Re: [OSList] Fwd: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?

Mon, 23 May 2011 06:32:28 -0700 (PDT)

Yay, Harrison -- You are back. Do tell us how the Open Space went with the Middle Easterners.  I forget where you went and how many countries were involved (I think 15?) but I am dying to hear what happened.  Thanks so much for the comment below.  It brings this discussion back to center.  Best, Donna



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [OSList] Fwd: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?
From: "Harrison Owen" <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, May 23, 2011 5:46 am
To: "'World wide Open Space Technology email list'"
<[email protected]>

Definitely an oxymoron. I guess I could be more direct – but will restrain myself. The temptation to guild lilies is always with us and will prove irresistible, I suspect, so long as we think of Open Space as a process we “do”, a product of our own imagining, design and control. And like all human products, it is open to improvement (Extreme Open Space??). As one who had something to do with “the Beginning” I can definitely state that such a view vastly overrates the human (my) contribution. True, I did pour the martinis, and it was my arm raising the magical substance to my lips. But after that…
 
Fact of the matter is that the process does us – as it has been “doing” for that last 13 billion years. Mostly without the aid of human wisdom. As they say in the Great State of Maine, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
 
Harrison   
 
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
Phone 301-365-2093
www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Viv McWaters
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 7:06 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [OSList] Fwd: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?
 
Hi all
 
This landed in my in box and i thought it might be of interest. I can't go so I won't be able to experience how open space is 'taken to the edge'. I'm trying to keep an open mind (trying being the key word) and am reminded that we humans seem to have an endless capacity to try and organise that which is self-organising :)
 
Cheers
 
Viv
 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mindful <[email protected]>
Date: 18 May 2011 21:55
Subject: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?
To: [email protected]

 
We look forward to seeing participants ready to start at 9am Saturday morning at Hub Melbourne (we'll send a reminder of all the details Friday) tweeting with #mindful!

We are always in a space, at a time, and so there will be a portion of the time we spend together at Mindful to experiment with this concept. We are really excited that Steve Hopkins (founder of Trampoline and Awesome Foundation Sydney) is going to lead us in an experimental version of the popular open space technique during the day. This video and email describes where Steve will lead us. 
Taking open space to the edge
Open Space Technology is a fantastic tool for organizing groups of people together to solve complex problems. I've used and experimented with Open Space at events like Trampoline, CPX and the Lantern Mental Health Unconference over the last few years and have always been impressed by it's ability to create interesting conversations. At Mindful on the weekend, we're going to extend that experimentation once more, and push the concept further along.
Some of the things we'll play with are:
1) A human grid 

Open Space is great because it allows everyone the chance to set the topics, time, and place that sessions will occur. This is good except for when the crowd takes over and you get lesser quality sessions, which reduces the energy in the group.
So we're going to have a person act as the grid. That's me. 
With a human grid, people will still pitch their talk to the group, but the human grid will only place the session into the agenda if it resonates with the collective assembled. Real interest can't be faked, and our intuitions as a group are excellent at detecting low enthusiasm. So we'll use that to select our sessions.
2) Rule of two feet
We've all been there before. You arrive for a session but within the first 5 minutes you realise its not for you. But you stay. The rule of two feet is one of the most crucial aspects of an open space meet, so why don't people exercise it? 
People get addicted to the people. They stay not because they're contributing or participating in the talk, but because they've become attached to the idea of being a part of the group.
This is a shame, because the very best Trampoline sessions we've seen over the 5 events so far has been where all of the attendees of a session were participating, through active listening, discussion and enquiry - which can't happen if some people in the audience would rather be somewhere else.
So, at Mindful, we're going to remind you during sessions to move on once it stops resonating for you. Perhaps we'll change the rule to the 'law of resonating feet' to really make that clear.
I'll stop sessions and nudge you to move on to what resonates.
3. Space and Time
In an open space setting, all you can really control is the space you're in, and the time you're in it. As we've discussed above, creating sessions which resonate strongly with people is the aim, but resonance is more than just a good topic. It's everything else, too. It's the ambient nature of the space you're in and a the suitable time to be in it. 
So how do you create spaces which resonate? You make them appeal to different frequencies of thought. At Mindful we'll create very different spaces, with different lines of enquiry to be drawn throughout the sessions. This way, it will hopefully become easier for people to discern what mood their resonating in at any given time and move to an appropriate conversation.
If you're keen to talk or lead a line of enquiry, then come prepared to do so! 
--
We look forward to meeting you, ready to start at 9am Saturday morning. 

Buy Mindful* tickets at Eventbrite.

Thanks to our sponsor Integral Development (@integral_org_au) for enabling Mindful! 


You can follow the participant list and the speaker list on Twitter. Have a great week!
 
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--
Viv McWaters
Beyond the Edge Pty Ltd
PO Box 665 Torquay 3228
Australia
+61 417 135 406
Email me: [email protected]
Connect on Twitter: vivmcw
Chat to me on Skype: vivmcwaters
Read my blog: www.vivmcwaters.com.au
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