Planeta Forum

planeta · Last edited by planeta on Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Open Spaces: Conversation with Harrison Owen

Harrison Owen is the author of Open Space Technology
http://tinyurl.com/5kq2at

The 3rd edition of the User's Guide was published by Berrett-Koehler a few months ago. Later this year Berrett-Koehler will publish his newest book, Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self Organizing World.

Harrison also authored The Practice of Peace, of which Planeta published a short excerpt, Many Roads to Peace -- http://www.planeta.com/planeta/03/0301peacemaking.html -- one of our favorite essays.

REFERENCES

Harrison Owen
http://www.ho-image.com

Open Space Technology
http://www.planeta.com/web/ost.html

Open Space World
http://www.openspaceworld.org

Open Space in 30 Seconds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V22R6_7eDNE

Interview with Harrison Owen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDi0GLTO9ao

planeta · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: Starting off the Q&A

Starting off the Q&A

Harrison, I have been pleased to see how OST is being documented online --
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/openspacetechnology -- and inspiring some bold technical innovations -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp

Question - Do you see ways of moving beyond Open Space as an event and on to the productive stuff that happens when the space is open 24X7?

hhowen · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: Beyond Open Space Technology

The truth of the matter is that we had moved beyong OST the first time we did it, but we just didn't know it. Not to be mystereous, but over the past 23 years years it has become apparent, to me at least, that the power of OST does not reside in whatever simple process I had dreamed up. After all, how could anything so simple do so much? The answer seems to be that OST "works" because self-organization works, and somehow we just managed to hit upon the initiating conditions for self-organization. If you believe the Science folks, Self organization has been in full operation since the moment of the Big Bang, and OST is obviously a very late arrival. In a word, moving "beyond" the OST event is actually moving back to the beginning, or something.

I think the real significance of OST has little to do with having better meetings, although that may get people's attention. For me, every OST is an opportunity to learn how to consciously, intentionally, and effectively navigate in a self-organizing world, which is the only world we have, I think.

Harrison

planeta · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject: ost 2.0

I have only had the pleasure of experiencing a real OST session once, but the impact was monumental. It is interesting to see how many of the Web 2.0 developers are also inspired. Examples include Barcamps -- http://planeta.wikispaces.com/barcamp -- and a few YouTube videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V22R6_7eDNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDi0GLTO9ao

My questions:

How comfortable are you with the web-based technology?

Do you have any suggestions for those who wish to apply Open Space principles online?

hhowen · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

Comfort with "online?" Sure! After all the InterNet is the largest Open Space going. So it is a perfect match. And some folks have gone the next distance. Gabriela Ender (Berlin) has done a marvelous piece of piece of onine sofware that REALLY opens space.
Harrison

planeta · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:32 am Post subject: Online OST?

Thanks, Harrison. Can you provide some details about Gabriela Ender's work?

Also, have you ever participated in a BarCamp?
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/barcamp

hhowen · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:13 am Post subject:

Web based technology is great, and as a matter of fact OST and the Internet grew up together. At the first OS (1985) folks were pounding their way with TRS-80's on an early version of the Web. And of course, Internet is the laregest Open Space going.

Gabriel's stuff is neat -- and it will never replace FTF. For more info contact the great lady herself gabriela.ender [@] OpenSpace-Online.com

Website: http://www.OpenSpace-Online.com

Harrison

No I have never been to a Barcamp but I have often worked with folks creating hardware and software in Open Space. Sort of like Ducks and water.

planeta · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:28 pm Post subject: Opening Spaces in 2009

FTF is great! We just held our Rural Tourism Fair in Oaxaca and while it's well-documented online, the best way to experience the event is in person. How else do we conduct the chocolate tastings?

A question for you - what plans do you have in 2009? Any upcoming presentations or publications?

hhowen · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:01 pm Post subject:

Only plans so far for 2009 is a wonderful gathering in Washington (state thereof) -- May 17th ff Wave Rider Weekend. Contact Peggy Holman for details peggy@opencirclecompany.com

harrison

planeta · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject: More info

The Wave Rider event sounds very interesting!

http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/netwiki.cgi?SelfOrganizingWorld
http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576756171

planeta · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 9:46 am Post subject: audio files

Harrison, I was trying to listen to the Practice of Peace MP3s on the Human System Dynamics website, but the link no longer works. Can you direct us to where we might be able to listen to the audio files? If there are other options or videos (!), let us know.