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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I think we need to make a distinction
between warm up activities (a.k.a. icebreakers) and other stuff that may
precede the Open Space Forum (as we now call it over here in Brighton, UK)
proper.</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Facilitators
do warm-ups because they think that people are cold. I’ve found that when I
assume that people are already warm, then people are prepared (note the
ambiguity) to go straight into the work.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Although
we don’t do warm-ups, we do sometimes have people do some work before the OS
Forum. The umbrella term for this might be ‘context setting’ or ‘subject soak’.
One of the things we sometimes have people work in small groups (like Real Time
Strategic Change or Future Search) and use Post-its to get all the issues and
opportunities out, then use sticky hearts to indicate where their energy is.
Then, when it comes to offering sessions, people have a broader sense of the
subject matter.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>We have
also embedded an Open Space Forum into a Future Search conference, using Open
Space to go deeper into some of the issues on the mind map of issues and trends
going on in the present.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>We are
currently collaborating with Mike Bell of The Wisdom Meme (<a
href="http://www.thewisdommeme.com/">www.thewisdommeme.com</a>) to create a
hybrid of the Wisdom Council and Open Space. Mike trained with the Ehama
Institute (<a href="http://www.ehama.org/">www.ehama.org</a>) in California and
is now back in the UK. So the Wisdom Council work is yet another process that
can be used as groundwork for Open Space.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Mike has
worked with OST and suggests that the opening circle begins by ‘stringing the
beads’, which means that everyone says their name. I haven’t tried this but
will do so when a suitable opportunity shows up. I’m not sure how this would be
done with a large number of participants though. Does anyone have any thoughts
on this?<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Having
said all that, there are many occasions when nothing is needed before the
opening circle – just get on with it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I’d like
to thank everyone who has contributed to this discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Martin<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><a
href="http://www.theinnovationagency.com/openspace">www.theinnovationagency.com/openspace</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><a
href="http://www.martinleith.com/">www.martinleith.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle15><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
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