This 1-day certification workshop in the OpenSpace Agility™ method is taught by the formulator of the framework, Daniel Mezick. It’s a full-immersion experiential course for those who are seeking a rapid & lasting Agile adoption.

 The OpenSpace Agility Workshop with Certification

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Course Objective

Learn the concepts and facilities of the OpenSpace Agility framework, such that the student can assess the approach and begin using it to achieve rapid & lasting change in their organization.

Examine the Full Description of OpenSpace Agility here:
www.OpenSpaceAgility.com

Workshop Date and Location

This workshop is planned for May 29 2017 in Stuttgart Germany, immediately preceding the SCRUM DAY conference event.

Certification

By attending and successfully completing an OSA Workshop you earn the OSA certificate of completion. Learn more about the certificate here.

Course Overview

This is a course on creating rapid and lasting change, across multiple teams, using the OpenSpace Agility framework as described in THE OPENSPACE AGILITY HANDBOOK which each student receives. The class includes ten experiential exercises, books from the instructor, and 30 days of support by email after the class.

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Who Should Attend

Facilitators, consultants and coaches who assist with process and culture change in organizations will get the most from this workshop.

You do not need to be implementing “Agile software development” to get the most from this class.

On the contrary: The OpenSpace Agility framework, with before/after Open Space events, is applicable in ANY organization considering ANY kind of process or culture-change initiative.

The following kinds of students gain the most from attendance:

  • Executives and business leaders
  • Managers of departments and teams
  • Coaches, consultants and facilitators
  • Organizational Development Professionals

The Agenda:

The 3-part agenda is as follows:

  • Part 1: OPEN SPACE CONCEPTS AND FACILITIES
    Part 2: PRIME/OS (Prime-OS.com)
  • Part 3: OSA CONCEPTS & FACILITIES

What You Will Learn:

The successful Agile adoptions are powered by human engagement. Improvements in morale, productivity, quality & predictability follow. This course teaches how to achieve very high levels of engagement in your Agile adoption, leading to strong improvement in everything you are measuring.

During this course:

  • Participants gain an understanding of the cultural dynamics of adopting Agile
  • Students learn the OpenSpace Agility framework, a proven method for obtaining a rapid & lasting Agile adoption
  • Students learn how to rapidly implement Agile in service to creating a high-performance organization
  • Executives, sponsors, coaches and team members learn how to create a rapid and lasting Agile adoption
  • Participants learn how to apply the OpenSpace Agility framework to stabilize ongoing & troubled Agile adoptions
  • Students learn how to customize and tailor the flexible OpenSpace Agility framework to fit their organizational context and circumstances

Who Should Attend:

  • Progressive leaders of organizations that want to rapid and lasting success with Agile adoption
  • Executives beginning to implement Agile across multiple teams
  • Executives with current Agile adoptions that are having problems
  • Managers, Coaches, and Team members who are participating in new or existing Agile adoption in their organizations
  • Anyone leader who wants to avoid the pitfalls of implementing Agile in their organization

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 10.04.23 AMTakeaways for Each Student:

Every student receives:

  • The OpenSpace Agility certificate of completion
  • The OpenSpace Agility Handbook
  • 30 days of support by email for your OpenSpace Agility questions after the class
  • Listing as an OSA pro, on the OpenSpaceAgility.com web site. See the listings here.

The course provides everything you need to GET GOING NOW with OpenSpace Agility. Each of the takeaways is discussed below:

The Certificate of Completion

Everyone who attends this course receives a certificate of completion which attests to the fact the student has successfully participated in the workshop. This course is a prerequisite that qualifies the student to attend more in-depth training in OpenSpace Agility and become certified as a practitioner if and when such a course becomes available.

The OpenSpace Agility Handbook

The handbook provides ABC, step-by-step guidance on how to execute an Agile Adoption using the OpenSpace Agility framework. This book is written by Daniel Mezick and includes a tutorial, reference guide, Frequently Asked Questions (the “FAQ”), forms and checklist, and some of the earliest OpenSpace Agility case studies. The book is a user’s manual on preparation, planning and execution of the OpenSpace Agility technique.

 

The Listing as an OpenSpace Agility web site as a Certified OSA professional

Everyone who earns the certificate of completion is listed on the OSA website as an OSA professional and as holder of the OSA certificate. This listing makes it easy for organizations, clients, coaches and consultants to find you, learn about you and engage you in the work of OpenSpace Agility.

Thirty Days of Support from The Instructor

Every student receives the certificate of completion, 30 days of support after the class by email. Those considering using OpenSpace Agility to implement an Agile adoption after the class can use this feature to ask questions, get answers, and receive specific guidance after the class.

Agile Success with OpenSpace Agility™: The OSA Fundamentals

OUTLINE:

 

Part One: STORIES FROM OPEN SPACE

  • Testimonial videos
  • Answering the question: why Open Space?
  • Stories from Open Space: Group Exercise

Part Two: PREPARATION FOR OPEN SPACE

  • The role of the Sponsor (or Host)
  • The role of the Facilitator
  • The Open Space themeTheme & Invitation
  • The Psychology of Open Space
  • The authority of the Sponsor
  • The authority of the Facilitator
  • Preparing for Open Space: Group Exercise
  • Preparing for Open Space: Stories from inside organizations

Part Three: DELIVERING OPEN SPACE

  • Materials and layout: Bulletin Board, Marketplace, Newsroom
  • Logistics, and the Physical Space
  • The Sponsor commitments
  • Delivery of the Meeting
  • The Facilitator Holding Space – what does it mean?
  • Proceedings gathering- the NewsRoom
  • Summary Guidance for Sponsors and Facilitators
  • Delivering Open Space: Group Exercise
  • Delivering Open Space: Stories from inside organizations

Part Four: INSPECTING RESULTS & MOVING TO ACTION

  • Publishing the Proceedings
  • Leadership signaling after the meeting
  • Inspecting the Proceedings with Formal Leaders
  • Informal and Emergent Leaders after the meeting
  • What happens next?

Part Five: ADVANCED TOPICS

  • How to handle executive sponsors who are not ready
  • Open Space Facilitation as a Fine Art
  • Observing the Organization
  • Open Space as an Authority Game
  • Open Space as Signal Event
  • “One Less Thing”, Explored
  • Formal “Open Space” vs informal “open space”
  • Invitation as the primary tool of progress
  • Passion and Responsibility deconstructed
  • Advanced Topics: Group Exercise

Part Six: AN OPEN SPACE TOOLKIT

  • Invitation and Design for the Theme Crafting Meeting
  • Sample Invitations
  • Talking Points from the consultant to the executives
  • Talking points from the Sponsor to the Invitees
  • Checklist- for the consultant
  • Materials list (detailed to manufacturer name)
  • Open Space Proceedings Template
  • Do’s and Dont’s for Facilitators
  • Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook
  • Open Space Tools: Group Exercise
  • Resources around the Web
  • Summary and Workshop Closing Circle

 

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 10.07.59 AMOverview of Organizations and Social Systems

OSA is based on the social science and is a sociological approach to process change. Rather than being based on practices, OSA is based on sociological concepts. Most organizations have a substantial amount of energy just under the surface which is available for engagement in the work. The OpenSpace Agility framework makes this energy available.

  • Culture as a Game: Purpose, Norms, Feedback, Opt-in Participation
  • Self-organization and High Performance: Same thing
  • Experiential Exercise: Culture as a game

OpenSpace Agility Theory

OpenSpace Agility has foundations based in game mechanics and cultural anthropology. This section of the course explains this solid foundation.

  • Mandated Agile Practices: The Problems
  • Opting-out: Disengagement & Resentment
  • Mandated Agile Practices: The Solutions
  • Mandating an Agile direction vs mandating Agile practices
  • Mandates & Disengagement
  • Invitations and Self Organizing
  • Learning and Stability in Agile Adoptions: The Issues
  • Exercise

OpenSpace Agility Components

OpenSpace Agility is a complete system for implementing a process change (such as Agile) in your organization. It contains several elements which as explained in detail in this section of the course.

  • Executive Summary of the OpenSpace Agility Framework
  • Open Space, Invitation, and Opt-In Participation
  • The Open Space Meeting Format
  • Passage Rites
  • Liminality & Learning
  • Communitas
  • Game Mechanics
  • Leadership Storytelling
  • Exercise

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 10.06.00 AMOpen Space and High Performance

Self-management can release tremendous amounts of readily available energy into the work. Open Space is a self-managed meeting format that sets the stage for the process change which the people themselves will implement. Self-management is self-organization and self-organization leads to HIGH PERFORMANCE. This section explains these concepts and sets the stage for a rapid and lasting  implementation.

  • Overview and Design of the Open Space meeting format
  • The purpose of Open Space
  • The one law and five principles of Open Space
  • After the meeting: Open Space proceedings & leadership action
  • Exercise

Results: Exploring the OpenSpace Agility Case Studies

There are many ways to stumble when introducing process change into your organization. OpenSpace Agility is one way to introduce process change. Following the steps, knowing what to watch for, and making adjustments is essential. These case studies show what can happen and provide a narrative context for understanding the dynamics of the OpenSpace Agility framework.

Sample of What to Expect:

  • Organization A: Developer and Vendor of Online Casino games (125++ people)
  • Organization B: Specialty Retailer Online (100++ people)
  • Organization C: Entertainment Industry Non-Profit (70++ people)
  • Organization D: Insurance company (150++ people)
  • Organization E: Division of a financial software and services company (90++ people)
  • Organization F: Software company (75++ people)

Summary of Lessons Learned From Experience

This segment of the course summarizes the lessons learned from experience implementing OpenSpace Agility across a wide range of organizations.

  • What must be happen each and every time, to be successful
  • What to Avoid
  • Things to Expect

The OpenSpace Agility Agile Toolkit

The toolkit provides everything needed to bring the dynamics of a rapid & lasting process change. There is substantial work in preparation, implementation and inspection/adjustment. The entire process is best divided into 3 segments: pre-execution, execution, and post-execution.

A major activity throughout the process is the ongoing education of executive leadership. The consultant or coach must attend to leaders throughout the process to be successful with the OSA framework.

As a consultant or an executive, you exit this class with tools that provide you with guidance and structure as you move through the process as a Sponsor or Facilitator/Coach. Everything you need is here.

NOTE: These tools are available in the class only and do not appear in the OpenSpace Agility Handbook

Pre-Implementation Tools

Tool #1: The OPENSPACE AGILITY HANDBOOK

Tool #2: Understanding the Client’s Situation: New adoption, or Troubled Adoption?

Tool #3: Strategy & Talking Points Part 1 for 1st discussion with leaders

Tool #4: Strategy & Talking Points Part 2

Implementation Tools

Tool #5: Executive Commitment and Sign Off Document

Tool #6: Email and signaling scripts for the Executive (guidance and candidate scripts for each stage of the process)

Tool #7: Executive Script for Sponsoring and Opening the Open Space events

Tool #8: Guidance and steps for processing Open Space proceedings

Tool #9: Measurement Tools: Engagement Scorecard, Happiness Survey (aka Safety Score™), more

Tool #10: Talking Points and suggested script for communication to employees from consultants and coaches

Implementing OpenSpaceAgility: Getting Higher Performance

This segment walks though all of the steps to implement a process changes in your organization using the OpenSpace Agility framework

  • Executive Summary
  • Using the Assessment Tools
  • Coaching Executives and Sponsors
  • Preparing for Open Agile Adoption
  • Executing an Open Agile Adoption
  • Inspecting & Adjusting
  • Exercise

Implementing OpenSpace Agility : Maintaining High Performance

A successful OpenSpace Agility process continues after the consultant leaves. This continuation is manifested as the installation of 2 cultural holidays on the organization’s annual calendar. This section of the course explains the advantages, concepts and practical steps in getting this done.

  • The Culture and the Calendar
  • Installing the Twice-a-Year Meeting
  • Exercise

Using OpenSpace Agility Inside an Troubled Agile Adoption

Many Agile adoptions are troubled because they were implemented as well-intentioned yet misguided “mandates of process change”. In this part of the class you will learn how to use the OpenSpace Agility framework to help bring health and wellness into the picture, by raising levels of engagement.

  • The Assessment
  • The Issues
  • How it works
  • Exercise

Live Simulation: Open Space

As an executive or consultant, you must understand the basics of the Open Space meeting format and process. Open Space is a process, and the meeting is a major element. In this part of the class you gain a deeper understanding of the concepts and facilities of Open Space.

  • Theme and Invitation
  • Working with Leadership
  • Executing the Opening Open Space
  • The Middle
  • Executing the Closing Open Space
  • Proceedings

Summary and Class Retrospective

This is the end of the class: a time to reflect on the experience, offer feedback on the course, and prepare for what’s next in your organization.

  • What are you leaving with?
  • What worked
  • What can be improved
  • 30 days of support by email for each student
  • Sources of more resources and tools

NOTE: Everyone who attends this course receives a certificate of completion which attests to the fact the student has successfully participated in the workshop. This course is a prerequisite that qualifies the student to attend more in-depth training in OpenSpace Agility and become certified as a practitioner.