Leadership and Open Space Technology

The heart of practice of Open Space Technology is “Take responsibility for what you love”. Decisions are made by noticing what was emerging, discerning what served the whole and taking action. The answer to “How do we foster emergent organization?” is open space. The concept of open space takes us back to the principles of Emergent theory:

• Writing the story as it evolves
• Don’t understand the chaos but understand the outcomes
• It’s about going back to the first principle and ensuring the structure is not rigid.

There are Four Principles and One Law which serve as guides to the leader and all participants. The principles are:

1. Whoever comes are the right people.
2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
3. Whenever it starts is the right time.
4. When it is over, it is over.

The group itself generates its own leadership. Leadership in Open Space requires a style that some may find uncomfortable and counter-intuitive. Controls are very essential in leadership. Meetings serve as a catalyst to create and nourish the culture of leadership.  An effective method for carrying out interactive, highly participative meetings in which people experience their own leadership is Open Space Technology. Including an Open Space Technology meeting as early in the shift towards creating a culture of leadership as possible. For a leader to move towards the culture of leadership may start from different points. Some may want to go slow while some want to see a big change .and move towards the desired culture as quickly as possible. 

For a leader who needs to go slowly, the meeting may include just a few people, maybe even only senior staff. It is rather a small space to open, and yet it works just fine.

The leader, who wants to go big from the start and get on with creating and nourishing a culture of leadership quickly, will invite the maximum number of people possible, ensuring a maximum mixture from all groups within the organization who have a stake in its well-being. The agenda gets created fairly quickly, which is surprising considering the number of people. People feel engaged and feel themselves as a part of co-creating the organizational culture.

Open Space Technology is a great meeting method for movement forward in creating a culture of leadership. It doesn’t matter how big or small step you take but what matter is to start from where you are.