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Karl Royle
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On 11 Nov 2014, at 20:51, "paul levy via OSList" <
[email protected]> wrote:
<http://rationalmadness.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/w3.jpg>
I wonder if anyone reading this has experiences to share of what I am
about to describe. Most published stories of open space tend to go by
the
book. The book is often referred to as the *user *
<http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>*guide*
<http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm>“, and it tends towards
a process that is largely based on an* instruction manual*
<http://elementaleducation.com/wp-content/uploads/temp/OpenSpaceTechnology--UsersGuide.pdf>.
Dogmatic application manual can then lead, in my humble opinion, not to
one
less thing to do, but often one more thing to do. These are “guides”
not
rules, and that is the spirit in which they were written. In many
cases,
the user guide proves remarkably resilient and applicable. Yet there is
always the next moment, the new story, the moment that needs something
playful.
There’s a lot in the manual (and the many trainings that have come into
being from it) about sponsors and invitations, and the things that need
to
be done before an Open Space to ensure the open spacer er… opens space.
I
have no difficulty with the manual. It’s full of good advice and is the
foundation you might just need to open some space. But, hey, what about
this… I’m at a company away day that is looking at product innovation.
It
is business critical, and it is floundering. Powerpoint after
Powerpoint
has resulted in a stifled audience, and when they get to breakout
sessions,
the flipcharts look empty, the energy is low, and it all looks a bit
too
quiet. There’s a feeling in the room that the event is dying on its
feet.
Several sessions are lost in badly facilitated action planning. I am on
the
team and the lead facilitator looks to me for any ideas. It must be
because
I am silent and looking knowing and wise.
Actually I’m seething inside at this over-facilitated, over-designed,
overplanned conference crash. Do you mind if I… I ask, a bit pompously
and
the lead facilitator is up for whatever help he can get. I leap up, and
step into the mess. I have a loud voice and it can’t get any worse than
this. An idea has just occurred to me and I decide to hurl it into the
cluttered room. “Er, hey.” I roar. “Why don’t we open some space?” I’m
loud. It goes silent.
This is what I say: “This is crap isn’t it?” Silence. “Can everyone
bring their chairs and let’s get into a big circle. Tuts, irritation,
doubt
and mostly relief. Two minutes later there’s a big circle.
I introduce open space in about four minutes and quickly crab some flip
chart paper and tack it to the wall, creating four corners at new
breakout
spaces.
I ask people to take their chairs with them and, within about ten
minutes we have a whole bunch of different sessions, many based around
action.
The bosses in the room are gobsmacked.
We have a two hour open space until wrap up and there’s a huge buzz in
the room from this pop-up open space.
The invite was improvised and spontaneous.
The space opened because it wanted and needed to. It popped up and out
as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It transformed the
day
and sent the clutter fleeing for cover. It was done without fuss and
chairs
from the main circle quickly went into breakout and back again. The
facilitator team were edgy because they felt they were supposed to be
doing
something and I dragged them away for coffee. We chatted a bit about
“emergence” and I was looked on as if I’d done some kind of magic. I
was
young and enjoyed the attention. I was also looked as as if I was a bit
weird. Well, I am a bit weird. I do wonder if pop-up open space could
and
should happen a lot more.
A lot of open spacers I know loved improvisation and spontaneity, yet
when it comes to open space are a bit locked in the process in the book
of
instructions – the manual that tends to overplay the “prep” for the
event.
So, I’m waving a flag for pop-up, guerilla open space. Why not open
some
space even for the process of open space? Let’s shimmy it a little and
see
what falls out.
“Flash mob” open space has, I think, a big future. My intuition tells
me
a fair number of facilitators have done it, and a fair few of them
haven’t
reported it, telling instead there more “responsible” by-the-book open
space stories. But why not? Why not open some space on the spur of the
moment? The invite is still there -it just takes a hell of a lot
shorter.
The opportunity is always there where an over-organised event is
disappearing up its own proverbial…
It is also there in an event that has some inbuilt flexibility. Why not
throw some open space into the flexible mix? But best of all, why not
open
space when space is there to be open? Self-organisation is often crying
out
for a chance in the midst of failing over-organisation.
So, here’s to some more pop-up open space…
On 11 Nov 2014 19:59, "Peggy Holman via OSList" <
[email protected]> wrote:
Hi all,
I got the query below from my friend Tom Atlee. It seemed like a
great question for the list. Since Tom isn’t on it, I told him that
I’d
forward any responses.
appreciatively,
Peggy
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *Tom Atlee <[email protected]>
*Date: *November 10, 2014 at 12:51:54 PM PST
*Subject: **Guerilla Open Space?*
*To: *Peggy Holman <[email protected]>
Hi Peggy,
Thinking about the NCDD conference, I got the idea for "guerilla Open
Space" to be used in conferences where you want to open the space in
the
middle of a too-organized gathering. It would involve a central
website
with instructions on what to do and why. It would involve passing out
cards with messages like "Is there something that you'd really like to
talk
about or do here that the agenda here is preventing you from talking
about
or doing?" "Would you like to be learning, contributing, and having
more
fun here?" with the web address on it. Tweets might also be used.
Then,
on the main website it would tell people about how to do a guerilla
open
space, referring them perhaps to meetup.com to arrange places to talk.
Or something like that. Have you heard of such thing before? Do you
have any thoughts/responses?
Hugs,
Tom
_________________________________
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Executive Director
Journalism that Matters
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Twitter: @peggyholman
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Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into
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