WikiSym 2007

What is Open Space?

Don't miss this very interesting event! Many past WikiSym attendees find Open Space to be the more exhilarating part of the conference.

You can think of Open Space as a meeting that consists exclusively of good coffee breaks. With this format, issues that are MOST important to the participants are raised and addressed by those most qualified and capable of getting something done on each of them.

When you enter an Open Space forum, you can immediately see that this isn't your ordinary conference, meeting or planning group. The room is empty of tables and all the chairs are arranged in one big circle. Well, this is interesting, anyway...

The facilitator welcomes the group, explains the theme and focus of their work together and invites them to think of what they want to hold discussions about. She gives a few guidelines for the discussion groups:

• Whoever comes is the right person - You don't need every person in the organization, just whoever cares the most. And if you're the only one who comes, you might finally have some rich, focused quiet time for thinking and writing on that issue.
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have - Let go of your expectations and work with whatever unfolds.
• Whenever it starts is the right time - Creativity doesn't happen on a schedule.
• Whenever it's over, it's over. - If you find a solution in 20 minutes, move on to the next group. If it takes 2 hours, keep the conversation rolling.

One more thought: Be prepared to be surprised - Don't carry in your own agenda and by doing so miss some amazing thing that could come out of more creative minds working on the same issue...

There is only one rule: originally called the Law of Two Feet (I call it the Law of Motion and Responsibility -- we don't all have two feet, after all) -- if you are neither learning nor contributing in a session you are required to get up and leave and join another session in progress where you feel you'll be more useful and inspired.