On 13 Feb 2016, at 3:52 PM, Stuart Turner via OSList
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Michael
Thank you for your detailed response. There’s a lot of valuable suggestions and
explanations in there I’ll use in future.
Stuart
On 3 Feb 2016, at 1:17 am, Michael M Pannwitz <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Stuart,
in my facilitation practice and that of many others, there were always preparations made
for more issues than would be held by the places and timeslots. Almost always, there were
additional breakout space planned and could quickly be set up when the need arose during
marketplace or later. Beginning times are more limited but regularly participants would
creat additional beginning times before, during and after the "regular"
beginning and ending times of the day.
In a multiple day event which then also has several gatherings of all
participants for evening news and morning announcements (in a three day event
that would be 4 occasions: first evening, following morning, second evening,
second morning... not (officially) on the last evening before the third day
which is reserved for Action Planning (also called Action Space)... ok, in a
multiple day event pariticpans are invited to post additional issues at each of
the 4 occasions in this example AND throughout the entire event (this would
require the posted issues to all remain on the bulletin board throughout the
event).
In this way you might have many more isssues and the need for spaces.
When you have a "regular" planning process before the event with a "planning group"
including the sponsor, questions such as number of spaces, length of breakout sessions (sometimes these are
of different lengths and since they are not from lets say 10 to 11:30 but only have beginning times such as
10, 11.30, 14, 15:30 etc leaving it up to the specific requirements of the breakouts)... ok, if you have a
planning phase, lots of these details are worked on in the planning group and noty "set" by the
facilitator all by him- or herself.
(For issues coming up after all the published space is used up, typically extra postits for additional spaces
are published after all the published space is used up... this always worked but it needs to be planned for
so everyone involved can quickly arrange/set up the spaces... a good example is the large os with 2000+
participants back in 2003 in Wuerzburg where we had "predicted" 150 issues spread over three time
slots requiring 50 "spaces"... it turned out there were 220+ issues requiring 75 spaces...
fortunately the whole spaces set up was done with numbered balloons spread all over the venue (in an
"orderly" way), so we just added numbers 51 through 75 and let the participants set up the
additional spaces (the large team on the premises did not have to help other than blowing up the balloons and
numbering them and attaching them to 1kg sand bags to keep them from floating wherever).
Over the years, the bulletin board has changed from earlier versions (such as
the one your tried) to a version that only has times across the top and no room
slots, the room slots arranged through postits that have the time and room
symbol and can be stuck to the issues (and, of course, easily moved to other
issues... or the issues being moved from one beginning time to another),
That provided for more flexibility doing away with any need by anyone to
rearrange a structure, the structure itself bein easily modiefied by the
participants.
This might all sound pretty complex... once you are into it you will notice, or
at least I have, that participants thrive in that kind of environment: Space
and time are theirs, and it seems to provide just the right conditions for the
force of selforganisation to have a balle: No or very little control.
In your example your move to just let the participants figure it out is the
best thing you could have done and as far as I know its also the only thing you
could have... you would have never figured it out yourself for them. I would
not have predicted that they would do what they did in your case BUT when they
ran into some trouble (at least to the observer) they were already well
advanced into the field of selforganisation and solved it in some unpredictable
way (be prepared to be surprised) which was their structure that nobody could
have thunk up for them.
Greetings from Berlin and keep having productive fun!
mmp
PS: Even if you dont read German you might profit from looking at "Meine open space
Praxis" which is also available as ebook with loads of bright colour pictures
showing a myriad of bulleting boards, market place and such esoteric stuff. Go here
hardcopy
https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Meine-open-space-Praxis
ebook (pictures really come well as compared to the printed version
https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Meine-open-space-Praxis-E-Book
On 02.02.2016 17:20, Stuart Turner via OSList wrote:
Dear Harrison
Thanks for the suggestion. It being the facilitator’s decision to
decide the number of spaces and the number and length of the
time-slots when creating the marketplace has never felt comfortable
whether I was facilitating or watching someone else. It seemed the
facilitator needed to do more than minimal thinking and could
actually be considered planning/predicting, when who knows what would
happen, how many sessions would be identified, etc.
I know people facilitate this in different ways, and my experience
might be considered an invitation for others to share their
experience of doing this. I haven’t seen anyone invite people to
create more spaces or time slots on the agenda before but have seen
them emerge without being on the marketplace.
I did consider whether to have another space when creating the
initial marketplace but once I opened it to the group I didn’t think
of facilitating making an adjustment.
I also haven’t seen many additional topics be created after the
initial marketplace has been created.
I’m wondering if anyone will share when else, acting as a
facilitator, they might invite a modification to the marketplace.
Stuart
On 2 Feb 2016, at 10:51 pm, Harrison Owen <[email protected]>
wrote:
Small suggestion Stuart... next time you find yourself cramped for
time/spaces just invite everybody to create more time/space. No
hassle. No haggle... Just announce your issues, take a blank post-it
(you will need some blanks) describe a time, choose a space (the
Piano, patio, bar for examples) and post it on the wall. No sweat and
you will have plenty of time for a break.
ho
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-----Original Message----- From: OSList
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Stuart
Turner via OSList Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 4:33 AM To:
[email protected] Subject: [OSList] Whatever happens...
Yesterday I facilitated a two-hour open space at the end of a
training course for 30 people. I explained the principles, the law,
etc. and described the marketplace. The marketplace had four time
slots across the top and four locations down the side. After they had
filled the marketplace with about 25 sessions, they asked me what
they should do. I said “It’s up to you”. They started swapping the
headings so times now went down the side and locations went across
the top.
Thinking of the many suggestions to "get out of the way” and “make it
obvious you’re not an authority”, I decided to take a bathroom
break.
On my return I approached one of the spaces to find several of the
sessions pasted on the wall. I turned to look at the marketplace to
discover only the time slots and locations remained. Each location
had all its sessions stuck on the wall.
Whatever happens, I thought.
After noticing there was some confusion about trying to discuss all
sessions at the same time, conversations moved to become about a more
defined topic (at least of few of which were not one of the topics on
the wall).
The closing circle had about half the participants speak, with many
sounding quite enthusiastic about their experience and what the theme
meant for their organisation. I noticed many of the people were
directing their summary to the most senior person in the room. Some
even referred to that person specifically “I don’t know if I should
say this while the boss is here”, and similar comments.
I wondered whether the space was beginning to close at that time.
Perhaps I could have done a better job of facilitating or explaining,
during the introduction. Regardless, it’s probably the only thing
that could have happened.
Stuart _______________________________________________ OSList mailing
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