Wise Words
14 June 2009When Chris Corrigan writes something that Harrison Owen says ‘is a masterpiece’ the rest of us mere mortals should take notice 🙂 Here’s what Chris wrote: My standard take on things is to riff on the mantra of “when we don’t know what to do, and we need to involve lots of people and to…
Playing with open space (literally)
26 May 2009A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be a part of the Australian Theatre Forum. I did a bit of facilitating (mind you it was a tad daunting standing up in front of 240 theatre folk, but that’s a story for another day) and enjoyed being a participant, yes, participant, in a…
On Open Space Technology
6 May 2009Today, Fr Brian Bainbridge and I will be hosting some training in Open Space Technology. Last night, Harrison Owen posted this reply to a ‘newbie’ – someone just starting their Open Space journey. It’s so true! I have a big secret. We are all amateurs, and all gifted with a 13.7 billion year old process that…
Open Space Technology – an ‘operating system’ for complexity
25 March 2009If I didn’t know about Open Space, I reckon I’d have to invent it! Barely a day goes by when I don’t use what I know about Open Space – sometimes directly by actually using Open Space Technology as a meeting process, or more often, as a way of understanding and relating to whatever is…
Facilitation Training of all shapes and flavours
7 January 2009Thinking of some professional development in 2009? If you’re interested in facilitation or doing insanely great slideshows or in learning about Open Space Technology, check the dates and information on the pages just over there on the left (or just click on the links). And if you want something tailor-made, just ask. If I can’t…
On the need for conversation
29 October 2008At about this time of year (every year) I have a huge need to be in conversation with people – one or two people at a time, not groups. And to have the sort of conversations that are nourishing and complicated and funny and satisfying. That means moving beyond skimming across the surface of any…
Closings: What’s the point?
28 October 2008Both conferences I attended recently finished with Open Space, which meant the closing of the space and the conference happened at the same time using some variation of a ‘talking stick’ ritual: whoever has the stick talks, everyone else listens. Inevitably people have to leave early – to catch flights, attend to other commitments, because…
Buying in to the Open Space discussion
28 September 2008There’s a really cool discussion about Open Space circulating the blogosphere. It started here with Dave Pollard. Jack Martin Leith and Johnnie Moore waded in, and also Chris Corrigan. Dave will be at Chris’s Art of Hosting on Bowen Island by the time I get this posted – and I SO WISH I WAS THERE.…
OS principles through the eyes of improvisers
30 July 2008At OSonOS in San Francisco, Yeal Schy and I co-convened a session to explore the Open Space principles using improv games. We were ‘encouraged’ (!) by Michelle Howard, and joined by Becky Peterson, Anne Feehan and Fabulous James. We wanted to explore the principles of Open Space: Whoever comes are the right people, Whatever happens…
What are we noticing about open space?
26 July 2008Chris Corrigan hosted a session today about our biggest ah-ha! moments around open space. There were some great quotes as we warmed up to the topic: Web 2.0 is relationship technology. IT is being replaced by RT (Chris Corrigan) and Content is the means; community is the ends (Peggy Holman) The focus of…