An away day where the team sets its own agenda

For directors and boards

• You are a CEO, board member, director or strategy day coordinator
• You lead a large non-profit or European umbrella organisation that wants to open its strategy to members, partners or its network
• You want all voices at the table, not just the dominant ones
• You have a complex challenge with no ready-made solution
• You want the outcomes of the day to be owned by the participants

What Open Space does for strategy sessions

At a traditional strategy day, the agenda determines what gets discussed. The facilitator steers the content. Participants provide input on questions already framed for them.

With Open Space, participants themselves determine which questions are most urgent. The facilitator holds the process. What emerges is what is alive in the group.

That is more uncomfortable for the client, but it delivers more useful outcomes.

Applied in the public sector

I have facilitated strategic Open Space sessions for Flemish government organisations among others. A public example of that government work: VERA’s Community Day (2024, Halle city offices), the interactive part of a community day, not a strategic session in itself. See public sector and the full track record.

Preparation

“Preparation was crucial to the success of the event.”From the proceedings of Open Space on Open Space, Monterey 1998

A good strategic Open Space begins weeks before the day itself. I work with the client on:

• Formulating a question participants want to answer
• Determining the right participant group
• The logistical and psychological conditions for a safe space
• The harvesting strategy: how are the day’s outcomes translated into concrete next steps?
• Whether a combination with Liberating Structures adds value

Does another format fit your challenge better? See the choosing guide.

From away day to decision

An Open Space produces a harvest, not a decision. So during preparation I agree with the client who decides after the day, how, and by when. How that plays out in practice: the approach.

More on the preparation: the invitation is the design.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Open Space strategy day?

An Open Space strategy day is a facilitated session where participants themselves determine which questions are most urgent, rather than working through a pre-set agenda. The facilitator holds the process but does not steer the content. The result is outcomes owned by the people who created them, not imposed top-down.

How do you prepare a strategic Open Space?

A good strategic Open Space begins weeks before the day itself. Preparation includes: formulating a question participants want to answer, determining the right participant group, creating the logistical and psychological conditions for a safe space, developing the harvesting strategy (how outcomes are translated into concrete next steps), and deciding whether a combination with Liberating Structures adds value.

What challenges is Open Space suited for in strategy sessions?

Open Space is particularly suited for strategy sessions where the challenge is complex with no ready-made solution, where diverse perspectives (from board to frontline) are needed, and where buy-in for outcomes is essential. Examples include: strategic pivots, strategy development, merger challenges, organisational transitions, and cultural change.

How does Open Space differ from a traditional strategy day?

At a traditional strategy day, the agenda determines what gets discussed, often pre-set by leadership or a consultant. With Open Space, participants themselves determine which questions are most urgent. That is more uncomfortable for the client, but delivers more: outcomes that do not need to be communicated because the people who created them already own them.

What an Open Space costs depends on the format and the preparation: how I put a price together.

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