OPEN
SPACE-A SIMPLE WAY OF BEING
Anne
Stadler
Reprinted
from At Work Magazine, March/April 1997
0pen
Space Technology, developed by Harrison Owen, has been
used for about 13 years. It is a method for convening
creative events involving anywhere from 5 to 700 people.
Though it invites spirit, it is not an esoteric practice
but a simple way of achieving extraordinary practical
results. Lately, with the burgeoning interest in large
systems change and simpler ways of being in organization,
Open Space Technology is being examined with greater
interest.
A
number of practitioners have been experimenting with
Open Space Technology as a way of being in organization-that
is, a way of leading and managing. In this issue of
At Work we've collected a variety of reports
from the front lines. You'll find first-person stories
about opening space in business organizations (Bank
of Montreal, Mastek and Majesco software companies,
Boeing), educational and research institutions (Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Pierce College, Marylhurst
College), government organizations (the U.S. Peace Corps),
social service providers, and voluntary orga- nizations
in the United States, Canada, and India. These and other
stories shed important light on our collective journey
to sustaining inspired organization.
Why
Open Space?
Opening
space frees people to do what comes naturally. It's
how creative work gets done in any organization: by
people taking responsibility for what they care about.
You get inspiration linked to practical results. Giles
Hopkins says it succinctly in his piece: "It uncovers
the people with passion about important issues and questions,
who are willing to provide leadership and exercise their
sense of accountability."
Open,
Permeable Circles
Open Space Technology starts and ends with a circle:
an open, permeable circle. Actually, there are three
circles formed in Open Space: a circle of vision linked
to practical results by people taking responsibility
for what they care about, a circle of shared leadership,
and a circle of shared learning. The other two basic
elements are a marketplace and self-generated- groups.
These represent fundamental human patterns: you gather
in a circle when you want to communicate and learn from
each other. When you want exchange, you form a marketplace.
When you want action, you get together with people who
care about the same thing you do.
During
a recent Open Space event, one of my colleagues came
up to me excitedly. "Come and look," she said. "Look
at what they're doing!" We went into the crowded hallway
where people were gathered for coffee before the opening
session.
"They're
all in circles ... just as you said!" And sure enough,
there were circles of people everywhere- people talking
together. As people would come and go, the cir- cles
would expand or contract, but they remained circles
nonetheless. People were creating a marketplace through
conversation: listening and talking, moving from one
small group to another as they followed what they cared
about-a spontaneous demonstration of the basic rituals
of human relation- ship and of Open Space Technology.
Opening
space in any organization usually begins 'with an event.
After the event, the law, principles, and rituals of
Open Space Technology assume different forms, depending
on particular circumstances and organizational intent.
The
Open Space Event
In
the Open Space event, there's a group rhythm similar
to breathing: breathing in (the whole circle comes together),
breath- ing out (the circle breaks up and forms smaller
circles in the mar- ketplace), breathing in (the whole
circle comes back together).
Calling
the Circle
Calling
the circle starts with inviting spirit, and then, people.
When planning an Open Space event, you ask: What is
our purpose for this gathering? What is the spirit we
want to com- municate? Then you ask. Who are the stakeholders
we need to convene so that the whole system (circle)
will be in the room?
When
people arrive at the event, they sit in a circle, establishing
that everyone is essential. There is no head table,
no special place for experts. In the center of the circle
are tools: sheets of newsprint and felt pens. One wall
of the room (the Agenda Wall) is entirely blank. It
is the space on which the group will create its own
agenda. Computers are lined up on tables in front of
a News Wall. That is where people will record sessions
they have convened, creating the record of the group's
activities and sharing their learning,
Opening
the Circle
Inviting
Spirit. The convenor welcomes the group and talks
about the focal theme of the gathering and his or her
own hopes for the event. He or she may also describe
any boundary condi- tions, such as ongoing organizational
processes into which the meeting fits.
Opening
the Circle. The facilitator acknowledges the essen-
tial relationship of each person to the group's endeavor.
She or he describes how the group will self-organize
and briefly artic- ulates the law and four principles
of Open Space.
The
law of Open Space, or the Law of Two Feet, invites spirit
into the group by asking each person to take responsibility
for what he or she truly cares about. That means show
up, pay attention to what has heart and meaning for
you, and use your two feet to move to whatever place
you can best contribute.
Four
Open Space principles articulate the simple episte-
mology of an open circle:
1.
Whoever comes are the right people. Those attracted
to a particular topic are the people who can contribute
most because they really care about it. So even if your
bitter enemy is sitting in the circle with you, your
task is to find out what you both care about and build
on that. If you can - not, there's always the Law of
Two Feet.
2.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.
This principle acknowledges that you'll do your best
to be open to whatever happens, in the present time
and place, and not be constrained by what you think
could have or should have happened.
3.
Whenever it starts is the right time. The creative spirit
has its own time, and our task is to make our best contribution,
entering the flow of creativity whenever it starts.
4.
When it's over, it's over. Creativity has its own rhythm.
So do groups. Pay attention to the flow of creativity,
not to the clock.
Creating
the marketplace. The facilitator creates the marketplace
by inviting anyone who chooses to step into the center
of the circle, pick up a sheet of paper and a pen, and
write down a topic he or she cares about. The person
announces the topic, identifies a time and place for
people to meet, and posts the topic. on the Agenda Wall.
This process continues until there are no additional
items to post. Then people sign up for whatever topic
appeals.
Whoever
posts a topic convenes the session, makes certain it
is facilitated, and sees that a report is generated
for posting on the News Wall and circulation to the
whole group in a final report.
Marketplace
After
the opening circle, people meet in self-chosen groups
during the day. They are responsible for their own schedules,
for exchanging ideas and creating whatever outcomes
each small group may produce.
Holding the space is a matter of simply reminding people
of the Law of Two Feet, the four principles, and where
things are located. You may need to do a little computer
coaching and housekeeping, too, but people do best if
they are just supported to get on with what they really
care about.
Reflection
People
come together in the whole circle at the conclusion
of the event (or the conclusion of each day in a multi-day
event). Everyone is encouraged to contribute to a learning
exchange so the group itself can learn. A talking stick
or dialogue approach is corrunonly used. This is not
a time for discussion. It's a period of deep reflection
and shared learnings.
Closing
the Circle
At
the end of any Open Space gathering, the final actions
are those of closing: commitments to further action
and offering of thanks and acknowledgments.
Ongoing
Leadership and Management
The
articles in this issue tell stories of Open Space rituals
and principles used to lead and manage emergent organizational
realities. For example, R. Sundar reflects on his learning
as CEO of Majesco Software, paying attention to the
rhythms and apph- cations of opening space for two years.
Birgitt Bolton describes her experience as a CEO of
a Canadian social services agency, opening space over
a period of three years. Jan Gray's story shows the
variety of forms Open Space can take when it is applied
consistently to sustain an organization's vision. Herb
Long and Sara Halprin share a diary of using Open Space
Technology as the medium for teaching a graduate-level
course. Lee Hartwell assesses next steps in transforming
a highly suc- cessful initiative into an open space
organization at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center.
Our
stories take place in different locations, different
cultures, different kinds of organizations. But one
thing is clear: when people make a commitment to opening
space in an organization, they set in motion forces
that benefit the organization's ability to achieve its
highest potential:
- Open
space affects organizational roles and performance
expectations.
- Open
space changes accountability and the evaluation of
performance.
- When
people take responsibility for what they care about,
relationships change and the group evolves.
- Conflict
takes different forms.
- Open
space brings leaders and managers in touch with emergent
realities, with what is ready to happen.
- Strategic
focus and quality become shared responsibilities.
The
issues represented here always exist, but they are often
buried by a culture of power and positional authority,
or they are a source of continuing conflict and negative
energy. In Open Space they come up in the context of
a learning circle and shared responsibility. As a result,
the potential for constructive action is heightened.
An
Invitation
Open
Space Technology is a simple way of being in organization.
Opening space has only one law: each of us takes responsibility
for what has heart and meaning, shows up for that, and
is open to whatever happens. Doing this in concert with
others creates a field of alignment in which creative
spirit manifests in practical activity.
We've
learned that opening space opens the way for a per-
sonal and an organizational transformation that results
in greater alignment, awareness, learning, and action.
This is a significant learning.
We
invite you to join in this ongoing experiment. Each
of us, and many more whom you can reach via the Open
Space Institutes of Canada and the United States, are
eager to share our questions and our discoveries. It's
time to help each other and our planet reconnect with
the essence of living in sustainable relationships.
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