Posts tagged open space
Loads happening here – What’s up with the Monkeys?
Apr 22nd
Hiphophei,
sorry for the silence with our blog. It’s plenty of things going on in here:
Couple weeks back we started a good big project with Johanna called Apps4Finland. It’s done for Finnish Internet Democracy Association (Suomen Verkkodemokratiaseura ry) and we are the coordinators for that. A good challenge, and interesting case with a hot topic of Open Data. Also we are very happy that it climaxes in the MindTrek conference in Tampere, which is the biggest IT/Geek-conference in Finland. Nice to get involved into new spheres.
Another big thing that just kicked off is Team Mastery 3. We got 10 people on this exciting journey organized by Partus Ltd. I am coaching it together with Mimmu, with whom we have been e.g. to the SoL Global Forum in Vienna and to the Young Leader Training of Team Academy back in 2005.
Henna is right now in Iisalmi working with young aspiring students, future leaders and entrepreneurs, from various vocational schools. She is the headcoach of a 24hr entrepreneurial camp. Creating the learning environment there.
Johanna is maybe having the most fun of us all. She’s being a teampreneur for her friends who have their own commercial garden. And now it’s the busiest time of the year as the spring is here so loads of seeds to be planted. That keeps Johanna busy during the days this week. “The most important thing in life is gardening, and even that is not so important.” Old Zen wisdom goes.
Janne has been doing a learning environments with our partner Business Arena today working on the local innovation ecosystem of Central Finland.
Janna and Tatu did a journey to Kokkola last friday and Tatu has been typing fingers on fire proposals for co-operation for the regional council as well as for the univ of Applied Sciences over there. Let’s see what we can cook up.
This Saturday there’s a BarCamp in Helsinki. Me and Henna will be there of the Monkeys. Very interesting to see based on my experiences with hosting Open Spaces such as the Un-conference in Jyväskylä last Friday with Jane Porter. It was great to host a pretty revolutionary event made in co-operation between the Jyväskylä’s two universities.
Next week we have about 20 people coming from all over Europe to visit Finland. It’s a gathering of people with spark in their eyes to learn something about Systems Intelligence and how to deal with uncertain times. Very excited about this co-creational jungle trip with CoMind fellows.
I wonder what I am forgetting. Oh yes, we’ve got a new Monkey into the office. Iiro is a DJ, and about to graduate from Team Academy before the midsummer. He’s finishing now his thesis about exporting Finnish educational model into abroad. I am very honoured to get his energy and expertise into the Monkey Business. You are most welcome Iiro!
And finally, join our email list in order to get some exclusive news in a yellow and playful form. Keep us posted and we will do the same?
BarCamp inspired Open Space in Tiimimestarit Areenalla
Jan 16th
Tatu and myself got a change to host an open space today at Tiimimestarit Areenalla (Team Mastery Arena) inspired by the BarCamp Alsace6 I participated in Strasbourg Project Factory. This is just quick post to share the ideas from Johannes about the BarCamp /Open Space and moreover about the new Prahalad book, The New Age of Innovation. This video is in Finnish, sorry for the non-Finnish speaking folks.
And below is picture of a very couragious Penquin (in reality 2nd year) Anssi and the program grid of today’s OpenSpace that the participants created.
Tonight is the 17th Anniversary of Team Academy. Should be massive! Maybe I will be doing live reporting through Twitter and Qik Live of ours. Keep it yellow! Ville
Open Space in The Hub in Madrid
Oct 10th
This past Thursday I experienced best facilitated Open Space ever. It was in the Hub Madrid and facilitated by Lotfi. I think I have taken part in few and at least facilitated partly two of them. But this time I kind of started to understand what open space can be. I am a fan of fluctuative and flowing programs in meetings, thus I dig open space.
Why this time the open space was a success? Let me try to analyze it a bit.
1. A clear calling question: This open space had a theme and it was “How can I help you?” so it was not as open as universe but still left plenty of room for the participants.
2. Also the question was personal enough to make meaning for the participants. Everyone was asked to write their challenge on A4 paper. Where do I need help from these people. I wrote: How can I lead myself? When the theme was this personal everybody who wanted could either give or get value for sure
3. Then as we were about 30 in the space, there were 6 spaces and 2 rounds of 20 minutes each. So 12 people were chosen based on their eagerness to host a space. 2 persons voluntarily combined their sessions. And I think here was the key. No public combinations of sessions. First come first serve. And because the law of two feet was in place people could go where ever they wanted based on their interest. In the first round I joined a small talk about Sustainable Clothing industry.
4. Good facilitation of time. “When it ends, it ends.” Lotfi informed the people in conversations about the time when 10 minutes were left, and also at the point of 5 minutes left. He went around to every circle and said the time left plus showed a little sign with the time that was available. The sign was good as I am a visual thinker, or seeing helps me to understand. Also having seen the paper we could without bigger interruption to keep our intense talks going on.
5. System with the stand. See the picture. People when presenting their case were standing on a little box. This reminded ms about the story of London marketplace where anyone can go and give a talk. It greated that image to my head.
6. Harvesting. Nobody was forced to share about their insights or stories but it was voluntary. It worked very well again. Some hosts shared with passion what they had got, and I am sure others walked home with good insights too.
7. Lotfi as a host and facilitator had very inviting energy and drive. I have found him to be a very positive and enriching in his interaction with others. No sarcasm that deminishes security and kills energy from him, but good open questions and encouragement.
What is exciting is that today I get to experience another type of Open Space, the BarCamp here in Strasbourg Project Factory. It’s organized by my friend Yann of Novelys. He participated in Learning Expedition in March and I also met him at the Team Academy Alsace Anniversary party last November. So very excited how this my first ever BarCamp will go.
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