SILK  ROAD  ACADEMY
EXPLORING   EAST   &   WEST:   FROM   A   PILGRIMAGE   OF  POTENTIALITY   TO  A  MOSAIC  OF  MAGNIFICENCE

Welcome to Silk Road Academy
Blending the best of Western science and Oriental wisdom

Workshop 5:

OPENING THE FORUM

1 - 3 day inspirational Open Space event for 50 - 1,000 participants

The Ultimate Self-Managed Maxi-Meeting

Open Space is designed to be the simplest self-organising methodology for people to use. If 10 or 50 or 1000 people meet with deep and different experiences surrounding a challenging issue, Open Space can:

1. Maximise use of their time and conversation
2. Involve everyone's good spirited participation in openly designing a communal leadership process that has the best chance of working for everyone
3. At the very least develop a continuing network of respect for the issue and all across the people who came to try to resolve it.

What is an Open Space Technology?

An Open Space Gathering is a unique kind of meeting or conference in which the participants create their own programme of self-managed sessions (such as discussion groups, experiential workshops, ideas sessions and planning meetings) related to a central theme, such as: What are the issues and opportunities facing the XYZ Corporation?

Open Space Gatherings allow diverse and often very large groups of people to get together, discuss issues of heartfelt concern, share ideas, pool their knowledge and develop plans for collaborative action. There are no invited speakers, and just one facilitator to explain the procedure and facilitate the plenary sessions.

Open Space Gatherings are particularly effective when complex or conflict-ridden issues must be resolved very quickly, and when people need to work together as equals to decide how they will bring something new into being or bring about a mutually-desired change. A prerequisite is that the focal issue or theme must be of genuine concern to all those involved, as participation is normally voluntary. The participant group can be of any size, from twelve people to a thousand or more, and the gathering is usually held over one, two or three days.

Overview of an Open Space Gathering
a) Briefing
b) Creating the agenda
c) Sign-up
d) Sessions
e) Session reports
f) Action planning
g) Reflection

Open Space Gatherings are typically held to create a new vision, figure out how to implement a strategy, plan a significant change, solve a complex or intractable problem, invent a new product, or prepare for community action. Increasingly they are also used by organisations as an alternative or adjunct to their annual conferences. The most tangible output from an Open Space Gathering is set of written reports, one for each session, usually with action points. An action planning process can be run after the Open Space Gathering to establish ongoing action teams and thereby help maintain momentum.

Harrison Owen, originator of Open Space Technology (the methodology behind Open Space Gatherings) says: "At the very least, Open Space Technology is a fast, cheap, and simple way to better, more productive meetings. At a deeper level, it enables people to experience a very different quality of organisation in which self-managed work groups are the norm, leadership is a constantly shared phenomenon, diversity becomes a resource to be used instead of a problem to be overcome, and personal empowerment is a shared experience. It is also fun. In a word, conditions are set for fundamental organisational change."

Workshops available for organisations in-house - to arrange see Enquiry Form. Some 'public' workshops also held West of London, England - for dates, venue and fees see Dates & Venue,  to book see Booking Form.

COME AND EXPERIENCE THE FLOATING MAGIC OF REVIVED ENERGY!