Michelle, Diane and others.
I had 5 regional Open Space Conferences in a row in the same organization last
fall. And I did a convergence process like the ones you have described, but a
little more simple and also more selforganized (thanks to several ideas on this
list).
I am sorry but this has to be detailed (by the way it is often from the most
detailed ideas I get the most help). So here it goes:
We had almost two days (until 3 pm the second day). All reports were
handwritten on A3-sheets and put on the wall and read successivly during the
conference (we had no printing service).
The second day before lunch we did the voting process with 5 dots (the smallest
size). We voted on the issues on the bulletin board ( I think that is the best
and easiest to overlook). I had put them in a row and taped a piece of
crossruled paper below each one of them.
The participants were instructed to put the dots in the squares (one on each of
the most important issues or several at one or more of them, just as you do).
The squared paper with the dots in rows makes it really easy for everyone to
count the dots quickly. The voting was made during a coffebreak and it really
creates a lot of fun and talking.
After the voting I did instruct the conveners (the ones that own their issues)
to group the issues so that issues (perhaps with fewer dots) could go together
with other of their kind. Once I let them do it in silence, but I found it be
more dynamic when they could discuss their choices under way. This can be a
very quick process, at the most ten minutes.
Then I called out the issues that were clustered together and asked for an
initiator for each cluster (there were 5-6 in each conference with 40-50
participants). This was my only interaction during the whole process. Diane, I
also use the term initiator (there is a very good Swedish word for this that
means someone who moves things forward). I told them that the initiatior didn't
have to pursue the actions decided on but were responsible to convene the group
work during the last session.
Then the participants could sign up for the issues and actions they wanted to
be a part of. They had to write their name on the issue (or cluster) they
wanted to plan for during the last session. And if they wanted to participate
in one or two other groups later on
they could sign up with a (2) after their name.
Then I gave them a paper where they could fill in the issue (perhaps a new
wording), participants, prioritized actions, when to meet next time etc. After
a one hour session the initiators were asked to give a three minute report on
actions decided on. This gave the participants a very good feeling. Several
said: "After so much talking it handn't been good to leave without any
decisions being made".
In a one day Open Space it is harder to come to a convergence, but I have done
the voting and the grouping in the end of the day (has to be a long one though)
before closing circle. It only takes 45 minutes the coffebreak included - 60
minutes if you want to get initiators for next actions. And yes Harrison, it
can be made with 100 participants or more without making a mess!
Ingrid Olausson
Högbergsgatan 15
S-116 20 Stockholm
