Open Space. Faster progress and better collaboration.
Open Space Technology might be the fastest way to unlock the brilliance and potential already that exists in your business.
We know that for many organisations, the notion of improvement is changing. In fact, change itself is changing. Clients often ask us how they can change more easily, more effectively and sustainably, make improvements stick, and to understand what prevents their teams from being more commercial.
The answer is rarely lack of knowledge, lack of ideas ideas and in my experience, almost never through a lack of ambition – which may surprise some of you.
Did you know that most businesses are sitting on an enormous untapped reservoir of insight, creativity, experience, knowledge, potential, hope and solutions, which businesses pay for yet are unable or unwilling to access.
That’s where Open Space Technology (OST) comes in…..
What is Open Space
Open Space is a highly participative, self‑organising method - to run workshops - that brings people together to work on the issues, opportunities and challenges that matter most to them and to the business. There is no imposed agenda, pre‑selected topics and no politics or corporate theatre.
The people in the room choose the conversations they want to have, the people in the room lead those conversations, and yes, you guessed it, its these people who solve the problems together.
It’s a highly collaborative, energising, engaging, relevant and incredibly effective because it taps into the collective brilliance that already exists inside your organisation or network.
As Glenn Martin once said , 'People closest to the problem are closest to the solution, but often furthest from power and resources.'
Open Space (OST) brings those people together to connect, share and learn, and it gives them some power and the opportunity to solve challenges and opportunities in a way that makes businesses proud.
Why Open Space works (the science behind the magic)
Open Space works because it aligns with how humans – that’s us - naturally think, collaborate and solve problems. Research across organisational psychology, behavioural science and group dynamics consistently shows us that -
People engage more deeply when they choose the topics themselves (Harvard Business Review, 2023).
Self‑directed groups generate 30–50% more ideas than structured workshops (MIT Human Dynamics Lab).
Psychological safety increases dramatically when hierarchy is removed from conversations (Google’s Project Aristotle).
Cross‑functional problem solving accelerates when people can move freely between discussions (Stanford Collaboration Index).
Businesses uncover hidden opportunities worth £50k–£500k per year through employee‑led insight sessions (CIPD, 2024).
In other words, when you give people space, permission and autonomy…. they give you and the business insight, solutions and momentum.
The Impact - what Businesses actually gain
From running Open Space sessions with clients across the UK – and wider afield - we consistently see:
New insights that managers and leaders didn’t know existed
Opportunities that save time, money and friction, immediately
Clear priorities for the next quarter (things happen quickly)
Better collaboration across teams and functions, naturally, as people people build relationships and trust, together
Faster progress on projects and change initiatives because people are really bought in and have increased accountability
Higher engagement and ownership
A stronger, more connected culture (eg less silos, fiefdoms etc)
One manager recently said:
“The creativity and engagement levels are not something we’re used to seeing.”
Another commented:
“This is great for knowledge sharing, closing gaps and connecting people to identify and solve real problems.”
And a client summed it up perfectly:
“These insights could save us a couple hundred thousand a year… and give us immediate focus.”
That’s the power of Open Space. It reveals what’s already there but currently invisible.
When to use Open Space
Open Space is ideal when you want to:
Surface issues slowing the business down
Identify opportunities to improve performance
Accelerate change and reduce resistance
Strengthen culture and collaboration
Improve projects, delivery and cross‑team working
Reduce friction, duplication and wasted effort
Access the creativity and ambition already in your people
If addressing these could improve your business, then Open Space is for you.
Special Offer: 2‑for‑1 Open Space Sessions (until end of 2026)
We know that many companies are finding business a challenge this year - with rising costs, political disruptions, wars, fuel prices - and businesses are seeking to be more commercial, efficient and effective.
To help more organisations experience the value of Open Space, we’re offering a special 2‑for‑1 deal for the rest of 2026.
Buy one Open Space session, get another free.
You can:
Use the second session yourself in 2026/27
Gift it to a client
Offer it to your business network
Donate it to a charity or community group
The only requirement is that your first session must be booked and paid for in 2026.
We’ll honour the same deal if you want to run Open Space with your network, suppliers or customers. (Events are subject to travel, expenses and venue costs for the day)
This offer takes cost off the table and gives you a powerful way to build relationships, teams, commercial behaviours, momentum and change capability.
Let’s build better Businesses, together
If you want to tap into the wealth of knowledge, creativity and ambition that already exists in your team, business or network, and use it to improve projects, accelerate change, strengthen culture and reduce friction, then Open Space is one of the most effective methods available.
Let’s help each other improve and build better businesses. Better businesses makes great sense for us all, from staff, shareholders to communities, networks and even the Government.
And feel free to connect with me personally on LinkedIn too.. PJ Stevens.
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