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sparkplug! posts tagged -- collaboration

Simple frames for deeper conversations

Posted by Ian Colley on August 13, 2010 – 7:52 am

I helped facilitate a community conversation on sustainable communities last week.  It was in a cafe at night.   The process was a light touch combination of world cafe and Theory U.  World cafe puts different questions on different tables, allows people to choose their topic, then rotate to another topic and a new table group. It is very interactive, and encourages warm networking among strangers.

The piece from Theory U that was valuable was a simple way of framing the context for the discussion. The first round was pretty ‘heady’ stuff, lots of ideas and activity. For the second round, I made a point of introducing the discussion in the spirit of ‘empathic’ listening, listening from the heart. The  question was carefully constructed to be about ‘feelings’ of belonging in communities.

Then the last round of discussion was framed as ‘generative listening’. Not just telling others what should happen, but being alive to the possibility that something might emerge, collectively, in the discussion that would reveal a pathway to the future.

By the time we reached the conclusion, the conversation had a much deeper, slower tone.  The feedback from the guests was highly appreciative.

The simple lesson is about taking the time to make frame the conversation, making it really clear what is possible and desirable – standing up for empathy and openess.

More on Theory U: http://www.presencing.com/presencing-theoryu

More on World Cafe: http://www.theworldcafe.com

And for the Sustainable Grounds web site – cafe conversations for sustainability: http://sustainablegrounds.posterous.com

The two sides of collaboration

Posted by Annie Talve on July 6, 2010 – 4:51 pm

collaboration:
act of working jointly
act of cooperating traitorously with an enemy that is occupying your country

I once worked with a woman who refused to use the word collaboration or collaborator. The Nazi occupation of European countries during the second world war relied on the venality and fear of local ‘collaborators’ and, for my work colleague, this invocation of the word had contaminated it forever.
While collaboration has recently undergone something of a renaissance; it’s worth noting that dictionaries still contain its dual meaning. It may be a big stretch to link the optimism that accompanies contemporary collaborative practices with the self interest that marks the behaviour of a traitor in a highly charged political situation; but I argue that the shadow side of collaboration is always lurking and that truly successful collaborators recognise the need to bring an element of design and a dose of self awareness to the table.
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