"As soon as you are ready, stand up where you are, read out your title, and tape it to the wall. Don't wait to be asked. Go when you are ready."

Keep on going until everybody with a subject they want to work on has posted it on the wall. There will be a certain amount of noise and confusion, which is positive and good, but keep it down a little bit so people can hear. Most important, don't let the people start to discuss any of the items at this point. There will be plenty of time for that.

When it seems that all the items have been posted on the wall, ask if there are any more, and direct the group's attention to the wall. If your group is like all others we have worked with, the wall should now be covered with things to do. You might say something like:

"Now I invite you to stand up and take a look at the various offerings. When you find one that interests you, where you could learn or contribute, sign your name on the bottom. Sign up for as many as you like, and don't worry about conflicts. We'll take care of them in a minute."

At this point, things are likely to get pretty noisy, and some might say chaotic. Leaders used to having things happen in relative silence, and in strict order may get very nervous. It is all right to be nervous, but don't try to straighten things out. THE GROUP WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. A little chaos at this point is a good and necessary thing. First of all, everybody probably needs a stretch and some conversation. But most of all the rising noise level is a positive indication that the group is getting to work, and good things are happening.

Let the group bubble along for a few minutes, but before long some people will start to experience conflicts. They want to go to two different groups which are supposed to meet at the same time. Or two different groups are scheduled to meet in the same place at the same time. When you sense this happening, or even if you don't, stand up and get the group's attention. You may have to raise your voice, but noise won't hurt.

"Some of you may be finding a few conflicts, but it should be easy to work out. It is called negotiation. If you want to go to two groups meeting at the same time, find the group leaders and see if you can get them to merge their sessions or change their times. Of course, if they won't do that, you will just have to make a choice, but that is the way life is."

"From here on out -- you are on your own. As soon as your group is ready to go to work, go to it. We'll see you all back here at ______ [Closing Session]."

From here on out, the role of the leader will be infinitely less visible, but very important.

There are, of course, several specific things to be done, such as convening the Closing Session.

The leader should also make arrangement for the collection of the conference out-put if a record of formal decisions and deliberations is required.

One most important function on the leader's to do list is to take care of the room and the wall where the created agenda lies. We find ourselves spending a lot of time in that room, sometimes doing little more than picking up coffee cups, or re-taping agenda items that have come unglued. This may seem trivial and non-useful, but at the symbolic level it is a powerful statement of the leader's concern for the common space. On a more practical level, it usually turns out that the initial meeting room plays the role of "Mission Control." It is the place where everybody, sooner or latter, drops by to see what's happening or where to go next. Simply by being there, it is possible to keep tabs on how everything is coming along.

The major function of the leader, however, is not to do certain, specific things, but rather to sustain the atmosphere of Open Space. In most cases this involves little more than walking about and seeing how things are going. When difficulty is encountered, it is important not to take charge, but rather to throw responsibility back on those who need to hold it. For example, it is not unlikely that one or two of the participants will find themselves slightly lost, and come to the leader expecting to be told what to do. An appropriate response would be a question -- "What would you like to do?" followed up with the assurance that there is nothing wrong with doing nothing. It may just be that some individuals' unique contribution will be made by sitting under a tree and thinking all by themselves. The result of that thinking may show up in a later session, at the Closing Circle, or six weeks later in a company meeting. Open Space requires real freedom, and real responsibility.