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sparkplug! posts tagged -- design

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

Towards a Viable Australia

Posted by Ian Colley on April 6, 2010 – 5:32 pm

Early in March, I joined a three day workshop with an incredibly ambitious aim:  “Creative Thinking Forum on Creating a Viable Australia”. The event drew some 60-70 people together from around Australia.

I wondered if we were all crazy.

Yet the process, ‘Design Shop’ created and facilitated by Matt Taylor and hosted at The Difference in Sydney was extraordinary and enlightening.

Matt is an irrepressible 70 yr old, with a mind rich with concepts and processes worked out over a lifetime of engagement with creative practices, coming from an architecture background, but now applying his work across many domains.

We might not have created a viable Australia in a single weekend, but what emerged was a very serious attempt to describe the conditions and processes under which such an aim was even imaginable.

What did I learn from the process? Read More »