Rika Chibana, our Agile Coach, participated in the Open Space segment held on the second day of the Global Scrum Gathering® Minneapolis 2018, hosted by Scrum Alliance® from April 16th to 18th, 2018.
"It's... it's just too big." Stepping into the Open Space venue, the sheer number of participants and the vastness of the space were overwhelming.
Wondering how things would unfold from here, I entered the hall with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
Open Space was a session held on the second day of Global Scrum Gathering® Minneapolis, where the participants decide everything.
The topics, the locations, the times—everything.
Anyone who wants to start a conversation declares their topic, place, and time. Attendees are free to join or leave as they wish.
You can talk about anything from honing your strengths to exploring a new topic of interest.
At Global Scrum Gathering®, the entire second day of the three-day event is dedicated to this Open Space format.
Open Space Theme
Message from Open Space Facilitator: Cathy Simpson
Imagine what’s possible when a group of really smart people bring their energy and intelligence to make something happen. Magic? Something delightfully unexpected? Changing the world?
Consider this: What’s left to transform? How can we use Scrum to impact the big issues in the world (you know, those global issues that are important to us — and everyone else)?
Join us and let’s use our powers for good.
Common to all four principles, the most important thing in Open Space is self-initiative (ownership).
Being at the Open Space venue, I felt my heart naturally opening up.
"What do I really want to talk about here, right now, with someone among these participants?"
It is this "feeling" that makes Open Space truly effective.
While joining a session that someone else proposed is certainly an option, the space was filled with a mysterious energy that made me naturally wonder, "Regardless of what others are doing, what do *I* want to talk about?"
In the end, I decided on the topic: "As a Scrum Master/Coach, how should we think about the boundaries of the team's space?"
(If the environment is too tense, ideas and voices won't emerge. On the other hand, if it's too safe and relaxed, there's a risk of complacency or sloppy decision-making. How do we detect this, what balance should we maintain, and what actions should be taken when?)
Of course, I felt nervous and anxious while standing in the line of presenters. But I realized that even if no one showed up for my session, that would be okay.
I felt it was more important to simply put my current thoughts out there.
This mindset is actually part of the background behind the Open Space principle: "Whoever comes are the right people."
"If nobody comes to your session, you might feel hurt or angry. But it may be that your idea was not so good, or it may be that the time was not right. Or it may be that you are the only person who can handle it. There is no rule that a session must have more than two people. It's a great opportunity to have some free time to work on an important idea with passion by yourself." From Open Space Technology / Harrison Owen
As a result, three people visited my table. Even with my limited, stumbling English, it became a wonderful space for sharing our knowledge and experiences.
Reference Information
■ Community to Experience Open Space
A place where people interested in Scrum and Scrum Masters gather to bring their own topics and discuss them in an Open Space format.
Scrum Masters Night! (Scrum Alliance® )
■ Recommended Reading
Open Space Technology: A User's Guide by Harrison Owen
Other Reports from Global Scrum Gathering® Minneapolis
Global Scrum Gathering® Minneapolis
Our Open Space Experience
Graphic Facilitation Workshop Report
Recommended Books & Sites for Agile/Scrum
Agile Marketing Insights
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