|
S
u c
c e s s S t o r i e s
There are many
inspiring stories of people
having transformative experiences and
finding solutions to seemingly insoluble problems when they
participated in the kind of group process that builds trust and seeks
breakthroughs. On this
Page, we share some of those stories with you. For each one, we'll give
you a brief summary and a Link to a fuller discussion.
Reports from the Field from graduates of Jim Rough's training in Dynamic Faciliation Wow, this stuff really works! What fun! Our CEO is very committed to Dynamic Facilitation. I was amazed how quickly we drilled down to the core of the problem (breakthrough)! * * *
They couldn't stop coming up with ideas, and the meat of the
problems within the company really started bubbling up. First the
hesitation, then the trust level
rising in the room. As we came up with solutions, the group became
animated. Everybody had a solution, what works for them. The principals
in the company were hearing, listening, and learning about what their
management challenges really were.* * *
We have begun to use Dynamic Facilitation on a large scale
basis
within Oregon State government over the last few months. The successes
have been
noted by executive management and the collaborative model is gaining
the reputation of a prototypical example of a new way of doing
business. Last week, I was asked to Dynamically Facilitate a series of
meetings which will inevitably re-engineer how information technology
is supported and implemented on an enterprise-wide basis within Oregon
state government. Your techniques and our efforts are creating
great good and a new way of thinking.* * *
Throughout the session, I watched walls come down and trust
go
up. There is no way that this breakthrough could have been achieved
with
our normal team processes and facilitation techniques. Thank you!* * *
The "choice-creating" model continues to help me a great
deal when
trying to teach and facilitate many of the supervisors and managers at
the shipyard. The benefits of and
demand for team building and facilitation services are beginning
to spread throughout the shipyard. Other U.S. Navy shipyards are asking
for
our help.* * *
When we left, they had a model, action steps designed around
the
model for implementation and were amazed at the amount of work we
accomplished in such a short period of time! This experience made a
believer out of me. Thanks for the method!Click here to read more. Creative Choices: Breakthroughs in Thinking, by Jim Rough Here are five stories of people struggling with seemingly-insoluble problems: U.S. Senators, agency caseworkers, sawmill employees, members of a small-town Chamber of Commerce, and reforestation engineers. In each of the examples, operational thinking had reached a dead end. It appeared to those involved that the problem was not solvable. But in each situation, through a different thinking style, old patterns of thought and feeling were left behind . . . and the door to new possibilities was opened. Unforeseeable breakthroughs resulted. Click here to read the whole story. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.) To return to this Page when you're done,
Click the Web-Browser Button on the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen. An experienced facilitator takes the training in Dynamic Facilitation Jim's approach to group facilitation is engaging, down to earth, and above all, FUN. If all meetings were as vibrant as these, you wouldn't have any trouble getting people to come. Instead of groans when it was time for the meeting to start, participants would be excited and optimistic. By the end of the week our Eugene group was so jazzed that we started planning "problem jams," times to get together back home and practice Dynamic Facilitation on whatever problems we were facing.... When a group feels stuck, emotions such as anger, fear and sadness are usually part of it. Standard business agendas rarely address these underlying emotions. Instead, everyone tiptoes around, hoping they can get through the meeting without setting off the "problem person" or bringing up the old unresolved conflict between two long-time members. Dynamic Facilitation addresses this head-on, by focusing on whatever people have energy to talk about. In this process there are no pre-set agendas; rather, the facilitator follows the energy flow of the group. As one person's expressions set off someone else, the focus soon switches to whoever is now bubbling over with energy. The pace is generally quick and upbeat, with occasional moments of slow-down to make sure someone's heartfelt contribution is clearly heard and honored.... While common problem-solving strategies avoid jumping into solutions until everyone agrees that the problem is clearly defined, the Dynamic Facilitation approach says to go where the energy is. "Usually as soon as a problem statement is out there, people's minds naturally jump to solutions," says Jim. "Instead of trying to shut that down, go ahead and get those solutions out there. There won't be space for creativity until people express what they're already holding onto...." Instead of layering an agreement piece by piece, what this method targets is the "Aha!" experience of sudden insight, the collective sigh of excitement that runs through the room when someone says something that strikes a chord. It's this breakthrough experience that is the ultimate goal of Dynamic Facilitation.... The training was not only instructive but also wonderfully liberating, and i laughed more in that one week than in the whole month before. . . . Click here to read the article by Tree Bressen. The Canadian Experiment CHAPTER 12 from The Tao of Democracy by Tom Atlee In June 1991 a dozen Canadians met in a resort near Toronto in search of a shared future for their deeply divided country, torn by the question of Quebec separatism among many other issues. These people were not politicians, academics or a revolutionary cabal. In fact, a more diverse group of Canadians would be hard to find: They had been scientifically selected for their differences, differences that reflected the very divisions in their nation. Within hours of meeting, they were immersed in arguments. And yet, two days later, they had all signed a detailed, visionary agreement charting a course to greater mutual understanding by all Canadians, and were hugging each other good-bye. Click here to read the whole chapter. To return to this Page when you're done,
Click the Back Button on the Toolbar of your Web Browser. Citizens Deliberate About Public Issues CHAPTER 13 from The Tao of Democracy by Tom Atlee On June 25, 2001, twenty "marginal-livelihood" farmers, small traders, small food processors, and consumers ... converged on the village of Algole in India’s impoverished Medak District. They came from all over the state of Andhra Pradesh.... Some of them had never left their local villages before. Although many could not read or write, they were determined to learn and to make their voices heard about an issue that would have a profound effect on their lives: the future of agriculture in their state. They were concerned with the direction of economic development and the genetic engineering of food crops. They had come to participate in a Prajateerpu, a citizens’ jury or "People’s Verdict...." Read the whole chapter to learn about the sensible and powerful conclusions reached by this group of villagers, and other remarkable stories of Citizen Juries from Australia, Denmark, and the United States . . . as well as some of the basic principles of Citizen Juries. To return to this Page when you're done,
Click the Back Button on the Toolbar of your Web Browser. The Danish Board of Technology The Danish government has a special office, The Danish Board of Technology.... When asked by Parliament, this office convenes a panel of fifteen ordinary citizens selected to represent the diversity of the Danish population. It then assists this citizen consensus council in studying and recommending policy guidelines for the particular technology Parliament is considering. In 1999, for example, a citizen panel investigated genetic engineering of food. The work of these citizen panels is well-respected, and it affects policy formation. Click here to visit their Website. To return to this Page when you're done,
Click the Back Button on the Toolbar of your Web Browser. The Loka Institute The Loka Institute is a non-profit research and advocacy organization concerned with the social, political, and environmental repercussions of research, science and technology. Some people think that consensus decisions among randomly selected citizens are only possible in a homogenous society like Denmark. But in 1997, the Loka Institute organized a sucessful consensus council just like the Danes do, but with a wildly diverse panel of citizens from Boston. Click here to read about their consensus conference. Click here to visit the Loka Institute WebPage with Links to Consensus Conferences around the world. To return to this Page when you're done,
Click the Back Button on the Toolbar of your Web Browser. |