openspacetech

Open Space Technology

What is it ?

Open Space enables self-organising groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complex issues…in very short periods of time

- is a style of group facilitation that allows groups of any size to set and then manage their own agenda

- it develops creativity and leadership in individuals by allowing them to take responsibility for their passion, and to share it with those that are also interested

- it creates transparency and open communication between everyone that is involved in an issue

- it is part of the self-organising learning systems thinking movement

- it allows for the natural organic development of ideas into action

- it brings out the wisdom of each individual and the whole group

Where did it come from ?

The concept of Open Space is centuries old, though it has emerged recently as a more formalized technique from a text by Harrison Owen, called ‘Open Space Technology, a User’s Guide’. Owen organised many organisational change meetings, spending months consulting people and developing the agenda. Many of these meetings were not very successful, and often people found the best part to be the coffee break !! Because that’s when they could talk to who they want about what they want ! Owen wondered whether a whole meeting could be like a coffee break !

When could it be used ?

In situations where highly complex and conflicting issues must be dealt with and solved by diverse groups of people

- Where conflict is holding back the ability to change

- Where the situation is complex

- Where there is a high degree of diversity

- Where there is an urgent need to make speedy decisions

- Where all stakeholders are needed for good decisions to be made

- Where you have no preconceived notion of what the outcomes should be

- When nobody knows the answer

- When there is Real concern, Real passion, Disagreement, Pressure for a solution

Although Open Space Technology(OST) is powerful and effective, never use it for the sake of the process alone, only for the potential results. OST is designed to do a job, to work a real business issue, no matter how you define "business" or "Issue." So a first act of preparation is to determine in concrete terms what you want to accomplish, best stated in a question “It must focus on a real” issue that is of passionate concern to those who will be involved.

When should it NOT be used ?

- if the outcome of the meeting is predetermined, the decision has already been made

- if sponsors or problem owners wish to control outcomes, and are not prepared to change as a result of the meeting

- Whenever the facilitator’s implicit promises to the group of safety, freedom and authority cannot be made in good faith

What are the outcomes ?

½ Day = Quick brainstorming

1 Day = Intense/deep discussion with some next steps

2 Days = deep exploration of the theme with some action plans and a full book of proceedings

2½ Days = complete exploration of theme with action plans, book of proceedings and deeper buy-in by participants, Converging, Prioritising, Action Planning

In meetings of 1½ or 2½ days duration, all of these deliverables listed below will be achieved with deep conversation and commitment to action. Meetings of a shorter duration will have many of these positive effects, but typically in meetings of a day or less, there is more emphasis on conversation and less on action.

- Every single issue that anybody cares about enough to raise will be "on the table"

- All issues will receive as much discussion as people care to give them

- All discussion will be captured in a book, and made available to the participants

- All issues will be prioritized

- Related issues will be converged

- Responsibility will be taken for next step actions

- All of the issues that are MOST important to the participants will be raised

- All of the issues raised will be addressed by those participants most qualified and capable of getting something done on each of them

- In a time as short as one or two days, all of the most important ideas, discussion, data, recommendations, conclusions, questions for further study, and plans for immediate action will be documented in one comprehensive report -- finished, printed and in the hands of participants when they leave

- After an event, all of these results can be made available to an entire organisation or community within days of the event, so the conversation can invite every stakeholder into implementation -- right now

- gathered new ideas, resources and people and connected them to these issues

Side Effects include : honest communication, sense of community, developing leadership, teamwork, motivation, inclusion, participation, inspiration, creativity, security,

Where has it been used successfully so far ?

downsizing

program design

town meeting

bringing perceived or real competitors together

rapid growth

land use plan

diversity awareness

holding managers retreat

product design

conference format/method

systems development

needs assessment

strategic planning

facilities/site design

strategic planning process

action planning

community development & participation

developing ownership

exploring complex issues

creating a common vision

merger

conflict situation

creating networks

opening dialogue for…

deeper understanding..

Who is it for ?

Whoever cares ! An Invitation is designed and sent out to everyone connected with the issue, all the stakeholders. This allows people to come because they feel responsible. The invitation will state the theme, and the start and end time of the meeting. It may also have a number of questions, questions should outweigh statements, and create space in which the imagination can grow. To date, we know that Open Space accommodates groups from 5 to 1500 people. It can be run for a couple of hours to 3 or more days; consecutively or over time; at one site or at multiple sites connected by computer and/or phone and video.

What is the agenda ?

Open Space has not pre-set agenda, but it does have a THEME. It must focus on a real business issue that is of passionate concern to those who will be involved. Creation of a powerful theme statement is critical, for it will be the central mechanism for focusing discussion and inspiring participation. The theme statement, however, cannot be a lengthy, dry, recitation of goals and objectives. It must have the capacity to inspire participation by being specific enough to indicate the direction, while possessing sufficient openness to allow for the imagination of the group to take over.

How does it work ?

Open Space is based on the following premise : Passion bounded by responsibility fuelled by freedom.

Each participant is told to be prepared to be surprised!

There are FOUR PRINCIPLES and ONE LAW to Open Space :

THE FOUR PRINCIPLES :

1. Whenever it starts is the right time

CREATIVITY COMES WHEN IT COMES, NOT WHEN WE DEMAND IT

The third principle will seem essentially wrong to those whose lives have been dictated by the clock, which is basically all of us. The conventional wisdom says that if you want to get something done, you must start on time. The conventional wisdom is right so long as you know what you are going to do, and how. On the other hand, when creativity, and real learning are involved, the clock can be more of a detriment than an assist. Things will start when they are ready, and whenever they start is the right time. In fact, when the creative learning moment arrives, it seems to create its own time, or put another way, clocks don't seem to matter much anymore. The Open Space environment provides the nutrient setting for creative activity, and those who would lead in that environment must keep their eye on the creative process and forget about the clock. When "it" happens, it will happen in its own time, and scheduling a breakthrough for 10 am is not only an exercise in futility, it is consummately destructive of Open Space.

Open Space Events do, of course, occur in time, which means that there must be a time of beginning and a time for closure. But everything in the middle must be allowed to run its own course.

2. Whoever comes is the right people

FOCUSSING ON THE QUALITY OF INTERACTION, not status.

The first principle reminds everyone of the obvious fact that those present are the only ones there. Whatever gets done will get done with them, or not at all. There is little point, therefore in worrying about all those who should have come, might have come, but didn't come. It is essential to concentrate on those who are there. The experience is that, in some strange way, the group present is always the right group.

In more practical terms, it has been discovered that if the group is deeply involved in the issue at hand and excited by the possibilities, that involvement and excitement are contagious, and others will soon join in. Even if the technical expertise present is not of the highest order, a committed group will find the needed expertise. However, if all the time is spent in telling each other that the group is neither right nor competent, it is always the case that the group will live down to it expectations.

None of this is to suggest that effort should not be made before the gathering to be sure that invitations are extended to critical people. Or indeed that those critical people should not be specially urged to attend. However, when the gathering starts, it is unarguably true: those who came are the ones who came. Whatever gets done will be done by them, or not at all. They will be the right people.

What if nobody comes to your session, you could feel hurt or angry. Maybe it’s the right idea at the wrong time, or simply not a good idea. Either way, your getting useful information. And there is another possibility, it’s the right idea at the right time and only you are competent to deal with it !! So if it is just you, what a chance to work on your passion.

3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have

LEAVE YOUR AGENDA AND EXPECTATIONS AT THE DOOR

The second principle is yet another statement of the obvious. Given the theme (job) at hand and the people in attendance, whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Change the people, time, place, or theme, and something different will result. It is, of course possible that the result of the gathering could be a miserable failure, but experience shows that such a negative result is usually the product of negative expectations. Expect the worst, and you will very often get it.

Expectations are in fact critical. Be prepared to be surprised -- positively. Those who come to an Open Space event with a precise and detailed list of intended outcomes will be frustrated. More than that, they will inevitably miss the positive and useful things that occur. Never before, and never again will the assembled group gather in that time and place. No one could possibly predict the synergism of effect that will take place when those particular people assemble. Some of what happens will be non-useful. But it is the special function of the leader to raise the expectations of the group, and heighten their sensitivity to the opportunities at hand, whatever they may be.

Here is the most difficult and important point about leadership in Open Space. The leader must truly trust the group to find its own way. Attempts on the part of the leader to impose specific outcomes or agenda will totally abort the process. Any person who is not fully prepared to let go of their own detailed agenda should not lead.

4. When it’s over, it’s over

DON’T WASTE TIME !

The final principle, "When it is over, it is over," again states the obvious, but it is a point we may forget. Deep learning and creativity both have their own internal life cycle. They may take more or less time, but when they come to completion, they are over. Occasionally this means that we have to spend more time than we had planned, but more often than not, the reverse is true. The creative moment has a nasty habit of occurring very quickly, and just because the session or meeting was scheduled to take two hours is no reason to sit around and waste time after the moment has passed. When it is over, it is over.

THE ONE LAW :

The Law of Two Feet - “If any person finds him or herself in a situation where they are neither learning nor contributing, they must use their two feet and go to some more productive place.”

It is a law only in the sense that all participants must observe it or the process will not work. We call it the Law of Two Feet. Briefly stated, this law says that every individual has two feet, and must be prepared to use them. Responsibility for a successful outcome in any Open Space Event resides with exactly one person -- each participant. Individuals can make a difference and must make a difference. If that is not true in a given situation, they, and they alone, must take responsibility to use their two feet, and move to a new place where they can make a difference. This departure need not be made in anger or hostility, but only after honoring the people involved and the space they occupy. By word or gesture, indicate that you have nothing further to contribute, wish them well, and go and do something useful.

BUMBLEBEES & BUTTERFLIES

Bumblebees – usually use the one law a lot, going from meeting to meeting. There contribution is the cross-pollination of ideas

Butterflies – are different, they tend to hang around, and talk to whoever is going by. They create spaces of non-action where silence or a new topic is explored

THE BASIC STRUCTURE

Before an Open Space

· Work is done with the client/sponsor group to assess whether open space is the right method

· Commitment towards the outcomes of open space is critical to the implementation of the agreed actions

· The theme of the open space is worked on so that it is something of real interest and passion, the timetable is clarified

· An invitation is sent out to everyone who could be interested, and everyone is free to come or not. It is critical that on-one feels obliged to come

During an Open Space

OPENING -- We have found that a very informal opening works well, especially if the group involved is an intact work group. An evening meal and a time for catch-up conversation will effectively set the stage. Should the group not have any prior association, the simple device of having all the participants introduce themselves by giving their names and telling a short story from their lives to illustrate who they are will usually do the job. Detailed and involved "icebreaking" exercises do not seem to work very well, and more to the point, set the wrong tone. After all, we want Open Space.

AGENDA SETTING -- This is the time for the group to figure out what it wants to do.

OPEN SPACE -- is exactly what the words imply, open space and time for the group to do its business. There is literally nothing here at the start.

ANNOUNCEMENTS -- A short period every morning for the group to catch up on what it is doing, where, when, and how. Nothing elaborate, no speeches, just the facts, nothing but the facts.

EVENING NEWS -- This is usually a time for reflection and occasionally fun. Not to be confused with a formal report-out session, the approach is "What's the story?" -- with participants voluntarily providing the tale.

CLOSING -- We try to keep the closing simple and serious. Simple in that there are no formal presentations and speeches. But serious, for this is the time for announcing commitments, next steps, and observations about what the event has meant. The closing event is best conducted in a circle with no "head table." Start anywhere, and go around the circle allowing each participant, who wants to, the opportunity to say what was of significance and what they propose to do. But do make it clear that nobody has to say anything. In very large groups, hearing from everybody is obviously impossible, but two or three folks may be asked to volunteer.

REPORT -- The proceedings of each session and also the action planning is captured by the convenor. These are then copied and collated and handed back to participants by the end of the event.

After an Open Space

- A evaluation / “next” meeting may be useful to work with the sponsor on how to take the actions forward

- Further open space may be useful

- A lot depends on the sponsor

Becoming an Open Space Facilitator

Training takes two days and an evening, starting for example on Friday evening and finishing on Sunday evening. Contact me for further information.

Bhavesh Patel – www.bhavcoach.com

March 2008

"As far as I can tell OST violates every single theoretical and practical principle when it comes to the management of meetings, as well as management in general. Everybody "knows" that nothing useful will happen without the presence of The Leader, who takes charge of things, insuring that the carefully made plan or design is implemented. The Plan is the product of long and tedious hours and its implementation is accomplished only by means of strict command and control. Anything else is weird, counterintuitive, wrong, and probably illegal, immoral and fattening. Which brings us to OST. Frankly it could not, and should not happen - But it does." - Harrison Owen !

Materials for Practitioners