Facilitation: putting a microscope on process with Ian Colley | Monday September 14, 2015 | 5.30pm

Formal theories and methodologies provide a strong scaffold for facilitation, especially in the design stage. My favorites over the past few years have been Solutions Focus, Theory U, Design Thinking, Circle of Trust and a little dash of Marshall Rosenberg’s Non Violent Communication. Each provides guidance in designing meaningful events. Yet no theory guarantees success when the event goes live. People struggle with purpose, the tasks, each other, and the facilitator. I had a recent experience as a participant where the result from a group discussion was worse than each individual might have produced for themselves.

 

This session will put a microscope on table group/small group discussion. What can we, as facilitators, say and do (or not say and not do) to reliably generate useful dialogue? This session will explore this question and, to a lesser extent, the assumptions underneath the question. In particular, we will do some experiments with small/table groups in ‘fish-bowl’ role plays. Come, if you want to be part of the experiment, either as participant or observer. No results are guaranteed. Like life, really

 

About Ian Colley

Ian Colley is a facilitator of change and learning projects.  These mostly deal with ‘tricky’ issues – building common ground between diverse interests, solving problems, leading difficult conversations, creating clarity about uncertain futures (isn’t it all uncertain).

Over 20 years in consulting, Ian has led hundreds of projects in business, government and community settings. He has chaired a number of community liaison committees – for Barangaroo Development Authority, NSW Ports, Orica, Taralga Wind Farm.  Ian also teaches facilitation and leadership at the University of Technology (since 2005).

Ian’s current focus is on the possibilities (and limits) of dialogue.  He is passionate about teaching facilitation – helping other professionals stretch these skills in their everyday practices.

Venue:  [Our usual venue]

University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.

Time:

From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5

Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com

Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins  eoin.p.higgins@gmail.com ; 0407 411 684

“Innovation Wildcard” | Monday August 10, 2015 | 5.30pm

Do you have a new idea to try out with a receptive audience? Do you have a short process that you want to practice before you do it live with a client? Have you been considering taking a guest facilitator spot but want to get some experience with the group first? Do you have a short process that is energizing and fun? All these and more are what wildcard is for. You can be guest facilitator on the night for between 5 and 20 minutes. Typically there is time for around 6 short sessions. Wildcards are for everyone no matter what the experience level. They are unpredictable, engaging and always fun. Wildcards are a great way to experience a range of ideas and tools from a variety of different experiences. Wildcard sessions are organized dynamically on the night. Just turn up with your idea. Everyone else just turn up to learn from the experience and have fun. Venue:  [Our usual venue] University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580. Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5 Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins  eoin.p.higgins@gmail.com ; 0407 411 684

‘Theory U: a social technology for helping to bring about profound innovation and change’ with Nick Ellem

Theory U is being applied around the world by individuals, organisations and in multi-sector initiatives generating breakthrough possibilities around pressing organisational and societal issues.

Participants will learn and apply interdependent elements of the U-Process / Presencing:

• Four levels of responding to change
• Four types of listening and conversation
• Three (inner) instruments: Open Heart, Open Mind, Open Will
• Accessing and bringing forth one’s authentic Self
• Overcoming three barriers in one’s inner work
• Five movements of Presencing as a social technology for change: co-initiating, co-sensing, co-inspiring, co-creating, co-evolving 

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Resources added since Nick's session:

Turning the camera back (great video on reflecting and observing)
https://vimeo.com/55073825

Placido Domingo. No puede ser. La tabernera del puerto. P. Sorozabal. (demonstrates the holding environment between the singer and the conductor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_24Ya5Y4E

What is theory u -  (future and emerging self)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0s_hY-k544E?

Nick's Drop Box resources for Theory U: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/czbksh877fuldyu/AABQRAMEZkwORkluO6SoHliza?dl=0

The MITx U.Lab starting 10 Sept - here's the registration link for participants: www.edx.org/course/u-lab-transforming-business-society-self-mitx-15-671x - and if you want to host a U.Lab Hub with colleagues, clients, family or friends, please let us know at ulab@presencing.com. A HubHost Guide will be made available by the end of this month.

For those who expressed interest in Social Presencing Theater the institute offers a 2-day courses on SPT www.presencing.com/programs/social-presencing-theater and two longer training programs - a year-long program in New York that meets 3 times (contact Laura Cronk at embodiedpresencespt@gmail.com or hayashi@presencing.com) and a 3-year program in Denmark (begins May 2016, contact: Michael Stubberup at michael@synergaia.dk or hayashi@presencing.com).
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About Nick Ellem

   

Nick Ellem, Harvard trained senior leadership development consultant and coach specialised in working with organisations, teams and individuals to identify their adaptive leadership challenges, facilitate problem solving and build capacity to exercise leadership. The Adaptive Leadership Framework used in our programs grew out of the work of its co-founders Dr Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky at Harvard University, who have spent the last 30 years developing leadership art and practice.

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Venue:  [Our usual venue]

University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.

Time:

From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5

Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com

Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins eoin.p.higgins@gmail.com; 0407 411 684

Tactical conversations to affect peoples thinking | Monday June 15, 2015 | 5.30pm

Nelson Mandela asked: How can we inspire greatness when nothing less will do? Greatness in our time means doing everything required to transition from sure ecological self-destruction to a life-sustaining future.

For this transition to occur successfully those of us who care must become skilful at raising people’s quality of thinking to a new level. Tactical conversations are an innovative approach to doing this. Developing this skill will increase your repertoire as a facilitator and as a social change agent.

We start with something physical. You will learn how to do an advanced Tai Chi push using the Feldenkrais method of teaching (fun; surprising!).

Then we will show how the principles of teaching we just used apply to affecting how people think in ways that they find beneficial. This is an innovative way of communicating that has many applications.

We can apply it to catalysing mindset shifts for healthy social change. The Inspiring Transition initiative is a vehicle to take it to scale.
 

About Andrew Gaines

Andrew Gaines is a creativity trainer, Feldenkrais practitioner, and former psychotherapist who is committed to the well-being of coming generations. He is on the Board of Be The Change Australia. He is the instigator of Inspiring Transition, a community of practice devoted to engaging thoughtful mainstream commitment to transitioning to a life-sustaining future.

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Venue:  [Our usual venue]

University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.

Time:

From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5

Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com

Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins Eoinph@gmail.com; 0407 411 684

‘Conversation as Core Business Process – Part II’ with Greg Jenkins | Monday May 11, 2015 | 5.30pm

This session will build on the outputs from part I in February. For the outputs of session 1 go to Link or Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com. Join us for an in depth conversation whether or not you attended the first session in February. Context (From February 2015): In 1996, the creators of ‘The World Café’ Juanita Brown and David Isaacs wrote a paper for The Systems Thinker titled ‘Conversations as a Core Business Process’. Read the paper here. In a world where social media rules and complex ideas are reduced to short grabs, how can we facilitate purposeful deep and compelling conversations? What conversation tools do we use and how well do they work? What are the opportunities if we ‘really listen’? What difference would it make if we asked the right questions? What has ‘Systems Thinking’ got to do with conversations? This session will be in a conversation format. Bring your ideas and experiences to share and join in the conversation.

======================================================= Venue:  [Our usual venue] University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580. Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5 Blog www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins Eoin.Higgins@Pfizer.com; 0407 411 684