For this blog, we wanted to share a technique that we love called Open Space – a simple way to enable all kinds of people, in any kind of organization, to host inspiring and productive sessions. In a nutshell, picture the energy, conversation and enthusiasm of a great coffee break combined with the focused deliberation of a think tank.
Before we dive into details, imagine this client scenario and see if it any of it applies to you…
There are some issues we need to address and tough questions we need to tackle. We want to work as a team to solve them, but we all have different points of view that we bring to the table and are not sure how best to harness and focus our energies. We know a lot, but then again, it also feels like we don’t know anything because we have not been able to link all the pieces together. We need to get “unstuck” and are wishing to try a more creative approach than our typical business meetings. As the organizer, my wish is to create a session where everyone feels empowered to contribute and that we leave feeling excited and aligned to what we have accomplished and are ready to move forward. And by the way, this is one of ten other key priorities on my to-do list so while it is important, I can’t be burdened down with nitty-gritty planning details or create lots of stuff to prepare for it. How can you help?
This is precisely where Open Space comes into play and why we are so excited about using it as a tool to help teams collaborate, connect and create.
What is Open Space and how it is structured?
Open Space Technology was developed by Harrison Owen. It has been used all around the globe across a wide range of industries and organizations with considerable success.
Open Space works best when the work to be done is complex, the people and ideas involved are diverse, the passion for resolution (and potential for conflict) are high, and the time to get it done was yesterday.
The only things you need to plan for are to identify the real business issue…and invite folks who are passionate about it. This is because its success relies on two fundamental tenants: passion and responsibility. As Owen states it, “without passion nobody is interested. Without responsibility, nothing will get done.”
Group size can be 5 to 1000! Large conferences and cozy small teams, it doesn’t matter as long as the people involved choose to be there and are committed. How long it takes depends on your intentions. We suggest at least a full day. With three days . . . day one might focus on intense discussion, day two might focus on recording results and day three might be about converging, prioritizing and creating an action plan. “After three days, guests and fish leave something to be desired.”
On the day of the session, all those who willingly accept the invitation show up fully present and ready to contribute! There is no p
re-set agenda. Instead, you start in a circle and create the agenda together in real time. This comes together as participants share issues or opportunities for which they feel a genuine passion and will take responsibility. These “agenda items” are posted on a blank matrix representing specific time slots for each day and then people self-select where they intend to spend their time. There are no mandates, people can go anywhere they wish to explore and engage on topics of interest in what is described as the “Village Marketplace.”
It’s important to understand that a person who offers up a topic does not need to be an expert. It simply means that he or she will designate the time and place to host the conversation and will own sharing what was covered with the broader group. This is where the technology piece comes into play. Based upon the outcomes desired, computers can be used to capture key insights, recommendations and action steps from each conversation…and shared back with each participant. If you wish, teams can take this a step further to converge and prioritize. It is all up to you!
Indeed, it seems that the only thing that can get in the way of this self-organizing approach is an attempt to CONTROL it. So go ahead . . . relax, stop working so hard on planning every detail . . . and see where your passion takes you!
In our next blog, we will share more juicy details…until then… give us a call and give it a try if you’re OPEN!
