My experience ... No matter what limit may be set, all the issues are “there.” 
But some may not be articulated. Which only means they will be talked about in 
the halls, corridors, and at whatever passes for coffee breaks. The sad part is 
that the whole group will not benefit from all that good discussion. Or from 
knowing that all those “non-articulated” issues were really not worth talking 
about. You just can’t beat the system.

 

ho 

 

Winter Address

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, MD 20854

301-365-2093

 

Summer Address

189 Beaucaire Ave.

Camden, ME 04843

207-763-3261

 

Websites

www.openspaceworld.com

www.ho-image.com

OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of 
OSLIST Go 
to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org

 

From: OSList [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kári 
Gunnarsson via OSList
Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2015 7:20 PM
To: Michael Herman; World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] not quite open space

 

I like to argue that actually open the space in fact dose not take longer. An 
the messy chaotic parallel working way where no one has the total editorial 
control over the topics posted  is actually a faster way and dose go smoother.  
While the way of working with the facilitator Censorship of the topic posted to 
fill the controlled spaces dose in fact take longer to do and is questionable 
whether it will actually bring the deliverables of the Open Space.

 

On 14 December 2015 at 00:06, Michael Herman via OSList 
<[email protected]> wrote:

last week i discovered a kind of Not Quite Open Space.  (with my hat off and a 
forwards bow to paul levy, who posted here a Most Remarkable and totally 
unrelated Winnie-the-Pooh story last week.)

 

i've always understood that the whole point of opening space is to get All The 
Issues That Matter up on the wall, so that everyone can see, understand and 
deal with them.  Last week I noticed that there's at least one other way to go 
through the usual motions, but really just go through the motions, to Not Quite 
Open the space. 

 

The alternative to inviting and making space for all the issues to be voiced 
and posted, is to choose what the facilitator or sponsor pre-decides is the 
right number of rounds and sessions and then, merely Seek To Fill all (or at 
least most) of the "spaces."  In their mind, they seem to be thinking "We're 
going to have Open SpaceS, and we need about ___ many of them."

 

in 20 years, i don't think it ever occurred to me to do it this way.  and i'm 
not here recommending it.  i'm sure it limits what happens.  for me it also 
falls into the category of Trying To Get People To Do Stuff.  but it seems to 
actually happen in the world, sometimes.  maybe even often?

 

so it seems a useful distinction to look out for:  am i trying to fill all the 
spaces or have a certain number of breakout conversations -- or am i really 
trying to invite ALL the issues and opportunities out of the circle and onto 
the wall?  

 

the latter is almost surely more messy, more uncertain, and takes longer... but 
it may well be that some of the most important work happens in the sorting of 
Too Many Issues for the spaces available.  

 

are there other subtle things have you noticed that seem to make the difference 
between Open Space and Not Quite Open Space?

 

michael

 

 

 

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates

312-280-7838 (mobile)

 

http://MichaelHerman.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.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
Past archives can be viewed here: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]




-- 

Kári Gunnarsson markþjálfi
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/heimsmynd
(+354) 864 5189

_______________________________________________
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
Past archives can be viewed here: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]

Reply via email to