{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Four Principles of Open Space","description":" Whoever. Whatever. Whenever. It\u2019s Over. That\u2019s what makes it all work. My elevator pitch on Open Space goes something like this: \u201cYou know how regular conventions give you a program that tells you who\u2019s going to talk, what they\u2019re going to talk about, and exactly how long they\u2019re going to let you think about it before they\u2019ll stop talking? Open space is the opposite of that. People show up, and we ask them \u201cWhat do you want to talk about right now? How long do you need?\u201d And then we give them that space.\u201d I\u2019ve found it works pretty well, but some people still get a whiff of anarchy about it. One person put it politely: \u201cSo\u2026it\u2019s like a study hall?\u201d   So the elevator pitch is still a work in progress, and meanwhile I can talk about the Four Principles that make the whole thing magic. 1. Whoever shows up are the right people. There is no slate of presenters at an Open Space. Professionals who deal with ADHD folks might show up (I\u2019d be surprised if they didn\u2019t). Sometimes even Big Names show up - I\u2019d be delighted if Jessica McCabe showed up arm-in-arm with Ned Hallowell! But if they did, I\u2019d emphasize to them that unlike the other conventions they speak at, in an Open Space they are not expected to do anything more (or less) than anyone else. They can think of this as a vacation, or, if they prefer, an opportunity. Suddenly they have the chance to present on that weird topic that\u2019s been in the back of their mind, or even (OMG!) just be participants at an event! Meanwhile, people who have wanted a chance to present an idea or pose a question for the group get the opportunity in a cooperative, low-pressure and supportive environment. 2. Whenever it starts is the right time. I started doing Open Spaces about fifteen years before I learned I had ADHD, so now I understand why this principle was always my favorite. There will be a definite start time for the ADHDOS, probably 9 or 10am. That\u2019s when everyone meets and plans the day\u2019s agenda (more on that later). There will also be a closing circle, probably about 5pm, where we come together and close out the day. Aside from that? There is no fixed schedule. There are 30 minute blocks set up across the top of the agenda wall \u2014 but those are guideposts, not rules. People are not forced to either fill or cut short their presentations to fit. Instead, they guesstimate how long they think they\u2019ll need, and they start their session when they are ready. If that\u2019s the time they picked, cool \u2014 but if they\u2019re immersed in some other conversation at that time, I let them decide what their priority is. Want to start it later? Fine. Want to cancel it, or let it happen without you? Also fine. My job as a facilitator is simply to give them that choice, and let everyone else know about it. Usually that means a lot of shuffling taped pieces of paper and moving the \u201cNOW-ish\u201d sign. It makes the day into a fluid, exciting, and unique learning environment. 3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Remember how I said at the beginning there is no agenda? There really is no agenda. So if no one decides to put up a session \u2014 nothing will happen. Now, that\u2019s never happened, in well over a hundred open space events. But it\u2019s still worth reminding the attendees: they have a measure of responsibility that is different than most conferences. It also means that if, after the open space, there is something you wish would have been discussed, covered, explored - you have no one to blame but yourself. 3. When it\u2019s over, it\u2019s over This is the other half of that second principle. Remember how those half-hour blocks are just guideposts? If a class topic takes 15 minutes to cover, take that 15 minutes and do something else. If it takes 5 minutes, it takes 5 minutes. We don\u2019t ask you to fill time if you\u2019re done. If, on the other hand, a discussion needs 4 hours to adequately cover (which is rare, but has happened) then we make that time available. That\u2019s another part of my job as a facilitator \u2014 you may need to move the session to a different place, but you can keep doing it until you decide it\u2019s done. This principle also reminds us that everything does have an end, including the availability of an open space location. We do call everyone together at the end of the time in the space to have a \u201cclosing circle.\u201d Open space attendees discover that a day filled with people sharing things that matter personally and passionately can be exhausting. We take a very short time to celebrate the unexpected connections and new friendships. Every Open Space is a unique combination of people, and a unique coming-together of knowledge and talents, that will never happen again. We choose to focus on the great and cool stuff that happens because of this, and not say \u201cDamn, I wish such-and-such had happened!\u201d In the end, it\u2019s up to us. - the Author, somewhere at a past open space. That\u2019s the four principles. Tomorrow I\u2019ll talk about the one dangerously addictive and immensely fun Law of Open Space.   ","author_name":"ADHD Open Space Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/adhdos.substack.com\/podcast","html":"