OPEN SPACE IS SO SIMPLE THAT THE WHOLE THING IS GUIDED BY 4 PRINCIPLES AND 1 LAW.

The Principles are:

1) Whoever comes is the right people. Success isn’t about how many people come, or the status of the people that come.  What is important is the quality of the interaction and the conversation . . . and all you need for a good conversation is one other person who SHARES YOUR PASSION!

2) Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. As originator Harrison Owen shares, “This is a reminder that real learning and progress take place when we all move beyond our original agendas and convention-bound expectations.” This openness allows the conversation to flow where it needs to…providing the space for fresh insights to emerge. It eliminates the could-have-beens, should-have-beens or might-have-beens and invites people to “be” present. What is happening in the moment is THE most important thing.

3) Whenever it starts is the right time. The nature of creativity and spirit are essential . . . and neither pay attention to the clock!  They appear in their own time, which by definition is the right time. Yet, that doesn’t mean that time is not respected.  It is important to make the most of our time together and take advantage of the collective wisdom in the room.  So that means when you are talking, be succinct. When you are listening, truly listen. And… together focus on the passion that you share for the topic.

4) When it’s over, it’s over. Dive into the conversation to explore, challenge and create. And then, when it’s done, don’t wait for someone to tell you it’s over…simply move on to something more useful. The bottom line is that meaningful action occurs when people take responsibility for getting it done, whatever “it” might be. The great part about Open Space is that participants are fully empowered to decide what “it” is.

And the One Law is The Law of Two Feet which states that if, during the course of the gathering, any person finds him or herself in a situation where they are neither learning nor contributing, they must use their two feet and go to a more productive place!   This puts the responsibility for the quality of each person’s learning and contribution directly where it belongs . . . with that person!  This law also supports a variety of participant personality styles. It enables those who prefer to stay completely focused on a topic to do so, while enabling freedom of movement by others (aptly coined “bumblebees”) to use their two feet – flitting from topic to topic pollinating and cross-pollinating, lending richness and variety to the discussions.  “Unhappy people are unlikely to be productive people.”

Very Simple. Very Powerful.  If you have an interest to try something new, give us a call. We would love to partner with you in creating an amazing MIND-OPENING experience.

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 pre-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!

At the heart of a great café, you will find a powerful question. When people focus on questions they care about, they begin thinking together rather than spinning off in random directions.  When inspired by powerful questions, conversations come alive with excitement and everyone learns while contributing to a highly productive exchange. So what makes a question powerful? Here are a few guidelines to consider:

Is simple and clear …focused on what matters most
Is open ended…leading to deeper exploration
Is thought provoking…to ignite fresh thinking
Generates energy…imagination, engagement, and creative action
Surfaces or challenges assumptions…stretch us to think differently
Focuses inquiry and discovery… It does not imply immediate action steps or problem solving!
Touches a deeper meaning.  It is relevant to the real life work of the people who will be exploring it.
Evokes More Questions. You’ll know it’s good when it sparks more what-if possibilities

The key is framing up questions to open up dialogue. We are so used to thinking in terms of problem-solution.  This is an opportunity to pose catalytic questions that springboard the group to new ways of thinking…that if explored fully could provide breakthrough possibilities.

Here are a few examples to give you a feel and flavor for questions that stimulate juicy conversation. Of course, there are lots more…and they can be tailored to your challenge at hand. Thinking of a project you have in the hopper, take a moment to see if any of these questions pop for you…or what new ones come to mind.

-What questions do we have that, if answered, would take us to the next level?
-What is the absolute best thing we could do for our consumer/customer?
-What holes can we address in our product/service offering?
-What is the biggest frustration we have yet to crack and where does that lead us?
-What higher order benefit does ____ springboard to?
-What market trends should we be exploiting along the way?
-What would be a category changer…a totally game changing idea?
-What are we doing right that we want to continue? Magnify?
-What would we do if we were _______________?
-What off the wall ideas might get us fired?
-What assumptions can we smash to yield the most powerful result?-
-What promise(s) is most important to our consumer and how will they know we delivered?
-What do we need to “let go of” to move forward and what new ideas does that inspire?

Gotta Love its Versatility too!
Small teams and big teams, seasoned experts and newbies, internal employees as well as external partners,  consumers and customers, all levels…all functions…Cafés are a simple, yet powerful tool for any team, any size, anywhere. We have facilitated sessions entirely built around Cafés as well as used them in a more targeted way to inspire a round of idea creation.  For added sparks, you may wish to use Cafés in conjunction with provocative stimulus…but that’s a whole other blog topic! See our articles on stimulus creation to explore more!  With Cafés…the options are endless and the opportunities expansive.

We encourage you to give it a try!

“Our questions have the power to break us out of the shell of our understanding into new worlds.  A vital question focuses the creative power of our minds.”
Verna Alee, The Knowledge Evolution

You may be thinking …”we already have far too many meetings! We don’t need any more talking, we need action!     Yet, the reason people so often get “stuck in the muck” is precisely because they ARE having too many meetings and not enough true conversation.

True conversation is about focusing, speaking, listening and creating together.  At Sparxx, we tap into this rich power source, through Café Conversations…a dynamic approach that fosters connections, collaboration and creation.   The underpinnings of this approach are drawn from the work done by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs centered on “The World Café”, a process that brings people together around questions that matter.

Over the years, we have adapted and applied it to support a wide range of client challenges…and the verdict is in…it works! In the words of one of our clients,

“The Café Conversations and Powerful Questions were a unique, innovative way to get our teams thinking differently about issues and ideas.  Using the Powerful Questions was a stimulating brainstorming technique that did not require functional specialization or much background – everyone in all functions could participate ACTIVELY!  This technique also eliminated “ideation burnout”…so participants looked forward to the next question and round of ideation.  Our group will definitely look to Sparxx and to this technique that they generously shared with us for future ideation and project start-ups.”

“None of us are as smart as all of us” -Ken Blanchard         Cafés are designed to leverage and access this collective team wisdom as people have a series of conversations around questions that matter.  Throughout the conversation, they are literally capturing these conversations in real time on table cloths. At the conclusion of each conversation they may be asked to create something . . . or they may all move to a new table and explore a new question with a new group of people.

In each conversation, ALL participants are actively contributing their unique perspective as well as bringing in other points of view from their prior conversations. The energy spirals as ideas are cross-pollinated and connections are sparked around the room.  Through this organic process, the group is able to access a wider net of knowledge that transcends any one knowledge holder. After stretching and considering the challenge from multiple points of view, teams are then able to view the challenge and the world through new eyes!

These fresh insights spark new ideas and strategic pathways that the team is passionate and excited about moving forward together.

In our next blog, we’ll share more about the powerful questions behind a great Café.

“Whenever knowledge connects with knowledge, new combinations spontaneously take place. Ideas spark ideas, which synthesize with each other until more knowledge results. It is completely natural…sharing knowledge means bringing people into conversation.”
Verna Alee, The Knowledge Evolution

Beyond the practical roles of behind the scenes consulting and on-site facilitation, a significant part of what we do is encourage teams to be Boldly Believe…in themselves, in each other, in the process and in their vision.

For teams to get to breakthrough, they need to step out of their comfort zones and take risks!  This may mean sharing an idea that you know others may think is absurd.  It may mean allowing yourself to be vulnerable and to not have all the answers. It may mean stepping up to a challenge when others say that it can’t be done. It may mean trying something new or uncomfortable, even though you don’t know exactly how it will evolve or turn out.   It is about putting aside your fears and moving forward with confidence.

Sometimes you’ll fail (or others will think or make you feel like you did). Yet in the end you will learn from the experience and it will lead to a better outcome. The absurd idea will be the seed that sparked a totally new direction. The question you asked will open up thought-provoking dialogue. The new technique will lead to fresh ways of viewing the situation and solutions you hadn’t considered before. You will be in a different place and one that is better because you put your fears aside and stepped boldly into the unknown.

We invite you to take a look at this short video clip that offers some rather interesting perspective about folks who “failed” and yet, because they Boldly Believed in something, they achieved their dreams in a BIG way.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can – begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
~ Goethe

There is so much pressure to DO and DO IT QUICKLY that it is easy to fall into predictable patterns and business as usual, in the quest to push things forward. Yet, the world of creativity doesn’t thrive in this “Ready, Fire, Aim” approach. It requires fresh seeds of inspiration and creative tools that will enable individuals and teams to unleash and bring their full creativity to the challenge.

Recently we were inspired by something new ourselves. It was the book Zing: Five Steps and 101 Tips for Creativity on Demand by Sam Harrison. So we thought we would focus this blog on sprinkling a few creative seeds from his book along with some of our own Sparxx tips to help feed your creative spirit.  It is our hope that you try out some of the creative challenges for yourself and that the seeds you plant in the process bloom into something extraordinary!

EXPLORE: Become a sponge and feed your mind

Harrison: To create poetic music for millions of die-hard fans, the Grateful Dead found teachers in unlikely places.  From Italian composers, Indian drumming, bookstores and film houses, to the roots of jazz, T.S. Elliott and Hans Christian Anderson, each member of the band explored and learned from people beyond their world and art form to inspire their music.

Sparxx: One of our favorite ideation stimuli is REFRAMES.   Prior to a session, team leaders or team participants are asked to identify success stories from outside of their own category . . . others that have successfully tackled a similar challenge, that have communicated a similar benefit, or have found a unique way to communicate.    During the ideation session, we create activities to help participants transform these reframes into new ideas that are fresh and provocative.

Zing Challenge! List three sources of inspiration outside your discipline that could impact a challenge you are facing…and go explore.

FREEDOM: Open your mind and welcome lots of new ideas.

Harrison: Downhill racers once feared an 80-mph run was too fast. Yet when that barrier was broken skiers feared 80mph was too slow. Dr. David Hawkins uses “M-Fields” to describe changes in our field of consciousness – in which barriers are broken and new paradigms are defined.  Roger Bannister created a new M-Field when he broke the 4 minute mile. The Wright Brothers did it with flight. MacIntosh created new M-fields with user friendly computers paving the way for other category- changing devices…I-Phone, I-Pad,  Kindle etc.

Sparxx: Every idea is worthy and often what may seem at first to be the craziest, offers the most potential.   Withhold all judgment when you are brainstorming . . . that includes not judging others, or yourself with the voice of the inner critic. Be bold and let it flow, let it flow, let it flow.

Zing Challenge! Where can you break down assumptions and barriers to create a new “M-Field” – a new playing field fertile with new opportunities?

PAUSE: Let Your Unconscious Lead the Way

Harrison: Black Mirrors for Your Mind: After working with intense colors, early Impressionistic painters soothed their eyes by gazing into black mirrors that mimicked dark pools. This pause gave their mind a break and let the subconscious clock-in. Artists returned to their canvas with rejuvenated eyes and fresh perspectives.

Sparxx: We mimic this process in our sessions by intentionally building in breaks and percolation time for people to absorb, digest and make fruitful connections that they often don’t even know they are making.  Sometimes in the name of productivity this can be construed as “wasted” time.  Yet, often it is when we let the subconscious take over, that the most exciting new pathways and possibilities emerge.  Just turn it over to your subconscious and be amazed.

Zing Challenge! When you are in the midst of a big project or challenge, take some time to enjoy a walk, settle into a quiet place to daydream, play a game, listen to music – anything that removes you from the task at hand and lets your subconscious do its magic.

EMBRACE: Don’t let good enough get in the way of the best.

Harrison: In the process of creation, you will come up with all kinds of ideas. Some that are good and some that are bad. Some that are serious and some that are silly. Some that are well thought out and some that are just nuggets.  At some point, you need to make choices . . . weeding out the obvious, killing those that don’t match the criteria . . . chip away until you have the best idea(s) to meet your needs and goals.

Sparxx: Be patient, letting the process run its course before jumping too quickly into decision making. We have found that often the best ideas are often ones that come up when you think that you don’t have any more…as this requires that you stretch beyond your usual patterns and modes of thinking to find a more creative solution.  This is precisely why for ideation sessions we structure multiple rounds of creation using a variety of tools and stimulus to foster new connections and possibilities.   Don’t stop when you think you have the idea . . . keep going!

Zing Challenge! Come up with three ideas to address a challenge you are facing. Now put those aside and let them go, and challenge yourself to come up with three more.

LIFE: Breathe life into your ideas, add flesh, bones and above all else Heart!

Harrison: Polish up the idea until it really shines.   When you share your idea with others, be passionate . . . tell stories . . . explain how ideas meet objectives . . . show how the ideas will satisfy and delight consumers . . . consider potential questions and challenges and have your answers ready.     Now get in there and sell like you’ve never sold before.

Sparxx: It “takes a village’” to for an idea to take hold from seed, to sprout to flower. To get these seedlings to live on, you must be able to engage others and get them as excited as you are about it. One way we recommend doing this is involving key stakeholders in the creation process as we find that nothing garners support like authorship.  The collective team alignment and passion gained through the process is a fertilizing “miracle gro” as you bring your idea into the world.

Zing Challenge: Do what you can to spread the zing.

As intuitive and simple as this may sound, we find that creating this stimulus is one of the most significant challenges our clients face…because it is not what most folks are asked to do in everyday business life.  It requires going beyond the norm of traditional presentations and stretching to create something that will provoke interest, enthusiasm and excitement.

Here is a snapshot highlighting the difference between creating a presentation versus creating stimulus to inspire idea creation.

In preparing for an ideation, sometimes we find our clients pouring their energy into compiling a presentation (or multiple presentations) to help make sure everyone has all the information they need to make smart decisions. And while there certainly is value in creating foundational knowledge, too much can actually detract from your success if the session becomes more about presentations than creating ideas!  When this happens, the team becomes mired in depths of data – while creativity gets lost in the weeds.

To address this challenge and spark the fires of creativity, we recommend flipping that ratio by putting away that PowerPoint application and focusing your prep energy on creating short “refreshing stimulus sparks”.  Rather than sharing everything you know about the topic, set your sharing goal to 15-20 minutes or less per major topic theme and open up the rest of the time for your team to actually “work with it” to deepen understanding, make new connections, create starter ideas and optimize the best!

It goes without saying, that we’ve all participated in our fair share of bad brainstorms. We’ve been in those sessions where you find a soap-box fanatic (gotta say everything I know), passive-aggressive resistors (who don’t complain, but refuse to engage), where we experience near-death by powerpoint, and where the same-old-same-old ideas are “re-created” and captured as brand new. What’s the deal? It seems as though there are a mysterious set of rules outlined in an “Brainstorming for Dummies” guidebook that are blindly being followed in a quest (a dire need really) to create compelling new ideas.

Here are just a few that we might find on the list…

Brainstorming for Dummies (excerpt)…

1. Intensive Data Download: Before creating ideas, make sure to download all the bits and pieces that make up the bigger picture so everyone has intimate knowledge of all facets of the challenge at hand.
2. Power in Numbers: Work as one BIG group to make sure everyone hears and contributes on everything
3. Be Efficient! Just jump right in and let the ideas fly!  Put the question out there and brainstorm possibilities – after all that is why the group is together.

On the surface, these actually might sound like decent enough rules to support creativity. Yet if we probe a bit deeper we find how they actually have quite the opposite effect.

1. Intensive Data Download: Ensuring that the folks in the room share some critical understanding and foundational knowledge is indeed a good thing. Yet, as we all know, too much of a good thing can be bad. A day of presentations followed by a quick brainstorm is not conducive to fresh new ideas.  It is time to replace the long drawn out sharing and make it a quick stimulus spark (a burst of inspiration) and then give people the time to roll up their sleeves and work with it in creative ways.
2. Power in Numbers: This is true, but it’s how we maximize the numbers that makes all the difference. Rather than working as a big group all the time, there is actually more power in breaking into small-but- mighty teams of 3-4 people so that everyone has the chance to connect and contribute. There is energy in smaller team sizes as people engage and take on a more active role and ownership in what is created. The beauty of it is also that each small team will approach the challenge differently and come at it with unique points of view so that you create a wider span of creative ideas.
3. Be Efficient: While we understand in today’s schedule-crunched world the pressure to do things quickly is mounting, the truth is… creativity takes time. It is an iterative process of exploration, inspired by provocative stimulus…in which we connect in with the challenge from different perspectives that break us out of our usual paradigms and opens up fresh possibilities. And when you think about the stakes at hand…ideas to support a major new launch, solutions to a tough challenge, ideas to support a new strategic direction…you will likely find this investment to be very well worth it!

In the name of true creativity, we proudly proclaim that at Sparxx we break all these rules and more with a unique approach we call Kaleidoscoping!  If your standard brainstorming practices need some re-writing as well, let us know, we would love to be a partner in crime in your rebellious and amazing creation!

A client team shared this link with us as we were preparing to facilitate a strategic visioning session.  They shared that they begin each company meeting by viewing this video!  And every time they watch it, they seem to see something a little bit new and different.  We loved it too!  Yes, it is a video of a “barbershop quartet.” No, it is not the 1950’s and it is most certainly not your grandfather’s barbershop quartet. It is the 2009 International Barbershop Chorus Champions, and The Ambassadors of Harmony’s winning performance.  Take a look… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmDGntpZC3I

As you watch it, we are curious what you find most compelling. Please share…we would love to hear your thoughts. In watching it ourselves, here are a few valuable insights we drew from their inspiration.

• Everyone Contributes: Each person’s unique voice added value to the collective performance.
• Small Things Matter: A small gesture when combined with others can have a big impact.
• WE is bigger than me:  What can be achieved together far surpasses what any one person can do and we need to leverage this potential.
• Unmatched Energy and Excitement: E=MC²: Energy = Mass Collaboration²
  There is something amazingly powerful and energizing when people create together.

With these principles in mind, here are a few practical ways to engage the power of your own teams…

• When embarking on a new initiative take time upfront to create a shared vision. Define and align to your desired outcomes so everyone is on board and takes ownership. (See previous blog – Igniting a Spark)
• Get clear on your everyone’s roles and the unique “gifts” they can bring to the experience and honor them.
• Make sure that everyone has a chance to contribute.   (If you have a large team, this might mean breaking up into smaller teams during meetings!)
• Leverage the diversity of the team bringing in a wide range of perspectives to challenge and stretch each other.
• Have fun – the spirit of play ignites creativity.

Remember the power of your team. If in the midst of everyday challenges, it gets fuzzy and you forget, just look to the Ambassadors of Harmony to remind you.

You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.
~Doug Floyd

Create a clear vision of what you want
Locate the person you want to do it with
Attract him/her like a magnet
Inspire him/her to want what you want long term
Marry him/her and get busy being happy!

Sound advice…for marketers!  Isn’t this what marketers want too?  We target a consumer, find out what it’s going to take to make them happy, create the product or service that will do that, and dangle it out there in an attractive way…all in hopes of locking in a long term relationship.

Dr. Phil has all kinds of ideas about how to “bag ‘em, tag ‘em and take ‘em home.” Yet, nowhere in all of his Love Smart wisdom does he suggest that we should have others do the connecting for us.   So it is quite interesting that so many marketers opt for this passive, indirect approach~ find the one you want, then hide in the dark and watch from afar while somebody else asks them to respond to a list of prepared questions.    Yet apparently, this misconstrued relationship advice has been handed down from generation to generation of marketers until it has become the accepted norm.   It’s become common for marketers, even while emphatically proclaiming that “the consumer is my focus, my boss, my reason for being,” to sit back and observe while someone else gets the honor of interacting with their potential mate!

Our version of Love Smart Advice for Marketers is that if your desire is to really get to know someone, then go to the party and really get in there and mingle!  Put yourself out there and engage in a real face to face, heart to heart conversation about things that really matter to you and to your potential beloved.  Let them tell you their stories and reveal who they really are.  Don’t be a wall flower and hang in the corner behind the potted plant – get IN the conversation yourself!  You will be amazed at what you can learn and the depth of connections you will find when there’s not a wall between the two of you. Plus, we think you’ll find that it’s way more fun too!

[Don’t get us wrong, we think that online dating, matchmakers and advice from friends can all play a role in getting you primed and ready to dive in with confidence.    We’re just saying…don’t book a flight to a Vegas chapel before you’ve looked ‘em in the eye for yourself and had a true conversation!]