Approaches such as Open Space support the emergence of leadership in organizations. Some people think it’s enough to apply Open Space’s simple structure and wonderful things will happen. This is not always the case, the intention behind the method is important.
I worked with a client in July and we used Open Space for part of the organizational development process. It was their first experience of such a meeting. They were impressed with how much work they got through in a relaxed atmosphere (“We worked like bears!” — the phrase works in German), and the quality and quantity of the results produced. Since then, they have implemented almost all ideas developed during the workshop and have started to use Open Space themselves in their own leadership team meetings.
If you would like to explore more about the intention and attidue that helps when holding space, there is a wonderful set of videos on theArt of Hosting’s TVchannel. So, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, put up your feet and learn. Here’s one to get you started: