Open Space Technology
Rally your team...
in an awsomely efficient way!
“Feels like the most productive meeting we’ve ever had! “
“Openness with structure –a simple but sophisticated model!”
“High productivity with an action plan and direction that’s doable!”
“What I liked: Gathering different people with various experiences and benefit from everyone’s ideas.”
“The objective of the event was definitely met!”
What does Open Space Technology stand for?
It basically is a highly simple, yet powerful group-work approach. It draws on the appreciable experience and knowledge of all the participants; it brings down line barriers; it inspires people to concretely commit themselves in the course of events with their ideas and their actions.
The process is simple and spontaneous, and the energy created during the activity consistently materializes into outbreaks of enthusiasm in the group.
For whom? Under what circumstances?
This approach is appropriate for organizations that must respond to a challenge, look into a set of issues or realign. It is appropriate when you want to take advantage of the initiative and the leadership of all participants in order to manage and adopt change. It is also appropriate to cement group members with conflicting opinions and even clashing groups.
However, Open Space Technology is not advisable when you think you know the answer to your question, when there is little room for change, when you lack time or when you refuse to let the unexpected and people’s initiative act upon you or decide you will not comply with these factors.
Sure-fire results
At the close of an Open Space event, all the issues which participants are passionate about have been examined, priorities have been set and members have committed themselves and are now keen on follow-ups.
© Esther Matte
How?
The meeting focuses on a theme or topic which arouses the guests’ deep interest. Participants themselves select on-site the discussion topics, whereas the host defines the givens (e.g. stay within the organization's mission), and participates on an equal basis. The method incorporates a way to neutralize any attempts to dominate or block discussions.
To ensure the success of an Open Space event, the host must be determined to carry out the various ideas, suggestions or action plan devised.
In a nutshell...
To hold and Open Space event is to get off the beaten track. It is a novel way of being, working, thinking and learning which may extend long after the meeting.
Many more elements characterize Open Space Technology. We look forward to submitting them to you: just get in touch with us.
- Watch an Open Space event in a 30-seconds time-lapse video
- Working in Open Space: A Guided Tour: Article by Michael Herman, observing an hypothetical Open Space event and illustrating conditions and possibilities of such a meeting.
- Short film on Open Space (3 min 34 sec)
- English translation of a Nicolas Ritoux's article in La Presse about RoCoCo Camp 2007, gathering in Montreal the international Wiki community and to which Esther Matte collaborated.
- The Open Space Institute of Canada is an association of Canadian practitioners of Open Space, who wish to continue practising and learning.
- The worldwide organization of Open Space practitioners has a website containing a wealth of information and practical tools.
- Visit www.openspaceworldscape.org to find facilitators and examples of Open Space meetings around the world.
- The blog Forum ouvert sur le Forum ouvert is for francophones who use this approach, wherever they are in the world.
- Training in Open Space facilitation: Diane Gibeault & Associates