LESSON 17: OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY

OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Open space technology is often used when a large, complex operation needs to be thoroughly reorganized and reconceptualized. Open space technology also gives an opportunity to self-organize the organization into a new pattern. It was also discussed that when the organization is not sure where it stands, then open space can help the organization rethink of its current situation.

This method is not useful if the present and future state of the organization is already crystal clear. This means that the organization already knows where it wants to be in the future.

There are 4 key principles in which open space technology would become successful.

1. WHOEVER COMES IS THE RIGHT PEOPLE - get people who care to do something
2. WHATEVER HAPPENS IS THE ONLY THING THAT COULD HAVE - keeps people on the here and now
3. WHENEVER IT STARTS IS THE RIGHT TIME - alerts the people to pay attention to the clock
4. WHEN IT IS OVER, IT IS OVER - when it is done, move on to something more useful

I also learned about the law of two feet. This law means that anytime one is ready
to leave the session, he or she is free to do so. He/she is responsible for his/her actions when he/she leaves the session.

I discovered that this method is different from the others because it has no facilitator. Each and every participant of the organization can be a facilitator making the participants more flexible and free throughout the whole session.