Anne Stadler 

Opening space frees people to do what comes naturally, and opens the way for an organizational transformation that results in greater alignment, awareness, learning, and action. 

 Open Space Technology, developed by Harrison Owen, has been used for about 13 years. It is a method for convening creative events involving anywhere from 5 to 700 people. Though it invites spirit, it is not an esoteric practice but a simple way of achieving extraordinary practical results. Lately, with the burgeoning interest in large systems change and simpler ways of being in organization, Open Space Technology is being examined with greater interest. 

 A number of practitioners have been experimenting with Open Space Technology as a way of being in organization -that is, a way of leading and managing. In this issue of At Work we've collected a variety of reports from the front lines. You'll find first-person stories about opening space in business organizations (Bank of Montreal, Mastek and Majesco software companies, Boeing), educational and research institutions (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Pierce College, Marythurst College), government organizations (the U.S. Peace Corps), social service providers, and voluntary organizations in the United States, Canada, and India. These and other stories shed important light on our collective journey to sustaining inspired organization. 

 Why Open Space? 

 Opening space frees people to do what comes naturally. It's how creative work gets done in any organization: by people taking responsibility for what they care about.  You get inspiration linked to practical results. Giles Hopkins says it succinctly in his piece: "It uncovers the people with passion about important issues and questions, who are wining to provide leadership and exercise their sense of accountability." 

 Open, Permeable Circles 

 Open Space Technology starts and ends with a circle: an open, permeable circle. Actually, there are three circles formed in Open Space: a circle of vision linked to practical results by people taking responsibility for what they care about, a circle of shared leadership, and a circle of shared learning. The other two basic elements are a marketplace and self-generated groups. These represent fundamental human patterns: you gather in a circle when you want to communicate and learn from each other. When you want exchange, you form a marketplace. When you want action, you get together with people who care about the same thing you do. 

 During a recent Open Space event, one of my colleagues came up to me excitedly. "Come and look," she said. "Look at what they're doing!" We went into the crowded hallway where people were gathered for coffee before the opening session. 

 "They're all in circles ... just as you said!" 

 And sure enough, there were circles of people everywhere -people talking together. As people would come and go, the circles would expand or contract, but they remained circles nonetheless. People were creating a marketplace through conversation: listening and talking, moving from one small group to another as they followed what they cared about -a spontaneous demonstration of the basic rituals of human relationship and of Open Space Technology. 

 Opening space in any organization usually begins with an event. After the event, the law, principles, and rituals of Open Space Technology assume different forms, depending on particular circumstances and organizational intent. 

 The Open Space Event 

 In the Open Space event, there's a group rhythm similar to breathing: breathing in (the whole circle comes together), breathing out (the circle breaks up and forms smaller circles in the marketplace), breathing in (the whole circle comes back together). 

 Calling the Circle 

 Calling the circle starts with inviting spirit, and then, people. When planning an Open Space event, you ask: What is our purpose for this gathering? What is the spirit we want to communicate? Then you ask: Who are the stakeholders we need to convene so that the whole system (circle) will be in the room? 

 When people arrive at the event, they sit in a circle, establishing that everyone is essential. There is no head table, no special place for experts. 

 In the center of the circle are tools: sheets of newsprint and felt pens. One wall of the room (the Agenda Wall) is entirely blank. It is the space on which the group will create its own agenda. Computers are lined up on tables in front of a News Wall. That is where people will record sessions they have convened, creating the record of the group's activities and sharing their learning. 

 Opening the Circle 

 Inviting Spirit. The convener welcomes the group and talks about the focal theme of the gathering and his or her own hopes for the event. He or she may also describe any boundary conditions, such as ongoing organizational processes into which the meeting fits. 

 Opening the Circle. The facilitator acknowledges the essential relationship of each person to the group's endeavor. She or he describes how the group will self-organize and briefly articulates the law and four principles of Open Space. 

 The law of Open Space, or the Law of Two Feet, invites spirit into the group by asking each person to take responsibility for what he or she truly cares about. That means show up, pay attention to what has heart and meaning for you, and use your two feet to move to whatever place you can best contribute. 

 Four Open Space principles articulate the simple epistemology of an open circle: 

1. Whoever comes are the right people. 

 Those attracted to a particular topic are the people who can contribute most because they really care about it. So even if your bitter enemy is sitting in the circle with you, your task is to find out what you both care about and build on that. If you cannot, there's always the Law of Two Feet. 

The Law of Two Feet invites spirit into the group by asking each person to take responsibility for what he or she truly cares about. 

2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. 

 This principle acknowledges that you'll do your best to be open to whatever happens, in the present time and place, and not be constrained by what you think could have or should have happened. 

 3. Whenever it starts is the right time. 

 The creative spirit has its own time, and our task is to make our best contribution, entering the flow of creativity whenever it starts. 

 4. When it's over, it's over. 

 Creativity has its own rhythm. So do groups. Pay attention to the flow of creativity, not to the clock. 

 Creating the marketplace. The facilitator creates the marketplace by inviting anyone who chooses to step into the center of the circle, pick up a sheet of paper and a pen, and write down a topic he or she cares about. The person announces the topic, identifies a time and place for people to meet, and posts the topic on the Agenda Wall. This process continues until there are no additional items to post. Then people sign up for whatever topic appeals. 

 Whoever posts a topic convenes the session, makes certain it is facilitated, and sees that a report is generated for posting on the News Wall and circulation to the whole group in a final report. 

 Marketplace 

 After the opening circle, people meet in self-chosen groups during the day. They are responsible for their own schedules, for exchanging ideas and creating whatever outcomes each small group may produce. 

 Holding the space is a matter of simply reminding people of the Law of Two Feet, the four principles, and where things are located. You may need to do a little computer coaching and housekeeping, too, but people do best if they are just supported to get on with what they really care about. 

When people make a commitment to opening space in an organization, they set in motion forces that benefit the organization' ability to achieve its highest potential. 

 Reflection 

 People come together in the whole circle at the conclusion of the event (or the conclusion of each day in a multi-day event). Everyone is encouraged to contribute to a learning exchange so the group itself can learn. A talking stick or dialogue approach is commonly used. This is not a time for discussion. It's a period of deep reflection and shared learnings. 

 Closing the Circle 

 At the end of any Open Space gathering, the final actions are those of closing: commitments to further action and offering of thanks and acknowledgments. 

 Ongoing Leadership and Management 

 The articles in this issue tell stories of Open Space rituals and principles used to lead and manage emergent organizational realities. For example, R. Sundar reflects on his learning as CEO of Majesco Software, paying attention to the rhythms and applications of opening space for two years. Birgitt Bolton describes her experience as a CEO of a Canadian social services agency, opening space over a period of three years. Jan Gray's story shows the variety of forms Open Space can take when it is applied consistently to sustain an organization's vision. Herb Long and Sara Halprin share a diary of using Open Space Technology as the medium for teaching a graduate-level course. Lee Hartwell assesses next steps in transforming a highly successful initiative into an open space organization at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. 

 Our stories take place in different locations, different cultures, different kinds of organizations. But one thing is clear: when people make a commitment to opening space in an organization, they set in motion forces that benefit the organization's ability to achieve its highest potential: 

 Open space affects organizational roles and performance expectations. 

 Open space changes accountability and the evaluation of performance. 

 When people take responsibility for what they care about, relationships change and the group evolves. 

 Conflict takes different forms. 

 Open space brings leaders and managers in touch with emergent realities, with what is ready to happen. 

 Strategic focus and quality become shared responsibilities. 

 The issues represented here always exist, but they are often buried by a culture of power and positional authority, or they are a source of continuing conflict and negative energy. In Open Space they come up in the context of a learning circle and shared responsibility. As a result, the potential for constructive action is heightened. 

 An Invitation 

 Open Space Technology is a simple way of being in organization. Opening space has only one law: each of us takes responsibility for what has heart and meaning, shows up for that, and is open to whatever happens. Doing this in concert with others creates a field of alignment in which creative spirit manifests in practical activity. 

 We've learned that opening space opens the way for a personal and an organizational transformation that results in greater alignment, awareness, learning, and action. This is a significant learning. 

 We invite you to join in this ongoing experiment. Each of us, and many more whom you can reach via the Open Space Institutes of Canada and the United States, are eager to share our questions and our discoveries. It's time to help each other and our planet reconnect with the essence of living in sustainable relationships. 

Anne Stadler is a former television producer who now works as a consultant opening space in a variety of organizations in the United States and India. She can be reached at 206-364-3317 or Anne Stadler