I have found that Open Space gives the educated eye lots of understanding of how well various "training" efforts have worked. At a recent event, a particular meeting approach had just gone through the system. In Open Space, many of the participants used that approach for their Open Space discussions, about half did not. It was helpful for those who did.
I prefer to help people learn new approaches to inclusion or communication before (or after) Open Space. When such learning happens before and people do not use it in Open Space it is a real sign that the "training" was of little avail--it didn't connect to peoples real learning. I also emphasize the law of two feet when people ask me about a dominant leader. Such people are around all the time. Facilitators (including me when I facilitate a linear process) try to "control or shape" their behaviour for the course of a facilitated discussion--but they often go back to their old ways (particularly if they have formal power) after any facilitated event. In Open Space, people have the freedom and responsibility to walk or create another discussion on the same topic. If there is sufficient time in an open space event (a critical support to longer events), then I find people learn to get the issue addressed well. I agree there are participant skills that are learned in Open Space--managing own energy, initiative when have passion, going with the flow & spirit, articulating vision in a way that attracts others to join etc. These are exactly the skills I think people in today's organizations need to learn, and yes "once is not enough". One Open Space event, even a full 2.5 day one, only gives a taste. As Bank of Montreal and others have shown--multiple Open Space events can lead to real increases in productivity and effectiveness. My experience is that people who you would never expect to take charge and initiate do so in Open Space with little or no training. Birgitt and I just led a leadership event with a small organization--15 staff (.5 of whom are consumers/survivors of mental health institutions). We just got a letter on the fantastic effect of the training and Open Space. They are now taking intiative to transform the organization that the ED would never have expected. "The best workshop she has ever experienced". They are Opening Space in a variety of ways. Part of the issue, is the ability of the Open Space facilitator to connect to the spirit of the group in the opening and holding of the space. For me, that connetion is experienced viscerally when opening the space. At a certain point I know I'm connnecting and building the energy toward initiative from all levels. I am able to do that much more frequently now that a year or two ago. It is easy to try to fix Open Space when people struggle it. I think the struggle is part of the learning that is required. I recently led a one day event where a group of "butterflies" who were struggling with the process got together at the coffee urn and much to their surprise developed a concrete proposal to deal with a substantive issue related to the theme in less than .5 hour and were "flying" when they left. Letting them struggle was necessary for the breakthrough--it does not always happen. But, it certainly doesn't with much of the skill training I've seen. Larry