Innovative format in organisational and personnel development: The App-Space
This innovation is a method I had the pleasure to develop with my colleagues at the german consultancy eurosysteam in summer 2015 for conferences, trainings and for work organisation. The method premiered on November 19th 2015.
The method is easy to use, reinforces self-organization and individual responsibility and generates maximum engagement by all participants. We call this method “App-Space”. It bears resemblances with the known presentation formats Open-Space and Barcamp, but it was developed as an independent method.
The methods supports the design of innovative and contemporary measures of personnel development, e.g. leadership development programs as it matches and fosters ideas of “new leadership” and agility through selforganised learning with purpose and content.
There are 10 factors in which the method differs from the known ones and which are described in the subheads as “Innovations”.
The framework
The App-Space has a contentual title. Of course the use of the App-Space format will always have a context and a purpose, which can be turned into a title or headline by the host. As a general theme of the App-Space, this title gives the contentual reference framework. The structural framework (meaning location, rooms, equipment and catering) is also defined by the host. The preparation of an App-Space is limited to these two frameworks.
The Apps
We called the eponymous elements Apps, as we looked at an event like at the operating system of a smartphone, where certain applications are already installed but many others can be assembled by each user individually by downloading them. An App is the meeting of a subgroup for a certain time, meaning small-group-work or a break-out-session. Apps are visualized by cards (better: sticky notes).
The App-Space is a special wall or board, where the Apps are recorded in a grid of times and rooms. Furthermore, “App Space” is also the name of the complete method.
Innovation 1: No roles
The format „App Space“ has no defined or assigned roles.
With their skills of social interaction, people already have everything they need to work together effectively. When everyone participates according to their concerns and competences, no roles are necessary.
An unusual fact has to be emphasized: even possibly attendant presenters, trainers, keynote speakers, bosses or other officials don’t have a special mandate or a specific role. Individual, self-responsible conduct takes the place of roles to be fulfilled. At this point and at many others it becomes clear that the format requires a high degree of social maturity and individual responsibility — but it also massively strengthens these factors.
Innovation 2: Everyone can offer an App.
Resulting from the lack of fixed roles described above, every attendant can offer an App.
The distinction of participants and presenters, hosts and experts are completely canceled. Who wants to offer an app writes the title set by himself together with his name on a presentation card or a sticky note.
Innovation 3: You can wish for apps.
In contrast to other self-organized conferences, a participant can wish for an App without having to offer it himself. The App “market place” is therefore not only determined by supply, but also by demand. With a wished-for App a participant can express for what subject he would like to have input, lectures or exercise. He also puts down on his card that it’s an App request.
Innovation 4: Everything can be an App.
The possible App formats are very diverse: there can be classic formats such as keynote speeches, presentations, discussions, brainstorming or unusual ones like role plays, line-ups, peer consulting, integrative decision finding, video, design thinking, serious play etc.
But moreover ultimately all activities of individuals and small groups can be displayed as Apps: reading of specialist literature, article writing, creation of presentations, sports, meditation, walks, individual coaching and excursions. Even lunch can be recorded in the grid as an App to symbolize that even this is ultimately only an option.
Innovation 5: Meta-Apps
Most events only cover the subject itself. By cancelling the classic roles the “App-Space” also invites to talk about the event and the participants on a meta-level. Such Meta-Apps might be: feedback for the event, planning of a follow-up event, design of Apps for the remaining event. A possible decision should be communicated clearly, so that the attendants can make it in the App.
Innovation 6: The App-Pool
Instead of immediately filling an App-Space with it, a card is hung up in the App-Pool. The Pool is another wall or board in immediate proximity to the App-Space (about 5 meters away). Offers and wished-for Apps are collected here, and this Pool also is constantly changing.
Apps are added, processed, withdrawn, reformulated, merged, nominated or passed to other sponsors. Everything is permitted.
Innovation 7: Dynamics in the App-Space
The App-Space, the grid of rooms and times, has similar dynamics. At the beginning of the event the App-Space is not filled completely, but only the first time phase. The planning only goes as far you have to plan to be able to start. Because the participants’ needs may have shifted already after the first Apps, the freedom remains to react to impulses and possible new Apps.
These dynamics also mean that Apps can exceed the time limit or can extend into the next time slot in extreme cases, or that an App develops into a follow-up App spontaneously, or that an App spontaneously takes place repeatedly.
Innovation 8: Board of results
As a third wall besides App-Pool and App-Space there is a third board available to participants: here they can record and publish results.
This is an important factor especially in strategic conferences and trainings with a high claim for implementation. This board also replaces the presentation of results in the plenary. An App decides for itself if it wants to record something. Who wants to know what happened in an App simply has to ask. As a possible feedback could also take place as an App, a feedback for the event could also be published here.
Innovation 9: App Space in self-organized trainings.
The possibly most extraordinary scope of application of App-Space is classic training. Every participant becomes a trainer; participants learn from each other. The (possibly appointed) trainer puts offers his services equally.
Innovation 10: Scalability into the work routine
The App-Space as an event of 1 to 3 days mostly sets a time slot of minimum 45 to maximum 90 minutes for Apps. But the format can also be scaled without problems: when the time slots recorded in the rows are not an hour, but a day or a week, then the App-Space becomes a form of work organization and is suddenly close to Scrum, Kanban and co.
Addendum: Appreciation of thought leaders and development history
We are fascinated by the effects our format currently causes in trainings, conferences and day-to-day work and therefore are proud of our development, which of course is based on known structures. Our innovation has at least the following conceptual basics, which we name with pleasure and full of gratitude: Virginia Satir and her „Five Freedoms“, Harrison Owen and his legendary format „Open Space“, the Bar-Camp movement from Palo Alto.
As systemic consultants we have always drawn inspiration from the work of Virginia Satir, facilitatated numerous Open-Space conferences and also participated in Bar Camps. We already invented, tested and passed on numerous workshop formats. The App-Space is the most current one.