Monday, September 03, 2007
Open Space Technology
Last week I attended a workshop that taught participants to use Open Space Technology. I had heard about it, but not considered it to be an effective tool for teambuilding. It sounded confusing and something for which I could not control the outcome. I was wrong and I was right.
Open Space Technology (OST) is a way to enable all kinds of people to create inspired meetings and events. Using OST as a leadership practice allows ordinary folks to work together to create extraordinary results. The best part of using open space is that it works for groups with 5-2000 participants.
I was wrong about OST being confusing. Quoting directly from the http://www.openspaceworld.org website: “Open Space works best when the work to be done is complex, the people and ideas involved are diverse, the passion for resolution (and potential for conflict) are high, and the time to get it done was yesterday. It’s been called passion bounded by responsibility, the energy of a good coffee break, intentional self-organization, spirit at work, chaos and creativity, evolution in organization, and a simple, powerful way to get people and organizations moving—when and where it’s needed most.
And, while Open Space is known for its apparent lack of structure and welcoming of surprises, it turns out that the Open Space meeting or organization is actually very structured—but that structure is so perfectly fit to the people and the work at hand, that it goes unnoticed in its proper role of supporting (not blocking) best work.”
I was right about the lack of leader control. As the leader of OST, the majority of your work is in preparation for the meeting. Discussion outcomes are dependent on the group coordinators. And that is okay.
If you are managing a team who needs to deliver things smarter, faster, and cheaper, consider investing a couple of hours and using Open Space Technology with your team members to begin problem solving. The preparation time will be well worth it.
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie