OpenSpace Agility (OSA) derives from a more general framework for process-change in organizations, called Prime/OS.

Prime/OS is open-source culture technology that anyone can use to create derivative works. You can learn more about Prime/OS here.

Listed below are the OpenSpace Agility™ and Prime/OS™ terms of art:

Authority: The right to do work. See also BART.

Authority Projection: The almost automatic characterization of the Prime/OS™ consultant as an authority figure, often leading to various impediments to progress in the client organization.

BART: An acronym representing Boundary, Authority, Role, and Task. (link)

Chapter of Learning: In Prime/OS, the period bounded by a beginning and ending Open Space event. In Prime/OS, a Chapter is at least 90 days.

Consent: Willing, opt-in support for a proposal.

Communitas: The spirit of community, as described in the works of Victor Turner and others. See also TURNER, VICTOR

Culture Game, The: A book by Daniel Mezick that asserts that culture is experienced as a game by all the members. (link) See also MEZICK, DANIEL

Denning, Steven: Author of the book LEADERSHIP STORYTELLING (see also,) which is useful for examination by formally authorized leaders considering using the Prime/OS™ methodology

Facilitator: In Open Space and other meeting formats, a role occupied by a person who works to make the process easier for members to participate in and enjoy.

Game Mechanics: The specific features of a game that define how effective the game is in creating engagement. Well-formed games have well-formed game mechanics, especially the following features: clear goal(s), clear rules, a clear way to track progress, and opt-in participation.

GPL: The “General Purpose License,” an open-source license for software and written works which encourages innovation and collaborative development. (link)

Group Relations: A community of practice focused on the study of leadership, authority, and unconscious processes in groups. (link)

Invitation: In Prime/OS™, the offered opportunity, by formally authorized organizational leaders, to engage in an activity or take an action, typically the act of attending an organizational event, or participate in a process. Genuine invitations do not have sanctions or any other implied or expressed (negative) consequences.

Liminality: An unstable state of transition between two stable states. A person is said to be experiencing liminality when they are engaged to be married, changing jobs, or moving their residence from one place to another. An organization is said to be liminal when it is moving from one way of working to another, for example during the initial stages of adopting new methodologies, organizing structures, or processes. See also VICTOR TURNER

Leadership Storytelling: In Prime/OS™, the act of filling a social space with meaning with intent to reduce anxieties, worries and liminality in the organization. Also, the title of a useful book by Steven Denning. See also LIMINALTY

Mandate: In a process of organizational change, a command or other communication that creates compulsory participation without regard for what the participant wants, thinks, or feels. See also INVITATION

Master of Ceremonies: In a passage rite, an essential role. In Prime/OS™, this role is occupied by the Prime/OS™ practitioner, typically an organizational consultant.

McGonigal, Jane: Author of the book REALITY IS BROKEN. (see also.)

Mezick, Daniel: Author of the book THE CULTURE GAME and originator of the Prime/OS™ methodology. (link) See also CULTURE GAME, THE

Open Source: A type of license that promotes attribution, innovation, community,  and collaborative effort. Prime/OS™ is published as open source culture technology. See also GPL.

Open Space: A meeting format with related planning, arranging, execution, and after-event follow-up. The Open Space meeting format supports and encourages self-organization and self-management. (link) See also OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY: A USER GUIDE

Open Space Technology, a Users Guide: A book by Harrison Owen describing a complete definition of the Open Space meeting format. (link)

Opt-in Participation: A truly voluntary choice to participate in response to an invitation. In a game, a feature of “good-game” mechanics. All good games have clear goals, clear rules, a way to track progress, and opt-in participation. See also MANDATE

Owen, Harrison: Originator and formulator with others of Open Space, a meeting format with related processes which supports and encourages high levels of group-level self-management and self-organization. (link)

Passage Rite: In cultural anthropology and in societies generally, a ritual in which the social status of the participants changes. The Prime/OS™ methodology facilitates the design and construction of a passage rite for modern teams, tribes, and business enterprises. See also LIMINALTY, COMMUNITAS, MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Quiet Period: In Prime/OS™, a period of 30 days following a passage-rite period of at least 90 days. The passage rite in Prime/OS™ starts and ends with an Open Space event of at least 1 day. During the Quiet Period, the Prime/OS™ consultant does not communicate with the organization.

Reality is Broken: An important book by Jane McGonigal.  This book provides a useful and clear definition for the word GAME; see page 22. (link) See also MCGONIGAL, JANE

Signal Event: In Prime/OS, an action by formally authorized leaders that signals a shift in company culture, in the direction of more openness, more enterprise-wide dialogue, and more innovation across the organization.

Signaling: The transmission of communication from a sender to a receiver. Signaling can be verbal, non-verbal, or a combination of both. Signaling is an important topic of study for leaders who are considering Prime/OS a a method of igniting engagement across the enterprise.

Turner, Victor: Author of several important books in the domain of cultural anthropology that have influenced the formulation of Prime/OS™ and derivative works that are build upon it, such as OpenSpace Agility.