OSI-US Board Retreat 2011: Topic: Really Bad Open Space

OSI-US Board Retreat 2011: Topic: Really %@$*&#^$)-y facilitated events that participants feel frustrated / unhappy / pushed  rushed / unproductive / upset etc. about that are called Open Space but really weren’t

1) What does well prepared, well-facilitated, thoughtfully held Open Space offer to participants?

2) What are the things you’ve seen / heard / noticed done by a facilitator that make it not Open Space (even when its called Open Space)?

3) What are your feelings about that?

4) What does it mean about our / OSI-US’s role / purpose / responsibilities?

Discussed learning the basics of Open Space, and how to support the form plus the substance (as some forms enter popular culture - the form often stays without the substance). About how some people want to 'improve upon' Open Space. Or take just parts that do not hold together as form or process, but call it Open Space. Or rigidly hold to it.

Have been in ‘Open Space’ events where the organizers did not set the container. You could not even have a marketplace. Although could see that it was well-intended and it was better than other events I have been in that were not done well.

The real depth of what Harrison offers is so rich and juicy and it would be even more rich and juicy if people were doing the pre-work and understood the depth and understood the importance of ‘Maybe you need to get some training.  Maybe facilitation is something you learn over a lifetime.’ 

What’s at the heart of Open Space - and the means of committing to that core as a pledge. A self-organizing, self-selection kind of quality about that.

There is this thing we call Open Space Technology that’s solid. That’s been tested over time. Would like to preserve that core.

All humans all have different perspectives - all look at same object differently. We all have a core of Open Space. We still have a core.

Something that happened that started the Agile movement was a manifesto . 

Co-create a manifesto about what is good core Open Space - invite co-creation, invite people who convene and facilitate Open Space to join this pledge.

Explore archives for Appreciative Inquiry into Open Space session at 2004 WOSonOS in Goa. Explore also in archives 'what is Open Space and what is not'.

Cannot imagine our community would create a police state with a ruling. But the flow of information about what creates good Open Space - thoughtfully planned and held Open Space - is something to share and something to know.  There is a lot aside from what is visible to the eye.  The same is true about facilitation in general. And also important to share is that there is indeed learning and wisdom to be shared, and some thinking, research and experience about that. Good to increase the flow of that knowledge about how to use and facilitate the dialogue method of Open Space.