2. Why a Mini Guide? Perhaps you’ve attended an Open Space event and experienced what was just described. Now you’d like to host or facilitate one of your own with a team who shares your passion on a common theme, topic or issue. Or maybe, you are thinking about it for your company, organization or community and want to understand more about how Open Space works. This is a user friendly workbook that briefly describes some of the what, why, when and how of Open Space – with some basic descriptions and a few handy tools that may help you as you plan your own event. Mini Guide Open Space
3. To really understand Open Space We strongly recommend that you buy… Open Space Technology A User’s Guide the definitive guide by Harrison Owenoriginator of Open Space. Resources also available on line at: www.openspaceworld.com www.openspaceworld.org Resources Open Space
5. Here’s what some people have said …about what happens in Open Space They felt invigorated by the conversations; they connected with others quickly in a very focused way. The intensity of the discussions, the relevance of the topics, the openness of the participants, many of whom they did not know, astounded them. They still can’t quite believe what happened there, so fast and with so many people in the room. It felt entirely different from the traditional meetings, workshops and conferences that they normally attend. The connections between participants from so many sectors with people of all ages, at different levels, and the powerful learning and sharing, that ensued are something they’ve rarely experienced before, if ever. A lot of listening, a lot of shifting. Ideas and possibilities for action were bubbling to the surface and even now, months later, they’re still ponderingand yes moving to action on many of those ideas, staying connected with people they met. Passion and Responsibility seem to sum it up best! Mini Guide Open Space
6. A recent event in New Jersey:Participants sharing their experience of Open Space Theme: “How can Creativity and Innovation Revitalize New Jersey?” Open Space Event June 14th-15th, 2011 Mini Guide Open Space http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6-czGGqZ0 Mayor Chuck Chiarello Mayor, Buena Vista Township http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p876s9e5vWc Elizabeth Murphy Executive Director, Global Arts Exchange www.globalartsexchange.org www.creativenj.org
8. A few Descriptions of Open Space to start Open Space Technology is a method for holding meetings and conferences thatcreates the conditions for dynamic and engaging conversations.Itis a powerful way of bringing people together to search for solutions to complex issues around a central theme. All participants have the opportunity to express what they consider to be important and to take responsibility on topics that they are passionate about. In doing so, people discover new ways of connecting and working cooperatively. Open Spacewas created over 25 years ago by Harrison Owen in response to something he noticed at conferences: people seemed most energized and engaged during coffee breaks. So he decided to create a meeting format that would look and feel like “one long coffee break”. Amazingly, what people discovered is that a lot gets done during Open Space Events especially when people are discussing real issues that they care deeply about. Open Space is a highly interactive meeting processthat invites openness among participants leading to highly dynamic conversations and a “sleeves-up” approach to dealing with complex issues. Open Space has just enough structure to allow meaningful connections and collaborations to emerge. Open Space is hard to describe because it is so different from how we hold typical meetings and conferences.With minimal structure, this methodology invites people to create an agenda of topics around a central theme of strategic importance, to host or join sessions and to connect with others exchanging ideas, discovering new possibilities and exploring avenues for action. Open Space quickly and powerfully ignites people to engage as they unleash their own leadership, individually and collectively. No experts, no panelists, no one leading the process, no agenda and no power point presentations. People unite around a common theme, post their own topics and in a matter of minutes, discussion groups form and dynamic conversation get underway When that happens, new ideas and possibilities for action emerge. Everything gets documented at the event in real time. Mini Guide Open Space
9. Open Space has been used for: With Many Groups, in Many Places Multiple Types of Meetings Conferences, Symposiums Business Meetings Planning & Strategy Sessions Community Events Retreats, Summits Department & Cross-Functional Meetings Neighborhood Gatherings Reunions and more Profit & Non-Profit Organizations Schools, Colleges and Universities Government/Civic groups:local, national and global Community and Volunteer Groups Associations, Activists Arts, Culture, Science, Technology, Business, Theatre, Political, Finance, Environment, Health Care, etc. Mini Guide Open Space Open Space started more than 25 years and has been used around the world with groups of 20 and up to 2000 people and more.
10. What you should also know about Open Space Open Space is a “self-organizing process” with just enough structure to activate lively and open discussions leading to real possibilities, actions and results. The role of the leader is to “invite” and “convene” around a compelling theme. People feel the support of leadership to participate, explore and engage without pre-established and pre-defined goals and outcomes, which can limit solutions, creativity and outcome. The role of the facilitator is to assist in the planning and pre-work. At the event itself, the facilitator initially guides the group, explaining how to write and post topics, describing basic principles of Open Space including the Law of 2 Feet, and how to assign time and place for the sessions. From then on, it’s a matter of quietly holding the space, and doing small and invisible tasks (picking up coffee cups, replenishing supplies as needed, assuring smooth functioning at the news room and pulling chairs back into the main circle for evening or morning news, and then closing circle at the end). The success of the meeting is up to the participants. By choosing how and where they want to contribute, engaging in the topics they care most deeply about, sharing passion and connection on a common theme, exploring possibilities and actions to take, individuals unleash their own leadership and take responsibility for the event and follow-up actions. Open Space is very different from your traditional conference, meeting or symposium. It’s different from how we typically lead, facilitate and engage. It invites us to be equals together, bringing the best of who we are and what we know. Open Space assumes everything and everyone we need are in the room. We don’t have to rely on outside leaders, experts or specialists to solve problems or create and invent solutions and possibilities. Open Space will appear chaotic and messy at times. Creativity is like that, so is innovation and change. Outputs you can expect in Open Space, which are created on-site at the meeting include: an agenda of topics developed by the participants, multiple concurrent group discussions on topics that people feel are most important and for which they have the greatest passion, summary reports of all conversations captured in a book of proceedings at the end, and for longer meetings, priorities , teams and initial action steps. Open Space has been used thousands of times in all kinds of settings. Interestingly , it always works though it’s hard to know that until you experience it! In the meantime, we say: “Trust the process and be prepared to be surprised!” Mini Guide Open Space
48. On line tools will also help to support these same goals.Mini Guide Open Space
49. Choosing the Right Place What you will need: A large Main Meeting Room Big enough for people to sit comfortably in a circle or for very large groups, two to three concentric circles Leave lots of room and floor space in the center of the circle, enough room for the facilitator to walk inside the circle. Nothing in the middle except markers and white sheets of paper Rule of thumb on room size needed for your group size: double the capacity of what a facility can hold set up in theatre style Check noise levels in the room , height of ceilings, etc. (Will people hear each other? Are groups nearby too close?), Verify that you can use masking tape or painter’s tape on walls ; do the tape test to make sure it sticks. Breakout Areas Sufficient breakout rooms for small groups of 8 to 15 people; ideal when some of these groups can meet in corners of Main Room, contributes to the energy and creates flow. Lots of empty Wall Space To post all the topics on the Market Place wall. Imagine 40 to 50 or more big white sheets 11 X 17 sheets) taped to the wall. To post all the Summary Reports , numbered and side by side, taped along the News Wall; these are printed 81/2 X 11 white sheets showing highlights of the discussions, printed in font size 14 for easy reading. Food tables (snacks/buffet lunches ) and Reception table (for name tags, photo releases if required): if sufficient space, use Main Room; if not use close adjoining area. Lots of windows to bring the outdoors in Mini Guide Open Space
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51. Explain the process and purpose of the event so they can become your partners in creating a successful event
52. Make sure you check with them beforehand ; explain how the layout is different than your typical conference; ask if masking tape or painters tape is allowed on the walls; if not use sticky wall or electrostatic paperNews WALL Spaceto post Summary Reports as they are completed MarketPlace WALL Above post Large Topic Banner Leave 3 access openings Sound system with wireless/handheld mikes News Room with long tables, chairs computers, printer station
53. Materials & Supplies(for an event with 100 people) Mini Guide Open Space Markers : 50 - 75 in dark bold colors (preferable odor free, water based) Pens (30) - place in cups on the floor below the market place wall Large Sheets White Paper 75 – 100 sheets of 11 X 17 (used for participants to write their topics; fanned on the floor, in the middle of the circle) Ordinary White Sheets: 1 ream of 8 ½ X 11 sheets for the newsroom; will be used to print summary reports that will be posted on News Wall Masking Tape and/or Blue painters’ tape (1 wide, 3-4 narrow) Invisible Scotch tape (1) to tape summary reports together Flip Chart Easels (12 – 15) with 1 pad for each (have an extra 5 pads for an event of 2 days or more) Scissors Poster Board Sheets- 5-10 white 22 X 28 inches (to create your own Open Space posters and signs; can also be professionally made beforehand) – a combination is nice! Post-its : have bright colors, one color for each of the sessions; size: 3” X 3” Laptop Computers (6-8) for news room; main computer connected to printer Laser Printer (with extra ink cartridge) Electrical power bars (2) Name Badges Photo Release Forms (if required) Garbage Cans (in every room) – recycling bins for used flip chart sheets and other trash Talking Piece - used at the closing circle, symbolic and connected to the event
55. Why a Host Team? The Host Team (with the help of the facilitator) Keeps the focus on the purpose of the event. The theme and overall purpose of the meeting are what’s important--not the process of Open Space. Is the Lead group who will write the invite, decide on the theme and who will personally invite people, explaining why the issue is important, how this meeting will be different and why they hope participants will attend. Will oversee the logistics and planning with the help of the facilitator. Understands the shift in approach different from how typical meetings and conferences are run. Not about experts, leaders or facilitators running the show. People are the main actors. Will be invested in the pre-work while also imagining the support that will be needed after the event. Will have fun planning and doing which will carry into the spirit of the event.
56. Consider the Possibility of doing …an Open Space Simulation with the Host Team Mini Guide This will give an opportunity for the host/organizing team to experience what happens in Open Space and see how easy and fun it is to prepare an actual event. Once you have decided on a theme and have the first draft of your invitation completed, you are ready to proceed with the simulation. Choose a small empty room and set it up in Open Space with a circle of chairs (if you have a very small group 3 to 5, place about 8-9 chairs explaining that the empty seats represents future guests). Quickly create a post-it note board (see p. 38) as if you planning to have 3 sessions with breakouts in 8 locations. write down the theme on a large sheet of paper, and tape it at the top of your marketplace wall. Have someone draw the Open Space posters using flip chart sheets. Place blank white sheets and markers in the middle of the floor. Cut up pieces of masking tape and stick them next to the marketplace wall . You are now ready to open space. Start by having someone on the team play the role of host. That person welcomes the group, describes the theme and purpose of the meeting and introduces the facilitator who will then open the space as if it was a real event. As part of the simulation, participants will come to the middle and kneel on the floor to write their own topics that other participants who they imagine as guests would also topics other participants who might come would introduce related to the topic. The facilitator will encourage everyone to write as many topics as they can. For the purposes of this simulation, the facilitator can even join in also writing topics. Ideally what will have happened is that people will have gotten a feel for how energizing and freeing it is to write your own topics and create a meeting agenda. Their mind will be filled with the possibilities and it may even generate new ideas that can be used to refine the theme and the invitation. In a simulation, you would not proceed to actual discussion groups. This should be left for the main event but at least the host team will have a better about what happens . Open Space
60. (Sample) Summary Report Form Summary Report #: ________ Topic Title: ________________________________ Initiator: _________________________________ Record Participants Names: include everyone who came to the session in the summary report.; don’t forget bumble bees SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS & KEY POINTS FROM OUR DISCUSSION: WHAT DO WE ENVISION MOVING FORWARD? HANDOUTS for Breakout Areas
61. (Sample) Participant Sign-up Sheet Participant Sign-up Sheet Print full name legibly – Return this list to the Initiator/Recorder when completed Topic Title: ________________________________ Initiator ________________________________ HANDOUTS for Breakout Areas Remember to include bumble bees; use reverse of this sheet if not enough space for all participant names
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63. Circulate Participant Sheetasking people to print their name. Ask if someone in the group can make sure that everyone signs in…including bumble bees who stop by.
64. Assign someone to take notes. Use flip charts and/or summary report form to jot down notes. A final report of the discussions needs to be typed. People can also upload photos; do short video interviews and take pictures of the flip charts. (See newsroom for instructions).
65. Have fun and enjoy your conversationsHANDOUTS for Breakout Areas Be ready to Be Surprised!
69. Place markers and 11 X 17 white sheets on the floor in the middle of circle
70. Place same on a few chairs for those who can’t kneel easily
71. Reserve cards on a few chairs for host and facilitatorNews WALL MarketPlace WALL Above post Large Topic Banner Leave 3 access openings Responsible for this task: _______________________________
87. Food should be available at all times without fuss or fanfare; this offers participants maximum flexibility to continue the conversations or get away when they need to, gathering in corners and nooks to eat at their leisure.
88. For events where there is an evening meal, it’s always nice to make arrangements at a nearby location for people to gather socially. Another option is plan the event where there a many restaurants to choose from in the vicinity.
89. Someone should plan to stay back at the newsroom as there are often stragglers who want to finish their summary reports.Responsible for this task: _______________________________
90. Task 2 Hang ThemeBanner, Posters & Signs Hang the “Theme” Banner (hand-drawn or professionally done) high up on the Marketplace Wall; just below place the Marketplace Wall sign, leave lots of wall space below for participants to tape their Agenda Topics Hang Open Space posters (in this sequence from left to right ) – visible and strategically located 4 Principles of Open Space The Law of 2 Feet Bumble Bee Butterfly Be prepared to be surprised Hang the News Wall Sign (high up) leaving lots of room to tape Summary Reports below Hang Newsroom Sign above the table where the computers and printer are set up Responsible for this task: _______________________________ Banner of the Theme
95. If multiple day event, use D1/D2 in bottom corner of post-it as shown.To start, cover 3 to 4 of the breakout areas on the right hand side with a white sheet so that all sessions don’t get scheduled in only a few time slots. Uncover when you see that many but not all of the sticky notes have been taken. Blank white sheet
96. Task 5 Create Masking Tape Art (next to blank Marketplace Wall) Responsible for this task: _______________________________ Sample artwork More masking tape art You can pre-cut small pieces of masking tape on side of Marketplace wall, easy for participants to peel off as they tape their topics on the wall. or If you want to be creative and have some fun, you can make a work of art with the pieces of tape instead (see samples) Pieces of masking tape (sun shape)
97. Task 6 Responsible for this task: _______________________________ In progress
104. Order one or both of these booksResources Open Space http://www.amazon.com/Open-Space-Technology-Users-Guide/dp/1576754766/ref=pd_sim_b_1 http://www.amazon.com/Wave-Rider-Leadership-Performance-Self-Organizing/dp/1576756173
105. Suzanne Daigle – Open Space Facilitator Extra Help Open Space In progress
106. Chuni Li – New Jersey Resource & Consultant Extra Help Open Space In progress
