WTF is an "Open Space", anyway?
Unless you've been to one, it's probably not what you think.
I’m pretty sure, if you’ve subscribed to this newsletter, that you know what ADHD is. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to talk about it here, it just means that first I’m going to make sure we’re all on the same page about the other half of this event: the Open Space.
I look out over a crowd of people. Some are friends I've known for years; some I've met moments ago. They are looking at me with expressions ranging from skepticism to confusion to eagerness.
Behind me is the agenda wall, with time slots going across the top in 1/2 hour increments. Before the first one there is a single taped piece of paper with the word "Now-ish" written in black marker, with an arrow pointing down.
But there’s nothing to point to. The wall is blank, except for one other sign, far down at the end: "Closing circle."
As I wait for my friends, old and new, to quiet down, I wonder to myself: Is this going to be the one?
It could be.
This could be the Open Space event that fails. Perhaps no one will choose to participate. Maybe this group is completely devoid of any questions, ideas, experiences to share or problems to solve together. Maybe in a few minutes they will all walk away thinking How on earth could anyone think that would work?
Forty-five minutes later the agenda wall is covered with topics and questions and funny, clever class descriptions that hadn’t existed a few minutes ago. All my friends are looking at me with the same expression - Let's get started!
I’ve facilitated more than a hundred Open Spaces since 2007, across North America and Europe. The smallest had eight people. The largest had over 400. I ran them all on the same principles.
And they all worked.
How it started.
There's a bit of mythology around the creator of Open Space Technology, Harrison Owen. Legend has it that back in the '80's he was working as an event planner, and a particular convention he'd facilitated was a disaster. He got nothing but complaints about the venue, the speakers, the food, the weather, everything. In fact, the closest thing he got to a compliment was I guess the coffee breaks weren't so bad.
Deep in his cups, supposedly Harrison muttered an epithet and said Fuck it. I'm going to make a conference that's nothing BUT coffee breaks.
What he ended up with was a structure that is so minimalist as to look unmanageable.
There is
one facilitator
four principles
and one law.
That's it.
Over the years, a few protocols have developed to open the space, create an agenda, record the proceedings, and close things out at the end. But there’s no certification process for an Open Space facilitator; no official manuals or training programs, and the few that exist admit that they are not required for Open Space, they only help some Open Spaces run better.
But the most terrifying thing for most people at their first Open Space is that there are no pre-arranged slate of classes or sessions or speakers.
None. No program. That blank agenda wall is all you get when you walk in, and people who enjoy schedules and profiles with names that have a lot of capital letters and periods after them, it is disconcerting.
Terrifying, even.
And yet, it works. Boeing used it to redesign defects in their airplane doors. AT&T used it to move their million-dollar pavilion three days before the start of the Atlanta Olympics. NGO's have used it to bring together disparate cultures in spite of languages; corporations have used to improve communication.
And we’re going to use it to learn more about living with ADHD in our professional world. Tomorrow I’ll write some more about the actual process, but first let’s let the creator himself explain why it is I think this is a great thing for ADHD Professionals:
Open Space Technology is effective when real learning, innovation, and departure from the norm are required. When you aren't quite sure where you are, and less than clear about where you are headed, and require the best thinking and support from all those who wish to be involved, Open Space Technology will provide the means.
Harrison Owen, A Brief User's Guide to Open Space Technology
As we begin putting together this event, the best way you can help is by telling people you think might be interested about it. Also, feel free to ask any questions, either in comments or directly to me via email at gray@adhdopen.space. Thanks for reading!