuide.pdf>
>> <http://elementaleducation.com/wp-content/uploads/temp/OpenSpaceTechnology--UsersGuide.pdf>
>> .
>> Dogmatic application manual can then lead, in my humble opinion, not to
>> one
>> less thing to do, but often one more thing to do. These are “guides”
>> not
>> rules, and that is the spirit in which they were written. In many
>> cases,
>> the user guide proves remarkably resilient and applicable. Yet there is
>> always the next moment, the new story, the moment that needs something
>> playful.
>>
>> There’s a lot in the manual (and the many trainings that have come into
>> being from it) about sponsors and invitations, and the things that need
>> to
>> be done before an Open Space to ensure the open spacer er… opens space.
>> I
>> have no difficulty with the manual. It’s full of good advice and is the
>> foundation you might just need to open some space. But, hey, what about
>> this… I’m at a company away day that is looking at product innovation.
>> It
>> is business critical, and it is floundering. Powerpoint after
>> Powerpoint
>> has resulted in a stifled audience, and when they get to breakout
>> sessions,
>> the flipcharts look empty, the energy is low, and it all looks a bit
>> too
>> quiet. There’s a feeling in the room that the event is dying on its
>> feet.
>> Several sessions are lost in badly facilitated action planning. I am on
>> the
>> team and the lead facilitator looks to me for any ideas. It must be
>> because
>> I am silent and looking knowing and wise.
>>
>> Actually I’m seething inside at this over-facilitated, over-designed,
>> overplanned conference crash. Do you mind if I… I ask, a bit pompously
>> and
>> the lead facilitator is up for whatever help he can get. I leap up, and
>> step into the mess. I have a loud voice and it can’t get any worse than
>> this. An idea has just occurred to me and I decide to hurl it into the
>> cluttered room. “Er, hey.” I roar. “Why don’t we open some space?” I’m
>> loud. It goes silent.
>>
>> This is what I say: “This is crap isn’t it?” Silence. “Can everyone
>> bring their chairs and let’s get into a big circle. Tuts, irritation,
>> doubt
>> and mostly relief. Two minutes later there’s a big circle.
>>
>> I introduce open space in about four minutes and quickly crab some flip
>> chart paper and tack it to the wall, creating four corners at new
>> breakout
>> spaces.
>>
>> I ask people to take their chairs with them and, within about ten
>> minutes we have a whole bunch of different sessions, many based around
>> action.
>>
>> The bosses in the room are gobsmacked.
>>
>> We have a two hour open space until wrap up and there’s a huge buzz in
>> the room from this pop-up open space.
>>
>> The invite was improvised and spontaneous.
>>
>> The space opened because it wanted and needed to. It popped up and out
>> as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It transformed the
>> day
>> and sent the clutter fleeing for cover. It was done without fuss and
>> chairs
>> from the main circle quickly went into breakout and back again. The
>> facilitator team were edgy because they felt they were supposed to be
>> doing
>> something and I dragged them away for coffee. We chatted a bit about
>> “emergence” and I was looked on as if I’d done some kind of magic. I
>> was
>> young and enjoyed the attention. I was also looked as as if I was a bit
>> weird. Well, I am a bit weird. I do wonder if pop-up open space could
>> and
>> should happen a lot more.
>>
>> A lot of open spacers I know loved improvisation and spontaneity, yet
>> when it comes to open space are a bit locked in the process in the book
>> of
>> instructions – the manual that tends to overplay the “prep” for the
>> event.
>> So, I’m waving a flag for pop-up, guerilla open space. Why not open
>> some
>> space even for the process of open space? Let’s shimmy it a little and
>> see
>> what falls out.
>>
>> “Flash mob” open space has, I think, a big future. My intuition tells
>> me
>> a fair number of facilitators have done it, and a fair few of them
>> haven’t
>> reported it, telling instead there more “responsible” by-the-book open
>> space stories. But why not? Why not open some space on the spur of the
>> moment? The invite is still there -it just takes a hell of a lot
>> shorter.
>> The opportunity is always there where an over-organised event is
>> disappearing up its own proverbial…
>>
>> It is also there in an event that has some inbuilt flexibility. Why not
>> throw some open space into the flexible mix? But best of all, why not
>> open
>> space when space is there to be open? Self-organisation is often crying
>> out
>> for a chance in the midst of failing over-organisation.
>>
>> So, here’s to some more pop-up open space…
>> On 11 Nov 2014 19:59, "Peggy Holman via OSList" <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I got the query below from my friend Tom Atlee. It seemed like a
>> great question for the list. Since Tom isn’t on it, I told him that
>> I’d
>> forward any responses.
>>
>> appreciatively,
>> Peggy
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> *From: *Tom Atlee <cii at igc.org> <cii at igc.org>
>> *Date: *November 10, 2014 at 12:51:54 PM PST
>> *Subject: **Guerilla Open Space?*
>> *To: *Peggy Holman <peggy at peggyholman.com> <peggy at peggyholman.com>
>>
>> Hi Peggy,
>>
>> Thinking about the NCDD conference, I got the idea for "guerilla Open
>> Space" to be used in conferences where you want to open the space in
>> the
>> middle of a too-organized gathering.  It would involve a central
>> website
>> with instructions on what to do and why.  It would involve passing out
>> cards with messages like "Is there something that you'd really like to
>> talk
>> about or do here that the agenda here is preventing you from talking
>> about
>> or doing?"  "Would you like to be learning, contributing, and having
>> more
>> fun here?" with the web address on it.  Tweets might also be used.
>> Then,
>> on the main website it would tell people about how to do a guerilla
>> open
>> space, referring them perhaps to meetup.com to arrange places to talk.
>>
>> Or something like that.  Have you heard of such  thing before?  Do you
>> have any thoughts/responses?
>>
>> Hugs,
>> Tom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _________________________________
>> Peggy Holman
>> Executive Director
>> Journalism that Matters
>> 15347 SE 49th Place
>> Bellevue, WA  98006
>> 425-746-6274
>> www.journalismthatmatters.net
>> www.peggyholman.com
>> Twitter: @peggyholman
>> JTM Twitter: @JTMStream
>>
>> Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into
>> Opportunity <http://www.engagingemergence.com>
>> <http://www.engagingemergence.com>
>> Check out my series on what's emerging in the news & information
>> ecosystem
>>
>> <http://www.journalismthatmatters.net/the_emerging_news_and_information_eco_system>
>> <http://www.journalismthatmatters.net/the_emerging_news_and_information_eco_system>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>> --
>> Scanned by iCritical.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Skye Hirst, PhD*
>> President - The Autognomics Institute
>> *Conversations in Radical Self-Knowing*
>> www.autognomics.org
>> @autognomics
>>
>> New Phone Number:
>> 207-593-8074
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>> --
>> Harold Shinsato
>> harold at shinsato.com
>> http://shinsato.com
>> twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20141113/a1d2ecf8/attachment-0002.htm>


More information about the OSList mailing list