​​Hosting Team Main Pad for the DandDTrans Inquiry
​​Dialogue, Deliberation and Systemic Transformation 
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​​Image courtesy of www.NewStories.org
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​Main Menu: ​+Welcome​ | ​+About​ | ​+Intros​ | ​+World Cafe​ | ​+Bohm​ | ​+Open Space ​| ​+Resources​ | ​+News​ | ​+Calls​ | ​+Help​

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​​This is the main pad for the hosting team's work. As of 1/2, that team consists of Ben Roberts and Linda Ellinor, with Tom Atlee, Ben Levi, Nancy Glock-Gruneich, and Robert Corman as "thinking partners." 

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​Other hosting team pads:

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​Hosting Team Call Schedule
  • ​​Weds 1/14: 11:30-1pm ET/9:30-11am MT/8:30-10am PT
  • ​​Weds 1/21: 1-2:30pm ET/11am-12:30pm MT/10-11:30am PT
  • ​​Weds 1/28: 1-2:30pm ET/11am-12:30pm MT/10-11:30am PT
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​Next Steps

​​2/2 List
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  • ​​ 
​​Ben ROberts working with Chris Smerel (?), Steph, Bruce on a "spores" project. Working on his own harvesting story.
​​Tom
​​Robert in New Jersey, snowing, his wife is on way to Boston for meetings, and his son is home, glorious, and text support! What does "harvest" mean to each of us? 
​​Ben Levi did his harvest story, heading to warmer and southern climes, in Hawaii and New Zealand for seven weeks. They have residency there. And a daughter and grandchild! 
​​Nacny 
​​1/14 list
  • ​​Create poll for additional January calls
  • ​​Create new crowd-sourced Inquiry News pad
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  • ​​Done before 1/14
  • ​​Schedule 1st (and 2nd?) January Call(s)
  • ​​Define Dialogue process, and scheduling protocol
  • ​​Decide on next process invitations for hackpad
  • ​​Send invitation email
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​2/9 Notes

​​Attendees: Ben R, Ben L, Tom A, Robert C, Nancy G
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​Opening/Check-in
  • ​​Ben L: did a U.Lab prototype. heading West tomw.
  • ​​Tom: Reframing co-intelligence work, minor flooding while away, everything OK.
  • ​​Robert: thinking about NZ, nice weather there, tired of layers of ice, 4WD vehicle doesn't feel safe enough. Celebration for a friend who passed on, raconteur of poetry and music, did a reading from a play about Saul Alinsky, instructive re: people he had to deal with, curmudgeon leaders, union fighters, etc. the establishment can accept being screwed, but it can't accept being laughed at... Lots of creativity, going forward and having a good time, keeps the entropy away a bit.
  • ​​Linda: did 3-hr demo dialogue at Ctr for Community Dialogue in Tucson; Institute for Science and Global Policy doing 15 climate change conferences in 2015. First is in Tucson and I've been invited to it. Will meet with their head facilitator at the conference. Haven't ever opened it to the public before, 200 invitees, no trained facilitators, a debate model followed by an attempt to come to consensus. very excited!
  • ​​Nancy: gearing up for hackpad personal story telling; 3 lessons for me go back to one of first things Tom said, the importance of taking all this lightly. Lets be spores! Don't be too heavy with this. Grieving is appropriate, and also we can enjoy doing good work with good people. This has been a place to learn how to do that with each other. 
  • ​​Ben R: Lots going on, juggling stuff; drawn to the DandDTrans work still; enjoying reading lots of stories. Notice we haven't stopped and celebrated as much as we could... jumping from Dialogues to harvesting... we'd do well to honor the completion and celebrate special moments with stories.
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​Celebration
​​Sharing stories...
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  • ​​Robert: Stories from different angles. Like check-ins and check-outs. Thread everyone was juggling at this time.  Struggle to stay committed. Creativity brings with it juggling and roughness. How do we do it? On a larger scale, everyone is doing this at this time. His singular movment of being touched. When Mark Spain said he'd driven to the Pacific to get a signal and connect with us all beyond the sea that lay between.
  • ​​Ben L: was in Oz years ago and had to ride to the beach just like Mark . Our first deeper dialogue, and touching into that space of deep heart connection, lots of silence, dialogical meaning. It was what he wanted out of this space.
  • ​​Tom A: In Open Space session on Strategic Conversation, he was taking notes, seeing so many perspectives were in fact coming up beyond what he had started with and now its up to 16, an expansion of his own reality that he was just absorbing because he was taking notes
  • ​​Linda: In Desert Hot Springs during one of the calls, had to drive 5 miles to get reception, got to an empty lot across from a shopping area, so I parked by myself, there for a few hours. At the end of the call, I'd been a bit nervous about the call, and at the end I left and suddenly I had 3 police cars following me, wanting to arrest me for driving my own car! Wondering why I'd been in that empty lot.
  • ​​Ben R: One of the CoE conversations had us hysterically laughing... can't remember which one, but that whole CoE was one of the more fun aspects... others didn't self-organize like I expected so I ended up doing them. Helped community build and grow in ways it doesn't when conversation is more structured and serious. Want to build on that... like a happy-hour built into ongoing engagements. Recognized particular things somebody did... early on, Nancy had put a picture of yourself you didn't want, it was huge, and in the process of trying to delete it, mistakenly deleted a whole bunch of other material. I recovered it all just fine, and in that process ended up having our first spoken conversation, because Nancy took a risk to reach out to me. Moments of upset and disconnect are opportunities to go deeper... not taking it as personally and allowing it to be a doorway into something deeper.
  • ​​Nancy: felt bad to be emailing Ben R at all; can be sensitive sometimes. My history is, when I don't speak up, if I convince myself I'm OK with something I may not, I tend to disappear. Ben R was just about to go on [for the Jan 6 World Cafe] when I 'spoke up' and nonetheless he called me later, open and receptive, and ended up having a really good talk. Another notable thing for me is how intimate the zoom/dialogical structure can be, very quickly; I remember those vivid moments Ben L spoke about. On occasion I've said vulnerable things, raised questions, but I know how I feel about myself that we've been able to do that for each other. As a result, I've got that we built community beyond our wildest dreams, amazed at the quality of community we've created. The things we do well in life, I've learned, we rarely know we've done. The things we've gained a reputation around, are sometimes things we aren't necessarily good at; that's why we notice them. Like a doctor not wanting another doctor for a patient. We've seeded something I think is going to grow into a remarkable "ecology." Such a great job hosting complicated processes, making mistakes, having a good time, to create activities and deeper understanding that goes to the heart of what Tom's call was in the first place. 
  • ​​NG, continued... Other high point was Jim Rough saying, it's easy to ask questions with you guys, but it's really hard it was to talk about answers. How to go into answers with people not debating, not merely advocating, not only asking open questions, but grapple with people's efforts to come up with and evaluate good answers. 
  • ​​Ben R: Lucas created a pad of all the questions asked over the month... there were a lot of them.
  • ​​Linda, Ben R, How would you qualify this process compared to what you have experienced before?
  • ​​Ben R. We've put ourselves on the line here with our peers, new to each other, context still being worked out--most places have a clear context, purpose, goal, funded outcome, etc. This was much more broad, open-ended in what we were intending and the wide range of outcomes. Having so many different engagements over such a long time, bring together the same people. Prototyping a month long engagement was different. Many things we were trying out for the first time, including with the hack pads, sometimes forum, sometimes open space, world cafe type things even just on the hack pads. The "card of the evening". Getting people to go back and forth between live conversations and the hackpad spaces. And using Zoom so extensively, for dialogue, etc.
  • ​​Linda: Thanks, very helpful. Nice to know what was new.
  • ​​Ben R: Struggle to harvest--can assume much good happened but don't always know what that is, but now with the Hackpads and tool we've created trying to see how much we actually can harvest. And the idea of the "spore" as a metaphor.
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​Linda asks all: What is coming out of this for you?
  • ​​Ben L wants to do more with the online virtual conversations and expects to see many outcomes that cannot be seen yet, but knows it will
  • ​​Linda: Got a "climate change" facilitation opportunity "out of the blue". I'd want to do something like what we did here with those not in our community but with our community, and learn how we can be of more value and perceived as such, and language what it is we are doing. No particular learning. More this overall confidence I have, having connected with others in this field, a fullness, no longer a silent office, know who to call with questions, etc. especially as I am just getting back into the field. Thinking about how this technology could help us stay connected.
  • ​​Tom: originally focused on DandD, but the same question could be asked for many other CoPs--philanthropists, activists, govt, etc. Could get a group that brings them all together, thinking for their own communities, as well as about working across those silos.
  • ​​Robert, now we're trying to "unsilo" them. A prototype in ["rethinkhealth.org]  engages the full cross of the sectors in relating to shared vision, a new way of thinking about the community. Linda, here's what I'm thinking of, the phrase "our field", I don't know what that is. What could we learn about the people out there using facilitation skills--who are "they"--multiples of many more who don't consider themselves as part of "our community". An awakening not only into itself but melding into what it is a part of that is larger, out there. And then there's the technology. Get more data on how this is all working. Impressed that we can generate this kind of conversation. Want to look at small groups focused on specific subjects. And see where their learnings are going to.
  • ​​Tom: "the Field" is all who understand that conversation can make a difference along with people dancing or enacting together, and weaving that into one. Sandy's first "national conference" convening "the field", became the national COALITION on... Similar to "collective intelligence", a new field of study and practice becoming coherent. He is revising his word from "D&D" as conversation. 
  • ​​Ben L From my Spiral Dynamics background, our sense  of "belonging", "purple level" yes "WE" are a field of, on a global level we all belong to the same Earth.
  • ​​Ben R I' sensing a real shift having been into this now fo 5 years. What we all thought about as to how we can use the new technology. Tools forming processes that are not particularly dialogic. Less a problem in the live situation. Tracking how much attention is or is not paid or resistance, a real shift now, urgency (so "we better use it all") and people are starting to let go of limiting views, even for the asynchronous piece. Whole other conversation about the tools that will "really bust it [asynch] open", but that's another conversation. [WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE BEN R? It might look something like this: ​+Macroscope Overview​ ] And the blending of the two, live, asynchronous text, and in person.If I were to do an other iteration I'd think about that.
  • ​​Robert  
  • ​​Nancy: what is our field? one dimension Leanne Nurse  has noticed is the essential facilitation element in so much govt work, and to raise consciousness on that and develop trainings. IAP2 is the most mature model. When NCDD did a regional conference (in 2010) brought in local mayors and city managers. Our  community took an arrogant attitude that we knew stuff they didn't and they need our help. That wan't true. They needed people who understood city govt as well as facilitation. Potential of these conversations when they are cross-domain, tied together around the power of "intentional conversation," is tremendously powerful. Can change institutions, especially what people think their role IS, (e.g.a "public official").
  • ​​Nancy: hybrid nature of modalities and methodologies--deepen understanding of what is good for what?
  • ​​Nancy: High risk nature--we need to better understand the constraints and limitations, and the potential. "Who do we think we are, as we do this? What is our role?"
  • ​​Nancy: how much we've learned at a human, personal level. Very fruitful. Esp Zoom and dialogue together--almost more intimate than being in the room. You're exposed.
  • ​​Nancy: focusing on the tech (writing about this with Tim)... good facilitation is key. can make up for poor tech, and tech wo/good facilitation can be a disaster. In the higher ed field I'm in, I've been a leader. If we work with other professionals and encouraged some dialogue, they might not listen, but if we want to use TECH as a "Trojan horse" for the rethinking of the human side of the process, then you get double your money/leverage.
  • ​​Tom: my question was a koan--not something I expected to be "answered."
  • ​​Ben: Yes, and a lot of the frustration about a lack of convergence might reflect this. We just don't know what rises to the level of the challenge Tom posed.
  • ​​Robert: we've charged the field with this, and with all the relationships that were formed. we've created conditions to tend to the care and concern underlying the question.
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​​Come together again after the harvesting to think about if there's anything next for this team...
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​2/2 Notes

​​Attendees: Tom A, Ben R, Ben L, Linda E, Nancy G, ​@Robert Corman​ 
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​Opening/Check-in
  • ​​Ben R: Snowing, snow-bound, enjoyed Bohm Dialogues as wrap-up, started harvesting story, working w/others on harvesting idea looking forward to sharing.
  • ​​Tom: Seahawks lost yesterday, really sad. Today is birthday of late partner who died in 2010. Warm and wet today. Haven't been online for several days, just email. Cut off in a funny way. 
  • ​​Robert: In N.J., snowing. Son is home for a month, got needed tech support. 
  • ​​Ben L: beautiful sunny cold day. did my harvesting story--first draft. looking forward to going (in a week) to Hawaii and then NZ, for seven weeks.
  • ​​Nancy: cold, no snow. feeling so good about our process. talking with husband in CA and he said the headlines were about drought. the redwoods (near Santa Cruz) might not make it. grief. feeling it all. and we need joy, and good work to do with good people.
  • ​​Linda: drive central corridor, see drought signs, sad. Went to gem & mineral show yesterday, glorious weather. Good harvesting call, enjoying process of structuring it. Inspired to move forward.
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​Agenda/Tensions
  • ​​Linda: How to structure a harvesting process:
  • ​​Hackpad help w/expanding on Ben R's site map
  • ​​Nancy: some other mind map or graphic to guide people? Is there a tool inside hackpad?
  • ​​Brainstorm/dump re: what we'd like to see harvesting result in (content, process, who it might be done for)
  • ​​Nancy: give brief update on their conversation, wanting Ben R's update, too.
  • ​​Ben R: generating "spores" / lightweight harvesting process
  • ​​Ben R.: Harvest story pads and this hosting group
  • ​​Robert: question around understanding how to fathom/think about the future use of the hackpads and the "community of users"
  • ​​Linda: once the harvesting is done, are there ways to keep it archived?
  • ​​Linda: are you aware of any other software for harvesting that might be useful?
  • ​​How do we introduce or use graphic tools with hackpads and harvesting?
  • ​​Linda: Do we want more than one harvesting process?
  • ​​Ben R: A financial ask?
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​Resolving Tensions
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​Linda: How to structure a harvesting process:
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  • ​​Nancy: give brief update on their conversation, wanting Ben R's update, too.
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  • ​​Ben R:
  • ​​Had story pads for participants; intensive process, chunk of time.
  • ​​Smaller harvesting team forming.
  • ​​Bruce has built a quote-capturing tool (basically chunks of text) into a DB, can tag it with a URL/hackpad, harvest name, why/comment, who you're quoting, and eventually themes/patterns. Can demo it.
  • ​​Can pull them into codigital, or add a 'like' to DB to see which quotes are liked more by people.
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  • ​​T: Can send quotes out on twitter (re: "spores")
  • ​​BR: Not clear whether the quote alone qualifies as a "spore". It's a first step. Get an OK to invite people to play the quote-selecting game with us. Can be done quickly, now.
  • ​​L: We spent time doing our own process today, should get on the same page.
  • ​​R: Tool primarily for written quotes, or dialogue sessions (recordings). BR: It has split screen, with left showing a web page/hackpad, on right is a place to paste text or URL links, e.g. to video clips.
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  • ​​Update from Nancy/Linda/Robert
  • ​​form a small team
  • ​​read a lot
  • ​​identify themes
  • ​​compile an exec summary report
  • ​​approach other groups for next steps work?
  • ​​summary vs. synthesis/meaning making
  • ​​reflecting on our own conclusions and meaning that is part of a harvest. Might there be a collective harvest conversation--their experience overall and ways it might be used?
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  • ​​Hackpad help w/expanding on Ben R's site map
  • ​​Nancy: some other mind map or graphic to guide people? Is there a tool inside hackpad?
  • ​​L: expanded site map would be useful. Difficult? Tension: discussion re: action steps as to how we'd create it.
  • ​​BR: Have to know/figure out what's there, being comfortable with a tool (Gliffy) to create flowchart, map, etc. Can be clickable if designed that way. Requires somebody to put the time in and has the skills.
  • ​​L: How much time would it take?
  • ​​BR: Can't say w/o knowing detail required. Took me 4 hours into existing one I did (w/tweaking). If you want it clickable, probably doubles the work, might make different re: usefulness.
  • ​​R: When everyone finishes all the harvests, then can think about something to map. What Ben did is a good start for what currently exists. 
  • ​​L: Do we want multiple harvesting processes ongoing? A tension for later...
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  • ​​Brainstorm/dump re: what we'd like to see harvesting result in (content, process, who it might be done for)
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​Ben R: generating "spores" / lightweight harvesting process
  • ​​BR: Seeing there's something missing in harvesting process I have idea on how to fill. Decision from hosting team to do this or not. Window of opportunity to launch asap. Meets a need not being met with other two processes. Want to use our master list, and other lists to invite people. 
  • ​​T: Not going to be participating in harvesting, biased toward anybody interested in it to run with it.
  • ​​R: Issues around people's permission for harvesting quotes? Who owns this? BR: It's a public space. 
  • ​​BL: What about issue of what's typed and who said it not being correct? 
  • ​​BR: No attributions? Tell everyone attributions may not be correct?
  • ​​BL: No attribution to a particular person? Make them all 'anonymous?' Focusing just on the meme?
  • ​​T: "Possible" attributions vs. "certain" attributions (person who said it can revise it and put their name on it)?
  • ​​BR: Bruce may be able to send an email to the attributor asking for verification?
  • ​​T: Can we "close" the hackpads, and continue to harvest quotes? BR: YES.
  • ​​BR: Keep attribution tag? Means the person selecting quote thinks that person's words are accurate... nothing gets beyond this platform w/o approval. 
  • ​​The people who populate this list have a particular vantage point, and it might be seen as a "best of."  Good and bad.
  • ​​If quote harvest gets going and people start using it, could draw energy away from other harvesting processes?
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​​Resolved: OK as long it's clear as the attribution may not be true, and no sharing beyond this platform without a sign off.
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​Ben R.: Harvest story pads and this hosting group
  • ​​Reiterate that everyone grab a story pad and write their 'debriefs'. Ben L has done it, others have committed to do so.
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​Robert: question around understanding how to fathom/think about the future use of the hackpads and the "community of users"
  • ​​the degree of likelihood of the content being visited over time as a reference piece, the audience for a "report", how it's used? What is "it"? Nancy created 4 pages of an outline for a design. Could be rich and valuable, but in what context? Given putting in the time and effort to do so...
  • ​​T: Will be harvesting OS sessions I was in that were meaningful, making sense of them and sending them to my list. Chances are that any harvesting group report would get sent out to my list of 1,600, plus my web blog.
  • ​​L: Editing manuscript; if I find something useful could use it.
  • ​​BR: Did something like this last year that had a report, 18 interviews, etc. Report got most of the attention in the wider world, received well. Small group might go back to hackpads, others could stumble onto them. If we want wider world to care, report is more likely to do that. Point people to hackpads as to the kind of thing we can use them for.
  • ​​BL: the hackpads 
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​Linda: once the harvesting is done, are there ways to keep it archived?
​​Covered already. Will do our best to make a copy.Need to do more research. audio tape files. Would prefer not to make them public. BL will keep copies.
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​Linda: are you aware of any other software for harvesting that might be useful?
​​BL: also a database designer. could copy text into something and do analysis. How much do you want to be involved?  Could accept proposals and think about it.
​​BR: Co-digital
​​BR: Recommends hackpad as a core, plus an outside form
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​Nancy: How do we introduce or use graphic tools with hackpads and harvesting?
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​Linda: Do we want more than one harvesting process?
​​Resolved for now, based on Robert's interpretation of Nancy's question.
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​Brainstorm/Dump
​​How might the harvesting be used? Who might it go to? How important is it?
  • ​​What is the value of harvesting, and the specific value? 
  • ​​What are your two-three top take-aways?
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​​Linda will call a formal session, once our individual pads are written.
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​Ben R: A financial ask?
​​BR lays out a vision. Linda is OK asking for $ going forward, but not retroactively. A little uncomfortable. BL is also uncomfortable. Wouldn't block it.  Tom thinks it's interesting. Robert: works with many non (or just "un") profit groups that make an ask, often with a suggested amount. Also wishing we did it in the beginning. And it's an interesting experiment to do it now. Does make sense going forward. It's appropriate to ask. It was a service to the community. Not interested in making a personal ask. Tom likes the way that it's an expanded US, not just the hosts, esp as an experiment.
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​1/28 Notes

​​Attendees: Ben R, Ben L, Linda E, Robert C, Tom A, Nancy G
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​Opening/Check-in
  • ​​Ben L: Otto's class this morning. some delays in the livestream.
  • ​​Tom A: slept for 6 hrs. last night via Nyquil, nice. Somebody coming to possibly loan us $ for house remodel. Nancy's doc wouldn't open.
  • ​​Linda E: Otto's class too. Loved looking into future, pulling it in. Relevant to tomorrow's WC, read Ben R's harvest of WC, Enjoyed working with Robert and Nancy, like Nancy's questions, feel good about where we are.
  • ​​Robert C: Didn't get much of storm (Marstown), got hit so hard by Sandy, lost lots of trees. This wasn't storm of century. Working with clients in Kenya, everyone's of a piece, wanting to design systems to engage communities, third world farmers, getting engaged in their own soils vis-a-vis monoculture systems imposed from outside. 
  • ​​Nancy G: glad to be here. couldn't find email with the call-in info... feeling good about this last time. impressed by what we've done together, and how we've hung in there. made good friends. cold and sunny.
  • ​​Ben R: also on U.Lab call, big improvement over one last week. Personal journey, debriefed with Heather. Talked with David Isaacs about WC. Feels different energy, coming out of a bit of turbulence, had some anxiety about this meeting re: alignment and getting to where we want to get to, but not anxious about it now. 
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​Agenda
​​What tensions are you holding that you need resolved on this call?
  • ​​Ben R: another call for hosting team on schedule? Monday, 2/2 2-3:30pm ET
  • ​​L: cover the future of hackpad--what that looks like
  • ​​N: Re synthesizing process, where knowledge resides? Tom's institute/website? Also elsewhere?
  • ​​Recordings?
  • ​​Ben R: The design of the World Cafe
  • ​​L: Anyone else to invite to Deeper Dialogue with Ben L?
  • ​​Ben R: Hackpad harvesting process for now through 1/31 (and possible overtime)
  • ​​N: what would be process for final communication to participants?
  • ​​L: Forming post-January harvesting team? 
  • ​​N: People willing to work with us (follow-through team) this team would hand off to?
  • ​​L: Feedback to NCDD?
  • ​​R: Re: Tom's call, where things have come for him (and everyone?) moving toward closure...
  • ​​Nancy: when do we address the email list question?
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​Resolving of Tensions
  • ​​Ben R: another call for hosting team on schedule?
​​When should we meet again? 
  • ​​Mon. Feb. 2,  11 PST,  12 MST, 2p EST
​​ 
  • ​​L: cover the future of hackpad--what that looks like
  • ​​Ben L has video/audio recordings of the dialogues (big files)... could be put into someone's dropbox. Participants know it might be shared?
  • ​​Hackpads switched to 'moderated' mode (Ben R approval required), with some open for unmoderated discussion. No cost involved, can download pads as backup (by Ben R). 
  • ​​Tom can put link to main hackpad page on his website. 
  • ​​Suggest we make that clear to participants, allow 'harvest' pads to grow?
  • ​​Ben R proposes that once they're 'closed' that they don't be modified, be kept as a record of what we did.
  • ​​When should they be 'closed'? Let everyone know at World Cafe? 
  • ​​Encourage initial harvest space to conclude no later than Feb 7. Can link to 'locked' pads, just not edit w/o approval.
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  • ​​Ben R: The design of the World Cafe
  • ​​Tom is OK
  • ​​question of table hosts? 
  • ​​one person isn't synthesizing the last conversation, so conversation doesn't evolve as easily. Add to quality? If we continue to mix people up, we take so much time figuring out who's at the table, they'll tend to repeat themselves, rather than building on.
  • ​​Perception of this based on limited data, not able to be in all conversations. Model has been around for 20 years, trust integrity of the process. e.g. ask each new person to briefly bring forward nuggets from previous conversations into the space. 
  • ​​WC specializes in digging deeper in its harvests. Most collective harvesting happens in plenary. What's important, what's new, at each table, stimulating each other.
  • ​​alt for all to share highlights from previous conversations
  • ​​how to deal with people who did not participate previously in DandDTrans?
  • ​​what about repeating the question? Common to do that. People share with new people at a table, trying not to "download" again, but to go further/deeper with those at the table.
  • ​​How to reference the original "call" as a frame as we do these closing conversations?
  • ​​Online WC is different enough...
  • ​​Felt more fragmented, needing more time than 20 min., seems to be a process of getting to know each other in this virtual environment. 
  • ​​What does it mean to adhere to the tradition? hosting creates a point of reference.
  • ​​How to faciliate going deeper at the tables? Not just repeating ourselves at the table. 
  • ​​Tom: reframe 2nd question: "What HAVEN'T you/we learned that you're hungry to explore?" Intrinsically goes deeper, sets up third inquiry question.
  • ​​Reducing to 2 rounds, with more time per round, allows people to go deeper?
  • ​​David Isaacs says 3rd round is critical... lose the specialness of WC process without it.
  • ​​People will have lots of time after this to put in their thoughts, etc. into hackpads.
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  • ​​L: Anyone else to invite to Deeper Dialogue with Ben L?
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  • ​​Ben R: Hackpad harvesting process for now through 1/31 (and possible overtime) 2/7
  • ​​Refering to inviting participants to look through what's here and write something on a hackpad. Set up harvesting item on Main menu bar, link to index pad with pre-made templates for people to utilize for their own harvest process. (ref. Nancy's suggested protocol). Want to invite people into this at end of WC, with intention to have a lot of activity to Jan 31. 
  • ​​Distinction from "further harvesting processes" and what those look like.
  • ​​Nancy's word doc explains opportunity of individuals to reflect on their own experiences and making sense of them. Ben R has pointed out that it shouldn't occur until after Jan 31... we have several more events for people to participate in, don't rush to closure. So definitely want some time after Jan 31, with expectation that people participating in events after WC to roll those into their debrief. 
  • ​​Second question: is there a small group of people to go through all the hackpads, and with some agreed-upon structure, to make sense of them... summaries, next steps, resources, etc. Also out of that to connect people to one another.
  • ​​If a small follow-up team is created, would this team be willing to hand off our work/decisions?
  • ​​Ben R is not talking about harvesting team (another agenda item). Talking about participants to individually harvest on their own hackpads. Have this happen right after WC. Smaller team would be second phase to harvesting process. Want people to get their own stories, etc. down on their own pad... through Feb. 7. After that, then a smaller harvesting team could go through the whole collection and synthesize them.
  • ​​Issue of communicating about the 'exit' process and how they register their learnings/thoughts... send email to everyone.
  • ​​Language like Nancy's suggestions may need some editing to put on hackpad templates... she and Ben will finalize next communication. 
  • ​​Potential Emails to participants: 1) Opt-in to being on an ongoing mailing list; 2) Personal harvests; 3) forming a post-harvest team
​​ 
  • ​​N: what would be process for final communication to participants?
​​Good!
​​ 
  • ​​L: Forming post-January harvesting team? 
  • ​​N: People willing to work with us (follow-through team) this team would hand off to?
​​ 
  • ​​No tension right now. Put out a feeler... 
  • ​​ask on World Cafe and an email after that?
  • ​​may need to consider and reflect more first.
  • ​​what about letting whomever wants to do that decide once they show up.
  • ​​help do a "transitional process?"
​​ 
  • ​​L: Feedback to NCDD?
  • ​​Can resolve this down the line... don't need to talk about it now.
​​ 
  • ​​R: Re: Tom's call, where things have come for him (and everyone?) moving toward closure...
  • ​​"Being" - "Doing" tension... where is this field, how do we take its pulse, what does it want to do together? Process of harvesting from one to the other; feeling into the differences when I focus on reflections/what I've learned... and what I'm leaning toward or sensing what's possible. 
  • ​​Tom: happy to have conversation sometime, not a core group issue to work on at this stage.
​​ 
  • ​​Nancy: when do we address the email list question?
  • ​​Addressed it enough for now.
​​ 
​
​Closing Round
  • ​​textbook forming, storming, norming, performing
  • ​​we rock (paper and scissors!)
  • ​​appreciated the tech and new ways of feeling about communicating, and teh ways that processes like WC might morph when in these new modes. very glad we've gone thorugh this, look forward to the next sessions
  • ​​useful process. thanks to Ben for facilitating. amazing that we got through the whole agenda. traveling.
  • ​​Good work getting through a big and challenging agenda. Challenging to wear a couple hats; appreciate how processes change when we move them into virtual modalities. How to bring their essence into these new spaces, while allowing them to morph appropriately to take advantage of what the new modalities offer (and their limitations). 
  • ​​Aware of how technology has allowed us to go through steps of group development... from West to East coasts. We've created a solid field togehter whether we're together on these calls or not. A First for me. Stay in Performing stage for awhile? 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 

​
​1/21 Notes

​​Attendees: Ben R, Ben L, Tom A, Robert C, Linda E
​​ 
​
​Opening/Check-in
​​Ben L: snowing... new standing desk. pleased w/yesterday's dialogue. Finding nice connections with U.Lab work.
​​Tom A: watched DandDTrans Resources videos, good stuff. Breakthrough framing in co-intelligence work. 
​​Robert: yesterday's dialogue was rich, flowed with heart and collective listening. Only have an hour on this call. Work in Africa. Eager to be with you all.
​​Linda: nice sunny day. ditto on dialogue. Sharon Joy was not satisfied, L responded. Time is scarce. 
​​Ben R: frustrating morning working with client who's corporate consultant with large cos... tech issues re: social webinar; sponsor was pretty satisfied in the end, but shaking it off. Will continue piloting this with two more calls. Didn't have time to do my own exercise either. ( "What is one thing that excites you about the DandDTrans conversation so far?" )
​​ 
​​Nancy: Missed yesterday's dialogue, apologies. Intrigued by potential of technologies, zoom/Maestro for real-time, and hackpad for text. and how to optimize the two together.  wanting reading material that is not undigested and unprocessed.
​​ 
​
​Agenda
​​(what tensions are you holding that you would like to resolve in this call?)
​​ 
  • ​​LInda: Re: post-January planning hackpad, Ben L responded re: more dialogues? Announcing anything as hosting team past January?
  • ​​Linda: Harvest pad in the World Cafe
  • ​​Robert:  varied and separate lives this team lives. staffing, next steps, who does what, priorities.
  • ​​L: Open Space. what can we do to make it easier? help people find each other for shared projects?
  • ​​Ben R : Inviting people back in personally
  • ​​Ben R: final harvest/story/journalistic process
  • ​​Nancy: juggling the modalities and staying on track
  • ​​Nancy quantity and quality of support and what's behind the scenes real-time, e.g. Ben Levi. Things fall through the holes and tensions between people. Being realistic, and recognizing risks and consequences.
  • ​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
  • ​​Robert:  varied and separate lives this team lives. staffing, next steps, who does what, priorities. Survey.
​​May be appropriate to just sit with the tensions...
​​ 
​​My understanding of what people want has evolved. assumed it would be about things to work on together. that's less apparent now. tension is to understand if the survey is as useful as I thought. would like convo with our input on this, and what would be useful to ppts so far. Also imagining a larger survey for the whole field.
​​ 
  • ​​Is the larger survey something you're planning anyhow? 
  • ​​There's no baseline about the field. If this group is interested, I would value their input. 
  • ​​this gp is like a microcosm of the field. If there is energy here, R wants to catalyze connections with a survey.
  • ​​Probing DandDTrans vs the larger field. Drawn to the latter. What about the former?
​​ 
​​Hackpad allows us to ask people for input, eg. by sending an email out. Lightweight, not a lot of time and energy, vs. survey monkey. Would definitely make general request for feedback; different than a survey that would help people find each other. I was not clear how a survey would do that.
​​ 
​​Extension of OS energy... here I am, what I want to do, is there anybody wanting to get together around that vision, etc.? Location, interest, skillset data has to be gathered so it can be utilized. Looking at OS's, not sure there's energy around that. Too many things going on? Some 'hot' areas, but it's not like the whole field is searching for connections to get stuff happening. I don't see that happening in the field. Re: any kind of interest people have, engaging with Sandy and NCDD already has some networking data in it. Not seeing it desperately needed in the field or in this container.
​​ 
​​Raises issue about planning and OS. Have we done enough about people finding each other. wanting a sign up process for OS in advance. Looked at my OS pad... {Ben R interrupts and requests focus on Robert's tension]
​​ 
​​R: Targeting questions up for individuals and others, as well as ?s up for hosting group. For my purposes, confirmation of sense that there's not enough indication of a desire to connect in those ways, and 2) if there is, there's not enough likely participants to do it. Happy to focus on other methods to gather this info. If we get a larger # for upcoming sessions, happy to revisit it.
​​ 
​​T: Process ?: Sensing you're processing individuals' tensions, not on larger context?
​​BR: Yes, it's about resolving peoples' tensions.
​​ 
  • ​​Linda: Re: post-January planning hackpad
​​Ben L responded re: more dialogues? Announcing anything as hosting team past January?
​​L: R's initial tension around who has time for what? 
​​I would personally like some feedback regarding what we've done, to tie it in a bow, survey of who was in Maestro, what they experienced, etc. How best to accomplish that? If not a formal survey, asking in hackpad might be more complex. Thought we'd brainstorm about ?s that could go into a small survey. If not, then how? If not now, then soon. Who's interested in working on some kind of survey? 
​​BR: Yes I'm interested in what a survey might be, including on hackpad. 
​​TA: Depends on what kinds of ?s and answers you're looking for... 'were you happy with it?' Likert scale... or essay-style?
​​L: Mix. Is there enough interest in this hosting team to find a time to brainstorm some kind of survey, get it organized, let people know it's coming, to get as much a response as possible. [Everyone is interested.] I'll put out an email suggesting times. 
​​L: Future dialogues past January? Ben L and Linda will talk about it offline.
​​ 
​​What we will do with the hackpad. What can we announce. Discussion.
​​Easy to keep hackpads for people to edit, or can set them to 'moderated' so they're a record of what happened. What's unclear is who will "host" that space... helping keep it organized, answering questions, etc. Ben R can't decide whether to do that at this point.
​​ 
​​T: If lots of energy shows up in next meetings, it would make sense to carry it all on. If energy is like it is now, would make sense to go on hosted for a week or so, but then close it down, provide a little participatory space somewhere, and host can disappear. It has lots of data as a source for people, regardless of whether people add more. 
​​ 
​​It will be there for people to see. 
​​ 
​​If Linda and Ben L run future dialogues, would be nice to keep those notes on hackpad. And if we do brainstorming in next few days, could put out to community the value of keeping it going and see if anyone can step up to moderate it. 
​​ 
​​RIchness to what's in there; still learning about significance of that richness, re: use going forward. "Staffing" issue... if we were to do this again, we're learning about how to use hackpad as more strategic tool to harvest and keep going, or to make it Vol 1 in a larger conversation. Useful to ask people if they'd be willing to highlight their own goals, experience, ?s that could come out of conversations Linda's planning.
​​ 
​​Carry this discussion araound keeping hackpad open into what a survey might include (? about supporting hackpad space). Same w/newsletter. Also in survey an off-year OS conference.
​​ 
  • ​​Linda: Harvest pad in the World Cafe
​​Like the question Ben R asked. Do we have time to model this? Maybe just blast this out and don't want to hold this up. I could take 20 mins and come up with some things 
​​Distinguish between this short-term harvest request... what's most alive... and deeper telling of the story will happen post-OS call. This is more about feeding into the OS.
​​ 
​​If you're asking for what I have seen, as individual, that's one thing. If it's a personal take about what's come up with this whole thing, that's different. In order to say what's going on in the whole, I haven't particiated in the whole. Tension there. If you want seed insights, exercise is: go into yourself, and write down something that was really meaningful to you.
​​ 
​​Here's the question Ben proposed: "What are one or two things that excite you about the DandDTrans conversation so far?" 
​​ 
​​For somebody who haven't participated (120 people registered), could go into hackpad and find something that interests them. 
​​ 
​​Could present it as options that feel right to them.
​​ 
​​If we all give our personal aliveness bits (not the fuller harvest), where will it go?
​​ 
​​There'll be a hackpad where people will post responses in World Cafe space. Potentially people will look at these ideas and maybe spark an OS topic. It's tied into OS, but not part of OS, because we're asking the whole group to do it.
​​ 
​​By end of tomorrow? 
​​ 
​​Can get it out to everyone, we all commit to modeling it to group. Ben R can work on it today and then send email out. the pad will be there, can email to Ben R... or just post directly to the hackpad Ben R will set up.
​​ 
  • ​​L: Open Space. what can we do to make it easier? help people find each other for shared projects?
​​Marketplace wall available to encourage people to sign up for sessions they're interested in? May invite more participation. 
​​ 
​​People come and go in sessions in OS... people sign up for multiple sessions, "I'm interested in your topic" is all it means. 
​​ 
​​Desire to help people get organized around topics, inquiries, projects of shared interest. Something the field is asking us to organize... I thought it was OS, may be survey process.
​​ 
​​Ben R can add a place in marketplace pad for people to write in that they are interested.
​​ 
​​Would help to make explicit topics of shared interest. 
​​ 
​​Don't sense there's that kind of energy; L's holding a responsibility to people to help people find things the field can organize around... focus on action that might come out of this. Don't see that energy represented in the field. Could be asked in a survey. I don't think people signing up for OS session would do it either. "What would you like to be part of, going forward?" kind of survey question... 
​​ 
​​L: One reason that hasn't happened... I do see people wanting it. First comment in yesterday's dialogue is they didn't see ways for people to come together. I feel a responsibility that we haven't created a platform that helps people with that process. Some kind of framing that allows people to put something out they'd like to work on with others post-January. That's what I'd like... not necessarily an OS arena. 
​​ 
​​Invite people onto FB or Googlegroups?
​​ 
​​L will brainstorm this with others re: survey.
​​ 
​​ 
  • ​​Ben R : Inviting people back in personally
​​Energy level isn't quite where we hoped it would be... in a trough. Could spend time looking at people who introduced themselves (over 20), or who showed up, and reaching out to them personally... email or skype. "What's going on? Here's what I'm interested in." Can invite people into OS session. OK promoting it. Would love to have you in conversation. Hear if anyone hears me and may be willing to spend 30 min. to ping 3 people in next few days.
​​ 
​​Tom did ping everyone who came into my OS.
​​ 
​​Distinction between emailing 20 people, and touching in personally about a person's contribution.
​​ 
​​Haven't felt moved to do that to an individual, not up for doing that as a project.
​​ 
​​Want you to find people you have a connection with, so it's authentic.
​​ 
​​If anyone reaches out via email, can Bcc other core, or let them know.
​​ 
​​Linda says yes. Ben L says no thank you.
​​ 
​​N: Pretty sure I want to do some thing. Could talk out various factors in my mind, but still in process on it.
​​ 
  • ​​Ben R: final harvest/story/journalistic process
​​Talked about creating a "story" section where each person could do their own piece... also talked about doing it ourselves. Need some sense of timing (assuming we're still aligned) for asking for this? Final WC call is Jan 29, sense is it should come before that. Announce it at next OS call? Ready to go by end of that call.
​​ 
​​Fine to put it out, but would give deadline to people? Hackpad stay open a week after conference to harvest what they'd like to harvest... e.g. by Feb 7. 
​​ 
​​Organizing team would be reviewing them? Not necessarily closing down after Feb 7, but if you want them included in our review, get them in by that time. Also same with survey process.
​​ 
​​I'd want to write more like an analysis than a story. Limit it that way? 
​​ 
​​Probably not. Interested in any kind of synthesis/harvest people want to make. Think a personal component is valuable. If you have any thoughts about the invitation re: "story pads", send them to Ben R.
​​ 
​​Hold this until after brainstorming survey? See them connected.
​​ 
​​ 
​​If it makes it hard for Ben R to have ready by end of OS call, it would be a problem. It's a simple invitation; people will write whatever they want, no matter what we ask them. 
​​ 
​​ 
  • ​​Nancy: juggling the modalities and staying on track
​​ 
​​ 
  • ​​Nancy quantity and quality of support and what's behind the scenes real-time, e.g. Ben Levi. Things fall through the holes and tensions between people. Being realistic, and recognizing risks and consequences.
​​ 
​​ 
​​Always been unclear about our purposes. Experiencing Bohm Dialogue is fine--doesn't need a purpose. Nothing beyond that has emerged, esp re Tom's question, that is explicit, But I haven't read a lot of what's on hackpad. And watching these modalities play out virtually is very intriguing. What can only be done this way, and what is challenging about these modes.
​​ 
​
​Closing
​​Process is interesting to watch; different branches about what's going on. Not convinced this is the best process to use for our time together, but interested in what happens when we do this process. Interesting to reflect on this.
​​ 
​​Because we didn't define clearly enough our initial purpose for this whole thing, if i ever do it again, I'd  be more careful in how I invited people in strategically, and narrow the focus so people do have a sense of closure. Live and learn.
​​ 
​​I've enjoyed this. Learning about holacracy. good learning.
​​ 
​​Experienced this a bit, like an embroidery sampler, putting all in one piece all the stitches. Like a sampler of methologies with terrific people. Expect to be harvesting from it for a long time.
​​ 
​​Struck by appearance that you all are talking about it like it's over. Maybe it is... drop in energy... possibility there's an upswing to be had, with two dialogues, OS and WC. Thought our purpose was clear, not clear to me that the reason things haven't converged around projects and actions is about that. Think it's about something else... eg supersaturated solutions post. Appreciate being able to practice this with you all. Encourage us not to think of this as over; still lots of room for something else to happen, and we can all take responsibility for that.
​​ 
​​In this final phase of our time together, take responsibility for what happens next is natural. 
​​ 
​​Looking forward to having some deep process reflections after it's over to see what we've all learned.
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 

​
​1/14 Notes

​​Attendees: Ben R, Ben L, Tom A, Robert C, Linda E
​
​Opening/Check-in
​​Tom: Spent time going over Open Space notes from yesterday's sessions. Encourage people to look at the them. 
​​ 
​​Robert: spent time with Jim Rough yesterday; dialogued with hiimm on his perspective on how to make the big turning. Effecting change at regional vs. national level; how to strategically effectuate D&D skillsets into conversation.
​​ 
​​Linda: Tom did great job facilitating his session yesterday; also Jim Rough's session, saw struggle on how to take it to national level. Presencing Institute U.Lab this a.m. profoundly hit by notion that we have to create containers; bring key stakeholders locally to collaborate and see connections across sectors. Also on regional level. Jazzed on how I can do that locally in Tucson area.
​​ 
​​Ben L.: fun time yesterday. would like to hear more about Jim Rough's stuff. focused on process. done one each of three main processes--excited to see how that iterates. U.lab participant too. not new. connects to "S-OG" idea. ~10,000 people at once, and "40K" signed up (Ben R thinks its 22K or so!). Might want to form a hub (coaching circle). Going to NZ for a couple of mos, in a few weeks.
​​ 
​​Ben R.: On U.Lab call this a.m. too. Most Coaching Circles are in person. Started yesterday hosting Compassion Games, then our call, then a reunion call for 4 Years Go (Pachamama Alliance) initiative. Metaphor around whether or not we'd reached a 'super-saturated solution' or not. If not, that's our job, to super-saturate. OR, maybe solution already exists, and thing to do is to come up with actions. Feeling that same tension showing up today. Today a call with Thriving Resilient Communities Collaborative, putting a lot of this into action. Is our container a super-saturated solution?
​​ 
​​Tom--feeling that were at a mid-way point too. my session was close to my heart, and a large gp. felt like something might happen. plan to model behavior on that--the journalism piece. thinking that early Feb will be the "real interesting stuff" This thinking partner is "up to his neck in one little piece
​​ 
​
​Ben has process suggestion
​​Modeled on holacracy tactical meeting process. Anyone who has a tension... agenda is built around tensions. Holder declares briefly their tension, get a list. Take them in order given with goal to resolve those tensions... not that whatever the larger thing is resolved, but for this moment in this call, the person holding the tension is comfortable going beyond here. Might be a discussion, might be a need/decision. "I have a tension." "Is it resolved for this moment?" Works.
​​What if somebody develops a tension during a meeting? Or is it only at the beginning. Can add tensions to the list during the meeting, add to end of queue and work with it in the meeting if possible.
​​ 
​
​Call agenda (Tensions):
​​ 
​​Linda: Anything we as hosting team might be doing in next couple of weeks, laying groundwork past January.
​​ 
​​Ben R.: Poll for next two plenary calls
​​ 
​​Robert: difference bet understanding separate definitions of what success would mean among us.
​​ 
​​Ben L: How to harvest the useful "gems/nuggets" that the dozens of hackpads are archiving.
​​ 
​​Linda:  Is there anything we can do as the hosting team to help those who may be finding it difficult to participate, to come into the conversation on hackpad?
​​ 
​​Linda: How to get more participation online as well as offline?.  
​​ 
​​Ben R. Idea for crowd sourcing Inquiry News
​​ 
​​Ben L and Linda: Open up Linda's Dialogues to more people (in Doodle poll, etc.)
​​ 
​
​Linda: Anything we as hosting team might be doing in next couple of weeks, laying groundwork past January.
​​What would it take to resolve that tension? 
​​Brainstorm with us around what we see could happen past January; how to set that up now? e.g.
  • ​​Gaining permission to make call list (emails) public... how to make that efficient?
  • ​​Survey Robert suggested earlier, for after conference... how to prepare for that.
  • ​​Are there obvious things we're seeing for ways to connect past Jan? more dialogues? how do we help others do that too?
  • ​​List the things we know might be available past jan, e.g.
  • ​​hackpad
  • ​​Zoom room (needs Zoom-meister?), Skype, Maestro ongoing mtg just for DandDTrans up to 25 people... needs Maestro facilitator?)
  • ​​recruit people who want to train on Zoom or Maestro tech
  • ​​Create a listserv or newsletter... "pushing info" out to people, vs. people needing to go to a website and "pull" info (e.g. updates on what's happening past January).
  • ​​Survey offer from Robert. pulling in indiv ppts feelings is one thing. lots and lots of info could be gathered. not sure what the "n" is.
  • ​​Ben R would guess that ~50 have participated  in some way, and about 15-20 are really active ongoing.
​​ 
​​Brainstorming didn't fully resolve tension. Spend some time on the survey, news;letter and communications afterwards. Create a plan for next steps. Start on hackpad with ideas.
​​​+Post-January Planning​ hackpad is now created for capturing these ideas.
​​ 
​
​Ben R.: Poll for next two plenary calls
  • ​​Bens, Tom and Linda need to be on them... poll sent out yesterday to find best days/times. Would like to resolve tension around booking one Open Space and one World Cafe session. Poll link: 
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Robert: difference bet understanding separate definitions of what success would mean among us.
​​taking this off the list... not so much tension as useful info. comfortable being uncomfortable. The survey could be a way to address this. could also share my definitions, and survey that of others.
  • ​​How about creating a hackpad to capture this for everyone in the collective?
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Ben L and Linda: Open up Linda's Dialogues to more people (currently max 15) (in Doodle poll, etc.)
  • ​​Can make Zoom/Doodle bigger, up to 30 people if we want. Break them in two groups. Curious about how many other people want to dialogue. 
  • ​​Bens' zoom accounts can handle up to 25 at a time.
  • ​​Let's open it up and remove max. Ben L will do that in Doodle. RESOLVED.
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Linda: How to get more participation online as well as offline?  
  • ​​If we sent out a survey with a few questions...
  • ​​for those not participating, what can we do to encourage you to come in? technical, timing, too busy?
  • ​​what are the reasons you are not participating?
  • ​​Purpose: how to get more to participate now (e.g. making technology easier, etc.), as well as learning for next time.
  • ​​May be easier to randomly call/email 4-5 people and ask them. e.g. if people say they're "intimidated," there's not much we'll be able to do for them; not planning on changing things much for this month. 
  • ​​"How do we get you to come in" framing doesn't resonate. It's an open invitation, fine to say no. No reason necessary. 
  • ​​Doing OK with participation now.
  • ​​Integrating people in the middle of a container is a challenge... if we had a surge of "new" people, might be tricky. 
  • ​​Ben R is working flat out already.
  • ​​Not so much "how to get you in" but "what's difference in your life between when you signed up, and now?
  • ​​Sending out survey.. happy to add "Is there anything more we can do to support your active engagement?" YES.
  • ​​Voting saying "yes", but not necessarily participating themselves as much. 
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Ben R. Idea for crowd sourcing Inquiry News
  • ​​Pad called Inquiry News that Ben R is updating periodically, trying to get a sense of what's happening, good for people to look at who are first coming in. 
  • ​​Some work for Ben R, only picking certain things. How to create a running list of posts, if you do something worthwhile can post it to News pad. Anyone's invited to post to it. Might get a richer timeline of what's happening. Hackpad has some ways for looking at what's new, but not obvious. 
  • ​​Inviting people to highlight (like World Cafe harvest) what's "hot" for people.
  • ​​Is energy you're envisioning oriented toward next 2 weeks? Or what's happening? Will hackpad be archival record? What's primary goal in wanting to do this?
  • ​​Ben R: Serve the next 2 weeks. 
  • ​​Hackpad isn't just archival; potentially ongoing and alive. This is an experiment; none of us know what it'll be.
  • ​​Would help hackpad be more useful.
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Ben L: How to harvest the useful "gems/nuggets" that the dozens of hackpads are archiving.
​​lots of pads, daily emails are hard to grok. it would be nice to have someone grabbing the nuggets. the self-reflective piece. and fine holding the tension. 
​​ 
  • ​​Can people subscribe to Inquiry News/Highlights pad on its own? YES.
  • ​​Fear that if we open it up to everyone, will get a lot of gobbly-gook. Lot of work; someone with paid position would normally do this.
  • ​​use data mining--dump all the content into a program that makes meaning.
  • ​​what IS a nugget?
  • ​​journalism approaches?
  • ​​Nugget: what we each find valuable that we want to share with others.
  • ​​Place for people to tell stories about what's moving with them. 
  • ​​On-going, with reputations -- people whom I respect are ones I read. Voting and individuals' reputations. Hackpad doesn't have that capacity.
  • ​​Stephanie Jo Kent is doing this already! How is that being available. on Inquiry News page?
  • ​​Hackpad can be 'searched' by individual (on right side), can put a **** or something before it to designate something important to share with others.
  • ​​Invitation built into last week to invite people to harvest "what this month has been for me".
  • ​​Add on request for suggestions about what their next steps/forward thinking is. Would enform 'coding' in post-survey (rather than open-ended responses). 
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Robert: Post-survey — Understanding what are this community's capacities to engage
  • ​​With themselves and more broadly, e.g. skillsets, partnering, collaboration
  • ​​Demographic profile of this community and what their experience is being involved in activism and other things, age range capacities, where leadership is likely to come from. 
  • ​​Get NCDD Board input? Don't need to duplicate anything they've done. Or ask them to take survey first?
  • ​​Hope we can reach out to their networks and larger communities to understand better who we are. Self-reflective principle. Ties in with U.Lab's idea of "turning the scope around to ourselves".
  • ​​"We're already doing things that we're doing... don't necessarily need your ideas." AND... do we know about what is actually being done by everyone?
  • ​​Who is the "we"? Dovetails with NCDD's desire for a "rapid response" group for an event to have available D&D perspective for that event. Match who we are to the pressing needs in the world.
  • ​​Efforts like ours have been tried in the past and not gone anywhere... is there capacity beyond the "short stints" of a container like the one we've created?
  • ​​How do you let people know in advance that they'll have an opportunity to participate in something like this. Want people to be anticipating it so they feel moved to engage and show up.
  • ​​Engaging with other orgs, mediators, int'l association for public participation, int'l assn of facilitators, futuresearch, openspace, etc. Lots of networks out there. All overlap with D&DTrans field, dealing with conversational approaches to understand the field as a whole. Core Principles for Public Engagement study (on NCDD website?) done a few years ago engaged over 100 orgs to adopt principles. Instead of a statement, this is an exploration of us, who are "we"? Provides opportunities for co-sponsorhips.
  • ​​The size is expansive and expanding; deserves attention. For purposes of participants in this January session, there may be a short survey just for them that would look for their interests and issues they want to work on afterwards, given what's on their plate now. Useful feedback tool.
​​ 

​
​12/23 Call Notes

​​Attendees: Robert Corman, Nancy, Ben R, Ben L, Linda, Tom
​​Sentence Completion: (order: Ben L, Ben R, Linda, Nancy, Robert, Tom)
​​Dialogue will be a crucial catalyst for the next eon. We transform our consciousness through commitment and presence and perseverence. Collective wisdom invites new insights, capacities, emergence, and breakthroughs.
​​ 
​​Four 3-hr Bohm dialogues on a weekly cycle have been proposed. What are our expectations for this Bohm Dialogue cycle? 
​​ 
​​Some design questions:
  • ​​Contingent vs. non-contingent approach is still undecided.
  • ​​Is there a commitment to all sessions, or can ppts drop into one or more?
​​ 
​​Linda: Still a bit unclear... wanting a weave w/other things we do, so folks active in other conversations will connect... want to talk about Dialogue as a formative agent, experiencing it as a group, and also as D&D members. Could Dialogue about how D&D in general could be useful in the world today (re: Tom's earlier inquiry). 'Contingent' dialogue format. People will come in with various levels of experience, so we'll need to do some teaching as well. Need to get people's experience level up front, send them an article first, do initial training period at beginning of each, as well as putting in one or two 'reflection' pieces in the dialogue to add that piece as well.
​​ 
​​Tom: what Linda said!
​​ 
​​Nancy: Who are we convening? Linda: People who have joined the hackpad? Some people have only been on calls, others expressed interest but couldn't make the call. This is part of offering we make to everyone who've expressed an interest in the larger inquiry, roughly 60 people. Tom: Mostly people who responded during NCDD conf. to Tom's call for D&DTrans. Also others as well in D&D community. Ben R: Also will go out to a larger invitation list. There will be Bohm Dialogue calls, as well as another set of weekly calls for additional D&D processes.
​​ 
​​Ben R: Expectations are that however it's framed, it'll be synergistic with larger purpose and intended results we align on. #2, Gain clarity and insights in how D&DTrans can catalyze larger transformation. Happy to let others more knowledgeable with the form, will support integrating it into whole process, also what can we do on hackpad to add another dimension. 
​​ 
​​Ben L: looking at a circle as a context for conversation. There could be others that are more action-oriented. There would be synergy between them. Like the distinction of dif't kinds of meetings so people know what they are showing up for.
​​ 
​​Robert: Like #2 and 3 intended results. I give my own meaning to those words, and appreciate having context. Whatever happens in January, hope would be always a reference back to Tom's original question/touchstone, which motivated all of our engagement. Awaits probing, with different levels of experience and connection w/world. Having context in both spaces Ben L alluded to, we'll improve. Like to see shared experiences; don't want tools to get in the way if we have to "begin" each time, which goes to ever-widening circle of people. Needs some effort to help assess where someone is coming in, and what's best place they can be helpful to group, themselves, and overall conversation. I'll look for places in Dialogue opportunity that are action-oriented... marry that with some degree of inventorying who has what experiences and how they can be related to actual context, where there can be an offer of help by people who have expertise. Oriented toward substantive content.
​​ 
  • ​​Note: Tom's original question was: "What would NCDD and its membership have to be and do to enable their most positive transformational impact in the face of climate change, peak oil and water, profound wealth inequity, and other emerging crises which fundamentally challenge our business-as-usual habits and systems?"  
​​ 
​​Nancy: Reiterate importance of Tom's touchstone. Part is ongoing reminder of D&D that we be attendant to its relationship to larger crisis humanity is facing. Tension between sense of urgency about that, and need to stay in space of dialogue, open reflection and not panicking. Partly where do you put your energy? Where do you create something that relates to need for systemic transformation. Dimensions where dialogue is critical: 1) Stayiing in touch with it all is painful, emotional work. Temptation to shut down, panic, ignore, force solutions, etc. can be challenging... staying with each other during this process helps. Community dimension is necessarily ongoing. Dialogic process is necessary to keep us at a deep open level. And we need to feel we're moving in direction where hope lies, through collaborative action and our imagination. 2) Much of what's valuable is already happening, we're already doing. We want to respect the ongoing emerging work and not keep talking about 'starting from scratch'. Consciousness around leveraging each others' good work... touchstone. Easy to get caught up in our own sense of what's needed and lose touch with how other people are complementing that work. Written "Five Levels of Cooperation" to help structure degree of engagement with others' work. 3) Concern not to get into overwhelm by overcommitting myself. Same with group... don't want to fall into trap of inviting people into something where their expectations exceed what the group is responsibly able to do. Remind one another of larger process, appreciating each others' connection; creating safe space to talk about hard shadow stuff.
​​ 
​​Tom: Bohm Dialogue effort is one branch off main thread of what we're doing... "Here's a tool that's useful for going deeper, anybody interested in doing that, come over into this room" Not a plenary activity; that's for Maestro/World Cafe/Open Space... Open Commons where people can find collaborators, meaning, etc. Consulting collaborative, etc are branches off the main stream... slightly different cut of the pie than what Ben L said.
​​ 
​​Ben R: See first World Cafe in plenary mode is collective deep dive to what's possible before we open space up for people to self-organize. Anchor in plenary mode. 
​​ 
​​Tom: Hope World Cafe plenary would continue, common space, like 'Groupworks' deck call. Hearing Ben R say that World Cafe is bringing epople, into Open Space... To me, it would be ongoing conversation that could have Open Space branch off of it. 
​​ 
​​Ben R: Bohm Dialogue space not full plenary; want to land Bohm Dialogue piece in this call, will do second piece after this.
​​ 
​​Linda: Who is the 'we' moving forward into Dialogue? Invitation beyond? Already opened it... now we want to narrow. If we were going to continue opening, should do it now. Need to get back to folks about structure going forward.. interweave with World Cafe, Bohm Dialogue, Open Space. Between those three, and hackpad, we're covered. How do we get clear on who "we" are?
​​ 
​​Tom: Dynamic tension... two parts of call: larger context, and Bohm Dialogue structure. 
​​ 
​​Ben L: would like commitment  for Bohm Dialogue to 1st of 4 and 3 out of 4 total. Also would want to limit it to  8-12 people total. Linda thought up to 20 max.  Bob: what about using Maestro breakouts? Ben L: wants to use Zoom, not Maestro, so we can see one another.
​​ 
​​Robert: Sustaining engagement of people will need people feeling like it's rich for them. How do these skillsets afford opportunities on how to engage and support those addressing critical issues. 
​​ 
​​Tom: Many people, including me, would love to have everybody that showed up involved in the thing they love... a particular process. I'd love everybody to particiate in what I'm involved in... and that's my thing. We brought people together in generic inquiry.. how to provide a space generic enough for people to pursue meaning, and to find people to do what they want to do. Like WC and OS models... flexible. Invite people in from the larger community, and bring gifts back to that community. Nancy: are you saying these are both necessary and complementary, as long as we're clear?  Tom: yes, in theory. The space is always open, and anyone can invite something they want to post within that, so this Bohm Dialogue is like one part of the larger OS. Most of the OS conversations might now even happen inside the Maestro calls, but whenever and however they wanted to convene them. Maybe 20 initiatives get launched from this, and continue into form after January. and maybe the whole inquiry process re-iterates and 200 initiatives get launched.
​​ 
​​Linda: maybe the OS format is something we're ready for right now. Frustrated that people aren't using hackpad [enough]. Can we create a way to self-organize on hackpad, i.e. around the backbone org idea.
​​ 
​​Ben R.: propose going to OS after an initial period of about one week where we stay in the larger possibility conversation as a whole. 
​​ 
​​Tom: hackpad is wiki-like, congruent to OS. We could open the space on hackpad now. We will also formally "open the space" for the whole group later.
​​ 
​​Linda: back to BD... could see a completely open set of calls. anyone up to 20 can join. no commitment. OR do the committed approach, and have it include training. Would go deeper then too. Then who would we invite? Tom: we have two facilitators, so we could two in parallel.
​​ 
​​Ben L: prefer the smaller focused gp, esp with an intention to learn together how to facilitate an online Bohmian Dialogue. Everyone will have other more open spaces to play in to.  Choose people by application, with a commitment specified in advance to attend the sessions... the idea is to build a container that can go deeper because we're all flowing together for the sessions. 
​​ 
​​Robert: like what Ben L proposes. There's a sense of these tools being important and valuable in initiatives that are not using them now.  Can we help funnel these tools out to the places where they are needed? Look at what's already working. Can generate forward mov't. Also, self-organizing approaches (Tom's WC/OST focus) can also be valuable,
​​ 
​​Linda: Ben L is also wanting to do non-contingent, true BD. There's another use, in a contingent manner, to help us self organize what we could do out in the world. Not as much deep collective thinking. Could synergize with the WC/OST. I am willing to do this as a parallel piece of work. Ben L: I'd work with you on that, and also do the more focused, committed work/training. Has to be DONE WELL.
​​ 
​​L, cont. so who is this for? Ben R: we may not have that large a group right now--a reason to issue a broader invite.
​​ 
​​All agree to send out one invite to the existing list for both the BD and whatever else we can land for the broader inquiry.
​​ 
​​Tom speaks to the potential value of a flow from WC to OS and back, especially since we're at the "Kitty Hawk" phase where we DON'T KNOW what will really work in this systemic transformation context.
​​ 
​​Linda: finally clear about how these modalities work together. OS is asynch, hackpad and self-org,.
​​ 
​​Group aligns of the primary calls starting with one WC and then one plenary OS call (plus asynch and smaller self-organized synch sessions). All in addition to the two BD tracks.
​​ 
​​Four layers of engagement:
  • ​​connecting/community building
  • ​​deep inquiry into what can make the difference (Kitty Hawk)
  • ​​recognizing and supporting the work that is already in motion
  • ​​supporting the emergence of many self-organized teams
​​ 
​​Robert speaks to an example of whats working, in the healthcare systems change area. 
​​ 
​​Nancy, re Kitty Hawk. She lives 1/4 mile from Huffing Field in Dayton OH, where the actual development occurred (after Kitty Hawk). Yes to Tom's point about the need to continue developing our practice. Our community tends to lock into a few methods we're good at, versus looking at situation  and its needs and possibilties to decide what methods or processes are best suited to that point in what should usually be better seen less as an event and more as a point in an unfolding process, often a process with distinct phases and/or parallel  developments.
​​ 
​​Tom's interest is in "strategic use" of D&D. Not waiting for something to happen, but looking now for the targets--where would conversation make a gigantic difference? OK--then what kind? What method? Where, how long, who is involved? We're catalytic, and we have limited resources. Been at this for a while--tried with Peggy Holman to get philanthropists to fund D&D by giving them an experience of it as participants.
​​ 
​​Nancy: D&D has power WHEN it's well-placed. Robert: and the models matter, so we need to understand them.
​​ 
​​Linda: conversation with Ben Kadel about a "backbone learning org" for process providers. what is working and where, what's not. Nancy: very excited to hear this. NCDD events usually have people "selling themselves" so they aren't  saying what isn't working for them. We need that space too!
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​​ 

​
​12/18 Call Notes

​​ 
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Process ideas we came to the call excited about
  • ​​More posts on the initial hackpad framings:
  • ​​Intros
  • ​​What's Possible Posts
  • ​​6 conversations-->Dissent next
  • ​​Card of the evening, expanding into something "self-organizing"
  • ​​Open Space to let the group run, self-organize around shared projects.
  • ​​Harvest/Meaning Making pad?
  • ​​Bohm Dialogue on social transformation
  • ​​A group of ~20 people, ongoing
  • ​​Backbone Infrastructure idea (to address funding issue)
  • ​​consultant's cooperative
  • ​​gives people a feeling of having impact
  • ​​a learning organization
  • ​​A support call-in time. What's working and not.
​​ 
​​Tom's reflections: 
​​The needs of the group depend on the nature of the gp. Ongoing and committed versus temporary and more fluid. Tension because I'm halfway between these two. The shape of my investment will depend on that. Short and organized, versus taking the time to get to know one another, which is a project.
​​ 
​​Paul Ray's cultural Creatives--traditionals do the Church, CC's do the "workshop. Deep, and temporary. There's no one-size fits all. Let peole engage as they wish Dift gps:
  • ​​Core hosting Gp
  • ​​the Community--makes a longer term commitment to show up
  • ​​Teams are another ongoing group--have resources for them to form
  • ​​Commons function for all--exists all the time, but the people aren't all comitted
​​ 
​​Also roles needed, esp for a committed gp:
  • ​​The Bens hold the mechanics of the space--do we train others? More likely to make sense if this is a committed gp.
  • ​​Journalistic function: making meaning and telling stories
  • ​​Wiki "refactoring. Tom has done that well in the past. Takes a lot of time. Another form of investment.
​​ 
​​Ben R: comments on the power law distribution of online participation, and also the idea that we have framed this as an inquiry through January.
​​ 
​​Tom: need better definition of "what this is" in order to make a commitment. Linda: couldn't this emerge if we simply give people paths to move forward on? Tom: what are the assumptions about who are in gps, and our commitment? This is emergent. Your offering of "three things" is one approach, and I'm more interested in what the group will tell us, once we identify the original impulse. Linda: there are several levels of dialogue that are possible, esp contingent and non-contingent. Non-contingent is pure and totally open. Contingent starts from some shared meaning, assumptions, framing, etc. People will want some contingent form to scaffold things. Not talking so much at the level of raw belief and values. Tom: yes, and I DO want the open inquiry about assumptions. And I'm a "thinking partner," not a "co-host."
​​ 
​​Ben L: showed up for tech, and loves Bohm dialogue. Recognize how busy people are now, and that they might want to work on "something" together. We need both, and they're two dift kinds of meetings. suggest we provide a context for both, and are very clear about which is which. First oppty is to see what the commitment is.
​​ 
​​Tom: could be a World Cafe. "what inquiry could arise out of this that you would find worthwhile?" 
​​ 
​​Tom: five day open spaces are very different from shorter ones. "We don't know how to do this" (i.e. help/support/amplify the Great Turning.) We need breakthroughs. Ben R: can we do something similar to a "five day OS" in this inquiry through January.
​​ 
​​Linda: story of Roger Corman's wife's healthcare work... 7 years of deep dialogue-->computer model that will change how people view health. Got my juices going for sponsoring that level of dialogue around systemic change. Tom: Fetzer Inst provides space for conference in Kalamzoo--can we do something analogous? Online and Asynch and in-person--each requires a bigger investment. (Just an add-on note here that Glenna Gerard and I trained all of Fetzer's staff from their CEO down to their kitchen crew...so they are quite aligned with Bohm Dialogue, should we want to connect with them somewhere down in th future.)  
​​ 
​
​What's happened that has interested and inspired you so far?
  • ​​Cafe format
  • ​​People are getting together off-line already, and even making plans in small groups
  • ​​Lots of people showed up!
  • ​​We're prototyping how to have a different conversation, that can then be brought out into the world
  • ​​We're experimenting with the current technology and our knowledge of D & D.  
​​ 
​
​Proposal
  • ​​Overall framing of what we are doing: this is an Inquiry through January of what's possible that we might do together (and can't do on our own) that would make enough of a difference to make a difference.
  • ​​Bohm Dialogue (via zoom... synchronously... regularly (e.g. weekly?)
  • ​​Ben L and Linda to frame an invitation and agree to host
  • ​​Need opening questions. ( I would like to see the proposal that Ben Levi put out for a 3-hour Dialogue, once a week through the end of January and that people need to sign up for it as we need to know how many people would want to participate for planning purposes AND when people sign up that it is essential that they include a bit about themselves and their experience with Bohm Dialogue so we will know how much we need to do to get everyone on the same page of the Dialogic process itself.) 
  • ​​Open Space
  • ​​starts online, then goes live if there is interest.  (I'm assuming that this could be an actual tab on the hackpad, Ben, with an invitation for people to sign on for a possible on-line or virtual open-space  - maybe even an eventual Open-Space face-to-face.  
  • ​​Harvesting/Meaning Making--needs a dedicated team. A blogger. (Would be great to put this out as an invitation to someone immediately.  Would really help those of us who get bogged down with the reading on-line.)  might be live as well as online
  • ​​Invitation
  • ​​Possibility
  • ​​Dissent
  • ​​Ownership
  • ​​Commitment
  • ​​Gifts
​​ 
  • ​​I'm still struggling with this as I don't get if these would be actual sessions we might hold as cafe or dialogues??? 
  • ​​What's the "this" here, Linda? The "Six Conversations," or something larger? If it's the former, my original thought was just to have it be on hackpad, but I'm now thinking it will be both online (asynch via hackpad) and live (maestro). Perhaps in small self-organizing sessions.
​​ 
​​ 
​​Tom: tree metaphor: 
  • ​​roots=deep inquiry (BenL: also our deep connection with the earth; nourishing it, and being nourished.)
  • ​​trunk=all the things we might do (BenL: and the connection between the roots (deep inquiry) and the branches (teams). 
  • ​​branches/leaves are the teams that break off.
  • ​​(BenL): fruit are the projects that are created by the teams.
​​ 
​​Ben...how do we find these convener notes on the hackpad??? (Linda)
​​ 
​​ 

​
​Processing ​+the 12/15 Group Call​, and What's Next (Online) 

​​Thought it would be good to have a spot to continue thinking "together."  I've got this in three sections: space for reflections from each of us, then Next Steps and then Process Ideas.
​​ 
​
​Ben R.
​​Initial things I am struck by as I think back over the call:
  • ​​We didn't celebrate! It was a great turnout, went very smoothly overall, and the group wants to keep going.
  • ​​How perfect "Purpose" was as an initial card, and how I might have paused a bit to reflect more on that magic (or did I?).
  • ​​Things got rushed at the end. I didn't have my two mins, and I skipped the "Next Steps," which would have been to frame how people could continue engaging on hackpad. 
  • ​​We could have presenced the Heart more intentionally.
  • ​​a
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Linda
​​BTW...I appreciated your (Tom's) words regarding the challenge of reading so much on-line...I'm dealing with that personally right now as I am still trying to just get caught up with  my regular email after being away for 10 days...very hard to digest so much written materia on the HackPadl...I do think we will need as a convening team to begin a strong focusing of the conversation based on this last call if we aren't going to begin to lose people.  I have some ideas that I will share tomorrow, but basically:  
​​ 
​​Create a few avenues for people to participate...i.e.
​​ 
​​1) longer dialogues on the specific topic of perhaps "global culture shift...what is working and what isn't based on our experience and further research, what do we, as D & D'rs have to bring to this essential need in the world today (global culture shift) that seems to be tied into all of the complex, critical issues of our day, etc"....We would have to think who all should be on this sort of deeper dialogue and how best to facilitate it.  How could we fund such an effort and how long might it need to last? 
​​ 
​​2) FOCUS attention on the idea of the backbone network idea/consultant's cooperative for a fast way to bring in $ into our efforts and how to organize it.  This could actually bring in money to support a longer-term, deeper dialogue with perhaps bringing in experts on large-scale culture shift.
​​ 
​​3)  Perhaps do an open-space maestro call for other projects to emerge and for people to find each other in this way.  There is no reason why an assortment of projects couldn't be organized with no particular need for NCDD to be in the loop.  
​​ 
​
​Tom - 
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Ben L.
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Next Steps
  • ​​Post recording of call [Ben} 
  • ​​All hosts read through call notes and hackpad posts (what's possible and intros).
  • ​​Set up next phase on hackpad [Ben and ?] 
  • ​​"Harvesting" pad on the main menu?
  • ​​Send email to full group with thank you and next steps suggestions
  • ​​Schedule next hosting team call
  • ​​Create doodle poll for main calls in Jan
  • ​​Re ​+John's request​ for Tom's opening remarks to be shared in written form, I posted that I think they were based on your ​+Whats Possible? ​ post.  Can you confirm that, Tom?  Yes, I read it from that text, with a small bit added at the end. (Tom)
  • ​​Create hackpad ​+Help​ pad [Ben]
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Process Ideas
  • ​​Longer calls than 90 mins? Even 1 hr 45 mins would make a big difference, I think. And we could also consider at least one or two 2.5-3 hour iterations, maybe even try a half day. We might also design something that worked in phases, so that people who didn't want to stay for the longer time could bow out at a pre-designated point.
  • ​​Do some virtual Bohm Dialogue!
  • ​​Recruit "harvesting/meaning-making teams"  at key junctures to help us process all the info we have--probably best after each call (i.e. now!). We could still use email to invite a team to form, and also consider make it a larger gp process. We might even organize a (smaller) "harvest/meaning making" call.
  • ​​Do something with the Card of the Evening, e.g. a small regular (self organized?) group gathering?
  • ​​Live self-organizing "Card of the Day" process.
  • ​​Add a "quotes" section to the "what else?" pad?
  • ​​Create a system for selecting some of the ​+Questions​ for discussion online (and during the calls).
  • ​​I plan to develop the What's Possible space into the full cycle of Peter Block's Six Conversations--just wanted to check in about that with y'all first though.
​​ 
​​ 
​​I think the possibilities are immense - and that that is as much a problem as it is an opportunity.  My hunch is that the "success" of this project will depend largely on how brilliantly we can both allow this abundance to show up AND make it confrontable AND enable people to navigate it and latch onto things that are particularly meaningful to them.  The principle of self-organization (which is the strength of Open Space, social networks, the Internet, etc.) feels fundamental here.  If we try to manage content we'll be overwhelmed and drive people away.  We need to figure out how to set things up so that THEY do more and more of the work as the possibilities expand.  
​​  Related to this, on a personal note, I suspect that I will not be doing a number of things with / in this project that I could do because I am desperate to get on with some research that this (and a few other things) are pulling me away from.  I feel drawn to help this initiative succeed but not to do all I can to make it work out (i.e., to make it the central project in my life).  I'm wondering if - given the vastness of its potential scope - it definitely needs to have someone making it central in their lives, in order for it to work.  Of course, the more we are able to enable and motivate group self-organization, the less it will need a committed core.
​​ 
​​ 

​
​12/14 Call Notes

​​ 
​
​Agenda:
  • ​​Check ins
  • ​​Update on what's happened so far
  • ​​Clarify hosting team intentions
  • ​​Primary work: design the 12/15 MaestroConference call.
  • ​​Two Groupworks deck cards each for setting design priorities?
  • ​​ 
  • ​​Linda's Business Model Idea
  • ​​GroupWorks Deck of the Evening
  • ​​Close
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Clarify hosting team intentions
​​Agreed we are all in through the end of January. 
​​Four calls in January, plus hackpad
​​Using Doodle to find times that work best?
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Design the 12/15 MaestroConference call.
  • ​​Cards:
  • ​​Ben
  • ​​Setting Intention
  • ​​Envision and name what will be done to reach toward or achieve the purpose of the group. Setting Intention reminds us of our responsibilities, guiding us to actions that fulfill the reason for which a gathering was called.
  • ​​Magic
  • ​​At certain moments, something beyond the group emerges, accompanied by a sense of awe . . . and resulting in a unanimous feeling of astonished accomplishment. Conditions inviting Magic include shared passion, urgency, openness, energy and trust--yet the quality is always mysterious, never guaranteed.
  • ​​Tom
  • ​​Emergence
  • ​​Welcome the spaces between rigid structure and unproductive chaos, numbing familiarity and paralyzing anxiety. To work with complexity as a generative cauldron, encourage flexibility, self-organization, and mutual discovery. Embracing what arises, the group gives birth to new insights and forms.
  • ​​Trust the Wisdom of the Gp
  • ​​When the path is uncertain, seek intelligence, intuition, and direction from the collective. No matter the problem, with patience and good listening a group usually generates the needed solution, options, or route forward.
  • ​​Purpose
  • ​​Purpose is the destination we choose from a sea of possibilities. Shared purpose calls us together and focuses us, evolving as understanding deepens. It gives impetus and energy to our work--when we're connected with genuine purpose, energy flows and things happen.
  • ​​Whole system in the room
  • ​​A critical mass of diverse stakeholders working together helps the whole system adapt and learn more effectively. Spark transformative change by gathering a cross-section of the organization or community to coordinate visioning, innovate novel solutions, make more informed choices and motivate quick implementation.
​​ 
​
​Call Design
  • ​​Shared Intention/Purpose/Common Ground
  • ​​Use our intuition
  • ​​Get clarity and energy about what we're doing
​​ 
​​Design Specifics
  • ​​Opening Section 20 min
  • ​​greeting
  • ​​orientation
  • ​​opening the space
  • ​​context/intention statement from hosts
  • ​​Each speak for 2 mins re intentions for what's possible
​​ 
  • ​​Dialogue (45)
​​Dialogue
  • ​​Harvest (20)
​​ 
  • ​​Closing/Next Steps (5)
​​ 
​​Misc Items
  • ​​Poll on 4 Jan calls
  • ​​Who else do we need in the room?
​​ 
​​Question(s)
  • ​​What questions, if answered...
  • ​​What draws you to this conversation? (20)
  • ​​What would keep you coming back? (25)
  • ​​Who else would you like to have with us?
  • ​​Possibility Questions...
  • ​​What declaration of possibility can you make that has the power to transform the community and inspire you?
  • ​​Given what's going on, in our country and the field, what's possible now?
  • ​​What might we do in these conversations that would end up making a difference?
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Linda's Business Model Idea
​​Talked before about a loose cooperative. Studies Mondragon. We could form a consultant's coop--put in $ or time. Incorporate, get admin support, Ben Kadal's social action project inspired me. Activists plus process skills. A leadership team of 3-5 people elected/volunteered. Grow this over time, activists eventually join too. Matching consultants to the needs=key. Activists orgs eventually pay to receive discounted consulting services.
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​​Had a conversation after our call about my business idea with a couple of people and wanted to add that a key to this business model would be quality control of services (ensuring right from the get go who 'we' are in terms of who joins and our skill/expertise level...needs to be high so as to attract the activists we would choose to assist and attract...also our messaging to the activist community will be key.  
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​​Thanks, Ben, for facilitating a great call yesterday and keeping us on tract!!
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