FacilitationCamp London 2010 - What Happened?
Add your insights or suggestions here > http://barcamp.org/FacilitationCampHowWasIt To return to the PlaySpace, click here > http://barcamp.org/FacilitationCampParticipantsPlaySpace
See the video, with groovy soundtrack! Day 1 http://s.coop/3jt Day 2 http://s.coop/3ju All Andrea's photos http://s.coop/3jv Your photos (please upload to Flickr, and add 'FacilitationCamp' tag). Andrea Gewessler Process / event photography - Andrea can be contacted at andrea@ag-consulting.co.uk or on 0796 396 0194. You are free to use the photographs for non-profit purposes but please accredit them to the photographer. If you would like to use them for commercial use, please get in touch with Andrea directly.
Please upload your reports from each session here [Format - Time, Location, Host Name, Title, Output]:
If you were present, please have a look and make sure that this is as comprehensive as it should be; some of them could do with a bit of a clean up. In particular, add contact emails { replace Joe@Bloggs.com with Joe*AT*Bloggs.com to avoid the SpamBots :} and links to further reading, your website etc. If you were present at one of the sessions and feel that more needs to be added to make it useful or representative, please add your (concise!) observations and wisdom below.
Sessions were a variety of lengths, with bullet slots of 20 mins, up to 1 1/2 hrs and more.
Day 1 Friday 20 August 2010
Open Space 1 - With timing close to atomic precision on paper, but Bermuda Triangle Time in practice, OS 1 was skipped :)
Open Space 2, 11.00 - 11.30 am
Badger, David Pinto, 'Letterbox Protocol', Present - Susie, Philip, Clare, Greta, Annie, Lycia
- Help self-organization - Deepening of group - New rules (eg. "3-word rule") - Inclusive to all - You end up wanting to know more from others - Pauses, rhythm, listening - Establish more principles
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Rhino, Annette, 'Storytelling', Present - Emma, Ayako, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joe, Lauren
- Becoming the user - Alternatives to ice breakers - Relating to people you already know - Building a story together
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Open Space 3 11.30 am - 1.00pm
Dolphin, Elizabeth McDonnell em44*AT*tutor.open.ac.uk , 'Personal Sharing With Strangers'
Present - Alan, Vincent, Wendy
* Exploring how to facilitate making deep connections
- visuals as derailing negative emotions & connections & patterns of language
- immersing in new environments: free gathering
- getting below superficial buzz, below scientific and technical explanations, below world views, paradigms and values, to MYTHS, METAPHORS, VISUALS, that capture intuitive & emotional understandings (CAUSAL LAYERED ANALYSIS)
- mapping the system & information flows through it: system structure creates system behaviour
- identify a champion / White Knight, who can grant permission for process AND champion its results
- manage fears: people project fears onto OTHER, then push back violently against perceived fear
- supporting space where people can approach conversations with each other from a new vantage point - pictures & visuals can offer that new perspective
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Badger, Greta Irving, 'What is your deepest intention?"
Present - Francois, Philip, Annie Quick, Emma, Johnnie
- Guided meditation - deepest intentions
- Group sharing
- Relationship and facilitation
OBSERVATIONS: connection, multiple perspectives, creative energy, embodiment, knowing what I want
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Leopard, Ayisha, ayisha*AT*theconversationagency.co.uk, 'What is facilitation? A divergent brainstorm'
Present - Emily, Lauren, Clara, Susie, Sarah
- 40-min dialogue (facilitated philosophical inquiry)
Q. Are we all facilitators?
KEY WORDS: safe space - acknowledgment of what is often unspoken
balance - self-disclosure/acknowledgment
participation = in + at = dance
intention - in service of group balanced with my needs
build confidence - skillful decisions; the skill of holding a space as well as knowing how to become part of the group
- 20-min dialogue
Q. How do we facilitate ourselves the deep mutual support we need?
- Who do we feel sense of belonging with?
- The idea of being in something together
- Finding the common ground
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Rhino, David (Action Cycle) happy - (??)
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Cat, Merlin, 'Practical techniques for resolving polarized debate'
Present - Margie, Lycia, Andrea, Clare, Annie, Nathaniel
Techniques:
- Work out a shared vision - more decisions towards that vision rather than make decisions in isolation. Consensus on the vision should make decisions easier.
- Remind that the real good is to maintain the integrity of the group.
- Do a strength of feeling test. Can you live with that? Importance of decision can be lost in inflammation of debate.
- Brainstorm why people are holding on to their decisions. Ask them what they stand to lose or gain by holding this position.
- Spectrum lines to work out where the group is with the debate, then small groups, another spectrum line, two camps presenting arguments to each other, another spectrum line.
- Ask people where they are between 1 to 10. What would it take for you to be 6,7,8?
- Hold a future conference. Look at where you are and how you got there and where you want to go and how you could get there.
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Open Space 4, 2.00 - 2.40 pm
Worm, Ian Drysdale, idrysdale*AT*gmail.com, 'Facilitating Prototyping'
- Discussed process of prototyping services.
- Tuttle club as a prototype of people meeting and a tron game..!
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Open Space 5, 2.20 - 2.40 pm
Dolphin, Annette, 'Facilitating Social Business'
Present - Clara, Greta, Mamading, Wendy
- Annette introduced Social Business
- Mamading talked about London Creative Labs
- Annette's interested in LCL
- Greta wants to know how Annette/LCL works
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Open Space 5, 2.20 - 2.40 pm
Badger, Nathaniel White ( Nate*AT*DecisionLab.org.uk ), 'Breathing'
- We learned how to breathe, as we did when we were in the womb.
- Can be used for relaxation or to be energized.
- This type of breathing massage
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Open Space 6, 2.40 - 3.00 pm
Badger, Alan Jackson, 'Technology for Facilitation'
Present - David, Emily, Nate, Vincent
- How to use virtual without compromising physical facilitation
- "Remote whiteboard"
- "Confluence model"
- "Basecamp"
- "Asynchronous consensus"
- "Automated dotmocracy"
QUOTE: "Minimize the virtual, maximize the physical"
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Open Space 6, 2.40 - 3.00 pm
Fish, Wendy Schultz, wendy*AT*infinitefutures.com Check Title : Capturing outputs visually
Present - Lycia, Ayisha, Margie, Annie
1) What recording / graphic recording contributes to group process:
- Increases active / accurate listening
- Validates each contribution / contributor
- Short-circuits 'broken record' syndrome
- Acts as convenient double check of discussion content against articulated expectations, meeting goals
- Enables efficient review, easy catch-up of latecomers
*See chapter on Recorder in Doyle & Strauss, 'How to Make Meetings Work'
2) Getting visual
- Full-on graphic recording - simultaneous cartooning of ideas under discussion (a rare and expensive skill)
- But everyone can draw swoops, lines, stick figures, circles, squares, rectangles, triangles - your body will help (use elbow joint as protractor, use muscle memory, encourage drawing)
- Embed summary points in simple geometric icons (eg. circle = target, so list goals there, list actions in arrow heading to centre of target)
- Use old photographs, postcards, ads to add more sophisticated and emotionally evocative visuals as a collage to your simpler hand-drawn graphics - ask participants to jot down the insights and stories they associate with photos or illustrations they've chosen
*See David Sibbet, Graphic Keyboard at Grove Consultants
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Rhino, David Warren, davidguywarren*AT*gmail.com, 'Big Society?'
- Present: Emma, Hannah, Ian, Joe, Sue, Marein, Francois
- We shared our knowledge on the idea of 'Big Society' as referred to by David Cameron and the current government. We were all unsure what it actually means, or what it will look like and think very few people actually know for sure.
- Several concerns were raised:
- It could be used as a means to mask the public spending cuts
- Current ideas may not inspire the public at large, eg. parents running their own school and community book lending schemes are very middle class concepts
- It is called Big Society, but there are only four pilot areas and each one will be led by a Cabinet member; this creates a concern that this hierarchical leader may reduce positive impacts of grassroots approach
- The positive aspects captured included: It is an mazing opportunity - If done right, it could allow public sector to be more connected with the community - potentially very exciting
- As people interested in facilitation, we also considered what our role might be in helping shape the process. We concluded it was too early to tell, and realise the four pilot areas may already have been inundated with offers of help and support. Possible future activities may require the skills of facilitators, or running training for community members.
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Open Space 7, 3.00 - 4.30 pm
Badger, Emily, empathi.info*AT*gmail.com, 'What is visual facilitation?'
Present - Ayisha, Ayako, Joe, Ian, Laura, Margie
- We made a collective map answering the question 'what is visual facilitation'
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Cat. Philip Milburn, philip*AT*lifemusic.org.uk Intuitive Facilitation (using music)
Present: Nate, Andrea, Vincent, Martin Gi., Sarah, David, Alan
We discussed:
- relatuionship between facilitation and leadership
- what is intuition ? How do we each experience it. "Knowing', gut feeling
- How do I create intuitive plans ?
- Leading a group from my own feelings is always the right thing to do; authenticity / containing your feelings when appropriate
- Facilitative leadership is when you have a desired outcome
I started leading, then invited others in the group to take over and practice intuitive leadership by following their impulses and spontaneous ideas.
As a result, 1 person invented a great name game > 1) Each person plays their instrument and says their name 2) 'Close your eyes' 3) Each person plays their instrument & the group has to guess who is playing 4) Several people playing at the same time and some drop out. With eyes still closed, call out who is starting and stopping playing.
Another invented a means of using instruments to work on communication."To work as a team, we all need to be in harmony I'll start playing, then you all join in and let's see if we can play in time". At first, we were all out of time. Then, we became in time. Then 3 were in time and one was out >>> This became A SOUND ILLUSTRATION OF GROUP COMMUNICATION - HARMONY - DISSONANCE
Summary: we used simple musical instruments to facilitate exercises in communication / team-building / introductions ... etc ... anything you want.
FINAL CHALLENGE TO THE GROUP CONVENER: HOW WOULD I TEACH INTUITIVE FACILITATION TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE OF IT ?
I'll go away and think about that ... ! [Get the ego out of the way.... it's a long process... ! ]
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Rhino, Sue Bell, 'Power Listening'
Present - Emma, Daria
- A power listening experience
- We discussed the fine balance between seeming detached and being 'drawn in' when facilitating or talking to people in a highly emotionally charged state (eg. angry)
- Very powerful and liberating experience, thank you.
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Dolphin, Johnnie, 'Going Deeper'
Present: Lloyd + others
- You had to be there!
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Leopard, Greta, 'What kind of facilitator are you?'
Present: Clare, Emma, Martin Gr.
A one to one facilitation using 'Clean Language' where Greta facilitated X in their desired outcome of "exploring my relationship with facilitation":
X developed a metaphor of a 'ball of confidence' which is located in their chest, which grows each time they practices, until X was able to push through the double doors into the unknown, and they knew they had their ball of confidence and would step forward into the circle of the group they want to facilitate.
The day before the event, X had expressed lack of confidence and knowledge about facilitation. After the 30 min facilitation she felt confident enough to start practising facilitation.
The technique: [ADDED BY MG, THIS SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR CORRECTNESS!] >> About Clean Language - for asking questions in a way that helps the subject to discover much about the language that they use, and why: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Language
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Worm, Annette, 'Logistics and How To of Open Space'
Present- Mamading, Francois, Peter
- Annette gave an overview of her process: make sure client will implement action from OS (she gets a panel of workers to buy in first + the commissioner)
- Open question in plain English generated by the panel, question forming is critical (she has a specific process for this)
- Big square room to form a circle (have laptops supplied, have assets, material & delegate list supplied in advance)
- Event planning and logistics, create a simple schedule
- Write to client with plan and quote
- Put question all over room, so people can't miss it
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Open Space 7, 4:30 - 5:15 pm
Dolphin, Francois, Marketing Facilitation
Present Vincent
Difficulty of selling to corporates (even though great need)
Need reference to bottom-line
Positioning important
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Cat, Martin Gilbraith, martin@ica-uk.org.uk Facilitator Networking
A 2 person discussion with Martin Grimshaw
Summary:
An interesting discussion about nurturing networks, communities of co-supportive peers, to help develop Facilitation, its market in the UK, professional development. Partly inspired by one of the motivations of FacilitationCamp - 'Caring for the carers' (because facilitation is often lonely work)
- Linking the networks - nurturing a potent facilitation force for +ve change * Means for people to develop skills and expertise * To promote the profession and to promote facilitation as a way of life, for a more empowered and happier world
- Fantasy: a 'network of networks (or interlinking family of networks). How does FacilitationCamp fit in to this? There is some will among the organisers to see a more connected network of peers arising from this event, tempered by the realism of limited time / benefit / motivation to do the considerable work in maintaining it
- Is there a clear need? It takes time and effort to nurture a network, might be successful if centred around a tangible need, but is there really enough benefit to keep people interested? There is a need to promote facilitation itself. Suggestion - start bottom-up, rooted in communities and personal contacts (and around mutual need or existing social / professional circles).
Here's some useful places to start:
LinkedIn groups > Hopefully these links work: Professional Facilitators Network http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=60314 * UK Facilitators Network http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1856860#
MGi is a member and advocate of the International Association of Facilitators > http://www.iaf-world.org < which is a Professional Association more than a network. IAF provides a forum for members to train each other in facilitation. There is an emphasis on peer review and competencies.
MGi recomended looking into Interact online tools and support of establishing facilitator networks... and here they are: http://www.interactnetworks.co.uk
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Worm, Wendy Schultz, wendy*AT*infinitefutures.com Impacts and implications of change - Future's Wheels
Present: David, Alan, Emily, Sarah, Clara, Emma
** also suggestion that an instruction resource is available on slideshare << PLEASE ADD?
Badger, Susie, susansteed1*AT*hotmail.com How can Social Return on Investment (SROI) change the world?
Present: Sue, Ayisha, Sylvana, Joe, Ian & more
"I gave a boring intro to SROI; we then debated whether to apply it to money, or the 'Facilitation Olympics'. We chose money, then mapped out the impact of money. The conversation was quite varied. The outcomes we discussed from the way money works were pretty negative. We left with questions about how its role could / should change."
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Day 2 Saturday 21 August 2010
Open Space 1, 11.00 - 11.30
Lion, Merlin Hayword, Facilitator Qualifications
Present: Lycia, Andy, Sue
A journey towards letting go of the outcome
Our qualities to include: Whatever we need to be, wherever we need to be.
A recognition of I as both unique and the everything of us, the world, the universe.
Question: Is the reproduction of a private life the key to retaining the honestly & openess that are good qualities for a facilitator? And is the interconnectedness of a more public life in a real community a safeguard against personal, isolating fear and a building block towards serenity?
Answer: Don't reach for the change you seek in others in order to make that change, and build that envirnoment
that you seek, but 'be' the change. If you are the change people will be attracted towards you, and ask how it is you are calm in the midst of change.
Lesson: Change yourself rather than your environment, and you environment will change.
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Llama, Andrea, Check title : How do we share best practice?
Present: Jacqui M, Nate W
How do we share best practice?
- peer observation (mentors? Pro-peers? need trust)
- list of pros willing to have company
- event schedule where peer observers would be welcome
- classes w/ practical rehersal
- "try it out" - techniques + events tested on other facilitators
- after action reviews/ retrospectives
- what happened? what did you do? why?
- Al best practice interviews written up + shared online
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Mouse, Alan, Barcamp Vs Openspace
Johnnie, Mamading, Angela, Julian
Less is more
Barcamp: 6 volunteers 150 participants
+ -
Playful 30 minute intro
Sleepover (15 mins instructions)
Free Your space
Sponsored 15 minute gaps
Free Stuff Strict timetable
-food (law of 2 feet
-been implicit)
-sway
excitement/festival
warewolf the board
culture (vs tool)
tweet! no session notes
Hashtag
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Dragon, Martin Grimshaw - martin*AT*DecisionLab.org.uk , 'Elections by Consent - a quick & simple method to avoid strife and work, while finding the 'best' person for a role' - present Ayisha, Francios, Ayako, Himi, Clare
Description: Martin took the group through a streamline process for selecting a person for a role; it strikes a balance between trying to find the best person and finding a person that the group can get along with, and can cut through a lot of work and stress. We used a simpler version of the full technique as set out in the 'Resolver' pdf download below; instead of nominations on paper:
- Participants close their eyes, think about the best person, when ready look to the facilitator, and in turn state the person and why.
- Round 2: Close eyes and repeat (there will be some natural convergence and shifting at this point).
- Facilitator chooses based on strength of argument, not on number of nominations.
- Consent round - "Does anyone have any paramount objections?" (NB there is some art to this!) - ask nominee last (who have every right to decline).
- Propose a new nominee, and repeat step 4, or if necessary explore concerns using a consent decision making process.
Quick response from participants: Collaborative decision making for elections; Avoids numerous pitfalls of democracy & elections; Finds the right person for jobs; Light; not bogged down; Light simulation - in which we took a long/short time deciding...not to get coffee!
A concise help sheet to guide one through the process is attached here... skip through to page 8. Please contact me if you would like to know or explore this more > Resolver A5.pdf >> Note - this came from Formal Consensus & Sociocracy (Collaborative Governance) - Links: http://decisionlab.org.uk/resources/
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Open Space 2 11.30 - 1.00
Elephant, Johnni, Share a Game
Susie, Himi, Merlin, & others
We played games, but the things we thought would be child's play were difficult with adult baggage.
We also all died like warriors and made lots high pitched noises!
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Ant, Sarah Willis (sarahwillis*AT*circleindigo.com), Mapping & exploring your facilitation practice
Julian, Sue, Ayaka, Jacqui, Francois, Martin
We enjoyed a demonstration of 'Constellations' with a variant, by introducing it via a 'learning map' process (like 'sociogram') in which we made a picture of elements in our life as facilitators, with ourselves at the centre. We used black circles of paper and coloured sticky notes of various shapes. We then chose one person's 'map' and one interesting element that had emerged. We chose 3 people to 'be' 3 chosen elements in this case:
'Person', 'Difference' and 'Unidentified Feeling'.
The person being represented by another directed the 'elements' to stand in relation to each other, and the 'elements' moved 4 described how they felt. The person gained useful insight from a different perspective.
Constellations:
- Systemic - Shows up the invisible dynamics of systems, organisations, situations.
www.now-here.com/foundation
www.movingconstellations.com
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Turtle, Andy Moretti, Re-framing Religion, from H.C. Anderson to Changing the World
Andy communicated his philosophy - universal route to love- and the journey he is undertaking to synthesis this process and manifest some seemingly impossible outcomes in different areas of his life. By leveraging social networks, religion could be reframed as life coaching in the spirit of The Emperor's New Clothes
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Louis Dragonfly - a journey into sensitivity to space
Mamading, Clare, Elizabeth
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
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Open Space 3 14.00 - 14:20
Elephant, Sarah Visually recording FacilitationCamp
Present: Alan, Julian, Ayako, Sarah
We mapped visually aspects of FacilitationCamp * We designed a poster of little squares and each contributed a visual image * We had fun!
Open Space 4 14.20 - 14.40
Facilitating Learning
Butterfly, Francois
Ayisha, Merlin, Himi, Susan, Ayoko, Mamading
Briefly presented principle of facilitating learning, as opposed to training, using accelelerated learning and whole body learning techniques, developed in factory blue-collar worker training in an international technolgy transfer project (automotive transplants), giving a few simple examples:
- use of classical music to relax and demarcate start of session
- exposure to short segments of learning material in relaxation mode (sub-conscious), played in between music
- Total Physical Response (TPR) - getting learners to act out
- Use of music in role-plays, to set mood of role-play as well as mask other groups talking
- SGAV - Structuro-Global Audio Visual approach (holistic, whole body), never dissected, always in context
- fundamentally shifting focus from training to learners learning
- huge amount of input before any output expected (like babies learn)
- and doing so in a multi-sensory modes (including sub-conscious)
- and making learning fun
We briefly discussed application in facilitation role, eg using music as a way to mark space and time (cue), as well as influence atmosphere (fun)
Multi-sensory approach to various activities and processes
Getting people to do things (creating context) rather than intellectualising.
(Anyone interested in reading personal recollection of the Cami project, click here - warning long-winded, repetitious in parts, needs editing)
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Open Space 5 2.40
Playful Mouse, Rahima & Sue Why isn't Open Space in schools?
Present: Sarah, Ayisha
We shared relevant experience & resourcess around facilitation and creating learning experiences * Creative partnerships * Enhancing children's learning * World Cafe process * Edspace * All in the dance of exploring, doing and focussing
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Open Space 7 1500 - 1630
Dragon, Philip Milburn philip*AT*lifemusic.org.uk Title: Let's create a musical
Present: Alan Elizabeth Martin
to be completed .....
