Yes Okay....so the next great book to write on the application of Open Space will be titled :"It Depends: Applying Open Space Everywhere"
:-) Chris ---- Chris Corrigan [email protected] http://www.chriscorrigan.com On 2010-11-15, at 11:59 PM, Lisa Heft wrote: > I may be unclear on what you are saying or asking: mediation is something > that helps people articulate differences, hear each others' stories, decide > what is or is not common ground, and so on. Many different tools / processes > can be used - something similar to counseling, or Restorative Justice > Circles, or guided conversations, or many other processes. Perhaps during a > series of events or for a specific reason Open Space may be the right tool, > for other situations, the wrong tool, I suspect. Those of you who specialize > in mediation will of course have more knowledge about these things. > > And then there is conference design. Whether it is a mediators conference or > a youth activist conference or a doctors conference. > > And I love what Bui said: > >> But as with anything, it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. >> Decide on the purpose first and then pick the tool. > > To me that is good design. > Analyze objectives, desired outcomes, time available, space available, > context, participant numbers, what comes before and after and so on - then > select the tool(s) to best fit the need. > > I have found, Arno, that it is best - when mixing traditional conference > (workshops, presentations, whatever) with some time also in Open Space (the > more time the better to let participants do their thing) - it is really ideal > to put the Open Space as the last part of the conference. > > 1) Because participants can use that time to talk about new / emergent things > as well as to reflect on things they have learned or heard earlier in the > conference. > > 2) Because the Closing Circle of an Open Space can be a great closure / > closing reflection for a conference. > > And 3) Because if conference attendees experience OS earlier in the > conference and then have to 'fit themselves into the shape of' a traditional > conference after that (sitting listening to a speaker, listening in a > workshop, listening to a panel presentation) - they can get uncomfortable and > feel their time is more useful self-organizing and continuing to meet > together to talk about what matters to them (including wandering back out > into the hallways to continue their meaningful conversations that began in > Open Space). > > So for a mixed-format conference I always recommend that OS be the final > section... > > Lisa > > Lisa Heft > Consultant, Facilitator, Educator > Opening Space > [email protected] > > * * ========================================================== > [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, > unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > [email protected]: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
