Great conversation folks: I think Chris is right in naming the power dynamics as critical. I have led Open Space events that were clearly "mandatory" and even then some did not come. One where people were taken off-site by bus to be sure all were there. However, that was a powerfully positive event. That Open Space is still working four months later in the teams back on the shop floor. I prefer "invitation" but it means different things in different organizational cultures. Some employees believe they have the freedom to choose, most do not. After experiencing Open Space, more tend to believe they have that freedom.
Ester, I agree that all of the list can contribute to events that are less powerful. I think the last one is critical. If the sponsors or formal leaders neither give a clear focus nor establish the givens and parameters for action coming out of the event, it is most likely not to be seen as positive afterwards. Even when they do all of the above, they can still kill it afterwards. Inadequate meeting or wall space can be a downer or it can create a lot of good stories afterwards, depending on the group. I just led an event for a group that had booked an Algonquin kids camp. There were no blank walls, so we put tables up on end. The circle became the dining room and visa versa. People slept on bunk beds and met on bunk beds when it rained. They had a wonderful time and Open Space got high marks in the evaluation. Maybe it could have been more powerful, but the camp setting was just what those folks needed. Larry Larry Peterson Associates in Transformation 41 Appleton Ave., Toronto, ON, Canada, M6E 3A4 Tel:/Fax: 416-653-4829 [email protected] http://www.inforamp.net/~lpasoc
