Bennelong Mini Summit - Facilitators Network ideas get noticed in Canberra
Greg Jenkins spoke to 180 people at the Bennelong Mini Summit hosted by Maxine McKew in West Ryde on Wednesday April 30. Here is the text of his report to the Network’s Core Group. It seems that we were heard. Point 5 in Topic 9 was mentioned as one of the best submitted ideas in the governance stream. We get traction in Canberra.
“Dear Core group
Here is the submission that I put in to the summit on behalf of the network. Sorry for not sending it earlier. I just typed up what we wrote up at the meeting, sent it off and didn't think much about it.
Last week I heard about a local summit in the seat of Bennelong that was to be hosted by new member Maxine McKew. I called the number to get myself an invitation.
During the conversation with the organiser I mentioned our Facilitators Network submission, which I was asked to forward to Maxine McKew's office. This got me a speakers spot (one of 20) at the Bennelong local summit in West Ryde last night.
The topic area they gave me was on the future of Australian governance and the topic leadership. I had to reread carefully what we had sent to the summit and I have to say I was most impressed with what we came up with.
The meeting last night was opened by Maxine McKew. Senator John Faulkner Special Minister of state was also there. In Senator Faulkner's speech he mentioned the 3500 submissions that had come in prior to the main summit. He then mentioned enthusiastically one of the best ideas that got traction at the summit was one that had come in via written submissions. The idea he said was in the governance area and was for a web portal idea for people to make inputs on governance issues etc.
After he said this, I quickly glanced at our submission which I had printed and taken with me. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that it was us that put in the idea. He was talking about point five in our submission for topic 9 - governance. The same idea was mentioned again and given a beat up in the introduction by Maxine McKew.
With such an audience I used my 4 minutes of fame, amongst other things, to talk about how the ideas in our discussion had emerged from people around small tables listening to each other. I compared this facilitated approach that we were using on the night and the one that I believe was used at the main summit where a few people came along with ideas to push. I took the opportunity to promote facilitated gatherings on a large scale where everyone's voice is heard.
In summary, even though our own summit meeting was an imperfect gathering, it was good enough to produce some really good ideas. More to the point it produced one of the main external ideas that got traction in the main summit. Imagine what we can do if we get our act together. I'm now connected with Maxine McKew's organising team and hopefully will have a greater role in the next local summit. Maxine McKew is also very close to Kevin Rudd. With a bit of luck and some lobbying real facilitators might get a role in the next big summit whenever that might be.
The immediate opportunities for us as facilitators is to get involved in local summits. Why not look in your electorate and see if you can get a gig on the back of our submission.”
Cheers
Greg
Community of Practice | Established 1992
9 May 2008
8 May 2008
20/20 Summit workshop Submission
Facilitators Network 20/20 Summit workshop Submission
Submission to the 20/20 summit by Sydney Facilitators Network
On April 7 we held an extraordinary meeting to devise a submission for the 20/20 summit. 12-15 of us met. We decided that we could do 3 of the 10 topics in a 2 hr session. The World Café format was used around 3 tables. After copious notes and deep discussions individual tables came up with the 300 words below which was submitted as one of 3500 submissions received in Canberra.
(We were listened to – see Notes on the Bennelong Mini Summit below)
TOPIC 1: The future of the Australian economy
• Passion encourages sharing rather than protecting
• Passion and power are opposites (ie power encourages protecting rather than sharing)
• As a country we need to value passion more than power including individual passion and collective passion
• Organisations and individuals should focus on
o What they are good at
o What they are passionate about
• Sharing of ideas will result in innovation
• Innovation works bottom up in small units
• Focus on connecting small units rather than creating large aggregated units
TOPIC 6: Strengthening communities and supporting working families
• Undertake urban planning to encourage accidental connection.
• Social capital grows out of community.
• Therefore fund social capital facilitators to engage the community.
• Encourage good things that are already happening in communities eg micro-loan models.
• Corporations CSR in local community - staff and funds.
• Have a Community Facilitator in the Piazza.
TOPIC 9: The future of Australian governance
• What would governance process look like in Australia if they were actively creating a viable and sustainable society?
• Focus on social measure as well as economics
• Regular reporting across a variety of measures
o Health
o Violence
o # of people that know neighbour's names
• Training every one in Australia in natural step (TNS)/big picture so they have a context to access political policy. (TNS: the natural step is an education program that enables people to work out if a business or country is sustainable or not)
• Create interactive web site that collates people's inputs re "what would make this community/the country better?
• Create an interactive program that enables community to collate things that make community better or worse - so we can tease out cause and effect.
Submission to the 20/20 summit by Sydney Facilitators Network
On April 7 we held an extraordinary meeting to devise a submission for the 20/20 summit. 12-15 of us met. We decided that we could do 3 of the 10 topics in a 2 hr session. The World Café format was used around 3 tables. After copious notes and deep discussions individual tables came up with the 300 words below which was submitted as one of 3500 submissions received in Canberra.
(We were listened to – see Notes on the Bennelong Mini Summit below)
TOPIC 1: The future of the Australian economy
• Passion encourages sharing rather than protecting
• Passion and power are opposites (ie power encourages protecting rather than sharing)
• As a country we need to value passion more than power including individual passion and collective passion
• Organisations and individuals should focus on
o What they are good at
o What they are passionate about
• Sharing of ideas will result in innovation
• Innovation works bottom up in small units
• Focus on connecting small units rather than creating large aggregated units
TOPIC 6: Strengthening communities and supporting working families
• Undertake urban planning to encourage accidental connection.
• Social capital grows out of community.
• Therefore fund social capital facilitators to engage the community.
• Encourage good things that are already happening in communities eg micro-loan models.
• Corporations CSR in local community - staff and funds.
• Have a Community Facilitator in the Piazza.
TOPIC 9: The future of Australian governance
• What would governance process look like in Australia if they were actively creating a viable and sustainable society?
• Focus on social measure as well as economics
• Regular reporting across a variety of measures
o Health
o Violence
o # of people that know neighbour's names
• Training every one in Australia in natural step (TNS)/big picture so they have a context to access political policy. (TNS: the natural step is an education program that enables people to work out if a business or country is sustainable or not)
• Create interactive web site that collates people's inputs re "what would make this community/the country better?
• Create an interactive program that enables community to collate things that make community better or worse - so we can tease out cause and effect.
2 May 2008
May 08 - Facilitating Values
Monday 12th May 2008 “Facilitating Values”
You are warmly invited to attend our next regular meeting on Monday 12th May
Monday 12th May 2008 “Facilitating Values” with Edward Saulig
Values act as guides to action. Studies show that what people value at work includes the following:
• freedom to participate in decisions directly affecting work activity
• a chance to learn on the job and to go on learning
• optimal variety
• mutual support and respect of work colleagues
• a socially meaningful task
• a sense of moving towards some desirable future
Edward Saulig facilitated an all day workshop to develop a set of values for his organization, Fairfield City Council. What emerged was “UMGAWI”.
Can we, as a facilitator’s community of practice, develop our own set of values in 60-90 minutes? Edward will apply his recent hands-on experience at this facilitation meeting.
An inclusive outcome is a definite possibility along with all the learning and sharing that it will entail. Let’s see what emerges. Let’s also find out the answer to the important question - what’s UMGAWI?
You are warmly invited to attend our next regular meeting on Monday 12th May
Monday 12th May 2008 “Facilitating Values” with Edward Saulig
Values act as guides to action. Studies show that what people value at work includes the following:
• freedom to participate in decisions directly affecting work activity
• a chance to learn on the job and to go on learning
• optimal variety
• mutual support and respect of work colleagues
• a socially meaningful task
• a sense of moving towards some desirable future
Edward Saulig facilitated an all day workshop to develop a set of values for his organization, Fairfield City Council. What emerged was “UMGAWI”.
Can we, as a facilitator’s community of practice, develop our own set of values in 60-90 minutes? Edward will apply his recent hands-on experience at this facilitation meeting.
An inclusive outcome is a definite possibility along with all the learning and sharing that it will entail. Let’s see what emerges. Let’s also find out the answer to the important question - what’s UMGAWI?
3 April 2008
April 08 - 2020 Summit Proposal
Facilitators Network Extraordinary Meeting Australia 2020 Monday 7th April
Facilitators Network 2020 Summit Submission
Extraordinary Meeting Monday 7th April, 2008
[Our scheduled fantastic meeting on April 14 is still on at our usual venue]
Our approximately 800 members have enormous experience and know-how which means that whilst we may not be invited personally to the 2020 table, we are well placed to influence those who have been invited and therefore contribute to the future of our nation.
With such variety and experience we propose that we put a group submission on behalf of the Facilitators Network (Est 1992) on each of the 10 summit topics (or as many as practical depending on who and how many turn up). Submissions to the 2020 summit will be accepted up to April 9.
Anyone can do an individual submission. However, as facilitators we have the processes to ensure that our submission emerges from the collective wisdom of our group.
Please come, bring friends and associates and be part of this once in a generation opportunity.
Facilitators Network 2020 Summit Submission
Extraordinary Meeting Monday 7th April, 2008
[Our scheduled fantastic meeting on April 14 is still on at our usual venue]
Our approximately 800 members have enormous experience and know-how which means that whilst we may not be invited personally to the 2020 table, we are well placed to influence those who have been invited and therefore contribute to the future of our nation.
With such variety and experience we propose that we put a group submission on behalf of the Facilitators Network (Est 1992) on each of the 10 summit topics (or as many as practical depending on who and how many turn up). Submissions to the 2020 summit will be accepted up to April 9.
Anyone can do an individual submission. However, as facilitators we have the processes to ensure that our submission emerges from the collective wisdom of our group.
Please come, bring friends and associates and be part of this once in a generation opportunity.
2 April 2008
April 08 - Smile Hunting Relieves Stress
Monday 14th April 2008 “Smile Hunting Relieves Stress”
You are warmly invited to attend our next regular meeting on Monday 14th April
Monday 14th April 2008 “Smile Hunting Relieves Stress” with Rada Millwood
Smile hunting relieves stress! This was the intriguing title describing results of recent research about the benefits of positive experiences. (The New Scientist 3/11/2007).
With increasing abundance, scientific research is confirming that positive actions such as smiling and laughing activate physiological processes that facilitate emotional balance and physical well-being.
Even without scientific validation, we know from our own personal experience that laughter clears the air, hurdles obstacles, makes roadblocks ridiculous, unplugs free association and lets our creativity loose. If we can laugh, we can think and perform at our best.
Smiling and laughter facilitate the conditions for enabling thinking, creativity and learning. More often than not, these simple human behaviours are often absent from our workplaces and daily life.
In this session Rada will draw on materials she presented to delegates at the 13th International Conference on Thinking held in Norrkoping, Sweden on 17–21 June 2007 so that you can participate in lots of smiling, laughing and having fun. You will be reminded of the lightness of spirit generated by full-bodied laughter exercise.
Rada Millwood’s diverse consulting and corporate development background is characterised by her long-standing interest in change, how people learn and how to enhance human potential.
You are warmly invited to attend our next regular meeting on Monday 14th April
Monday 14th April 2008 “Smile Hunting Relieves Stress” with Rada Millwood
Smile hunting relieves stress! This was the intriguing title describing results of recent research about the benefits of positive experiences. (The New Scientist 3/11/2007).
With increasing abundance, scientific research is confirming that positive actions such as smiling and laughing activate physiological processes that facilitate emotional balance and physical well-being.
Even without scientific validation, we know from our own personal experience that laughter clears the air, hurdles obstacles, makes roadblocks ridiculous, unplugs free association and lets our creativity loose. If we can laugh, we can think and perform at our best.
Smiling and laughter facilitate the conditions for enabling thinking, creativity and learning. More often than not, these simple human behaviours are often absent from our workplaces and daily life.
In this session Rada will draw on materials she presented to delegates at the 13th International Conference on Thinking held in Norrkoping, Sweden on 17–21 June 2007 so that you can participate in lots of smiling, laughing and having fun. You will be reminded of the lightness of spirit generated by full-bodied laughter exercise.
Rada Millwood’s diverse consulting and corporate development background is characterised by her long-standing interest in change, how people learn and how to enhance human potential.
2 March 2008
march 08 - Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World Together
Monday 10th March, 2008 “Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World Together”
You are warmly invited to attend our next meeting on Monday 10th March.
The meeting starts at 5:30pm and concludes at 7:30pm sharp
Monday 10th March 2008 “Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World Together” with Richard and Maria Maguire
Join Richard and Maria Maguire in a group exploration on some of the big issues facing our world today. These include the persistence of poverty, environmental degradation, spread of violence and armed conflict, limited and unequal access to education or health-care, ineffective governance and human rights, empty consumerism and lack of engagement.
Our awareness and concern for this “bigger picture” will have an impact on how we understand and perform our work as facilitators. We can make a difference to the big questions by noticing what is going on, finding solutions and supporting or inventing new directions.
The processes used in table groups will be useful for other situations you might encounter as facilitators. Also, some of the conversations might generate potential input into Federal Government's Australia 2020 Summit.
We intend for the results of the process and discussions at the meeting to be input into the 7th Global Conference on Human Development in Japan November 2008. The conference will bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, from many countries and all sectors of society, in an attempt to make a dent in “Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World together” (for more info see www.ica-international.org)
Richard and Maria Maguire (Unfolding Futures Pty Ltd) started and guided the Facilitators Network from 1992 for 12 years before passing the baton to the current team. They have been passionate facilitation practitioners for a very long time, yet still consider themselves as learners.
You are warmly invited to attend our next meeting on Monday 10th March.
The meeting starts at 5:30pm and concludes at 7:30pm sharp
Monday 10th March 2008 “Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World Together” with Richard and Maria Maguire
Join Richard and Maria Maguire in a group exploration on some of the big issues facing our world today. These include the persistence of poverty, environmental degradation, spread of violence and armed conflict, limited and unequal access to education or health-care, ineffective governance and human rights, empty consumerism and lack of engagement.
Our awareness and concern for this “bigger picture” will have an impact on how we understand and perform our work as facilitators. We can make a difference to the big questions by noticing what is going on, finding solutions and supporting or inventing new directions.
The processes used in table groups will be useful for other situations you might encounter as facilitators. Also, some of the conversations might generate potential input into Federal Government's Australia 2020 Summit.
We intend for the results of the process and discussions at the meeting to be input into the 7th Global Conference on Human Development in Japan November 2008. The conference will bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, from many countries and all sectors of society, in an attempt to make a dent in “Unlocking Human Potential to Create a New World together” (for more info see www.ica-international.org)
Richard and Maria Maguire (Unfolding Futures Pty Ltd) started and guided the Facilitators Network from 1992 for 12 years before passing the baton to the current team. They have been passionate facilitation practitioners for a very long time, yet still consider themselves as learners.
Outputs: www.unfoldingfutures.net/pdf/FacNetSydneyInputMarch08-5p.pdf
Session Guidelines: www.unfoldingfutures.net/pdf/InputSessionFacGuidelines-7p.pdf
2 February 2008
Feb 08 - Short Processes – Wildcard Meeting
Monday 11th Feb, 2008 “Short Processes – Wildcard Meeting”
Happy New Year and welcome to the Facilitators Network 2008, our 16th year.
You are warmly invited to attend our first meeting of the year on Monday 11th February.
The meeting starts at 5:30pm and concludes at 7:30pm sharp
Monday 11th Feb, 2008 “Short Processes – Wildcard Meeting”
At a wildcard meeting, members volunteer to run a short session for between 5 and 20 minutes. No sessions are scheduled in advance. All entries are taken on the night.
Types of processes suitable for the wildcard include ice breakers, opening and closing rituals, energisers, anything at all that can be done in 20 minutes or less.
Wildcard is for everyone. Whether you are a beginner, or highly experienced or somewhere in between, wildcard is for you.
The aim is to run and debrief as many short sessions as possible in the time available. Wildcard will start at 5:30 sharp. Please be on time.
For further info call Greg Jenkins M: 0418 486 501, greg@tincanlearning.com .
Happy New Year and welcome to the Facilitators Network 2008, our 16th year.
You are warmly invited to attend our first meeting of the year on Monday 11th February.
The meeting starts at 5:30pm and concludes at 7:30pm sharp
Monday 11th Feb, 2008 “Short Processes – Wildcard Meeting”
At a wildcard meeting, members volunteer to run a short session for between 5 and 20 minutes. No sessions are scheduled in advance. All entries are taken on the night.
Types of processes suitable for the wildcard include ice breakers, opening and closing rituals, energisers, anything at all that can be done in 20 minutes or less.
Wildcard is for everyone. Whether you are a beginner, or highly experienced or somewhere in between, wildcard is for you.
The aim is to run and debrief as many short sessions as possible in the time available. Wildcard will start at 5:30 sharp. Please be on time.
For further info call Greg Jenkins M: 0418 486 501, greg@tincanlearning.com .
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