Overview
Open Space Technology (OST) is a fine way to enter into conversation with a large crowd.
Every issue of concern to anybody present in the room will have been raised, if participants take responsibility for doing that.
It is an open-ended process that has no particular product or goal but offers a process to engage collectively.
Although not a cooperative structure per se (there are no roles, rounds and turns that could ensure equal participation) the activity allows for a wide ‘churning’ of ideas like a brew being made by several brewers at a time.
With OST, all possible issues which participants want to raise and take responsibility for can be addressed. It is therefore a highly generative space for imagining (hopefully) better futures.
When done correctly, it is a rich, fertile space for:
- Combining & recombining;
- Highlighting differences and complexifying contexts;
- Perspective taking, perception shifting.
To host OST correctly, facilitators need to follow some guidelines and resist the temptation to change aspects of Open Space.
This is why we share today the guidelines for good facilitation of this conversational activity. Also, because the activity is conversational and fairly inclusive, we will at the end of this article show how it can be combined with the Cards for Democracy sets.
Why Use Open Space Technology?
An OST session is an invitation to explore and learn through participation.
Participants in an OST session will:
- Get in contact and share experiences with other participants.
- Learn a new way of sharing / discussing.
- Enjoy that all issues will have the opportunity to be fully discussed to the extent desired by participants themselves.
- Create full reports of issues and discussions that can be collected in a shared platform after the event.
How Open Space Technology works:
OST has a few core elements that guide the experience:
The 4 Principles
- Whoever comes is the right people;
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have;
- Whenever it starts is the right time;
- Whenever it’s over, it’s over.
The 2 Laws
- The law of two feet or the laws of the click: if you feel you are not learning, go somewhere else to another discussion, take yourself where your time is better spent!
- Be prepared to be surprised! This invites you to come to dialogue with an open mind.
Metaphors
- Bees & Butterflies: you may act to cross pollinate conversations by going from group to group spreading and connecting ideas or stay at the coffee shop and see if people may flock to you just for hanging out, daydreaming or gossiping. All this collective activity adds up to a system of self-organisation that is highly creative.
What’s the link between OST & the Cards for Democracy ?
OST is not only a space for dialogue. It is a tool for building democratic culture.
OST, along with helping you host generative conversations, develops many attitudes, skills, knowledge and understandings that are helpful for creating a democratic and participative culture in your community or organization.
You can either prepare the session with participants (see Scenario 1 – Exploring through conversation) or debrief on the activity after it has been conducted (see Scenario 2 – Debriefing) using the following cards, that we selected within the Cards for Democracy for All deck:
