Hi, Adriana, Lisa and everybody! I've attended some Open Space events and Bar Camps that suffered from the same problems that Adriana mentioned (mostly Bar Camps). I've also attended some OS events in which the principles and process were explained in a very floaty, new agey way that made me and others feel uncomfortable. I've also seen some Unconferences and Open Space sessions opened in ways that seemed to energize, inspire and focus the group.
Is there a video online that shows someone opening space in an effective, approachable way? I'm sure there are, but more specifically, what videos would you recommend? For those who don't know me, I am the co-founder and director of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD), a network of 1800 leaders and innovators in public engagement and group process. Some of our members (like Lisa Heft, Peggy, Holman, Kenoli Oleari, Kaliya Hamlin and many others) use Open Space regularly, but many use other engagement methods in addition to or instead of OS. I'm always referring people to videos, resources, and people who can help them improve their practice, and I would like to have a video or two in my back pocket to help people launch their OS events effectively. Sandy Heierbacher Director, National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation sa...@ncdd.org • www.ncdd.org • @ncdd & @heierbacher On Jun 23, 2013, at 8:36 PM, Lourdes Adriana Diaz-Berrio Doring <adri...@diazberrio.com> wrote: > Lisa thank you for sharing this! > I went to 2 OS recently with a lot of people from Agile community, coaches > and srcum masters and what I noticed is that they did not take time to focus > the group and neither to really explain the principles. They just read those > and I feld that the energy was not the same. They are using OS without event > reading the book so they dont get that part. On the other hand they have a > lot of energy and topics they want to talk about together so the event was OK > but I had an impression of something related to the quality of the presence > was missing there. > This happend 2 times. > I have the impression that people just take the "external format" of OS but > they are not getteing the essence but as, I said in the other hand, the space > was opened and the guys enjoyed a lot. > > Adriana > 2013/6/23 Lisa Heft <lisah...@openingspace.net> > Hello, dear colleagues - > > I know of some of you who have done Open Space with... yourself. > That is a very small group indeed. > > Erich and Arturo, I smile. (your message is copied below). > And I give you a hug from across the world. > > My smallest group was... > I was asked to give a post-conference workshop for an international > facilitation conference. A day-long workshop - which I was simply going to do > as an Open Space session for whatever the facilitators might like to talk > about. > The mistake in conference design (which I have remembered since, to inform > future such experiences) - was to have that post-conference day (instead of > pre-conference) and to have it on a holiday weekend (when participants would > rather either go home early to be with family or spend the day in the lovely > location enjoying and touristing around). Oh. And also to have zero > pre-registration. Which is something I now require - in the interest of > planning, materials and resourcing as well as the relationship formed when > someone says 'I choose to come'. > > I set the room up - agenda wall with (the way I do it) brightly colored > session times posted across the wall, big Open Space guidelines posters > (principles, law, insects) posted around the room, markers and paper like a > lovely little mandala in the center of the big circle of chairs. And because > the room was large enough - 5 pre-set little circles of chairs around the > sides of the room. > > I had a great conference volunteer - who had chosen to be the volunteer > helper for my session because he wanted to learn more about Open Space. > > Okay so eventually we decided to begin because... he was the only person who > came. > > I asked him if he wanted to join me in an experiment - how small can an Open > Space be. Can it be with one participant. > He was excited, and off we went! > > At that time, my part of the experiment was - I was wondering in my head - > one reason Open Space can work so well is because of the diversity of > participants and the diversity of ideas. So in this experiment, I decided to > do the unusual. I never post topics when I am facilitating. Because it is the > participants' work, not mine. But for the sake of experimentation, I decided > to post some topics - to throw in some diversity. I decided he was the expert > on all things Texas - because it was in Texas and I was a visitor to that > region. > > So we both sat on the floor and make topic signs and topic signs and topic > signs. And then posted them on the Agenda Wall. > > (I decided after this experiment that it was not necessary for me to 'help' > in this way - in future if I had a group of 1 I would let them simply make > their own topic signs, without adding any of my own. However in this > experiment, I did indeed join the discussions with him - which is also > something I do not do when I facilitate.) > > This Open Space event went from 8:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the > afternoon, and it included 16 discussion topics. > > We started in one discussion area, and because I knew that Open Space engages > the body as well as the mind and heart, I recommended that we have > conversations in different locations rather than stay in one location. > Remember we had 5 little breakout areas - circles of chairs, around the room. > > My one participant decided to take clusters of discussion topics to each > small discussion circle - so we would see them and discuss them. Whenever he > felt our discussion about a topic was over, it was over. And we went on to > the next. > > And guess what? We also had international visitors. > > Why? > Because our session room was near the bathrooms. ;o) > > We kept the meeting room doors open. So people coming by would look into the > room, see us engaged in conversation and the whole set-up with circles of > chairs and posters and signs, and ask what was happening. > So of course, we would say, 'We're currently talking about this, and you see > on the wall all the things we have and will be talking about. You are welcome > to join us." > > And as you may guess... That person would reply (to whatever topic we were at > that moment discussing) - "That is exactly what my dissertation is about!" / > "I have been thinking so much about that!" / "That is exactly what my > research / my organization / my interest is about!" > > And they would stay with us for that session, adding their diversity, > insights and energies. > Then they would go to the bathroom, and be on their way. > > I am sorry I did not document the conversations - I have since that time > gained more understanding of the importance - for both post-meeting > reflection and for integration of the experience - of the power of > documentation. So we could have done some cool mapping or notes-taking of any > kind that worked for us. > > Anyway - it was a wonderful day-long session. And a wonderful experiment. > > I have had other experiences with (for example) 4 participants - who were the > only ones who came. > Yes, I recommend other processes sometimes when there are less people - as > always, I am looking at fitting process with objective, desired outcomes, and > so many other things. > But when Open Space fits, I have done tiny Open Spaces. > I simply remind people (as I do anyway in larger participants groups) - > 'Whoever comes is the right person' also means that if nobody comes to your > session, you could be a visionary. We need your diverse thought and > exploration. It deepens our understanding of the issue or task. And (I add) > 'when do you ever get an hour to write - and write and write - about a topic > for which you have such passion?' > > If it is a small group also do as was mentioned earlier in this conversation > - 'try it first without all joining together or compressing the agenda' and > as was mentioned, people never go back to the other once they experience the > power of reflection, law of two feet, opportunity and possibility. > > In my workshops, I share this story. > And as those of you who have recently been in my Open Space Learning Workshop > know, when I share this story, I also share the story of when Brother Chris > Corrigan did Open Space in ... I think it was an Inuit community... and > nobody came. And at the end of the day, as I recall, the head of the > community said they got a lot of work done that day and could they hire Chris > back again please. > > So did I Chris do the smallest Open Space ever... or the largest - where an > entire community was held in his spacious open arms? > > Cheers, from a gray California afternoon, > Lisa > > Lisa Heft > Consultant, Facilitator, Educator > President Emerita, Open Space Institute US > Fellow, Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution > Opening Space > > > The lovely Arturo wrote... >> Recently I facilitate an OST with 2 people including me. We had 12 topics, >> which became 5 conversations. Its was a very learning experience and we >> where positively surprised as always in every OST. Lisa Heft has also a >> beautiful experience of a OST with two people. > > > The wonderful Erich wrote... >> At this occation I would remind you of the report of fabulous Lisa Heft who >> I guess 10 years ago gave a report to the list on the smallest open space >> ever been held in the world: Only one participant! > >> It must be able to find the story somewhere in the archives - perhaps Lisa >> would like to tell again ;-) ? > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > > -- > > Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA > (514) 739 2268 > www.diazberrio.com > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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