<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Following the conference, we head from one of them, who was quite turned off by the whole experience. Here's an excerpt:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">> Instead I was at a New Age, "open circle" conference where</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">> the questions were as flat and meaningless as possible so no one would feel</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">> excluded. </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I have to say honestly - I totally understand this reaction. Some times 'typical' open space can get into this 'circle grooviness' that some how demeans people with high professional expectations. When I first introduced open space to my tech community we sat in a multi ring semi circle with the agenda wall at the front that we then filled. When first introducing open space to technical communities not used to the 'circle culture' I often use theater style - they are already doing a radically different process then normal. I don't need to force 'circle" on them too. I always close the day in the circle though and sure enough in good time (like by the third conference) they get the process and begin in circle no problem. </DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">She cancelled at the last moment because she just didn't see a role for herself. She described herself as a high introvert and without a role, felt she would not be comfortable there.</BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>Interesting. The 'luminaries' in my community LOVE the Open Space and the fact it mixes things up. They get to hear from others who are thinking about innovative things AND they get to talk about their latest thing - but not because someone on some committee picked them - because they wanted to. <DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">So, here's my question: these folks (even the ones with egos) have gifts to offer. What experiences have you had in creating conditions where luminaries/elders/experts actually see a role for themselves and make a productive contribution to an Open Space?</BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Perhaps the best thing that I have found is to use a wiki to let them all output what they want to talk about before hand - The luminaires who are all like 'i want to speak about x' you just put all that up on the wiki and say they get to put it on the agenda the day it happens. The "luminaries" in my community are the biggest fans of the process and are infact active inviters of new people who would otherwise not come. <DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000080" face="Arial" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.3333px;">would avoid doing a “round the circle” at the beginning, which I personally find less than useful for two reasons. First it delays the actual start when people go to work – and this is the most important consideration for me. Secondly, all those names and needs/wants/desires badly confuses this old mind.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>I almost always do 'audience/attendee' introductions for my events yes and even when we are sitting in theater style. The thing is a lot of folks 'know' each other form correspondence on mailing lists AND reading each others blogs but have NEVER met or seen a photo. Making the visual connection between person and name along with identifing the company or organization they are will his helpful. I can get a room or 150 people to do rapid fire introductions in 10 min.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Agreement on the needs thing - a bit much time wise and energy wise for a group. Best to do that kind of thing on paper. </DIV><DIV><DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">It seems strange to go to an Open Space conference and then complain about the format</BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>He was expecting what he had understood an 'unconference' to be - which in one conception of the process that was put forward in the tech community had a chosen topics and a chosen 'luminary facilitators' "leading a discussion" in a theater style room with anywhere from 25-200 people. Needless to say this is not very open space (and it never claimed to be - geeks are not known for their face-to-face group process literacy but they were trying their best to step out of conference norms.) It put the luminary in the 'center' controlling a room. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I hope this perspective helps. </DIV><DIV>=Kaliya</DIV><DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Kaliya - Identity Woman</DIV><DIV><A href="mailto:kaliya@mac.com">kaliya@mac.com</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A href="http://www.unconference.net">http://www.unconference.net</A></DIV><DIV><A href="http://www.identitywoman.net">http://www.identitywoman.net</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A href="skype:identitywoman">skype:identitywoman</A></DIV><DIV>Y!:earthwaters</DIV><DIV><A href="AIM:kaliya@mac.com">AIM:kaliya@mac.com</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>510 472-9069 (bay area)</DIV><DIV>415 425 1136 (on the road)</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>*
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