[OSList] Determining Duration of Open Space Event?

R Chaffe rchaffe at gmail.com
Wed Aug 14 16:03:06 PDT 2019


Thank you Harrison,  I would add that if the group has had to travel to the event allow three days.  Day one get started, day two focused conversation, day three rap up and print proceedings.  My experience is that on the last day of a gathering travel the participants pack their bags in the morning an they are mentally finished and on their way home.  Three days means you have one clear day including out do session time when ALL the participants being is focused on the event.  The third day also allows the publishing of the proceedings to a “best quality”.

Regards
Rob

> On 15 Aug 2019, at 12:18 am, Harrison Owen via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
> 
> 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
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> Past archives can be viewed here: http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20190815/524e4728/attachment.html>


More information about the OSList mailing list