[OSList] Determining Duration of Open Space Event?

[Jake Yeager]

Hey Michael,

Back in mid-July you provided a really helpful description of your
contracting process for Open Space (reproduced below). I am using this to
make my contracting process more robust, so thank you!

One question I have for you: in your contracting process when is there a
determination of the duration of the Open Space? And how does that come
about?

If others have thoughts on this subject, please join in!

Thanks!

All the best,
Jake

----------------------------
Dear Mark,

had a good laughing attack, reading your message.

The approach I have developed to improve on the role and task of the
"leader" goes like this:

1. Contact:
I get a call from someone, not necessarily the "leader", sometimes a
person from the OD department of the organization requesting an OST
event. This professional person, as anyone else, can really have a
number of assumptions about the organization she or he works for. After
listening for a very short while (since I dont want to get confused) I
suggest my standard procedure, a contact meeting with those that decide
on this event.

2. Contact meeting face-to-face, never online or similar stuff:
Usually three or four or five people (I suggested to the first caller
that it should be a bit of a diverse small group) gather for this
contact meeting which lasts exactly 1 hour and maybe 15 minutes. For
this meeting I dont charge anything regardless of the outcome. The
potential client simply pays the costs (if I have to fly to Paris and
spend a night there which happened in the early stage of the 300 leaders
with Muslims, Jews and Christians engaged in World Peace in Sevilla (HO
facilitated, I helped).)
In this meeting I suggest the present folks have an exchange on what the
gathering is planned for (usually there is a pretty divergent response
but the central issue becomes clearer).
After that I tell them about the 5 or 6 prerequites for an OST event and
have them exchange on those.
At the end I also ask them how aware they are about the role of leaders
after an OST event in face of the fact that participants start to lead
themselves. Oh, yes, they exclaim, thats what we would love. Hmmm. I
also add that nobody from the organization should make any promises in
regard to the potential actions that people will engage in after the
event. Them then also leading will know what kind of support they need
and how to get it.
Before leaveing I tell them to sleep over all this and give me a ring.
If they call me and if I have a hunch that it will all work out, the
third step is the :

3. Planning Meeting (preparatory meeting):
A group of 8 to 35 people (thats the range I have experienced in my
career of working with OST) that the "leaders" selected, mirroring
approximately the expected participants, meet for exactly 3.5 hours to
- exchange their expectations re the outcome (Thinking of the first
working day after the event, what has changed?)
- develope the overall theme (in four steps: everyone for himself
followed by random small groups to come to one theme, followed by a
quick round of weighing the various themes, a round of three or four
that want to come to a final suggestion (in fishbowl with the rest of
the group watching, one empty chair for folks watching to come in and
make a suggestion and immeditately leaving the chair again) and fourth
an exchange of all to see whether the theme is it
- a brainstorming on who all needs to be invited to the event to
actually work successfully on action that would carry the expectations
forward under the chosen overall theme... usually a long list pops up
which is reduced by a quick check on whether concrete people are behind
the suggestions. For instance if someone says "The press" it will not
count unless someone comes up with a particular organ or best a
particular person...). The list is then checked on once more by
identifying who is essential. If it turns out that someone mentioned as
"essential" will definitely not come (for whatever reason) I suggest
that then expectations have to be reduced or the overall Theme changed.
That can lead to more clarifications and strenghens the common ground.
- produce a list of stuff that needs to be worked on and who will be in
charge of that for each item, such as producting an invitation,
designing different invitation procedures for different target groups
(some will need an letter, others a letter and a phone call, some you
have to go and see, etc.)

Shortly before the end of the Planning Meeting I ask folks to sit in a
closing circle and briefly state what they experienced in the last 3.5
hours. Amazing stuff will surface such as: I came doubting this would
make any sense, now I am on fire and have taken charge of finding a
venue... I have been working as an executive for 20 years and never had
a more productive and fun gathering... we have developed into a real
group even though several of you I never met before...
(in other words this group together with the "leader" is now leading and
spreading the word about the event in their system.)

This kind of approach has always worked also because the formal
"leaders" were present and even though it was not done in "OST" nothing
happened in the 3.5 hours that was not what those present worked and
decided on.

There was, however, one event that I was asked to faciliate a year after
a massacre in a school in a town south of Berlin, where the folks of the
  government (state government, secretary of education), protested
against the overall theme. I told the sponsoring group that this
intervention could be taken into consideration in a second round of the
Planning session. The Planning Group did rise to a stance that would
have threatened the event, the secretary gave in.

I think this process works, because it prevents being misled and
deceived by "leaders" although, that was not my primary motive for
insiting on this process (in fact, I did not accept a job unless this
procedure was followed). My primary purpose was to have more space for
broad leadership in which formal "leaders" were included, of course.

I am writing this after returning from my Saturday visit at the local
farmers market. As always I met folks I know, neighbors, friends, old
colleagues. But today a small child (about 3) ran by me waving his arms
like a bird wanting to fly. I shouted, watch ought your will fly off in
a minute. The father looked at me and said, hi, I am Johannes, I know
you from the Open Space event in our highschool (10 years ago, the day
after 9/11) and his mother minding her grandson called out a name of a
colleague that also worked on the event. Of course, we chatted and they
kept repeating what a basic impact that made on them and how the Student
Body respresentatives used open space in their weekly sessions (Anna
Caroline Turk was part of that at the age of 18 or so)...
Reflecting on the event on my way home in the bus I remembered an
exchange I had with the Director of the school after the first of at
least three  "Next Meetings" (checking on the Action Steps and the next
steps in a group of everyone that was partaking in the Actions that had
been planned at the end of the ost event):

"Hey, Michael, something strange is happening!"
Yes, tell me more.
"I have much more time now then I used to have!"
How is that for you?
"Perfect, great, something I always had hoped for. People just dont come
to me anymore for the myriad of details and questions that they used to
have. Now, I finally have the time to spend time on issues that are
vital for the school."

Greetings from Berlin where I am now returning to picking blackberries
in our garden
mmp
________________

When the mind is quiet, the sun of your heart will shine once again, and
you will be free of problems.
 - Robert Adams <http://www.robert-adams.info/>
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