In the book Open Space Technology, Harrison Owen describes an organic way of structuring group conversations that harness the level of synergy and excitement found during the coffee break conversations at more traditional meetings.
As Owen explains, “OST is effective in situations where a diverse group of people must deal with complex and potentially conflicting material in innovative and productive ways. It is particularly powerful when nobody knows the answer and the ongoing participation of a number of people is required to deal with the questions. Conversely, OST will not work, and therefore should not be used, in any situation where the answer is already known, where somebody at a high level thinks the answer is already known, or where somebody is the sort that must know the answer, and therefore must always be in charge, otherwise known as control, control, control.” Learn more here.
