Open Space Technology

Open Space Technology (OST) is a way to convene people for a conference, retreat or meeting.

"Technology" in this case means 'tool' - a process; a method.

Attendees generate the meeting agenda and participate by leading small group break-out sessions. There is usually a facilitator, but no official meeting leader who demands compliance.

For meetings and conferences Open Space Technology enables groups of any size to address complex, important issues and achieve meaningful results quickly. It is at its best where more traditional meeting formats fail: when there is conflict, complexity, diversity of thought or people, and short decision times.

It has been used in widely diverse settings, from designing aircraft doors at a large aircraft manufacturing company to engaging street kids in defining a sustainable jobs program.

OST is a meeting methodology. It is also a philosophy and a life practice. It has been widely copied and adapted to private open space meetings and public open space conference purposes.......the essential core that determines whether something is "open space or not" is "the invitation to take responsibility for discussing your passion". When participants do so, the needs of both the individual and the collective are supposedly met.

Use of the term OST was first attributed to Harrison Owen in 1986. In its original form has been used in over 100 countries and in diverse settings, industries, cultures and situations - for program and product design, knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary thinking, conflict resolution and conferences.

This method has been used all over the world by thousands of practitioners for groups of people from 4 to over 2000.

Methods
In Open Space, a facilitator explains the process and then participants are invited to co-create the agenda and host their own discussion groups. ......participants are free to move amongst the discussion groups....(see Law of Mobility)

At the end of the allotted time a few hours to 2.5 days, the full group reconvenes for comments and reflection. This helps participants to re-engage in the full group over the duration of the meeting.

While the mechanics of Open Space provide a simple means to self-organize, it is the underlying principles that make it effective both for meetings and as a guidepost for individual and collective effectiveness.

The Law of Two Feet (also known as the Law of Mobility in settings where participants don't necessarily have the use of both feet) -- a foot of passion and a foot of responsibility -- expresses the core idea of taking responsibility for what you love. In practical terms, the law says that if you're neither contributing nor getting value where you are, use your two feet (or available form of mobility) and go somewhere where you can.

• It is also a reminder to stand up for your passion. From the law, flow four principles:
• 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

The organizing theme of an Open Space meeting is that people who care about the subject will come together. The initial meeting notice takes the form of an invitation, thus the people who have attended have chosen to be there and are willing to contribute.

email: michaelmallows@gmail.com
Background
Harrison Owen's book, Open Space Technology: A User's Guide, Second edition c.1997, 173 pages. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc. San Francisco.