Open Space Technology (OST) enables groups of any size to address complex, important issues and achieve meaningful results quickly. It is at its best where more traditional meeting formats fail: when there is conflict, complexity, diversity of thought or people, and short decision times. It has been used in widely diverse settings, from designing aircraft doors at a large aircraft manufacturing company to engaging street kids in defining a sustainable jobs program.

This process provides a profound, practical way to enhance communications within organisations for real business purposes. All participants in an Open Space Technology (OST) gathering – there is no limit to the number - have their say on equal terms. They make their own agenda with what they have passion for and the conversing throughout happens spontaneously. This invariably leads to surprising learning, assumption of responsibility, sense of ownership and commitment to what emerges and ongoing collaboration on agreed action.

Alan has been an Open Space facilitator since 1994 and has a great wealth of experience in its use in a wide range of contexts. Among these are with large corporates such as Levi Strauss and Interconintal Hotels Group. Also with local governments and many aged care facilities in Australia.

The World Café (TWC) is a range of processes which also promote inclusivity, creativity and collaboration. Café names include Knowledge, Passion and Conversation. A term we often use is Conversing Café. 

Participants are invited to take time to listen deeply and to engage passionately with each other. This is in regard to a question that matters to the participants. As they do this they move into deeper levels of understanding and bring forth new possibilities.

The venue is set up to have the ambience of a café, with people sitting around small tables. The tenor of the conversing can be recorded by participants writing and/or drawing on paper table cloths.

Alan introduced these processes to Australia, in 1997. Since then he has  been closely connected to the people who created the World Café processes and have been named a World Café Pioneer.

See his review of the book ”The World Café –Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations that matter”. 

And for a wonderful overview of recent developments  by Tom Hurley regarding the World Cafe and Social Innovation. This includes a list of some large organisations which are now using this conversational process.