July 20th, 2011
Long overdue blog post…
Most of the work that I do is about content first and process second. I speak at conferences, deliver learning programs to client organizations and I bring specific content to those engagements. How it is presented depends on objectives, size of the group, amount of time, etc. I also used to do a lot of pure facilitation work…where I was not responsible for any of the content or focus of the group, but rather for guiding them through a process towards developing a plan or making a decision. I have not done much of that work in the past couple of years and had forgotten how much I enjoy it.
Earlier this year, a diverse group of emerging leaders had approached me about facilitating a conversation for them with the goal of crafting a vision for the future of their state and a plan for how to get there. So, I spent last Thursday and Friday locked up in a room with about 75 passionate and eerily bright people, who care greatly about the future of their state.
We laughed. I think a few of us cried. We waded into the loud, messy intersection of 75 different sets of perspectives, priorities and aspirations and came out on the other side with an inspired vision for the future and a plan for how to get there down to the level of individual and immediate action items.
It was good.
I think that I am a little rusty in both design and facilitation as I have not done much of this work in the past year or two, but this session reminded me that I really enjoy that work and have a gift for it. It is a natural extension of my work, because whatever issues the group is working on, the process is about harnessing diversity.
I love the messy middle and I am good at liberating the magic that lives there.
I have experimented with decision acceleration, appreciative inquiry, open space, world café, learning circles and I incorporate aspects of those methodologies into the processes that I design.
I am going to make more of an effort to market this service in the future. The process design and facilitation work that I have done has been through people that know me and have seen me facilitate…I have not marketed it and it has largely happened by accident. So…if you know of a group that is trying to push through something, develop a plan for the future and / or make some decisions, let me know.
It’s part of the voodoo that I do.
Be good to each other.