Good Going! And you can make things a little easier on yourself and the participants by saying, just before everybody is invited to go to the wall and sign up, something like -- "Three final things: Conflicts, Combinations and Public Safety. Conflicts occur in open space when two people propose sessions at the same time and you want to go to both. You options are to persuade the Conveners to combine their sessions or change the times. BUT IT IS THE CONVENERS' CHOICE. Should they not agree, you must choose. Or you could be a Bumble Bee. Combinations: Some issues look alike, and might be combined -- but just remember it is much better to have a few people sharing deeply than a lot of people fighting for air-time. And no matter what the Conveners Rule! Public Safety: (Applies only with large groups -- 100+) Before you all go to the wall, will everybody on the Wall side of the room pick up all their belongings and their chairs and move everything to the center of the room. This prevents spilled coffee cups, lost bags, and broken bones."
Good luck next time around. And if the people want to do OS again -- why not suggest that if any of the people want to learn how to do an Open Space, they might become your "assistants" for the day? Obviously OS will run without further help, but these folks could become the OS crew for the organization. This is all about teaching them to fish as opposed to giving them fish. True, you loose the fees for doing an Open Space, but you could gain a whole new client group. And no matter what it is always great to share the love. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist