Yes well said Michael. Thanks for the reflection and it helps me reflect on what I actually say in an opening. I have always liked Harrison's phrase "issues and opportunities" which invites participants to offer an item along a wide spectrum from problems and concerns to inspirations and visions.
I don't call them 'topics' out loud but that's the simple word that I use to describe the collected agenda items on the wall. I also speak a piece about conflicts after the wall is completed - if anyone wants to ask that an item be moved or combined, it's a decision for the convenor(s) of the item(s) to make - and sometimes two smaller conversations serve the items better than one larger conversation - but it's up to them. So we do think alike on this : ) Jeff -------- Original message -------- From: Michael M Pannwitz via OSList <[email protected]> Date:01/27/2015 2:54 AM (GMT-08:00) To: Susan Partnow <[email protected]>,World wide Open Space Technology email list <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [OSList] Anticipating number of topics/sessions... Dear Susan, yes, thats my feeling too, 15 to 20 breakout spaces for 30 to 40 issues. Jeffs response on "combining or abandoning" topics got me to reflect on the word "topic". From work wayback with structured brainstorming I remember a group of 25 "generating" between 30 to 50 topics. With os crowds and my use of the word "issue" (with talking a bit about what is meant with "issue" in contrast to "topic or idea or something I am interested in", mentioning passion, urgency etc.) I find that there was decreasing tendency of combining or abolishing. Actually, when someone suggested to combine issues I would suggest in a very low-key way that this was not illegal and add something like: What might look and sound very similar often turns out to be different in an important way. As a participant I have become quite uncomfortable, irritated or even foaming when I had a facilitator go to the Bulleting Board and "cluster" stuff... turning into a space invador. My reaction, I suppose, got me to be cautious with "combining". How is your take on the impact of the "words" we use? Cheers and good luck with a very short event! mmp On 26.01.2015 22:59, Susan Partnow via OSList wrote: > Hello dear OSers... I am planning a very short OS here in Seattle at the > WOW (Women of Wisdom) conference - Sunday afternoon, Feb 15 - and trying > to call the rule of thumb for anticipating the likely number of sessions > to plan for - We have two brief OS times and expect ~100 participants. > Any educated guesses as we plan for delineating break out spaces? Thanks! > > -- > Susan Partnow > Sr. Certified Facilitator, Compassionate Listening > Founding Director, Global Citizen Journey > 4425 Baker Ave NW > Seattle, WA 98107 > tel. 206-783-8561 > fax 206-782-7786 > www.globalcitizenjourney.org <http://www.globalcitizenjourney.org> > Join our mailing list > > www.susanpartnow.com <http://www.susanpartnow.com> Partnow > Communications, Organizational Development & Workshops > > www.conversationcafe.org <http://www.conversationcafe.org> Co-Founder > www.compassionatelistening.org <http://www.compassionatelistening.org> > Certified Facilitator and Core Council > www.thataway.org <http://www.thataway.org> National Coalition on > Dialogue & Deliberation Advisor > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > -- Michael M Pannwitz Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany ++49 - 30-772 8000 Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 403 resident Open Space Workers in 69 countries working in a total of 143 countries worldwide: www.openspaceworldmap.org _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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