Guided Open Space

Developing, establishing and ensuring implementation of goals and strategies is one of the core tasks of any manager.

Guided Open Space is an effective and efficient method of quickly establishing goals and strategies – plus a plan for their implementation – jointly among all the managers and employees.

In practice this means that you gather managers and employees in numbers of about 40 up to some hundred people in a large room and that is where everything takes place. A well-prepared working relationship in a single room will generate a creative and activity filled activity.

The method ensures that

• all the key issues are put on the table, discussed and documented
• priorities are identified and agreed
• responsibility for the next step is defined and addressed

Guided Open Space involves preparing both the key areas for discussion and the questions that are expected to generate suggested solutions. Good preparations and clear rules are the preconditions for securing sound results.

The work takes place in small groups and is based around well-defined questions and solid background material that set the ideal conditions for the group’s discussions. The time-specific work ensures a creative group process, where everyone can contribute knowledge and experience on equal terms. This creates a holistic view, participation and a constructive dialogue.

All the groups get to report back and to discuss the other groups’ results.

The results of the whole task are combined into an action plan that can easily be followed up – forming an effective management tool for the business.

The strength of a Guided Open Space process is that it generates greater transparency and participation, since managers and employees from every section and level of the organisation are involved, creating a simultaneous top-down/bottom-up process. The procedure also provides good opportunities to put forward ideas that generate effective working practices, clear strategies and new business opportunities.