[OSList] Determining Duration of Open Space Event?

[Harrison Owen]

Duration: One day for simple stuff. Two Days for complex situation with the possibility of decision making/action group formation. If the people involved say that is too much time, that it is pretty clear that:  A) The issue isn’t that important. B) Nobody really cares. This actually a really good test for the first essential pre-condition for a productive Open Space – A really critical issue that has folks’ Attention. In short, they care.

 

ho 

 

From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Jake Yeager via OSList
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 8:07 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list; Michael M Pannwitz
Cc: Jake Yeager
Subject: [OSList] Determining Duration of Open Space Event?

 

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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