Several features of a collateral organization are deeply embedded in the Future Search process. These include new ways in which members of this organization interact with one another and in which planning is being engaged. Future Search also incorporates new ways in which leadership is being exhibited. Furthermore, Future Search encourages an appreciative perspective regarding contributions that can be made by each participant. Perhaps of greatest importance is the “whole system” perspective adopted by Future Search. This perspective contrasts with the isolated, silo-based perspective to be found in most regular organizational operations. This “whole system” perspective of Future Search interweaves with a focus on the future (as the tile of this method implies)—yielding an even more distinctive way of operating as a temporary collateral organization.
Open Space: A quite different model of collateral organization design is to be found in the more recent enactment of a comprehensive design called Open Space. Originally offered by Harrison Owens (yet another noted organizational consultant), Open Space provides a much less structured process than is the case with Future Search for addressing the diverse issues facing a specific organization or community. Like Future Search, Open Space is a method for organizing and running a meeting or multi-day conference where participants have been invited to focus on a specific, important task or purpose. Unlike Future Search, Open Space is participant-driven and less organizer-driven.
Pre-planning remains essential in preparing for an Open Space meeting. However, less pre-planning is needed than when Future Search is being engaged. The lack of substantial pre-planning is in keeping with an emerging perspective in the sciences regarding complex and chaotic systems that are “self-organizing.” As we now know is the case with many living systems, few hierarchical controls are present in the operation of Open Space. This type of collateral system is to some degree “self-organizing.” As noted, Open Space participants “drive” the agenda through the decisions they make throughout the meeting regarding the topics to be addressed and the extent to which any one topic sustains their attention.
Given the self-organizing nature of “open space” meetings, it is important that some “container” (Eisler’s chalice) be present throughout the meeting. This Open Space container is a set of assumptions that provide a foundation for this distinctive collateral organization. I like to think of these assumptions as representing (and enforcing) the “spirit” of Open Space. Following is a typical set of Open Space assumptions:
Whoever comes to this Open Space event is the right person (an appreciative perspective)
The topics being addressed are those that are most important, and those about which participants have a passion.
Whenever a particular topic emerges, it is the right time
When the dialogue regarding a topic is over, it’s over
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened
There is one Law: the “Law of Two Feet: Shoes are made for walking” (participants should feel free to move to another group and another topic)
