This is the first in a series of posts on the personal ‘toolbox‘ of processes I use for facilitating change. First up is Open Space Technology, a method developed by Harrison Owen for organising meetings, conferences or workshops.
I first came across Open Space Technology (OST) at the Tipping Point Australia event in Sydney in 2010, which used OST as a central facilitation process. I’ve played around with it a few times since then but had an opportunity to use it properly a couple of weeks ago for an internal event and I was really happy with the results.
So how does it work?
OST is based around the idea of a circle as the fundamental unit of human interaction. Starting with participants seated in one big circle, the facilitator introduces the principles of OST (see below). Participants are invited to name an issue that they are passionate about and willing to convene a discussion on. They write it on a piece of paper, announce it to the group and post it on the wall. Once the issues have been exhausted, everyone is asked to go and sign up for a discussion on the topic of their choice. Small groups then break off to hold their discussions.
What happens next is governed by four principles, and one law.
Whoever comes are the right people
You might think that you need to have particular people, in particular positions, involved for the discussion to be fruitful. This principle says none of that matters and that passion for the topic is more important. Even if nobody comes to your discussion, you can spend the time working on it yourself.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened
Let go of what could have been and let the discussion be what it is. Be present to the discussion and to the surprises and insights it might bring.
Whenever it starts is the right time
It might take a while for the discussion to get going on a topic, and that’s OK. Once it does get going, go with it.
When it’s over it’s over
There is no need to drag out the discussion to fill the space available. If you can accomplish what is needed really quickly, then do it and move on to something else. This leads on to the one law of OST.
The Law of Two Feet
If you find yourself in a situation where you are not contributing or learning, move somewhere where you can.
The Law of Two Feet gives permission for participants to move about and join multiple conversations. It also means if you finish a conversation quickly, you can move on to another one.
I find OST particularly useful when there’s a lot of possible topics for people to discuss and you want to make some rapid progress on each. By allowing participants to follow their passions, you ensure that they will make a strong contribution and that they won’t feel like they are ‘missing out’ on having a say on something that matters to them.
In The Change Handbook, Harrison Owen argues that it is particularly useful when there is a major issue to be resolved, characterised by high levels of complexity and diversity, potential or actual conflict and short decision times. But I’ve found it equally useful for more exploratory discussions about issues where there are likely to be diverse interests.
I’ve also used a cut down version for workshops where time is constrained. In this case, I set the discussion topics in advance but introduce the four principles and the law and allow participants to choose which discussions they participate in and for how long.
If you want to learn more about OST, the definitive resource is Harrison Owen’s book Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide. He also has a chapter in The Change Handbook, which is a really good summary.
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I went to the Tipping Point event in Melbourne in the same year, but didn’t find the OST method as empowering as expected. Maybe it was the big personalities attending, or just my own introverted nature, but I found it hard to voice my views, especially in the larger groups. I guess a topic proposer doth not a facilitator make {by zombies}.
Yes, that’s a good point Phil. I chose a smaller group at the Sydney event and had a good experience but maybe I was lucky. Whenever I’ve run OST it’s been with participants that have good facilitation skills, so maybe I’ve got a skewed perspective on the value of the approach.
I have used OST in a variety of situations, the latest being November 2013 at Yass Valley Council. It is part of a Cultural Transformation program. It has been highly engaging and for the first time for many have had an opportunity to be listened to for the first time. I have been trained by Harrison which was a wonderful experience and I am happy to report that it still works.