Re: About Themes for Open Space: examples
Gerard-- Wow! I love the process you outline and the topics you have listed. Wow to all of these wonderful creative starters. Thank you for adding all this to our learning. :- Doug. Germann On Mon, 2006-10-02 at 18:26 +0200, Gerard Muller wrote: Dear Diane, I have listed some examples of issues of Open Space events I have facilitated. - how can robots create value for sustainable development: for my organisation, and for society in general ? (see: www.bramstrup.dk for a nice invitation) - is our profession a dying race, or the profession of the future ? (national association of accountants) - what new business opportunities do we see, and how do we create them ? (steel multinational) - how do we train our voices to sing our joint melody ? (pharmacies merging) - in three years, our jobs won't exist anymore: what new ones do we create instead ? (professional association) - how do we get young Danish people to exercise more ? (NGO in health care) - what leadership do we need and how do we create it ? (network of HR professionals) - how do we develop our department, each of us and together ? (Surgery department, University hospital) - how do we implement the values our leadership has formulated in practice ? (Regional Tax Office) - what is the future of wiki's and how do we create it ? (Wiki community WikiSym 2006) - how do we cooperate in our network of excellence (steel multinational) - one ESS: how do we create it ? (engineering multinational, on how to have its units across the world cooperate) - nature poverty: how do we cooperate in the area in future ? (NGO's) - how do we create the best product for the high end of the market ? (Software firm) - what building does our knowledge center need ? (knowledge centre in agriculture: for those who were at OSonOS11, you have seen the result) - what should are business plan for the coming period look like, and how do we ensure it is implemented ? (sales company) - interactive research: enough ideas and experiences: but how do we create a breakthrough ? (University) - what school do we need in future, and how do we create it ? (school) - what do our future children's departments look like, and how do we create them ? (association of librarians) - a fantastic international conference in Holland: how do we organise it and ensure the process leads to an active Community of Practice ? (IODA) - what new partnerships can we create and how do we go about it ? (knowledge center) - after many years of success we have come into a period of stagnation: how do we turn the tide ? (Association of fruit producers) - how should we lead the process of digitalisation in our province ? (provincial authority) - in heart diseases, Denmark is on a 35th place, at par with Zimbabwe. How do we get to the number 1 spot ? (pharmaceutical) - one partnerteam, how do we create it ? (one of the big Four) - we have created the foundation; how do we develop our organisation in the next phase ? (hospital) - what does consulting in the pig- and building sector look like in future, and how do we create it ? (regional advisory service) - how to reboot reboot ? (reboot is a yearly event for E-professionals) - the guidelines have changed; how do we implement them ? (pharmaceutical) - success in our cooperation: how do we create it ? - what are the implications of the vision for roles and responsabilities in our department, and how do we realise these ? (large city) - given the strengths and weaknesses in our bid process, how do we increase our win rate ? (consulancy firm) - how can we innovate at the same time we need to cut costs ? (investment fund) - how do we develop a new way of working, building on our knowledge and networks ? (University) - what activities should our alumni association organise and how do we bring them alive ? (alumni association) - how can we best improve our campaigns ? (large consultancy firm) - how do we create competence development and training which adds value in reality, each of and together (conference centre) - what should our vision be and how do we make it alive ? (project) - how do we create a transition to sustainable agricultural systems ? (Ministry) - how do we keep the birds in the meadows ? (Ministry) - what follow-up treatment should our clients have, and what role could we play in this ? (psychiatric hospital) - what is good pain treatment, and how do we organise it in our region ? (regional cancer centre) - our new business model is in place: how do we implement it, each of us alone, and together ? - how do we develop our department the coming years ? (medical department, university hospital) - how do we create
Re: About Themes for Open Space
Hello Diane, Sometimes the theme is blindingly obvious (a), an sometimes everyone seems to know what it is about but no-one can express it clearly (b), or in the case the client is not an organisation but a system, the challenge is to formulate the theme in such a way that everyone you want to come, feels like coming (c) An example of the first was a software firm: How do we improve our development process for version 2.0 from what we've learnt developing version 1.0 ? An example of the second: - a hospital: Two years from now we will close: how do we at the same time keep offering the services our citizens expect while developing our employees and ensuring they all have another job once we close ? An example of the third was one where the issue was to do something about failures with medicines in hospitals.This does not really seem to be a well known issue, and certainly not one high on the agenda for many of the relevant stakeholders. However quality of care is. Inviting sufficient hospital pharamicists ensures the original issue gets sufficient attention. If the issue is not blindingly obvious I develop it with a preparation group typically going through a process somewhat like the following: - I invite each to note down any issues/questions/themes they can think of regarding the as yet undefined theme down, one on a card (or post-it); - I ask them to read them out loud; - I have all cards put on the table; - I ask the group to organise the cards so those that are clearly linked are together; typically some clusters appear (without talking; just by moving the cards); - I ask to give each grouping a title. Often at this point, the issue has become clear and people start suggestion what the central issue could be. Depending on where the first steps brought us, sometimes I ask If we could only talk about one of these groupings on the meeting, which would you choose?, or Do you see a story in these topics ?. I find that in most cases that gets you to the heart of the matter, but not necessarily to the right formulation. Probably finding the right words is a bit like the title of an article or book - you sometimes don't find it until the rest of the work is done. So often I agree that the person producing the invitation can get suggestions for better formulations until a deadline. Essential elements of a theme I would say is that the theme: - creates a sharp focus; - which those who are invited recognise as the right one, and an important one for them; - inspires; - is action focused. In a next mail I will list some theme's I have had so far. Many greetings, Gerard Muller Open Space Institute Denmark Phone: (+45) 21269621 Skype: openspace1 Mail: g...@openspace.dk On Sep 24, 2006, at 4:51 PM, Diana Larsen wrote: As I go into planning for an upcoming open space, I want to take a fresh vie of Themes. Try out some heretofore unexplored ways of thinking about themes. Will you help? 1) What are some avenues you pursue when developing the overarching theme for an Open Space? i.e., How do _you_ go about it? Where do you look and listen for a theme that intrigues your desired participants? 2) What have been some of the most evocative themes you've developed or encountered? When have you been hooked by a theme? 3) What forms the essential elements of a theme? Just wonderin' Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006) www.futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550 * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
Re: About Themes for Open Space: examples
Dear Diane, I have listed some examples of issues of Open Space events I have facilitated. - how can robots create value for sustainable development: for my organisation, and for society in general ? (see: www.bramstrup.dk for a nice invitation) - is our profession a dying race, or the profession of the future ? (national association of accountants) - what new business opportunities do we see, and how do we create them ? (steel multinational) - how do we train our voices to sing our joint melody ? (pharmacies merging) - in three years, our jobs won't exist anymore: what new ones do we create instead ? (professional association) - how do we get young Danish people to exercise more ? (NGO in health care) - what leadership do we need and how do we create it ? (network of HR professionals) - how do we develop our department, each of us and together ? (Surgery department, University hospital) - how do we implement the values our leadership has formulated in practice ? (Regional Tax Office) - what is the future of wiki's and how do we create it ? (Wiki community WikiSym 2006) - how do we cooperate in our network of excellence (steel multinational) - one ESS: how do we create it ? (engineering multinational, on how to have its units across the world cooperate) - nature poverty: how do we cooperate in the area in future ? (NGO's) - how do we create the best product for the high end of the market ? (Software firm) - what building does our knowledge center need ? (knowledge centre in agriculture: for those who were at OSonOS11, you have seen the result) - what should are business plan for the coming period look like, and how do we ensure it is implemented ? (sales company) - interactive research: enough ideas and experiences: but how do we create a breakthrough ? (University) - what school do we need in future, and how do we create it ? (school) - what do our future children's departments look like, and how do we create them ? (association of librarians) - a fantastic international conference in Holland: how do we organise it and ensure the process leads to an active Community of Practice ? (IODA) - what new partnerships can we create and how do we go about it ? (knowledge center) - after many years of success we have come into a period of stagnation: how do we turn the tide ? (Association of fruit producers) - how should we lead the process of digitalisation in our province ? (provincial authority) - in heart diseases, Denmark is on a 35th place, at par with Zimbabwe. How do we get to the number 1 spot ? (pharmaceutical) - one partnerteam, how do we create it ? (one of the big Four) - we have created the foundation; how do we develop our organisation in the next phase ? (hospital) - what does consulting in the pig- and building sector look like in future, and how do we create it ? (regional advisory service) - how to reboot reboot ? (reboot is a yearly event for E-professionals) - the guidelines have changed; how do we implement them ? (pharmaceutical) - success in our cooperation: how do we create it ? - what are the implications of the vision for roles and responsabilities in our department, and how do we realise these ? (large city) - given the strengths and weaknesses in our bid process, how do we increase our win rate ? (consulancy firm) - how can we innovate at the same time we need to cut costs ? (investment fund) - how do we develop a new way of working, building on our knowledge and networks ? (University) - what activities should our alumni association organise and how do we bring them alive ? (alumni association) - how can we best improve our campaigns ? (large consultancy firm) - how do we create competence development and training which adds value in reality, each of and together (conference centre) - what should our vision be and how do we make it alive ? (project) - how do we create a transition to sustainable agricultural systems ? (Ministry) - how do we keep the birds in the meadows ? (Ministry) - what follow-up treatment should our clients have, and what role could we play in this ? (psychiatric hospital) - what is good pain treatment, and how do we organise it in our region ? (regional cancer centre) - our new business model is in place: how do we implement it, each of us alone, and together ? - how do we develop our department the coming years ? (medical department, university hospital) - how do we create the best health care system in the world ? (pharmaceutical) - what does the future require from us, and how do we prepare for this succesfully ? (union) - we are at the end of one phase, how do we prepare the next one ? (inspection) - food security and international cooperation; what will we do ? (University) - in meeting we can get to understand eachother's differences: how will we do this ? (Fund) - how do we optimise our cooperation and knowledge exchange ? (research
Re: About Themes for Open Space: examples
Thank you for both of your postings, Gerard, and to Brian, Harrison, Bridgit and all. I appreciate how much this group is willing to share. I was looking for something to shake up my routine ways of seeking/choosing themes and I surely got it! :-) As well as some re- assurance that most of what I've been doing is in synch with others. It's beneficial to check my assumptions occasionally. I'm grateful for the help with that. Thanks again, Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006) www.futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550 Upcoming: Secrets of Agile Teamwork: Beyond Technical Skills public workshop, Dec. 5-7, 2006. Contact me for more information. On Oct 2, 2006, at 9:26 AM, Gerard Muller wrote: Dear Diane, I have listed some examples of issues of Open Space events I have facilitated. - how can robots create value for sustainable development: for my organisation, and for society in general ? (see: www.bramstrup.dk for a nice invitation) - is our profession a dying race, or the profession of the future ? (national association of accountants) - what new business opportunities do we see, and how do we create them ? (steel multinational) - how do we train our voices to sing our joint melody ? (pharmacies merging) - in three years, our jobs won't exist anymore: what new ones do we create instead ? (professional association) - how do we get young Danish people to exercise more ? (NGO in health care) - what leadership do we need and how do we create it ? (network of HR professionals) - how do we develop our department, each of us and together ? (Surgery department, University hospital) - how do we implement the values our leadership has formulated in practice ? (Regional Tax Office) - what is the future of wiki's and how do we create it ? (Wiki community WikiSym 2006) - how do we cooperate in our network of excellence (steel multinational) - one ESS: how do we create it ? (engineering multinational, on how to have its units across the world cooperate) - nature poverty: how do we cooperate in the area in future ? (NGO's) - how do we create the best product for the high end of the market ? (Software firm) - what building does our knowledge center need ? (knowledge centre in agriculture: for those who were at OSonOS11, you have seen the result) - what should are business plan for the coming period look like, and how do we ensure it is implemented ? (sales company) - interactive research: enough ideas and experiences: but how do we create a breakthrough ? (University) - what school do we need in future, and how do we create it ? (school) - what do our future children's departments look like, and how do we create them ? (association of librarians) - a fantastic international conference in Holland: how do we organise it and ensure the process leads to an active Community of Practice ? (IODA) - what new partnerships can we create and how do we go about it ? (knowledge center) - after many years of success we have come into a period of stagnation: how do we turn the tide ? (Association of fruit producers) - how should we lead the process of digitalisation in our province ? (provincial authority) - in heart diseases, Denmark is on a 35th place, at par with Zimbabwe. How do we get to the number 1 spot ? (pharmaceutical) - one partnerteam, how do we create it ? (one of the big Four) - we have created the foundation; how do we develop our organisation in the next phase ? (hospital) - what does consulting in the pig- and building sector look like in future, and how do we create it ? (regional advisory service) - how to reboot reboot ? (reboot is a yearly event for E- professionals) - the guidelines have changed; how do we implement them ? (pharmaceutical) - success in our cooperation: how do we create it ? - what are the implications of the vision for roles and responsabilities in our department, and how do we realise these ? (large city) - given the strengths and weaknesses in our bid process, how do we increase our win rate ? (consulancy firm) - how can we innovate at the same time we need to cut costs ? (investment fund) - how do we develop a new way of working, building on our knowledge and networks ? (University) - what activities should our alumni association organise and how do we bring them alive ? (alumni association) - how can we best improve our campaigns ? (large consultancy firm) - how do we create competence development and training which adds value in reality, each of and together (conference centre) - what should our vision be and how do we make it alive ? (project) - how do we create a transition to sustainable agricultural systems ? (Ministry) - how do we keep the birds in the meadows ? (Ministry) - what follow-up treatment should our clients have, and what role could we play in this ?
About Themes for Open Space
As I go into planning for an upcoming open space, I want to take a fresh vie of Themes. Try out some heretofore unexplored ways of thinking about themes. Will you help? 1) What are some avenues you pursue when developing the overarching theme for an Open Space? i.e., How do _you_ go about it? Where do you look and listen for a theme that intrigues your desired participants? 2) What have been some of the most evocative themes you've developed or encountered? When have you been hooked by a theme? 3) What forms the essential elements of a theme? Just wonderin' Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006) www.futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550 * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
Re: About Themes for Open Space
Diana -- I doubt that there is any such thing as a generic good theme. But I have found that there are some general criteria: 1)Short -- anything more than a half dozen words is usually too long. 2) Always stated as a question -- questions open space. Statements close it. 3) In the language of the people. Every organization or group of people has its own special language and code words. The theme should be stated in that language/words. This is one reason why a great theme for one group will automatically be a dud for another. 4) Cuts to the heart of the matter -- there is a place for diplomatic statement, but not here. Verbal obfuscation rarely arouses passion -- and you want a lot of passion. A really good theme will be so specific to that group that others will simply not notice it, or if noticed then not inspired. My favorite came from the USWEST Open Space done years ago. USWEST (the phone company) was in disastrous shape. Everybody knew it, and this was particularly true in the (US) State of Arizona. Theme was: Fixing Arizona? Believe me, attendance was not a problem. We were turning them away. As for passion and conflict -- we had all that in spades. Lot of folks spend a lot of time working on the theme with the client. I can see the sense of that as it provides an essential opportunity to explore the issues and not incidentally to be very sure that the client (group) really wants to take the trip and is prepared for genuine open conversation with no attachment to specific outcomes. All to the good. But when it comes to creating the theme I have found that (typically) 5 minutes will do it. If the reasons for the OS are hot, bothersome, exciting, anxiety producing -- the essential words are usually right on the tip of everybody's tongue. They need only be captured. And if there is no heat, bother, excitement, anxiety -- why bother with the Open Space. Likelihood is that it will be Blah. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Diana Larsen Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 10:51 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: About Themes for Open Space As I go into planning for an upcoming open space, I want to take a fresh vie of Themes. Try out some heretofore unexplored ways of thinking about themes. Will you help? 1) What are some avenues you pursue when developing the overarching theme for an Open Space? i.e., How do _you_ go about it? Where do you look and listen for a theme that intrigues your desired participants? 2) What have been some of the most evocative themes you've developed or encountered? When have you been hooked by a theme? 3) What forms the essential elements of a theme? Just wonderin' Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006) www.futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550 * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
Re: About Themes for Open Space
Diana, We, with our work with Working with OST, are some of the people who do work with the client for some time to get the theme right in relation to the number of days for the OST meeting. If the OST meeting is in Harrison's original variant of 2 or 2 1/2 days, the theme can be worked out just as Harrison says because people will generally do what they need to do on day one including any grief work, and then on day two, get on with solutions and creativity. In shorter OST meetings, the way we work with it in our Genuine Contact program, we work in a longer planning meeting with the client to ensure that the theme is right to the length of time of the meeting (a present focused theme if there is a lot of grief work going on and a future focused theme is fine if the organization is at the open space part of the grief cycle). In our experience, it is difficult if not impossible, to work on themes to do with the future, if the present feels hurting. Birgitt Williams www.genuinecontact.net The purpose of the Genuine Contact program is to assist organizations develop as Conscious Open Space Organizations -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 12:00 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: About Themes for Open Space Diana -- I doubt that there is any such thing as a generic good theme. But I have found that there are some general criteria: 1)Short -- anything more than a half dozen words is usually too long. 2) Always stated as a question -- questions open space. Statements close it. 3) In the language of the people. Every organization or group of people has its own special language and code words. The theme should be stated in that language/words. This is one reason why a great theme for one group will automatically be a dud for another. 4) Cuts to the heart of the matter -- there is a place for diplomatic statement, but not here. Verbal obfuscation rarely arouses passion -- and you want a lot of passion. A really good theme will be so specific to that group that others will simply not notice it, or if noticed then not inspired. My favorite came from the USWEST Open Space done years ago. USWEST (the phone company) was in disastrous shape. Everybody knew it, and this was particularly true in the (US) State of Arizona. Theme was: Fixing Arizona? Believe me, attendance was not a problem. We were turning them away. As for passion and conflict -- we had all that in spades. Lot of folks spend a lot of time working on the theme with the client. I can see the sense of that as it provides an essential opportunity to explore the issues and not incidentally to be very sure that the client (group) really wants to take the trip and is prepared for genuine open conversation with no attachment to specific outcomes. All to the good. But when it comes to creating the theme I have found that (typically) 5 minutes will do it. If the reasons for the OS are hot, bothersome, exciting, anxiety producing -- the essential words are usually right on the tip of everybody's tongue. They need only be captured. And if there is no heat, bother, excitement, anxiety -- why bother with the Open Space. Likelihood is that it will be Blah. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Diana Larsen Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 10:51 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: About Themes for Open Space As I go into planning for an upcoming open space, I want to take a fresh vie of Themes. Try out some heretofore unexplored ways of thinking about themes. Will you help? 1) What are some avenues you pursue when developing the overarching theme for an Open Space? i.e., How do _you_ go about it? Where do you look and listen for a theme that intrigues your desired participants? 2) What have been some of the most evocative themes you've developed or encountered? When have you been hooked by a theme? 3) What forms the essential elements of a theme? Just wonderin' Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006) www.futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550 * * == osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu -- To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
Re: About Themes for Open Space
I realize that being more specific would have been helpful. The planning work we do is especially important for a conference/meeting within an organization and might be less important for a conference that is for a network of people. Birgitt Williams -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Birgitt Williams Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 4:10 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: About Themes for Open Space Diana, We, with our work with Working with OST, are some of the people who do work with the client for some time to get the theme right in relation to the number of days for the OST meeting. If the OST meeting is in Harrison's original variant of 2 or 2 1/2 days, the theme can be worked out just as Harrison says because people will generally do what they need to do on day one including any grief work, and then on day two, get on with solutions and creativity. In shorter OST meetings, the way we work with it in our Genuine Contact program, we work in a longer planning meeting with the client to ensure that the theme is right to the length of time of the meeting (a present focused theme if there is a lot of grief work going on and a future focused theme is fine if the organization is at the open space part of the grief cycle). In our experience, it is difficult if not impossible, to work on themes to do with the future, if the present feels hurting. Birgitt Williams www.genuinecontact.net The purpose of the Genuine Contact program is to assist organizations develop as Conscious Open Space Organizations -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 12:00 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: About Themes for Open Space Diana -- I doubt that there is any such thing as a generic good theme. But I have found that there are some general criteria: 1)Short -- anything more than a half dozen words is usually too long. 2) Always stated as a question -- questions open space. Statements close it. 3) In the language of the people. Every organization or group of people has its own special language and code words. The theme should be stated in that language/words. This is one reason why a great theme for one group will automatically be a dud for another. 4) Cuts to the heart of the matter -- there is a place for diplomatic statement, but not here. Verbal obfuscation rarely arouses passion -- and you want a lot of passion. A really good theme will be so specific to that group that others will simply not notice it, or if noticed then not inspired. My favorite came from the USWEST Open Space done years ago. USWEST (the phone company) was in disastrous shape. Everybody knew it, and this was particularly true in the (US) State of Arizona. Theme was: Fixing Arizona? Believe me, attendance was not a problem. We were turning them away. As for passion and conflict -- we had all that in spades. Lot of folks spend a lot of time working on the theme with the client. I can see the sense of that as it provides an essential opportunity to explore the issues and not incidentally to be very sure that the client (group) really wants to take the trip and is prepared for genuine open conversation with no attachment to specific outcomes. All to the good. But when it comes to creating the theme I have found that (typically) 5 minutes will do it. If the reasons for the OS are hot, bothersome, exciting, anxiety producing -- the essential words are usually right on the tip of everybody's tongue. They need only be captured. And if there is no heat, bother, excitement, anxiety -- why bother with the Open Space. Likelihood is that it will be Blah. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -Original Message- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Diana Larsen Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 10:51 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: About Themes for Open Space As I go into planning for an upcoming open space, I want to take a fresh vie of Themes. Try out some heretofore unexplored ways of thinking about themes. Will you help? 1) What are some avenues you pursue when developing the overarching theme for an Open Space? i.e., How do _you_ go about it? Where do you look and listen for a theme that intrigues your desired participants? 2) What have been some of the most evocative themes you've developed or encountered? When have you been hooked by a theme? 3) What forms the essential elements of a theme? Just wonderin' Diana Diana Larsen co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams
