Open Space Technology
Open Space
Technology is a self-organizing practice that enables groups of any size to
address complex, important issues and accomplish meaningful work. It releases
the inherent creativity and leadership in people by inviting them to take
responsibility for what they care about. Open Space establishes a marketplace
of inquiry, where people offer topics of interest, reflect, learn and work
together.
It has been used all over the world in thousands of diverse applications. The Boeing Company has used it to improve the design of airplane doors. The Italian foreign ministry and an Italian NGO manager from the Dionysia International Center used it to bring 25 Israelis and 25 Palestinians to Rome for 3 days in June, 2002 to talk about themselves, their future, and the possibilities of peace.
The essence of Open Space are four principles and one law:
- Whoever comes is the right people
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
- When it starts is the right time
- When it’s over, it’s over
The Law of Two Feet, also known as the law of personal responsibility, states that if you’re neither contributing nor getting value where you are, use your two feet and go somewhere else. It also says to stand on your two feet to express what’s important to you. It is fundamentally an invitation for individuals to take responsibility for what they care about.
References: Where to go for more information
Owen, Harrison, Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide (2nd edition), Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA, 1997.
Web sites
Peggy Holman’s web site.
World-wide “home” of open space
Listserv
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Peggy Holman