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Dear Ulrika,
<p>I would suggest you take a meeting with the manager before the Open
Space, for different reasons.
<p>1. To find out whether she/he supports the event and is
open for any outcome
<br>2. To assess to what extent the person is likely to be
able to catch the athmosphere
<br> and understand what has happened at
short notice what has happened before the closing
<br> circle starts
<br>3. To explain how to process works and what to expect
<br>4. To agree how the manager will be briefed upon
arrival
<br>5. To discuss the closing statement.
<p>I normally tell the person who speaks last that nothing needs to be
prepared, but spend some time with the sponsor during the process (typically
right after the agenda is made, during lunch and just before the closing
circle). In this particular case I would make sure I had 10 minutes with
the manager before the closing circle starts. It is easier if the manager
has nothing prepared and is able to improvise. What I would suggest is
to say (a) what is your impression ? (b) thank everyone (c) how will you
take the results forward. I would strongly advise against attemting to
make a summary contentwise, or - even worse - to talk about things which
have no direct relation to what has happened in the event.
<p>Usually this works. On several occasions haven spoken to the manager
had the effect that the manager at least attended the opening (and in some
cases did not leave as planned).
<p>The worst scenario I have experienced was where an organisation who
held an Open Space on the event of their 50-year existance in their wisdom
decided to invite their boss three levels up
<br>(the Minister) to come and make a closing speech. After let's say some
dfficult discussions we ended up with the director of the organisation
closing the OS (in 5 minutes), all 250 participants than moving physically
to a party tent which had been hired for the occasion, get themselves a
drink and listen to the speech. In that way, the Open space was the open
space and it was clear to all that the speech was something else.
<p>I hiope you find this useful,
<p>Mange hilsner fra Danmark,
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p>Gerard Muller
<br>Open Space Institute Denmark
<br>
<br>
<p>Ulrika Eklund wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE> <span class=368063021-16012003><span lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><font face="Arial">Dear
OS-list members</span><span lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "<A HREF="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office</A>" /></font><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><font face="Arial">I
know there is a lot of knowledge out there in cyber. I am learning so much
from this list, and it gives so much hope! Any way I am going to arrange
an Open Space in Sweden in February.</font></span><span lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><font face="Arial">There
is going to be an OS, around 70 people will be invited, six hours (I know
it is short). The "top manager" (I do not know the right English word,
hope you understand, it is really the highest person in the hierarchy)
has not the possibility to attend until the last hour. What is your experience
of this? What will happen when the "top manager" will enter the OS the
very last hour and wants to have a short speech. How could you tackle this?</font></span><span lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span
class=368063021-16012003><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000FF"><font size=-1>T</span></span><span lang=EN-GB
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">he
person likes the idea of OS, and has confirmed it. </font></font></font><span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span></span><span lang=EN-GB
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span
class=368063021-16012003><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000FF"><font size=-1>Thanks
in advance</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000FF"><font size=-1>Ulrika</font></font></font></span></span></span></blockquote>
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