"Open Space Technology: A Business Case"
by Suzanne Maxwell

"We need to jumpstart our creativity, get our senior people to take ownership for our strategic focus and stop looking to the CEO for directions and permission. I've been reading about Open Space Technology and wonder if it might be just what we need. What do you think?" Carole asked. Her question was simple, urgent and required a clear business outcome.

Open Space Technology (OST) is not new. It's been used by organizations (and communities) around the world to evoke and ignite people's passion and willingness to take responsibility. It works equally well for groups of ten people to over a thousand. Successful implementations range from playing a pivotal role in ending apartheid in South Africa to the development of a major manufacturer's strategic plan for all of North America.

First developed nineteen years ago by Harrison Owen, OST was inspired by the response to feedback from conference participants who said what they loved most about the conference he had just sponsored was the coffee breaks. "Why?" asked Owen. "Because that's when we get to talk about what WE came here to talk about," they answered.

My client was Mike, the CEO. He had requested the OST implementation for the senior team of a burgeoning new dot-com business who were faced with all the new challenges now becoming so familiar. After the session, Mike commented: "I've been trying everything I know to get my team to take ownership and nothing has worked till now. I really want to spend some time thinking about why this worked so well."

Preparation
The preparation was deceptively simple. Carole, the company's vice president of human resources, and I met for one day a few weeks before the implementation to help her understand the mechanics of OST. More importantly, we spent most of that day exploring what's behind the success of OST, the energy or unleashing of a spirited response that happens among its participants. We also talked about the corollary: how leadership needs to support that response. We completed our preliminary planning electronically.

Prior to the session, Carole and I spent time with Mike, exploring his objectives for the session and coaching him on how best to support his team during and following the OST.

Finally, we crafted a focus question or theme and invitation for the senior team. We gave them just enough information to pique their curiosity and interest while letting them know they would be in charge of the agenda.

Implementation
After introductions and opening comments from Mike, I facilitated the set-up of the Open Space process. Members of the senior team practically leaped into the circle with ideas for the sessions they wanted to convene. Personal passion and a willingness to take responsibility for a particular issue or idea are all that's required to convene one's own session in Open Space, as long as it relates to the defined theme. They were passionate! The excitement was palpable, and a kind of electricity was in the air.

By 2:00 p.m., three rounds of concurrent sessions were completed, written recommendations and action steps were entered into a bank of laptops, and flipcharts were produced that overviewed each group's work. The flipcharts were posted on the wall and blank sheets hung next to them. Everyone was invited to complete two rounds of a "Gallery Walk." The first round was to read each chart and post any questions or answers, then go around again and read what everyone else had written. This form of report eliminated the all-too-familiar "talking heads" format, guaranteed to put everyone to sleep.

After a couple of additional clarifying questions, the whole group of 25 sat down in a circle and dialogued about what they were struck by in the content of the sessions, what it might mean for the company and what they thought next steps should be.

By 3:45 p.m., every session had garnered a priority, a process-owner, and a self-generated sign-up list. Jumpstarted, engaged and on their way, we adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Suzanne Maxwell is president of About Changing, a firm specializing in change, from the individual to large-scale organizational in government, Fortune 50 and non-profit organizations. She resides in Placitas, New Mexico and may be reached at suzanne@aboutchanging.com.