|
There are four simple guidelines:
- - Whoever comes is the right person.
Rather than wait for the 'expert' on a given issue, realize that whoever is moved to come to your discussion group has been moved by their passion for the issue, not just their organizational role. The best and brightest are convening to discuss something they really care about - across departmental or hierarchal lines. And what if nobody comes to your session? It may be that either you are a visionary ahead of your time, or there are so many great topics to choose…either way you have the choice to either join in another discussion or spend the time writing your thoughts down to enter into the meeting proceedings.
- - Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
Don't try to control the discussion - even if it goes off on a tangent -- that may be exactly the direction for the breakthrough of new ideas. Follow the energy of the group. By the way, the only time that Open Space does not work is when somebody in charge feels they must control the outcome of the discussion or the event.
- - Whenever it starts is the right time.
Don't wait for some specific person to arrive; begin with whomever is drawn to the discussion. The balance to this is…
- - When it's over, it's over.
You may settle the problems of the world in twenty minutes; on the other hand, you may wish to continue your discussion for longer than the allotted time. Creativity and intuitive thinking do not happen according to a schedule - take it where it wants to go. If you're done early you can join another group; if you take longer, just move your discussion elsewhere to make way for the next group scheduled.
|
