Complete firstConcrete subject
Set an urgent theme, open invitation, rooms, and time slots; prepare the proceedings repository.
Without a boundary the run becomes generic and untestable.
Method guideFacilitation
Open Space Technology
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityHigh
Time0.5-2 Tage
Participants20-500+
FormatWorkshop
MaturityCanonical
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstAccess and participation
Facilitator · participants · hosts or session owners · scribe
Missing perspectives or access are made visible before starting.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Guiding question, visible agenda, work surfaces, timer, and result repository
People / roles
Facilitator · participants · hosts or session owners · scribe
Pre-read
Set an urgent theme, open invitation, rooms, and time slots; prepare the proceedings repository. Prepare real cases, sources, and boundaries.
Time needed
Half a day to two days.
Setup
Create a workspace with Marketplace frame · Session proposals · Agenda · Session reports · Proceedings; keep example values separate from live data.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which topics must participants put on the agenda themselves to act on the theme?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
Die Teilnehmenden setzen selbst Schwerpunkte, bilden dazu Sessions und wechseln dort dorthin, wo ihre Aufmerksamkeit am meisten Nutzen verspricht. So entsteht ein offenes Arbeitsfeld, in dem relevante Fragen statt vorgefertigter Programmpunkte die Energie lenken.
Open Space Technology · working structure
Fictional example
Fictional values are assigned to explicit method fields.
| Session | Time | Room | Host | Working question | Proceedings | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slots and capacityTrack session proposal with time, room, host, question, result, and follow-up. | 10:00 | Elbe | Lea | How do we link slots to real warehouse capacity? | Three bottlenecks, board photo | Pilot eight slots on 4 Nov, Lea |
| Express pickupTrack session proposal with time, room, host, question, result, and follow-up. | 11:15 | Alster | Murat | Which express cases justify interruption? | Four case types and one open data question | Review 30 cases by 27 Oct, Cem |
1. Time
- Slots and capacity
- 10:00
- Express pickup
- 11:15
2. Room
- Slots and capacity
- Elbe
- Express pickup
- Alster
3. Host
- Slots and capacity
- Lea
- Express pickup
- Murat
4. Working question
- Slots and capacity
- How do we link slots to real warehouse capacity?
- Express pickup
- Which express cases justify interruption?
5. Proceedings
- Slots and capacity
- Three bottlenecks, board photo
- Express pickup
- Four case types and one open data question
6. Next step
- Slots and capacity
- Pilot eight slots on 4 Nov, Lea
- Express pickup
- Review 30 cases by 27 Oct, Cem
All details are fictional.
- 1
Frame
Marketplace frame
Goal
Marketplace frame: Explain the theme, invitation, available spaces, and hard time boundaries.
Inputs for this step
- Set an urgent theme, open invitation, rooms, and time slots; prepare the proceedings repository.
- Guiding question, visible agenda, work surfaces, timer, and result repository
Actions
- Explain the theme, invitation, available spaces, and hard time boundaries.
Output
Marketplace frame
Explain the theme, invitation, available spaces, and hard time boundaries
Quality check
Are theme, invitation, time boundaries, and law of two feet explained?
Pitfall
When the law of two feet is not explained, participants stay in the wrong sessions out of politeness. Explain the theme, invitation, time boundaries, and the law of two feet explicitly before the marketplace.
Timing: Use the time needed within the overall frame; close the step only after its check passes.
- 2
Proposals
Session proposals
Goal
Session proposals: Participants propose sessions with title, question, and host.
Inputs for this step
- Marketplace frame
Actions
- Participants propose sessions with title, question, and host.
Output
Session proposals
Participants propose sessions with title, question, and host
Quality check
Does each proposal have a title, working question, and accountable host?
Pitfall
When a proposal names only a title without a working question, interested people do not know what to expect. Require a title, a concrete working question, and an accountable host for every proposal.
Timing: Use the time needed within the overall frame; close the step only after its check passes.
- 3
Marketplace
Agenda
Goal
Agenda: Place session proposals into time slots and rooms together.
Inputs for this step
- Session proposals
Actions
- Place session proposals into time slots and rooms together.
Output
Agenda
Place session proposals into time slots and rooms together
Quality check
Is each proposal assigned to exactly one room and time slot?
Pitfall
When several proposals claim the same room or time slot, the start turns chaotic. Assign proposals to rooms and time slots together and visibly before sessions begin.
Timing: Use the time needed within the overall frame; close the step only after its check passes.
- 4
Sessions
Session reports
Goal
Session reports: Participants choose and move between sessions based on learning or contribution, and document results.
Inputs for this step
- Agenda
Actions
- Participants choose and move between sessions based on learning or contribution, and document results.
Output
Session reports
Participants choose and move between sessions based on learning or contribution, and document results
Quality check
Does every session create an accessible report with insights and open points?
Pitfall
When participants stay in a session out of politeness although they neither learn nor contribute, they waste everyone's time. Actively encourage moving on per the law of two feet and have every session documented.
Timing: Use the time needed within the overall frame; close the step only after its check passes.
- 5
Proceedings
Proceedings
Goal
Proceedings: Publish session reports and consolidate next steps with owners.
Inputs for this step
- Session reports
Actions
- Publish session reports and consolidate next steps with owners.
Output
Proceedings
Publish session reports and consolidate next steps with owners
Quality check
Are proceedings published and actions assigned an owner and date?
Pitfall
When session reports disappear after the day, insights and commitments are lost. Publish the proceedings promptly and assign every action an owner and date.
Timing: Use the time needed within the overall frame; close the step only after its check passes.
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
Form
Proceedings with evidence, open points, owner, and review.
Versioning / ownership
Record date, owner, source state, and review date; preserve earlier versions.
Tool alternatives
- Shared workspace
- Guiding question, visible agenda, work surfaces, timer, and result repository
- Versioned result repository
open-space-technology-working-template.md
Plan subject, participation, complete flow, and review.
Open Space Technology: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Complete run Time: Half a day to two days.
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Guiding question, visible agenda, work surfaces, timer, and result repository
- Roles: Facilitator · participants · hosts or session owners · scribe
- Advance information: Set an urgent theme, open invitation, rooms, and time slots; prepare the proceedings repository. Prepare real cases, sources, and boundaries.
- Overall time needed: Half a day to two days.
- Setup: Create a workspace with Marketplace frame · Session proposals · Agenda · Session reports · Proceedings; keep example values separate from live data.
Prepare for the work steps
Frame: Marketplace frame
- Set an urgent theme, open invitation, rooms, and time slots; prepare the proceedings repository.
- Guiding question, visible agenda, work surfaces, timer, and result repository
Proposals: Session proposals
- Marketplace frame
Marketplace: Agenda
- Session proposals
Sessions: Session reports
- Agenda
Proceedings: Proceedings
- Session reports
Open Space Technology · working structure
| Session | Time | Room | Host | Working question | Proceedings | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slots and capacity | ||||||
| Express pickup |
- Slots and capacity: Track session proposal with time, room, host, question, result, and follow-up.
- Express pickup: Track session proposal with time, room, host, question, result, and follow-up.
The blank worksheet contains prompts only.
Reference source · original teaching example
Frame: Marketplace frame
Expected artifact: Marketplace frame
Explain the theme, invitation, available spaces, and hard time boundaries
Entry:
...
- Are theme, invitation, time boundaries, and law of two feet explained?
Proposals: Session proposals
Expected artifact: Session proposals
Participants propose sessions with title, question, and host
Entry:
...
- Does each proposal have a title, working question, and accountable host?
Marketplace: Agenda
Expected artifact: Agenda
Place session proposals into time slots and rooms together
Entry:
...
- Is each proposal assigned to exactly one room and time slot?
Sessions: Session reports
Expected artifact: Session reports
Participants choose and move between sessions based on learning or contribution, and document results
Entry:
...
- Does every session create an accessible report with insights and open points?
Proceedings: Proceedings
Expected artifact: Proceedings
Publish session reports and consolidate next steps with owners
Entry:
...
- Are proceedings published and actions assigned an owner and date?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/open-space-technology/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
open-space-technology-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional teaching example: Open Space Technology · working structure
| Session | Time | Room | Host | Working question | Proceedings | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slots and capacity | 10:00 | Elbe | Lea | How do we link slots to real warehouse capacity? | Three bottlenecks, board photo | Pilot eight slots on 4 Nov, Lea |
| Express pickup | 11:15 | Alster | Murat | Which express cases justify interruption? | Four case types and one open data question | Review 30 cases by 27 Oct, Cem |
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- Marketplace frameWhen the law of two feet is not explained, participants stay in the wrong sessions out of politeness.View in phase
- Session proposalsWhen a proposal names only a title without a working question, interested people do not know what to expect.View in phase
- AgendaWhen several proposals claim the same room or time slot, the start turns chaotic.View in phase
- Session reportsWhen participants stay in a session out of politeness although they neither learn nor contribute, they waste everyone's time.View in phase
- ProceedingsWhen session reports disappear after the day, insights and commitments are lost.View in phase
Trap
Marketplace frame
Symptom
When the law of two feet is not explained, participants stay in the wrong sessions out of politeness.
What to do
Explain the theme, invitation, time boundaries, and the law of two feet explicitly before the marketplace.
Trap
Session proposals
Symptom
When a proposal names only a title without a working question, interested people do not know what to expect.
What to do
Require a title, a concrete working question, and an accountable host for every proposal.
Trap
Agenda
Symptom
When several proposals claim the same room or time slot, the start turns chaotic.
What to do
Assign proposals to rooms and time slots together and visibly before sessions begin.
Trap
Session reports
Symptom
When participants stay in a session out of politeness although they neither learn nor contribute, they waste everyone's time.
What to do
Actively encourage moving on per the law of two feet and have every session documented.
Trap
Proceedings
Symptom
When session reports disappear after the day, insights and commitments are lost.
What to do
Publish the proceedings promptly and assign every action an owner and date.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
Do not close “Marketplace frame” while this check remains open: Are theme, invitation, time boundaries, and law of two feet explained?
Do not close “Session proposals” while this check remains open: Does each proposal have a title, working question, and accountable host?
Do not close “Agenda” while this check remains open: Is each proposal assigned to exactly one room and time slot?
Do not close “Session reports” while this check remains open: Does every session create an accessible report with insights and open points?
Do not close “Proceedings” while this check remains open: Are proceedings published and actions assigned an owner and date?
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