Writing Invitations to Open Space

This could be a website all to itself... AND writing an invitation for OpenSpaceTechnology meetings is NOT rocket science! Not management or leadership science either. Simply say as much as you know about current conditions and the purpose of the gathering -- and as little as you can about the OST process itself.

Much of the following has been distilled into this [InvitingGuide].

A Little Perspective...

OpenSpaceAsInvitationPractice - Open Space Technology is the skillful and ongoing practice of invitation in organization, not only because an open space event begins when the leader(s) of the organization issue an invitation, but also because of what can happen next, and next, and next... rippling through everything. Also includes some notes on the anatomy of an invitation and serves as introduction to the following...

What Do You Want to Invite?

• /GettingStarted
• OpeningInvitingLanguage
• PreparationQuestions
• /TrainingPracticeWorkshopNotes#GettingReady
• OSWorldNET:OSonOSinSwenMark/GettingTheInvitation

Some Other Perspectives and Practices

• InvitationWritingStory - making invitations that grab your guts and arouse your heart
• AssetBasedCommunityDevelopment - notes from ABCD workshop, how to focus on and inventory gifts, passions, skills, etc
• AppreciativeInquiry - another way of looking for and cultivating "what's working"

Collected Invitations

• InvitationsFromBusinessOrgs - (five invitations) strategic planning, high performance, innovation, info tech, business development, customer service and customer engagement, adapting to chaos
• InvitationsFromCommunityOrgs - (eight invitations) youth action, sustainability, watershed, high school visioning, gang curtailment, teacher mentoring, peace consortium, voluntary simplicity, youth and government
• InvitationsFromConferences - (six invitations) organization transformation, quality community, entrepreneurial network, healthcare management association, annual networking conference

• EgyptianYouthProject - youth in Open Space, weeks after Mubarek
• EntranceToAspen - 37-year old highway planning debate moves into open space
• AnnualPlanningRetreat - Business Alliance for Local Living Economy meeting in Vancouver, BC
• OSWorldNET:OpenSpaceOnOpenSpaceInUS - national practitioners' conference in Chicago
• GivingConference - opening space for giving to flourish, national active philanthropy organizing conference
• PracticeOfPeace? - invitation to an advanced training workshop with Harrison Owen and MichaelHerman
• LogisticsDivisionAdaptiveChallenges - future of a major multi-national delivery division
• FutureOfTheDivision - major technology firm to raise revenues, customer satisfaction, efficiency
• BecomingHighPerformanceOrganization - major technology firm again, working on team performance
• YouthActionRacineInvite - short, sweet and it really worked!
• FairbanksPeacemakersInvite - from a youth/adult conference in Alaska
• LeadersInAction - some really elegant OS description here
• PeoriaSchoolsInvite - how an invite can be positive in the midst of real difficulties
• FoodSecurityInvite - a favorite for brevity and openness
• CrossroadsCenter911 - opening space for big issues as they happen
• WarPeaceDialogueInvite? - a space opening in a very ordinary way
• WagingPeaceInSeattle? - an invitation from joelle everett
• SnugCoveBowenIsland - community dialogues on island development
• UniversityCommunityPartnership - making local connections to support global citizenship
• VancouverBALLEinOS - business alliance for local living economies, network formation conference
• VancouverUrbanAboriginalForum - a very useful invitation to use for its decription of OST
• ListeningToCommunityVoices - an invitation for an Open Space with victim support service providers
• MidwestOpenSpaceWinterForum - regional practitioners gathering
• GenericInvitationTemplates - one short, one long version, both a bit dated now