[OSList] Fwd: Guerilla Open Space?

Thu Nov 13 07:16:26 PST 2014

John – I’m not sure there is an “official story” (“the Official Story that Open Space doesn't work in parallel.”) But if so, I guess I am the guilty party. At least that is what I wrote in  “The User’s Guide.” Anyhow... nothing doctrinaire about it, but that had been my experience, and I think the experience of a number of others. Every time there was an “official program” and an “Open Space Program run in parallel, the Open Space just seemed to lack energy and impact. That’s just the way it was. Now however, it seems that parallelism does work, which leads to the question, Why? I think the answer might be something like this. In those situations I referred to it is clear to me (retrospectively) that the sponsors were trying to hedge their bet, or I might say “do a little bit of Open Space.” Whenever that happens you typically end up with all form and no substance. Which is to say you have the formal opening with nothing real following. The key is there is no genuine passion or commitment. Just going through the motions. In the occasions just reported, I think we have something quite different. There really is a commitment on the part of sponsors and participants to use the space. Some (like Harold) even find it to be the best part.

Harrison 

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From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of John Baxter via OSList
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 7:39 PM
To: Harold Shinsato; World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Fwd: Guerilla Open Space?

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 & CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator

 <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/> jsbaxter.com.au | CoCreateADL.com

0405 447 829

 | 

@ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_> jsbaxter_

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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 & CoCreate 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!

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University of Wolverhampton
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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  <mailto: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  <mailto: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

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