Hello, Phil - You wrote: <I've got this little voice tugging at my mind, telling me to leave the laptops and the printer in the trunk, and just to let them talk. But that book of proceedings seems to have become my own crutch over time - I'm worried about not having anything to "show" for the time these people have invested, many of them flying in for the day. Any thoughts as to what you might do in this circumstance; what you've done in the past - any would be appreciated. I suppose OS without computers "works" - in fact, I don't question it. How do you decide when it's best just to let them talk?>
To me, it is all about what your client/host/sponsors and participants need - it is a conversation you would want to have with your key contact people in these organizations as you develop and prepare for the event together - and to inform how you want to design your OS event. What is the objective of gathering these folks together? What is going to happen post-event with the ideas that come out of the event? Would a Book of Proceedings (even if you decide to compile and send it to participants post-event - say, within 2 weeks following the event) re-energize people as it would remind them of the experience they had together? Could they use quotes from it to create proposals for funding future projects or collaborations? Could it spark some continuing conversations? Would they want to see what happened in the conversations they were *not* part of that day? I have done a few Open Spaces where no notes have been taken - because the host team felt it would not be necessary. They did of course give all participants a list of contact information to continue their networking and conversations post-event. I personally like to have the notes-taker option, and people can 'opt out' of taking notes if they don't think that recording a particular conversation is necessary. Even in very short Open Spaces of just a few sessions, I have also had groups take notes. I've also of course done a number of Open Spaces where there is no 'technology' (no electronic support). People can still write up their notes on paper and we can still post them all around the room as they happen, and we can still send out a xeroxed Book of Proceedings. My "Devil's Advocate" question to you: why *wouldn't* this group want to have a record of its conversations, findings and action items, like any other group you've worked with? More specifically, what does your little voice say? The little voice is often in my experience my intuition talking, which is always wiser than my logical brain. Is the voice saying 'no technology', 'no notes', or ... what? I'd explore this little voice further, most of all... My two (technologically, intuitively or otherwise) cents, Lisa ________________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e 2325 Oregon Berkeley, California 94705-1106 USA +01 510 548-8449 <mailto:lisah...@openingspace.net> lisah...@openingspace.net <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
