Open Space

I took part in my first Open Space (OS) conference last week, at the first ever South East regional Participation Workers Network event. In fact, before the event there wasn't officially a SE regional network – ‘Open Space Technology’ was used to find out if indeed their was a demand for a SE network, and if there was, what it should look like; what it should do; how it should work, etc etc. I have to admit that I was a little sceptical about the idea of OS to begin with. As the facilitator gathered us in a circle (everyone is equal in OS) and asked us to close out eyes as she explained the principles behind it, I did wonder whether I should take the opportunity to scarper there and then and save myself from this hippy nonsense.The main principle is the 'Law of Two Feet', i.e. if you're neither contributing nor getting value where you are, use your two feet and go somewhere where you can. From this law flow the four principles of:

·         Whoever comes is the right people

·         Whatever happens is the only thing that could have

·         Whenever it starts is the right time

·         When it's over it's over

My conscience got the better of me though and I decided to try to be Open Minded about Open Space. I listened, learned, participated, and found that it was actually rather interesting…

In an OS a facilitator explains the process and participants are then invited to co-create the agenda and host their own discussion groups. Discussions are held in breakout spaces with participants free to move amongst them. Each group records the discussionsand at the end of the day the full group reconvenes for comments and reflection.

Open Space basically provides a simple means to self-organise.The idea is that people who attend have chosen to be there and are willing to contribute, so people who care about the subject will come together to discuss it. Lots more info and examples can be found at www.openspaceworld.org

Comments

[Ben Wild]

Sounds alot like the Quakers approach to decision making, non-hierarchical, consensus based...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quakers#Decision_making_among_Friends

Have to say it all sounds quite annoying, but perhaps that's just me being miserable...

Still I think it might be quite amusing to apply the 4 principles to the next TCC meeting.

[Jeff Aitken]

This report on a recent Open Space event in London gives a flavor of what it can be like. It's definitely not the slow, quiet, polite consensus process of the Quakers which (tho I love 'em) sometimes bores me out of my skull. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama/story/0,,2001828,00.html

There is often a kind of consensus that gets reached by the end of a good Open Space event - enough to inspire participants to take action, individually or in spontaneous teams, motivated by the energizing conversations and the sense that we're in this thing together after all.