Tomorrow ist Open Space Lab 1st Session
Hello Friends and Colleagues,
Open Space Lab's first session is tomorrow.
You're invited to join and contribute.
to sign up : https://luma.com/OSLab https://luma.com/OSLab
Have a great day/night
Funda Oral Toussaint
Thanks for the reminder Funda. I’m looking forward to the session! Led by Myriane Ouellette and Jason Sears with a focus on Meeting Resistance to Change, about 30 people have already registered. To sign up : https://luma.com/OSLab
See you there!
Warmly,
Peggy
On Aug 3, 2026, at 12:31 AM, Funda Oral via OSList everyone@oslist.org wrote:
Hello Friends and Colleagues,
Open Space Lab's first session is tomorrow.
You're invited to join and contribute.
to sign up : https://luma.com/OSLab
Have a great day/night
Funda Oral Toussaint
OSList mailing list -- everyone@oslist.org
To unsubscribe send an email to everyone-leave@oslist.org
See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org
Hi there,
Although I did register for tomorrow's session, I'm in a bit of a
traffic jam. I have a previous commitment and I simply cannot change it.
If I did attend Tuesday, I would invite practitioners to consider how
OST and Social norms of complex contagions i.e., social behavioral
change, tech requires learning together the OST values, and procedures.
Both methods share the key how, which is helping people help
themselves, or self-managing autonomy respecting help.
*Nevertheless, regards Tuesday's challenge, I did prompt MS Copilot as
follows; *
Draft a Damon Centola analysis in terms of his research on Social
Behavioral Change to the following;
Theme: How has open space supported us to meet the resistance of change
in community? Inviting stories from practice, exploration of the
method, and conversation about how Open Space can help people meet
uncertainty, reconnect, and act together.
Here’s a clean, powerful Damon‑Centola‑framed analysis written directly
for your Open Space theme and your community‑organizing context. It’s
structured, plainspoken, and ready to use as a handout, framing note, or
session intro.
*Damon Centola Analysis: Social & Behavioral Change Through the Lens
of Open Space*
Takeaway: *Centola’s research shows that meaningful change spreads
when people receive */multiple reinforcing contacts/inside
/trust‑rich clusters/. Open Space naturally creates those conditions
— which is why it helps communities face resistance, uncertainty, and
the slow, stubborn reality of human change.
*1. Why Change Is Hard: Centola’s Core Insight*
Centola’s work on /complex contagions/ explains why communities often
struggle to adopt new behaviors, norms, or shared commitments.
*High‑risk or high‑effort change requires reinforcement.* One
exposure isn’t enough. People need to see others they trust doing
the same thing.
*Network structure matters more than information.* Change spreads
when people are connected in /clusters/ that provide repeated,
credible reinforcement — not through isolated “influencers” or long,
thin ties.
*Uncertainty amplifies resistance.* When people don’t know what will
happen, they fall back on familiar patterns unless they see others
taking the same step.
This is exactly the terrain community organizers face: people aren’t
resisting the idea — they’re resisting the /risk/.
*2. How Open Space Meets That Resistance*
Open Space Technology (OST) quietly builds the network conditions
Centola identifies as essential for change.
*A. Clusters of Reinforcement*
Open Space creates small, self‑selected groups around shared concerns.
Centola would call these reinforcement clusters — places where people
hear the same idea from multiple trusted peers.
This reduces the perceived risk of trying something new.
*B. Wide Bridges Instead of Thin Ties*
When groups cross‑pollinate during marketplace, breakouts, and harvest,
Open Space builds wide bridges — multiple connections between clusters.
Centola’s experiments show that wide bridges dramatically increase
adoption of new behaviors because people see the same idea coming from
different parts of the network.
*C. Voluntary Participation = Credible Signals*
In Centola’s terms, voluntary action is a /strong signal/. Open Space’s
Law of Two Feet ensures that every conversation is powered by genuine
interest, not obligation.
This makes reinforcement more trustworthy and more contagious.
*D. Shared Storytelling Reduces Uncertainty*
Centola’s research shows that uncertainty is one of the biggest barriers
to change. Open Space reduces uncertainty by letting people:
hear stories from peers
witness others navigating similar challenges
see real examples of action
co‑create meaning instead of receiving instructions
Stories act as social proof — a key mechanism in complex contagions.
*3. Why Open Space Helps People Reconnect*
Centola’s work highlights that connection is not just emotional — it’s
structural.
Open Space rebuilds the network architecture that supports change:
People reconnect across silos.
Weak ties become stronger through shared experience.
New bridges form between groups that rarely talk.
Reinforcement loops emerge naturally.
This creates the conditions for collective agency — not just collective
conversation.
*4. Why Open Space Helps People Act Together*
Centola’s experiments show that action spreads when:
People see others acting.
They receive multiple exposures.
They feel part of a cluster.
They believe others will follow through.
Open Space produces all four:
Marketplace → visible commitment
Breakouts → repeated reinforcement
Harvest → shared accountability
Follow‑ups → wide‑bridge diffusion
Open Space doesn’t force action; it makes action socially easier.
*5. Inviting Stories From Practice*
To make Centola’s insights come alive, invite stories that highlight:
Moments when people changed their mind because they heard the same
idea from multiple peers
Times when a breakout group created a “cluster of courage”
Examples of ideas spreading across the room through repeated exposure
Situations where uncertainty dissolved because someone shared a
lived experience
Cases where Open Space helped people move from talk to action
because they felt supported by others
These stories illustrate complex contagions in real community practice.
*6. How Open Space Helps Us Meet Resistance*
Centola gives us the science. Open Space gives us the method.
Resistance softens when:
People see others taking the same risk
They hear reinforcing messages from trusted peers
They feel part of a group moving together
They have space to explore uncertainty without judgment
They can act voluntarily and visibly
Open Space creates a social environment where change is not pushed — it
is /reinforced/.
*7. Closing Synthesis*
*Centola’s research explains */why/Open Space works. Open Space
provides the social architecture that complex change requires.
When communities face resistance, Open Space:
builds trust clusters
creates wide bridges
amplifies reinforcement
reduces uncertainty
supports voluntary action
enables collective movement
This is how Open Space helps people reconnect, meet uncertainty, and act
together — not through pressure, but through the natural dynamics of
human networks.
On 8/3/2026 3:31 AM, Funda Oral via OSList wrote:
Hello Friends and Colleagues,
Open Space Lab's first session is tomorrow.
You're invited to join and contribute.
to sign up : https://luma.com/OSLab
_
_
Have a great day/night
Funda Oral Toussaint
In Solidarity for more joy, and less stuff,
Tony
Click HERE to Meet with Tony https://bit.ly/3WtAIgT
Tony,
Thanks for this AI view on meeting resistance to change in community. I’m struck by how consistent it is with what came up in today’s sessions. (Session notes will be shared soon….)
One phrase from below particularly caught my eye:
Open Space doesn’t force action; it makes action socially easier.
So true!!
Peggy
Peggy Holman
peggy@peggyholman.com
Bellevue, WA 98006
206-948-0432
www.peggyholman.com
Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity https://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/
"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become
the fire".
-- Drew Dellinger
On Aug 3, 2026, at 11:26 AM, Tony Budak via OSList everyone@oslist.org wrote:
Hi there,
Although I did register for tomorrow's session, I'm in a bit of a traffic jam. I have a previous commitment and I simply cannot change it. If I did attend Tuesday, I would invite practitioners to consider how OST and Social norms of complex contagions i.e., social behavioral change, tech requires learning together the OST values, and procedures. Both methods share the key how, which is helping people help themselves, or self-managing autonomy respecting help.
Nevertheless, regards Tuesday's challenge, I did prompt MS Copilot as follows;
Draft a Damon Centola analysis in terms of his research on Social Behavioral Change to the following;
Theme: How has open space supported us to meet the resistance of change in community? Inviting stories from practice, exploration of the method, and conversation about how Open Space can help people meet uncertainty, reconnect, and act together.
Here’s a clean, powerful Damon‑Centola‑framed analysis written directly for your Open Space theme and your community‑organizing context. It’s structured, plainspoken, and ready to use as a handout, framing note, or session intro.
Damon Centola Analysis: Social & Behavioral Change Through the Lens of Open Space
Takeaway: Centola’s research shows that meaningful change spreads when people receive multiple reinforcing contacts inside trust‑rich clusters. Open Space naturally creates those conditions — which is why it helps communities face resistance, uncertainty, and the slow, stubborn reality of human change.
- Why Change Is Hard: Centola’s Core Insight
Centola’s work on complex contagions explains why communities often struggle to adopt new behaviors, norms, or shared commitments.
High‑risk or high‑effort change requires reinforcement.
One exposure isn’t enough. People need to see others they trust doing the same thing.
Network structure matters more than information.
Change spreads when people are connected in clusters that provide repeated, credible reinforcement — not through isolated “influencers” or long, thin ties.
Uncertainty amplifies resistance.
When people don’t know what will happen, they fall back on familiar patterns unless they see others taking the same step.
This is exactly the terrain community organizers face: people aren’t resisting the idea — they’re resisting the risk.
- How Open Space Meets That Resistance
Open Space Technology (OST) quietly builds the network conditions Centola identifies as essential for change.
A. Clusters of Reinforcement
Open Space creates small, self‑selected groups around shared concerns.
Centola would call these reinforcement clusters — places where people hear the same idea from multiple trusted peers.
This reduces the perceived risk of trying something new.
B. Wide Bridges Instead of Thin Ties
When groups cross‑pollinate during marketplace, breakouts, and harvest, Open Space builds wide bridges — multiple connections between clusters.
Centola’s experiments show that wide bridges dramatically increase adoption of new behaviors because people see the same idea coming from different parts of the network.
C. Voluntary Participation = Credible Signals
In Centola’s terms, voluntary action is a strong signal.
Open Space’s Law of Two Feet ensures that every conversation is powered by genuine interest, not obligation.
This makes reinforcement more trustworthy and more contagious.
D. Shared Storytelling Reduces Uncertainty
Centola’s research shows that uncertainty is one of the biggest barriers to change.
Open Space reduces uncertainty by letting people:
hear stories from peers
witness others navigating similar challenges
see real examples of action
co‑create meaning instead of receiving instructions
Stories act as social proof — a key mechanism in complex contagions.
- Why Open Space Helps People Reconnect
Centola’s work highlights that connection is not just emotional — it’s structural.
Open Space rebuilds the network architecture that supports change:
People reconnect across silos.
Weak ties become stronger through shared experience.
New bridges form between groups that rarely talk.
Reinforcement loops emerge naturally.
This creates the conditions for collective agency — not just collective conversation.
- Why Open Space Helps People Act Together
Centola’s experiments show that action spreads when:
People see others acting.
They receive multiple exposures.
They feel part of a cluster.
They believe others will follow through.
Open Space produces all four:
Marketplace → visible commitment
Breakouts → repeated reinforcement
Harvest → shared accountability
Follow‑ups → wide‑bridge diffusion
Open Space doesn’t force action; it makes action socially easier.
- Inviting Stories From Practice
To make Centola’s insights come alive, invite stories that highlight:
Moments when people changed their mind because they heard the same idea from multiple peers
Times when a breakout group created a “cluster of courage”
Examples of ideas spreading across the room through repeated exposure
Situations where uncertainty dissolved because someone shared a lived experience
Cases where Open Space helped people move from talk to action because they felt supported by others
These stories illustrate complex contagions in real community practice.
- How Open Space Helps Us Meet Resistance
Centola gives us the science. Open Space gives us the method.
Resistance softens when:
People see others taking the same risk
They hear reinforcing messages from trusted peers
They feel part of a group moving together
They have space to explore uncertainty without judgment
They can act voluntarily and visibly
Open Space creates a social environment where change is not pushed — it is reinforced.
- Closing Synthesis
Centola’s research explains why Open Space works.
Open Space provides the social architecture that complex change requires.
When communities face resistance, Open Space:
builds trust clusters
creates wide bridges
amplifies reinforcement
reduces uncertainty
supports voluntary action
enables collective movement
This is how Open Space helps people reconnect, meet uncertainty, and act together — not through pressure, but through the natural dynamics of human networks.
On 8/3/2026 3:31 AM, Funda Oral via OSList wrote:
Hello Friends and Colleagues,
Open Space Lab's first session is tomorrow.
You're invited to join and contribute.
to sign up : https://luma.com/OSLab
Have a great day/night
Funda Oral Toussaint
In Solidarity for more joy, and less stuff,
Tony
Click HERE to Meet with Tony https://bit.ly/3WtAIgTOSList mailing list -- everyone@oslist.org
To unsubscribe send an email to everyone-leave@oslist.org
See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org