What is Open X Day?
On this day we take time to do things we don’t have time for otherwise. The Open X Day is dedicated to all activities that are important for the organisation and the people. Everyone can bring in topics / ideas / improvements and implement them on Open X Day.
What is the goal of Open X Day?
To pause and give space to things that otherwise “fall by the wayside”.
How does is work?
We start at 8:30 a.m. either in a big room (restaurant) or online. The official end of the Open X Day is the aperitif at 16:15h.
The theme cards will be put down on paper by the participants on site or online: a crisp title / picture (as a reminder) and at the beginning (8:30 - 9:00) a short introduction (1, 2 sentences). The initiator determines time, duration, place and motivates fellow participants. The topics are managed on a board and each participant can choose the topics that interest him or her.
A typical board looks like this:
| Arena | Room X | Room Y | Else where | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 10:00 | ||||
| 10:00 - 11:00 | ||||
| 11:00 - 12:00 | ||||
| Lunch break | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:00 | ||||
| 14:00 - 15:00 | ||||
| 15:00 - 16:00 | ||||
| 16:15 - Wrap Up |
Rules
- Whoever comes are the right people - one or 25 doesn’t matter, and everyone is important and motivated.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have - the unplanned and unexpected is often creative and useful.
- Whenever it starts is the right time - the energy (not the punctuality) is important.
- When it is over, it is over - energy is more important than clock time.
and a law
Law of two feet - as an expression of freedom and self-responsibility: The participant stays in a group only as long as he/she thinks it makes sense, i.e. as long as he/she can learn and/or contribute.
Bumblebees and butterflies
When people apply the law of two feet, they sometimes show behaviours that are metaphorically expressed with the terms “bumblebees” and “butterflies”: “bumblebees” move from workshop to workshop like bumblebees move from flower to flower and fertilize the workshops reciprocally “butterflies” are attracting others.
FAQs
Who is participating?
Participation is voluntary, anyone who feels like it and is motivated can participate. Anyone can contribute topics. Advance arrangements for topics with other teams are desired. Guests from outside IT and Baloise are also very welcome.
What topics are interesting for Open X Day?
The Open X Day is the day of all topics, e.g. topics that might otherwise have been presented in a Lightning or in a BLAC. You are also allowed to program (very much like to do it cross-team) or you were at a conference or event and you want to report about it or you have achieved something in the team that could be interesting for other teams …. There are no limits to your imagination.
How does room reservation work?
The rooms are already reserved. You do not have to worry about that.
Who can I contact if I have any questions?
In general you can contact all ScumMasters.
Do I have to participate the whole day?
No, you only take part in the sessions that interest you.
What do I do in the time that is occupied with topics that do not interest me?
During this time I support my team, e.g. work on user stories in the sprint.
Are only topics allowed that help the organisation in any way?
All topics are welcome.
Can I only contribute topics that can be worked on within an hour?
If you already know that a topic cannot be finished in an hour, you can also use several slots (next to each other).