Open Space
Open Space is a team reflection exercise for reflection and learning: it helps participants reflect on experience and turn observations into learning.
How to run it
- Keep in mind the four principles of Open Space that will help set the tone of the event:
- Whoever comes are the right people. Passion is more important than position on an org chart.
- Whenever it starts is the right time. Spirit and creativity do not run on the clock.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Dwelling or complaining about past events and missed opportunities is a waste of time; move on.
- When it’s over, it’s over. When a conversation is finished, move on. Do the work, not the time.
- You can read more about Open Space at openspaceworld.org.
- . Whoever comes are the right people. Passion is more important than position on an org chart.
- . Whenever it starts is the right time. Spirit and creativity do not run on the clock.
- . Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Dwelling or complaining about past events and missed opportunities is a waste of time; move on.
- . When it’s over, it’s over. When a conversation is finished, move on. Do the work, not the time.
Run this exercise live
The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.
What participants need now
Materials:
This is a participant-safe snapshot, not a response form. It sends nothing back to the facilitator.
Prompts to use +
Keep in mind the four principles of Open Space that will help set the tone of the event:
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Dwelling or complaining about past events and missed opportunities is a waste of time; move on.
When it’s over, it’s over. When a conversation is finished, move on. Do the work, not the time.
You can read more about Open Space at openspaceworld.org.
. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Dwelling or complaining about past events and missed opportunities is a waste of time; move on.
. When it’s over, it’s over. When a conversation is finished, move on. Do the work, not the time.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Open Space. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Keep in mind the four principles of Open Space that will help set the tone of the event:; Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Dwelling or complaining about past events and missed opportunities is a waste of time; move on.; When it’s over, it’s over. When a conversation is finished, move on. Do the work, not the time.; You can read more about Open Space at openspaceworld.org.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Gamestorming; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Gamestorming.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Method lineage: this exercise shares its method name with work attributed to Harrison Owen and David Isaacs in our people index. That is a name match, not an origin claim.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.