2011 Annual Retreat - Task Oriented Outcomes

2011 Annual Meeting Task Oriented Outcomes

April 4, 2011

We identified work in three broad thematic areas:

• Grounding our purpose

• Open Space Manifesto-ing
• Resourcing Open Space

The notes that follow describe key ideas and actions in each arena.

A few incidentals, items for the bin, and our individual offerings are also below.

• Purpose

PURPOSE, as stated In our by-laws:

The Open Space Institute(US) holds space for Open Space. Open Space Institute(US) serves by:

• Providing access to resources on Open Space,
• Connecting individuals and groups to inform, inspire, mentor, and sustain each other in opening and holding space, AND
• Being an inclusive learning community.
   

• What shorthand language brings us back to the energy of Harold’s picture?  E.g., Cultivating the community of practice/network or Connecting people who are opening space
• Principle of simplicity: what are the trim tab activities?
  • Manifesto: Focusing question
  • Resources for different audiences to Open Space: Connecting the community (resources)
• Next steps
  • Develop shorthand language to express our purpose
  • Create a logo (water, 3 ripples)
  • Revisit language/activities at http://osius.org/content/about

• Open Space Wo-Manifesting
  • Purpose: Create a credential without certification.  Legitimize without constricting.
  • Design a process that invites people to sign on to the manifesting and its creation
  • Next steps
    • Clarify a focusing question the manifesto
      • E.g., What does it mean to open space?
    • Design a process
    • Draft an invitation
    • On point: Harold & Doug
      • Thinking partners: Peggy, Lisa, Karen

• Resourcing opening space
  • Purpose: Increasing accessibility to a variety of audiences
  • Develop materials for target audiences: e.g., corporations, communities, government agencies
    • Consider running contests to attract artwork, stories, other materials.
    • Establish a “go to” site for OS that works for these different audiences.
    • Create Open Space Institute Fellows
    • Market the materials as a revenue source for OSI-US
    • Note: the notes about designing an architecture are more wide-ranging as the discussion happened during the “what’s next” conversation.
    • Design an architecture – a rigorous and resilient frame
      • Fund it through an RFP process
      • Engage people who are passionate in their foresight
      • Share materials across institutes and world-wide groups
      • Be mindful of Christopher Alexander’s quality without a name
      • Bring old content (later)
        • AI practitioner – AI and OS issue
        • At Work issue
        • Stories, the OSI-US newsletter
      • Notes on stories/curation
        • With attribution
        • Ask questions that invite stories
      • Asset mapping
      • OS US Web site
        • Help us see who we are
        • A place for the living questions
      • First story, from Suzanne’s voice.  Start providing content, with an invitational feel – Suzanne (April 11)
        • Pay it forward
        • Praise it forward
        • Stories, from the inside out
        • Honoring the elders
      • Next steps
        • Convene call on OS US Web site
          • Governmental language
          • Corporate language
        • First story, start providing content, with an invitational feel
          • Pay it forward
          • Praise it forward
          • Stories, from the inside out
          • Honoring the elders
        • Wikipedia
• Incidentals
  • Invite new board members
  • Draft “board packet” (See http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?OpenSpaceInstituteUSA )

BIN

• Convene call on OS US Web site  - Christine (mid-April)
  • Governmental language – Christine and Ed
  • Corporate language – Christine and Suzanne
• First story, start providing content, with an invitational feel – Suzanne (April 11)
• Wikipedia – Harold  (start in early June)
• Setting up a communication around manifesto-ing: inviting the question, opening to the community, process – Harold & Doug (schedule by April 11, conversation by May 1)
• Ask Steven about creating an image for our logo (3 intersecting ripples) – Peggy (April 30)
• Revise the about page – Peggy, Harold & Lisa review (Peggy - April 30)
• Reach out to Barry Owen for the board, “draft the board packet” – Peggy  - April 30
• Set up Skype for OSI-Board calls - Harold for next call
• Reimburse for travel to/from board meeting - Harold

COMMITMENTS

Lisa’s offerings

• Resources for different audiences, tools and concrete things, feedback on access (does it read for everyone? Is it universal lanague? Are we working across culture?)
• Support for Fellows
• Helping ID language, requirements for invitations, for requests we put out and that come to us
• Materials development – look at how what we put out can be spun off for other memes.
• “Contests” – language, why, wherefore, what you get, what’s it mean
• Co-ownership – always having the other institutes at our side, including income generation

Karen’s offerings

• Reflecting, feedback on anything, everything
• World-wide open space connections – with Harold

Peggy’s offering

• I’ll be a thinking partner
• I’ll be here until I’m no longer needed

Christine’s offerings

• Steward the collection working on lanaguage for the web so that its appealing, inviting to all kinds of people
• Thinking partner on other things.  If you need me ask.
• I’m here until you no longer need me.

Suzanne’s offerings

• The invitaitnoal spirit of OS, all voices past, present, future
• My approach speaking with vulnerability so that others feel they can speak their truth
• Start with the story that tells about what the board has done, as an opening, guided by wise voices, that don’t quell my voice
• Working on the corporate voice with Christine and others
• Fellows – see where that leads, hear personal experiences of what that might mean based on what has meaning for them

Harold’s offerings

• The things I signed up for
• Edge on OS Manafesting

Doug’s offerings

• Invite life and living into the community, inviting questions that invite life in both manifestoing and resourcing