Hi All, I checked the OST User's Guide and the OS List archives, but I didn't find any mention of what format the breakout sessions can/should take.
During some but not all OS events I've attended, facilitators have mentioned that breakout sessions should be conversations rather than presentations. The OS philosophy would say "there's no need to suggest how to run a breakout session" and "empower the participants to choose their own formats for each session" and "do less" and "it just happens". However, we all know from firsthand experience that some breakout sessions are more personally satisfying/rewarding than others, just as some 3-person coffee break conversations during normal conferences are better than others. Here are some potential problems with breakout sessions if they are implemented poorly by participants: - There can be too many sub-topics for the breakout session so some ideas do not get brought up at all. Most of the time people do not brainstorm all the topics at the beginning of a session and they dive right into the discussion of the first issue that comes to mind. So they don't ever know all the topics that are on everyone's minds. - Some people do no feel comfortable for various reasons related to introversion, discrimination, or office politics, so they never speak up. As facilitators, we know ways to avoid this but the participants may not know how to avoid these meeting pitfalls. - One person dominates the discussion. The built-in remedy for this is that everyone else votes with their feet and leaves to form their own breakout session later, but sometimes this doesn't happen and it's simply a lost opportunity for everyone. *Here are my questions for the group:* 1. What formats to the breakout sessions usually take at events that you facilitate, and are some of these formats better than others in your opinion? 2. What formats could breakout sessions take? Someone usually starts with why they convened the session, but then what usually happens? What could happen? 3. What meeting tools/aides/games can help improve the quality of breakout sessions? Thank you for your insights! -- Lucas Cioffi Facilitation Community of Practice on QiqoChat <http://dialogue.qiqochat.com> Charlottesville, VA 917-528-1831
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