Purpose   

The Open Space approach can be used to develop vision, plan for the future, redesign work systems, write books, and resolve complex technical problems. Simultaneously, an Open Space meeting can serve broader purposes: to build energy, to develop shared commitments, to move toward empowered involvement.

Creating an   
Open Space   
Agenda   

Rather than invest long hours in advance to plan the agenda of a large-group meeting — an agenda which may miss the mark of participants' concerns — Open Space planners identify in advance only the overall topic — a broad theme that will tap into participants' interest and commitment.

During the first hour of Open Space, participants have the opportunity to identify the specific topics that concern or interest them. The process is straightforward:

• The facilitator will have prepared a matrix of possible meeting times and places on post-it notes.
• A participant writes a topic on a poster-sized piece of paper, then reserves a time and meeting space by moving a post-it note onto their poster.
• Other participants write their name on the posters to sign up for discussion sessions.

Participants are free to combine or divide groups, change times, add topics later, abandon topics that fizzle, or to continue topics if there's more work to do. Individuals may also float from group to group or spend time alone or one-on-one — whatever will contribute the most to the overall goal.

The person who named a topic becomes the convener, and is also responsible for a brief group report (title, participants, highlights, and recommended action) which will be posted and also distributed. Whole-group meetings at the beginning of each day keep participants in touch with the big picture of what's being accomplished.

An Open Space meeting typically lasts two or three days. The third day allows time to identify common themes, seek agreements, schedule action steps, and firm up commitments.

Outcomes   

Open Space provides several types of outcome:

• high-quality dialogue about the issues participants care about — the issues they identify as important in moving forward together.
• Key points and recommended action steps for each major issue or theme, printed in a "proceedings."
• Shared understandings or agreements about key points, and commitments to carry out selected actions.

Guiding   
Principles   

An Open Space session is governed by four guiding principles or assumptions:

• Whoever come are the right people. We have the people with sufficient interest and commitment to attend; there's no point wondering how things would have turned out with different participants.
• Whenever it starts is the right time. People may be delayed in a prior session, or informal conversation may be the essential build-up to a productive discussion group. Excessive concern with the clock usually isn't helpful.
• Whenever it's over, it's over. A discussion may take more or less time than the allotted block. The question is whether the group's work has been accomplished.
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could. When we do the best we can — and even push beyond our previous ideas of what's possible — there's no point in worrying about what else might have happened.

The Law of   
Two Feet   

If you are at a session which is no longer mutually beneficial, you are free to go somewhere else. You are encouraged to exercise this right in ways that are graceful and sensitive, and to apply this law toward the goal of contributing best to the overall activity.

To Learn   
More about   
Open Space   

1. The best way to learn about Open Space is to participate in an Open Space session.
2. There are several books about Open Space by its originator, Harrison Owen:
   Open Space Technology: A User's Guide (Berrett-Koehler, 2nd edition, 1997)
      A basic introduction to the Open Space approach.
   Expanding Our Now (Berrett-Koehler, 1997).
      The conceptual and spiritual basis of Open Space meetings.
   Tales from Open Space
      (Abbott Publishing, 7808 River Falls Drive, Potomac MD 20854,
      (301) 469-9269, (C)1995)
      A collection of reports on Open Space sessions, edited by Harrison Owen.
3. Contact Duane Dale, principal consultant at DFD Associates and a facilitator of Open Space events.