Who cares about web 2.0?

Lee Lefever over there at Commoncraft has written about a reality check regarding who is using the web tools like blogs, and twitter, and social networking. He has a good point. Those of us doing what I’m doing now may well be early adopters – although I must admit to feeling nothing like an early adopter as I struggle to understand and keep up with what’s happening in geekland. 

I have a blog, surf the net, enjoy social networking and twitter for two very pragmatic reasons.

The first is because my learning style is ‘active experimenter’ – I learn by doing. Telling me about web tools doesn’t compute (sorry – bad pun) – I have to use them to understand. That was my main motivation for starting this blog. I’m learning how to do podcasts the same way.

And the second reason is also very pragmatic. I work alone. I work from home. I have hermit tendencies. It would be way to easy to become isolated from the world. So the internet and its tools provide a way to keep me connected and knowing what’s going on in the world through trusted sources. You know who you are because you are listed over there on the left in my blogroll.

Actually, there’s a third reason too. I’m a science fiction fan. Not those new genre fantasy stories – the original sci fi wow! sorta stories that described a world that was just amazing. I find myself living in that world – amazed every day at the capacity to connect across the planet. I don’t care if no-one ever reads what I write. I like that I can write what i want and publish it. I like that i can make podcasts. I like that I’m lucky enough to live in my very own fantasy world AND it’s real. When I no longer care I’ll probably stop.

Lessons from scenario planning

I’ve been doing scenario planning with some agricultural industry people in rural Victoria with my friend Stephen Kelly. Here’s some of what we’ve learnt.

Developing scenarios is designed to help you make better decisions today. Therefore the scenarios are not are substitute for a vision statement of a  preferred future. They describe plausible, possible  futures. The name ‘scenario planning’ is a misnomer –  indicating to many people, maybe even at a  subconscious level, that it’s another form of planning. Sure, planning may evolve out of the scenarios, but developing the scenarios themselves requires suspending that planning instinct.

The actual future will probably incorporate elements of all the scenarios developed. The process does not develop a preferred, or even, ‘correct’ scenario. It’s based on taking what we know for sure and combining that with what’s uncertain to develop possible futures. This requires some cognitive gymnastics by participants, especially if they are analytic and logical. Developing scenarios means taking some chances, taking some intuitive leaps and telling the story of the future. Thus language may get in the way. A scenario is usually a combination of known facts plus plausible alternatives. the plausible bit is important too. Scenarios developed from extreme, unlikely situations are rarely of much use.

What’s that? You’re wondering about the process of developing scenarios? Here’s one approach:

1) Gather known facts – data about demographics, geography etc

2) Look back 30 years and map the major events that happened in the world, country, industry during that time. Identify trends that this time-line reveals.

3. Use a 2 x 2 matrix based on important/unimportant and predicatible/uncertain to map these trends, and any other key drivers. Focus on the important/uncertain drivers as the core of your scenarios.

4. Affinity group these drivers and write newspaper headlines – based in the future – based on these.

5. Using Visual Explorer cards, take a headline and develop a story about the future using the picture cards. Tell the story that the around the cards and record this as the basis of your scenario.

6. Give each scenario a catchy name – usually relying on a metaphor to provide names for the various scenarios.

The time-frame for scenarios is 10 years. Shorter than this and the scenarios will be extrapolation of what’s already happening; much longer and people have difficulty imagining what the future might hold. Aim for 3 – 4 scenarios.

Watch out for:

• People wanting to describe in detail how to achieve a certain future. This is planning, not scenario development
• Too many scenarios that are a slight variation of each other – you’re looking for scenarios that are different enough that they are a useful tool for decision-makers
• Avoid scenarios written like this – in dot points! Encourage rich, detailed story telling with characters and plots to help the scenarios come alive.

Amazing people

One of the joys of my work is the opportunity to meet so many amazing people.

One of them is photographer Tristan Clements.

Check out his pics on flickr.

Conferences worth attending

Thanks to Seth Godin for this post about what makes conferences and meetings worth attending.

And so I can add another element to what a (good) facilitator adds to a meeting. Surprise! I was also re-reading Les Posen’s post about presentation skills. The one where he talks about taking the audience from ‘Huh?’ to ‘Ah-ha!’. Facilitators can do that too.

And Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen is on the same tack. If you have to present soon – at a meeting, a conference, wherever – spend some time at Presentation Zen and DO WHAT HE SAYS! Please! I’m becoming increasingly impatient with intelligent people with great messages burying them in dense powerpoint slides and remaining COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS to the reaction of their audience.

We will now resume normal operations!

From Siem Reap, Cambodia.

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. I’ve just completed two straight weeks of facilitating in three different countries. I really should take my own advice from my previous post and not work so hard!

The work has been varied, stimulating, challenging at times, and mostly fun. I’ve worked with irrigation farmers, public servants and aid workers. Some have been existing clients, some new. The work itself has ranged from scenario planning, organisational culture change, team building, facilitation training (in person and on-line) and facilitating pieces of a five-day forum. Oh, and there’s been the odd excursion to amazing places like Angkor Wat. 

Sometimes I wonder if I add any value as a facilitator. After all, the people mentioned above are the ones doing the work. This was especially apparent this week working with aid workers. I travel back to Australia and my comfortable life while they continue to struggle with the effects of disasters such as Cyclone Nargis in Burma and the Chinese earthquake. These people often work with groups and communities so I’d use facilitation processes that they can probably use in their own work. So while I’ve pondered on this blog about the role of a facilitator, I’m now considering our value.

Focus, processes, time-keeping, summarising, efficiency are all important. But what I think really adds value is challenging – challenging existing thinking and behaviour patterns. As an external facilitator I make observations and say things to a group that, even when known amongst the group itself, is hard for any one person of the group to say.  And sense-making. Providing different ways for individuals and the group to make sense of a shared experience by providing frameworks and different tools.

Let me give an example of sense making. At the end of a week-long forum with aid workers I wanted to do some reflecting on the whole week. And my client wanted some data for an evaluation report. With people from 17 different countries in the room it was obvious that one approach just wouldn’t cut it. So I offered four and invited them to self-select which one they wanted to work on.

1. A standard ORID (focused discussion) format: facts and figures, reactions and significance of the event.

2. The three-bears approach: Hmmm – just right; Whoa – way too much!; and Please – can I have some more?

3. Visual Explorer where they used the cards to tell a story of the week.

4. The Story Spine: Once upon a time…; Every day…; But one day…; Because of that… (x n); Until finally…; And ever since then…

The results were extraordinary – each producing different aspects of the same experience in a way that was engaging and stimulating. 

Don’t work so hard!

Way too long since I wrote anything here. Interesting that my last post was about facilitator energy. Since then I’ve been lurching from workshop to workshop – as well as travelling a lot – so maintaining my energy has been important. It’s become clear what works for me – not eating or drinking too much, getting out in the open air and away from people, staying connected with those who matter. And while I have little energy left for blogging – although no shortage of things I’d like to say – twitter is far more manageable, and helps to keep me grounded, recognising that others have lives which are just as hectic, if not more, than mine.

A couple of weeks ago Anne Pattillo and I launched our new facilitation training program – Facilitating With Confidence. Now that it’s off and running we’re really excited by it. After many false starts we reckon we’ve finally created a model that might help people facilitate more effectively. We both recognised the alarm bells after two-day training programs when participants would contact us and ask when we were available to facilitate a workshop for them. An OK marketing tool I suppose, but not really what we intended. While less people might sign up for a 12-week course that includes 6 days face-to-face and lots of on-line stuff, it feels to us like it has more integrity and that it will help people facilitate with confidence. And apart from anything else, it’s fun to create something to share with others, great to work together AND doing something we love.

Talking about love, I did enjoy the latest Hugh and the Rabbi (+ Euan and Johnnie) podcast about love in organisations. I do love the way these podcasts range all over the place and then come together – bit like (lot like!) real conversations. Connection came through as important, as did intimacy – the little things we do for each other that matter. And not trying too hard. Reminds me of Rule 2 Anne and I kept referring to in our training:

Rule # 2 – Don’t work so hard

Can’t remember rule 1 or 3 cos Rule # 2 is the most important – for a facilitator. This is about remembering, and acknowledging, that the workshop is not about us – it’s about them, the participants. They have the knowledge, the wisdom, they know what needs to be done – we’re there to help them, not do it for them. So remember: Don’t work so hard!

Facilitator Energy

There’s been a lot of discussion on our local Facilitator List about facilitator energy – many very sensible and useful suggestions. However I love this response from Andrew. Made me laugh – and I think that’s one of the best ways to rejuvenate.

 

 

A great topic and one I reckon we can learn a lot from dogs. No seriously. For example:

– When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

– Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

-Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

– Take naps.

– Stretch before rising.

– Run, romp, and play daily.

-Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

– Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

– On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

– On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

– When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

-Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

-Be loyal.

-Never pretend to be something you’re not.

– If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.   Persevere.

– When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.