Almost everybody who calls about working in Open Space these days wants it to lead to some sort of “action.” Sometimes they want to design it in and “make it happen,” but here’s a good example of how real action often happens…
A couple of months ago I facilitated a one-day meeting with a middle-to-senior sort of group of about 20 people. The focus could be described loosely as “get all of these great ideas to market.” They’d been working in “product” teams for a year and a half. I challenged that structure in the invitation and design process, but they assured me that they wanted to keep these teams into the future, beyond this meeting.
We set up the day as a big chunk of Open Space followed by one round of breakout sessions for their “product” teams to turn the day’s ideas in the direction of “action.” When that session happened, the energy dropped off quite a bit. Conversations wandered. Almost no notes were taken. Some wondered if the whole day had been wasted. The “lull” in energy lasted for some weeks after the meeting. The proceedings didn’t get sent out as had been promised. Teams treaded water or failed to meet altogether.
Then somebody determined to send out the proceedings. I helped draft a few questions that invited engagement on various levels. The conversation started to churn a bit. The original Space had given the old structures every chance to succeed, but everyone could see that something more was needed. Then that something happened.
With widespread agreement, the old “product” teams were dissolved and new “product development” functions created in their place, without sacrificing people or progress. What could have been called a failure for “no action” at several points, suddenly opened into a whole new way of doing business.
The new structure more directly supports current needs and actions. It builds directly on all their past work. As it turns out, it also looks a lot more like Open Space than did the old one, adopting such concepts as “temporary teams” and “open invitations.” Energy is rising, conversation is flowing, and new actions are being taken.