Open Space Technology Posted on Mar 26, 2014 by Corinna in Agile & Lean |

Open Spaces are a kind of unconference, i.e. an alternative to a “normal” conference. An unconference is participant-driven and has no agenda set prior to the gathering. Corinna’s company holds an internal Open Space every other Friday and it does wonders to spread knowledge and gives time to discuss and solve problems with diverse groups of colleagues.

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Content of the 1-pager is mainly from Wikipedia (which in turn often quotes Harrison Owen, who invented Open Space Technology):

Open Space

What part of a conference is

most interesting and valuable to

you? If it’s the discussions during

breaks and informal evening gatherings, you

are not alone. Open Space Technology enables participant-driven gatherings with lively discussions and without prior agenda.

Typical Flow of an Open Space

In the beginning a facilitator reads out the theme of this particular Open Space, followed by the general Principles and the Law. Then the floor opens for everyone to briefly introduce a topic they want to talk about. This session topic can be anything that fits within the theme. They then place their session into a time slot and room on a big bulletin board. At the set time and space everyone interested in the topic shows up to discuss it. The original suggester has to take notes that are made available to all Open Space participants afterwards.

Guiding Principles