[OSList] Private vs Public OST Differences?

Chris Corrigan via OSList oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Fri Oct 17 14:30:06 PDT 2014 

Underlining this.  The Giving Conference, an open and public event in 2003 was transformational for the few dozen people who were there and launched scores of long term and sustained work that had a influence far beyond what we could have imagined.  It’s one of my best practice stories, and it was entirely a public thing.

Also, an initiative I was a part of in 2011 to address addictions related stigma in the health care system was both open to the public and supported by an organization (The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority).  The weight and institutional support made it possible, supported many follow up experiments and sustained results.  the reliance on a single institution for this work also eventually compromised the results when the organization was restructured and the directorate that had initiated the work ceased to exist.  

Chris

On Oct 17, 2014, at 2:15 PM, Michael Herman via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> it's not about minimum requirements for me, daniel.  many of the things on your list show up in most of the meetings/events i've facilitated, but it's all very situation specific.  
> 
> what i heard you saying earlier, and maybe i heard it wrong, was about corporate/organization/private events that have org structure and process and culture behind them, adding momentum and to longer, more resource-full meetings/events.  AND i heard public events described as being shorter and bringing fewer resources and less common cultural momentum.   
> 
> if i heard those characterizations accurately, i only wanted to say that they can be teased apart.  generalizing on public vs. private is not going to be as accurate as generalizing on the quality of the preparations, commitment, energy... shall we say... complexity, diversity, urgency and passion.  yes, organizations have some ways of whipping up these conditions, but they also have ways of damping them down.  energy and resources in communities can be more diffused, but also very focused and abundant.
> 
> i'm just saying that just cuz it's public, you can't assume than it's shorter, lower quality and that the proceedings won't be out when promised.  that can happen in orgs, same as anywhere else.  and long, high quality, on-time and ongoing work is very possible in open, emergent community events.  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> --
> 
> Michael Herman
> Michael Herman Associates
> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
> 
> http://MichaelHerman.com
> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
> 
> 
> On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Daniel Mezick via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
> Hi Michael,
> 
> I'm confused now, and so I believe I am about to learn something new here... I'll know by your answers to these questions:
> 
> What are the minimum essentials of Open Space structure? For example, are the following elements necessary at all?
> 
> Sponsor
> Theme
> Invitation in advance, referring to Theme
> Opening Circle
> Facilitator
> Explanation of the 1Law/ 5Principles
> Posters
> Closing Circle
> Timely Proceedings
> Sponsor commitment to follow though on Proceedings
> 
> If these are not essential to structure, why not? If so, why so?
> 
> Thanks for your help! Very Eager to hear your (hopefully detailed) answers!
> 
> Daniel
> 
> 
> On 10/17/14 1:27 PM, Michael Herman wrote:
>> No. I'm saying the setting, context, culture doesn't matter so much. The structure, setup and commitment matter. I'm saying don't assume that public gatherings aren't capable of having real impact. And of course corporate/organizational/private isn't any guarantee of impact and followthrough. 
>> 
>> On Friday, October 17, 2014, Daniel Mezick <dan at newtechusa.net> wrote:
>> Hi Michael,
>> 
>> I hear you, saying: 
>> 
>> "I've seen very loose corporate add-on events" 
>> 
>> ..and then I also hear you saying:
>> 
>> I've seen...very productive and long-lived action (spanning years and continents) come from open public conferences. 
>> 
>> I do not hear you saying this:
>> 
>> "I've seen very loose corporate add-on events generate very productive and long-lived action spanning years" 
>> 
>> I wonder if you are saying this.
>> 
>> Daniel
>> 
>> On 10/17/14 10:15 AM, Michael Herman wrote:
>>> Not sure the differences you articulate have anything to do with public and private, Daniel. It's about the different structures.  I've seen very loose corporate add-on events and very productive and long-lived action (spanning years and continents) come from open public conferences. So id say structure matters much more than setting. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Friday, October 17, 2014, Daniel Mezick via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>> Greetings Christine, 
>>> 
>>> Thanks for your detailed reply. I must admit, I have no experience whatsoever with doing quasi-public OST events arranged for guilds, industry-associations and the like. I'm clueless! 
>>> 
>>> As such, my opinion does not have much (if any) validity about those use cases. I do have some theories however, and I hope I can ask some questions about OST for guilds & industry associations...
>>> 
>>> I see it like this:
>>> 
>>> (1) At one extreme end of the spectrum, there is the very private, business-org-specific event. A kind of big-family system.
>>> 
>>> (2) At the other extreme, there is the totally public conference that anyone can attend, if they pay the money... 
>>> It is an event that has some Open Space of varying quality, in 1/2 day, full day or multiple day formats. 
>>> It may of may not have a Sponsor, it may of may not have Proceedings. It may or may not have posters on the wall. If it has Proceedings at all, they are often late.
>>> "Agile" conferences are commonly at found at this end of the range.
>>> 
>>> My theory is that quasi-public OST events for and with guilds, industry associations and the like lie somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. And I can certainly imagine (theorize) how these events take on the look, feel, tone, temp and flavor of the very private, business-org-specific event. They might even effectively BE private events. It's not like anyone with the fee (if any) can just waltz into the meeting right? 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> And so, for now, I want to set these quasi-public OST events aside, and/or characterize them as private events. Is that OK? 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> And so, referring to (1) and (2) above, I continue to see very huge differences between these two ways to use Open Space. 
>>> 
>>> Like, the difference between Night and Day. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Here's one of those very striking differences: in public-conference events where OST is an add-on in 1/2 or full day formats, getting good Proceedings is difficult. Or impossible. The Proceedings are typically late and poorly formatted, or more commonly: non-existent. 
>>> 
>>> Yet inside private events, you can't pull the people off the task of Proceedings creation. The task attracts them like a magnet. They typically wave off any offers of help and take an absolutely huge interest in the Proceedings generation. They rivet on it. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> And this is just one example. There are many more BIG differences. And so I continue to assert that for public-conference events where OST is a full day or 1/2 day add-on, a Barcamp or Unconference can and does get equivalent, similar, as-good results. 
>>> 
>>> Stated another way, Barcamp and/or Unconference can never do what Open Space does for organizations. And that's because Open Space is optimized for enabling "development and transformation in organizations. "
>>> 
>>> And those other two aren't. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Daniel
>>> 
>>> PS I realize some public, paid, Agile conferences that feature all-day Open Space do a very good job with Proceedings. Yet this is clearly the exception, and not the rule where Agile conferences are concerned. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 10/15/14 11:43 AM, Christine Whitney Sanchez 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
>>>> <Mail Attachment.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)
>>>> 
>>>> Bio. Blog. Twitter. 
>>>> 
>>>> Examine my new book:Â  The Culture Game : Tools for the Agile Manager.
>>>> 
>>>> Explore Agile Team Training and Coaching.
>>>> 
>>>> Explore the Agile Boston Community. 
>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Daniel Mezick, President
>>> 
>>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>>> 
>>> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>>> 
>>> Bio. Blog. Twitter. 
>>> 
>>> Examine my new book:Â  The Culture Game : Tools for the Agile Manager.
>>> 
>>> Explore Agile Team Training and Coaching.
>>> 
>>> Explore the Agile Boston Community. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Â 
>>> --
>>> 
>>> Michael Herman
>>> Michael Herman Associates
>>> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>>> 
>>> http://MichaelHerman.com
>>> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Daniel Mezick, President
>> 
>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>> 
>> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>> 
>> Bio. Blog. Twitter. 
>> 
>> Examine my new book:Â  The Culture Game : Tools for the Agile Manager.
>> 
>> Explore Agile Team Training and Coaching.
>> 
>> Explore the Agile Boston Community. 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Â 
>> --
>> 
>> Michael Herman
>> Michael Herman Associates
>> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>> 
>> http://MichaelHerman.com
>> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> Daniel Mezick, President
> 
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
> 
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
> 
> Bio. Blog. Twitter. 
> 
> Examine my new book:Â  The Culture Game : Tools for the Agile Manager.
> 
> Explore Agile Team Training and Coaching.
> 
> Explore the Agile Boston Community. 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
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