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I recently had the chance to both plan and participate in a two day conference that used Open Space Technology. This event was the most enjoyable conference I have ever attended, and probably the most energizing. In part that was due to the awesome group of people that participated, but also because of the incredible freedom that Open Space allows. It seems like a great format to use when trying to solve problems of change at an organizational or larger level.

What is Open Space?
Open Space Technology isn’t a new gadget or type of internet connection. It’s a set of tools for “organizing” (you’ll understand in a short while why that word is in quotes) a meeting or conference. An Open Space meeting is as unlike a traditional, agenda-driven meeting as you could possibly have without outright chaos. At an Open Space event, every participant has equal responsibility for setting the agenda, choosing discussion topics, participating in topics, and closing the event.

Anyone can lead a discussion. Participants are not obligated to stay with a discussion from beginning to end. Rather, they can come and go as they please and go where their energy takes them. The only restrictions are that the discussions should relate to the theme of the event and everyone should follow the rules explained below.

Planning
The logistics for an Open Space event are somewhat different from a traditional conference. Because people tend to wander around and you can’t predict when a discussion will end, or even how many discussions will occur, room and food arrangements have to be flexible. We handled this by:

• Starting every morning with a high-protein breakfast and an opening. The breakfast was to fuel everyone up for lots of good discussion. The opening provided a small amount of structure and got everyone on the same page. One morning we had a speaker summarize the topic of discussion and provide some background information. The next morning we summarized the discussions from the previous day.
• Having many types of spaces available for discussion. Because the event was in the summer, we had indoor and outdoor spaces available. We were also able to reserve traditional classroom type spaces and less formal lounge areas.
• Sticking with buffet meals. We made sure food was available for at least 2 hours and chose portable foods so that everyone could eat when it was the best time for them.
• Keeping a central Marketplace and information area. The Marketplace is where participants sign up to lead discussions and post where they are meeting. Conference staff also manned the information area in case anyone got confused or needed help making dinner reservations.

The Rules
Open Space does have some very important rules that make the difference between a successful event and chaos.

• Law of 2 Feet. Every participant has the right and responsibility to use their own 2 feet. This means that they should choose conversations that interest them. When their interest wantes, it’s time to move on
• Keep Notes. In order to document the discussions and suggestions in a way that allows for progress, one person in every conversation needs totake responsibility for taking notes. To make this easier, we provided a template.
• The Four Principles. These help people get into the right state of mind:
  1. Whooever Comes are the Right People
  2. Whatever Happens is the Only Thing That Could Have
  3. Whenever it Starts is the Right Time
  4. When it’s Over, it’s Over

The Moment of Truth
On that first morning of the event, after the opening presentation, we opened the marketplace to the participants. Then we waited. A flood of thoughts ran through my head. “What if no one has a topic? What if no one wants to join any of the topics? Have I just put over a year of my life into planning a failed experiment?!”

Within 30 seconds people started filling in spots and organizing topics. Within 5 minutes nearly every available space was taken and we started to smile. Within 10 minutes the building was filled with engaged conversations and we were ecstatic. This stuff really works!!

The Results
This event spanned two days and a total of about 10 hours of actual Open Space. Day 1 focused on defining the issue and problems at hand and Day 2 was about suggesting solutions. The participants did a great job on problem definition and came up with some solid solution possibilities.

The greatest benefit of using the Open Space format is that everyone had a voice in the process, and therefore they had buy-in in the solutions. This can make a change process so much easier! Rather than dealing with resistance from a top-down or poorly fitting solution, the Open Space process takes the time to unearth a solution that feels right for everyone. Is it possible to have a crush on a meeting format?

For Further Research

• Michael Herman is definitely THE MAN when it comes to Open Space. I’m sure he’s also the Man in several other respects, but I don’t know what those might be. Anyways, he maintains a great site that has everything you need to plan an Open Space event from beginning to end.
• Harrison Owen pioneered Open Space over 20 years ago. His book, Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide, is the definitive guide in the field.
• Finally, check out this great time-lapse video that shows an entire day of Open Space in 30 seconds.

I would love to hear from people who have had experiences with Open Space. Please leave a comment and tell us your story!

This is Part 3 of a series on facilitation and its uses in organizations. Parts 1 and 2 can be found here and here.

Facilitators can come from inside or outside of an organization or group. The key in choosing a facilitator is to select someone with an impartial outlook. In my experience, it is pretty tough to remain detached from a decision-making process if you work with or belong to the group doing the deciding! Because of that, facilitators often volunteer or get hired from outside groups.

A lack of familiarity with the issues being discussed can make for a fresh perspective, but some knowledge is necessary to guide a conversation in a relevant direction. Any facilitator, whether from inside or outside the group, needs to perform three basic tasks to prepare for a productive session.

1) Background Research
If you are not already very familiar with the group and issue you will be facilitating, you will need to do some research. The objective of the research stage is to ensure that you design a facilitation session that addresses the real issue(s) the group is having, and uses structures and methods that are most appropriate to their needs.

There are several ways of gathering the information you will need. The most appropriate methods will depend on the time you have to prepare and the size of the group you are working with. One-on-one interviews work well with smaller groups. Online or written surveys are efficient for large groups. If you have a lot of time available, in-person observation is a good way to get a lot of contextual information, especially if you are working with the group on a process or procedural issue.

2) Agenda Development
The actual agenda for the session will often have to be developed in cooperation with (or at least get the approval of) the team that has scheduled the session. As the facilitator, you should draft an agenda the addresses the issue(s) you identified in the background research step. Depending on the needs of the group, you may schedule ice breakers in the morning, brainstorming during lunch, and an energizer in the afternoon.

After you’ve drafted the agenda, share it with the event organizers and ensure that it works with their own agendas and the time available. Some back and forth may occur and the organizers may request changes. Be accommodating, but don’t let their input bury an issue that you are sure is important to the ultimate resolution of the problem.

3) Physical Space Preparation
The physical space is very important in helping session participants get into the right mindset. As a facilitator, it is your job to arrive at the meeting space early to ensure that: chairs and/or tables are set up in a way that encourages interaction; all the needed supplies are available such as white board markers, flip charts, and post-its; all the AV equipment is working as needed; the temperature is appropriate for the level of activity the session will require; and any other detail that can possibly go wrong is anticipated!

Now that all the background work is complete, all you have to do is facilitate!

This is Part 2 of an occasional series on facilitation and its uses in organizations. Part 1 describes the nature of facilitation here.

A facilitator is not a part of the decision-making group. He or she is also not the group leader, teacher or trainer. So what is the facilitator’s job?

In a nutshell, the facilitator guides the group through a decision-making process.

From start to finish, the facilitator is responsible for:

1. Preparing for the session. (This will be covered in detail in another post.)
2. Setting the agenda.
3. Formulating questions for discussion.
4. Keeping the conversation on track. This includes bringing to the forefront any side conversations, defusing any destructive conflict, and encouraging any constructive conflict.
5. Taking notes throughout the session.
6. Bringing the group to a conclusion and/or a resolution to the problem at hand.
7. Summarizing the session after it is complete and distributing the summary to all participants.

Stay tuned for more on facilitation and the skills needed to be a good facilitator.

This is Part 1 of an occasional series on facilitation and its uses in organizations. I recently attended this course and I’m using this blog as a platform to explore the concepts further.

Over the past several years, facilitation has become a popular word and concept in organizations. We are asked to “facilitate” meetings or processes or introductions. It’s become a bit of a junk term, with unclear definitions. Just what does facilitation mean?

“Facile” is the root word of facilitation, and according to Merriam-Webster Online, a synonym for facile is “easy.” In other words, facilitation at its most basic means to “make easy.” In the context of organizations, it is a different thing than training, teaching, or managing.

When my class listed words to describe training, teaching, and managing we came up with terms like directing, deciding, authority, and evaluating result. This is very different from what a facilitator does. Our description of facilitation included neutral, guiding, framing issues, and inclusion.

The facilitator is not part of the group, but is tasked with helping the group come to a decision. This is key, because groups are much more likely to implement decisions when everyone in the group has a sense of buy-in and commitment to the decision. An equation we used in class is:
ED=RD*CD
where ED=Effective Decision; RD=Right Decision; CD=Commitment to Decision.

Facilitation is a widely useful set of tools. In future posts I’ll be exploring ways to take these tools and apply them for organizational effectives, especially with regard to change processes.