[OSList] Private vs Public OST Differences?

Wed Oct 15 10:01:13 PDT 2014

I’d echo Christine’s observations about infrastructure. So much of that is something that you can take for granted in an organization and requires some thought when dealing with public settings. 

A couple other distinctions I’ve noticed:

Organizational events are high context. A calling question is asked within an existing culture. That’s both a blessing and a curse. It means that there’s much that doesn’t need explaining. And it means there are unconscious habits of relating and behaving present. Not bad. Just the territory. 

Examples: I was recently with a group that had an internal clock for half an hour meetings. It was interesting watching their rhythm shift over the course of the Open Space. For that same event, I spent about 10 minutes with the leadership team before we started encouraging them to be themselves and participate, like everyone else. They bring a unique and valuable perspective, as do others. And their voices carry a weight they might not appreciate because of their place in the hierarchy. So if they found themselves the center of attention, I suggested that it’s a good time to ask a question that gives the focus back to the group. Or use the law of two feet and go elsewhere.

Public events don’t have the context of an existing culture. So the calling question may have a much wider variation in meaning to people who come. And there may be fewer existing relationships and norms. Again, not bad. Just different. 

Many years ago I was part of a team that did a public event with a calling question so broad that people had multiple interpretations of it. The question: How do we support a movement toward the conscious evolution of increasingly conscious social systems? (See http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon2.html). A number of people on this list were part of it.  People showed up because they were attracted to the hosts or something about the question spoke to them. It was wild, fun, and creative. And there was a demand on the second day to hear from the organizers what we meant by the question, just for more context.

The other thing I’ve learned is that the process of invitation can be much more intense for public events. In organizations, the bulk of participation is internal. While there are certainly issues with ensuring a spirit of invitation, who to invite and how to reach them is pretty straightforward.

For public events, I find that if you want a diversity of folks, inviting can be the most time consuming activity of all. I did some work with the Forest Service years ago to look at the future of the forests in the San Bernardino Mountains in California. They were heading into a rough fire season, felt they’d done everything they could do to prepare. While they had the public’s attention, they wanted to look to the future, 50 years out. We worked with them to identify the range of people who cared, including state, local, federal, and regional government, community organizations, chamber of commerce, insurance companies (small, but influential), ranchers who leased land in the national forests, environmental groups, and on and on. Getting the word out to all these folks took some thought.

Peggy

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On Oct 15, 2014, at 8:43 AM, Christine Whitney Sanchez via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Daniel and all,
> 
> In my experience, public events have the same buzz and meaningful results as an in-organization OST.  I’ve facilitated a number of them that were sponsored by a group of organizations in the community.  For instance, Vibrant Phoenix, was a very productive economic development OST, sponsored by two mayors of large municipalities and several local businesses.  One of the business sponsors agreed to be the contact for folks who wanted to take their “actionable ideas” to the next level.  However, there was no budget and no infrastructure to really keep folks connected the the ideas they cared the most about.  
> 
> This is where the public open spaces generally fall short.  Because the ongoing action is not the core mission of any of these organizations, it is hoped that the participants will self-organize going forward.  With very few exceptions, this does not happen.  I believe that sponsorship for the work after the OST is what is called for.
> 
> The Collective Impact model speaks to this.  It’s nothing new, really, but does represent a simple way to talk about the necessary conditions for sustaining collective action.  I now include my version of this model when I talk with potential sponsors to shine the light beyond the meeting so that we can discuss their intentions for providing backbone support for self-organized action going forward.
> 
> I especially love public Open Space events and look forward to working with sponsors who see the meeting as merely the first small step in collaborative action.  There is so much potential!
> 
> Warm wishes from a sunny autumn morning in the rain-greened desert,
> 
> Christine
> <clip_image002.png>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez, M.C.
> Phoenix, AZ, USA • +1.480.759.0262
> www.innovationpartners.com 
> 
> Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter 
> 
> On Oct 15, 2014, at 6:33 AM, Daniel Mezick via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
> 
> Greetings To All,
> 
> I notice that there are many big differences between public-conference-type OST events, and OST events arranged for organizations. 
> 
> Do you also notice this? Maybe I am imagining this....just making stuff up...
> 
> ...maybe not. In many key dimensions, I experience these differences as striking. Even disturbing.
> 
> 
> 
> And so I have been poking around inside the GUIDE (3rd edition) and I notice that, in some spots, the implication is that the discussion is about a public event. Up to page 18 for example, this implication is clear:
> 
> 
> <THE GUIDE PAGE 18>
> 
> Working With The Client if you ARE NOT the Sponsor
> 
> "To this point I have assumed that you (the reader) will be the sponsor and facilitator of the Open Space, and therefore it is your decision as to whether or not to proceed...(emphasis added.)
> 
> </THE GUIDE PAGE 18>
> 
> 
> 
> My current belief is that having the same person in the Sponsor role **and** the Facilitator role is probably a very bad idea for an OST event inside an organization. For the typical public-conference event on the other hand, this seems to work just fine. Kinda like a Barcamp or Unconference....
> 
> 
> Another current belief I hold is that OST is the essential tool for creating "Development and Transformation in Organizations". It is best suited for use in organizations. 
> 
> It is interesting to note how the Barcamp and/or "Unconference" formats seem to get the same or as-good results as Open Space, in the public conference setting. 
> 
> Not so inside organizations! In fact, as of now, I don't think Barcamp or Unconference has any chance whatsoever at being effective in bringing about Development and Transformation in Organizations the way Open Space can. Something about the Sponsor?
> 
> Daniel
> 
> 
> -- 
> Daniel Mezick, President
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
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