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hosting_craft [2013-10-31 16:34] – majahosting_craft [2014-10-27 15:30] – [Hosting craft] maja
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 ==== Hosting craft ==== ==== Hosting craft ====
  
-This page is an overview of facilitation and hosting techniques practiced at FoAM for over a decade. +This page has an overview of facilitation and hosting techniques practiced at FoAM for over a decade. The page is structured based on the course notes for the participatory Hosting Craft training sessions designed by Maja Kuzmanovic in 2013-2014. As such the page is still in progress... 
  
 //With thanks to Maggie Buxton, Simone Poutnik, Hendrik Tiessinga (and others from The Art of Hosting community), Nick Payne, Ineke Van Mulders, Edel Maex, Christina Stadlbauer, Helga Hartl and many others who have facilitated workshops, held trainings and retreats through which we experienced the practice and the craft of hosting and facilitation.// //With thanks to Maggie Buxton, Simone Poutnik, Hendrik Tiessinga (and others from The Art of Hosting community), Nick Payne, Ineke Van Mulders, Edel Maex, Christina Stadlbauer, Helga Hartl and many others who have facilitated workshops, held trainings and retreats through which we experienced the practice and the craft of hosting and facilitation.//
  
  
-==== Session 1: Hosting, craft and the Host ====+==== Session 1: The Host ====
  
  
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 Having an intuition about people's attention helps decide when to let the conversations take their course, when to step up, calm things down or take them sideways.  Having an intuition about people's attention helps decide when to let the conversations take their course, when to step up, calm things down or take them sideways. 
  
-A course that can help develop your own communication skills and be more aware of how others communicate: Mindfulness in Communication by Edel Maex in Antwerp. Maex uses a tool he calls "Communication compass" in this course, to be able to talk about communication. +A course that can help develop your own communication skills and be more aware of how others communicate: [[http://levenindemaalstroom.drupalgardens.com/content/mindfulness-en-communicatie|Mindfulness en communicatie]] by Edel Maex in Antwerp. Maex uses a tool he calls "Communication compass" in this course, to be able to talk about communication. 
  
  
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-//next session: 20131216 10-14h: hosting and summarising conversations//+//next session: 20131216 12-16h: hosting conversations// 
 + 
 + 
 +==== Session 4: The conversations ==== 
 + 
 +After receiving the people, framing a question and setting guidelines, we finally come to the core of the hosting craft: the conversation. The central question for every host is //how to host a group conversation, where everyone's voice is heard, the results are shared and the vision arising from the conversation is collective//?  
 + 
 +Before getting into the myriad of known formats, there are a few basic forms that anyone can host without too many rules: 
 + 
 +=== Personal - solo === 
 + 
 +A few minutes of individual contemplation is important when the topics discussed are complex, or emotionally charged. It allows people to explore both their thoughts and their gut-feelings and come up with considered, honest answers. Posing a question and allowing a few minutes for thinking about the question, taking notes and composing one's thoughts can substantially deepen the group conversation. This type of 'conversation' can be used at any moment in a workshop, but works particularly well in the beginning (to connect the participants own experience with the topic of conversations), middle (as a 'breathing space' after expansive, high paced conversations in larger groups) and at the end (a moment of quiet reflection). 
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise: This exercise allows the participants to reflect on their personal motivations, as well as connect with the motivations of others in the group. Frame the exercise and pose the question 'what motivates you to get up in the morning and face the day?' (or something similar). Explain that people can individually reflect on the question for a few minutes, write down one or more answers. Give a small bunch of post-its to every participant, instruct them to write one answer per post it. Inform the participants that the answers will be shared with the group, and that the goal is to create a collective map of motivations. </blockquote> 
 + 
 +Participants' comments on characteristics of solo conversation:  
 +  * It brings you closer to yourself 
 +  * The clustering of individual responses connects the group 
 +  * The question from the exercise is quite existential, and made the participants feel vulnerable 
 +  * Knowing that there would be a reporting to the group focused the 'conversation with self' 
 + 
 +=== Intimate - duo === 
 + 
 +A dialogue in a pair can be experienced as the most intimate, but also demanding type of conversation. Both participants have to be active (either speaking or listening), so no 'drifting' is possible (unless you want to offend your conversation partner). The conversation can be structured in different ways, for example:  
 +  * an interview (one person speaks, the other only asks questions, then exchange roles). The value of this kind of conversation is that there is enough space for both people to speak, without the other person stepping in too much, except to ask questions - which can be perceived as encouragement and engagement. Because both participants take turns, they are aware of both roles (speaker/listener) and are more supportive of each other. 
 +  * a monologue (one person speaks, the other one listens, then exchange roles), allows a lot of space, but can be experienced as quite confronting. It is important for the listener to give appropriate non-verbal signs to show his/her attention or engagement. This form might work better with participants who know each other well.  
 +  * free flow (the common form when we talk with friends). This is the most informal form and it is comfortable for most people. The danger is that one of the people might be dominant and talking most of the time. In this case the facilitator might have to discretely step in to allow some space to the other person.  
 +When reporting to the larger group, it's interesting to let one person report what the other person has said. If the participants know this in advance, they might pay closer attention to what each other are saying.  
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise (from Appreciative Inquiry): Frame the conversation as an exercise in finding out which situations are inspiring and energising for the participants, and investigating which factors made this situation possible. Explain that the session will happen in pairs, where one person speaks first, while the other one 'interviews' them, using a given set of questions, and takes notes. After five minutes, they swap roles. At the end, the person who took notes reports about their partner's experience to the whole group, focusing less on a specific situation and more on the characteristics that could be generalised. Task:  
 +  * Think of a time when you felt inspired and energised (at work). Describe the situation.  
 +  * How did you feel? 
 +  * What did you do? 
 +  * What made this situation possible? 
 +At the end, the person who took notes reports in a few words the feelings, actions and resources that make inspiring situations possible. The facilitator (or a volunteer) summarises the key points. </blockquote> 
 + 
 +Comments from participants: 
 +  * There isn't much time to reflect: listening and processing has to happen at the same time, so it's difficult to ask the 'right' questions 
 +  * Having to speak while someone else is intently listening causes a 'swimming pool' of confused ideas 
 +  * Important to share with the group, the person listening can convey non verbal communication as well, which helps with getting a deeper understanding of the other  
 +  * AI - it feels good to talk about 'good times' 
 +  * The feeling of being self-conscious and vulnerable is helped as both people have to assume the same role 
 +    * you end up helping each other and encouraging openness 
 +    * the person who listens has to sense what the other needs 
 +    * it helps to be honest about your own insecurity, then allowing each other to be uncertain 
 +    * fear needs to be acknowledged from the beginning 
 +  * time pressure is difficult to get into a deep conversation. 
 + 
 +=== Active - trio === 
 + 
 +Talking between three people makes for an active conversation. The introduction of a third person in a dialogue creates a new dynamics, that is less intimate, but can be more energised. Again, many forms are possible:  
 +  * one person talks, the other two ask questions 
 +  * one person talks, one asks questions, the third one takes notes and reports (everyone should have a chance to inhabit every role) 
 +  * everyone talks when they want, they share the same piece of paper to make notes… 
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise in active listening. Explain that the group will be split in several trios. There will be three rounds of five minutes, where one person speaks, the second one listens, paraphrases, asks clarifying questions and the third person takes notes. Every person should have a chance to take on each role. At the end everyone's stories will be summarised by the persons who took notes (so everyone gets to report back). The question is //What surprised or delighted you in this year?//. At the end, everyone reports back, not their owns story, but the one they noted down, summarising the highlights of the year. The facilitator (or a volunteer) summarises the key points.</blockquote> 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Diverse - break-out groups === 
 + 
 +This is a very common way to split large groups into smaller ones (4-7 people), in order to allow everyone to have a chance to speak and to have a conversation with new people. The challenge or breakout groups is to find a quick way for people to move into the groups without using time and attention. If the choice of breakout groups isn't free, there needs to be a quick and easy way to mix people who don't know each other (colours, symbols, numbers, rows, pre-assigned randomised groups…). You have to be clear and concise in your instructions, to avoid delays and confusion. For example, you can say: 
 +  *  //in the next exercise we will break out into smaller groups. We will take 20 minutes to explore the question "xxx". At the end of this period, one of you will summarise the findings to the whole group. In order to for you to get a chance to talk to new people, we have pre-assigned you to a specific breakout space. In your participants' packs you have received notebooks in different colours. Choose the breakout space of the same colour and take your place. You can find the question and instructions written down in each break out space. Now when you're ready feel free to move to your designated space and start the conversation. I will come around to help with the process and answer any questions that might arise.//   
 +In a break-out group it helps to have one or two people to moderate the conversation, take notes and report back to the group. There are (at least) two ways to assign the moderator/reporter: 
 +  *  pre-assigned. You and/or the organisers of the event can decide beforehand who should moderate and/or report from each breakout group. You can brief them before hand about the topic and some basic moderation principles, so they in a way become your 'ambassadors'. This is useful if the topic is complex, you need to get to specific results, you need someone with specific prior knowledge,  the time is short, and/or you want to be sure that the moderators/reporters have the appropriate social intelligence and facilitation skills. 
 +  *  emerging spontaneously on the spot. This allows for more 'organic' conversation, where the group itself agrees on the roles, they 'own' the process and feel more engaged. The risk is that the loudest voices might dominate the group, and that the report might be biased towards one person's opinion.  
 + 
 +The breakout-moderators' task is the same as yours, but in a smaller group: they make sure that everyone is introduced and heard, as well as guide the conversation towards a meaningful conclusion, in a specified amount of time. It helps to have a big paper (or other writing surface) on the wall or table of each break-out group, so that the participants can jointly note things down and jointly see and agree what the coming out of the conversation (the paper can be taken back into the bigger group to use as a reporting tool). Reporting back from breakout groups can be tedious if there are many of them, and if the people reporting attempt to describe the whole conversation. You should give clear guidelines about how the conversation should be reported (e.g. 3 key points, only conclusions). You can also choose to have a visual or physical reporting (a wall of notes and diagrams, or [[http://dramaresource.com/strategies/still-images-a-freeze-frames|still image/freeze frame]] representations made by the whole breakout group. However you decide to do the reporting, you have to give every group about the same amount of time - which is easier said than done. Gently but firmly, you help the reporters get to the point and note down most important insights, that you can pool together from all groups and make a group-wide summary at the end of the session. 
 + 
 +<blockquote> We didn't have enough people to practice break-out conversations, but an exercise would be: Frame the conversation in the whole group. Give instructions about the break-outs, the topic, etiquette, duration and format of the conversation, as well as the format of the reporting to the larger group. Assign moderators and reporters (or let them emerge from the group). Find a quick and easy way for people to find which breakout group to go to. During the conversations, walk around and remind people of the topic and the instructions (if needed). Host the reporting and summarise the key points at the end. </blockquote> 
 + 
 +Comments from participants: 
 +  * difficult to find volunteers to moderate and/or report back (possible solutions - having someone from the hosting team act as a 'pollinator' who reports back, find a way to do visual reporting (mind maps, freeze frames...), have a whole group report back and support each other through physical closeness 
 +  * there has to be sufficient clarity of instructions, otherwise it's difficult for the participants - they need a clear question, written in breakout spaces 
 +  * breakouts over several days can become like a supportive 'family' inside a larger community, giving a feeling of safety and security to the participants 
 +  * breakouts help with sharing a 'vibe' and making connections 
 +  * shy people feel more comfortable speaking in breakouts 
 +  * danger: the moderator imposing where the conversations should go. Good to separate the roles of moderator and reporter to avoid this. 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Unifying - whole group === 
 + 
 +Usually done in a circle, or semi-circle, with or without a table in the middle (be aware that some people have a problem with the circle). The benefit of a whole group conversation is that everyone can be involved and no reporting back is needed. In practice there are always people who speak longer and louder and others who remain silent. There are different ways to try to include everyone's voice in the conversation:  
 +  * a listening circle: going around clock-wise or counter clock-wise, where one person speaks, the others listen and do not ask questions or add anything until the circle is completed;  
 +  * 'pop-corn' with a talking piece (a soft squishy ball helps people who are nervous about speaking, but anything will do): similar to listening circle but in unpredictable order, chosen in different ways: 
 +    * people picking up a talking piece from the middle of the circle when they are ready to speak 
 +    * the speaker offers the talking piece to the person they want to hear next) 
 +    * facilitator or a volunteer pick names out of a hat… 
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse|cadavre exquis]] in a circle. Try out three different listening circles using the talking piece. Frame the exercise as a collaborative storytelling, where each person says one sentence, and the next one builds on it. First try out the circle where one person starts and gives the talking piece to the person on their left. Next put the talking piece in the centre of the circle, let one person start and pass the talking piece to a person whom they'd like to hear next. Finally, put the talking piece in the centre and invite the participants to pick it up and speak when they feel ready. </blockquote> 
 + 
 +Comments from participants: 
 +  * It feels calmer when the ordering is set and you know your turn. Listening becomes easy, because you don't have to think of the order, on the other hand some participants then keep thinking of what they're going to say instead of listening. 
 +  * Listening is best when you don't know when your turn is, but the reflection is shallower 
 +  * Choosing feels most comfortable. If there is a choice, some people want to go last (out of politeness), so there are longer silences. 
 +  * Choosing which circle form to use depends on circumstance and topic. 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Conclusion === 
 + 
 +In all of the conversation forms above, the role of the host is the same: 
 +  * Explaining the exercise and what is expected (framing flow and topic) 
 +  * Moderating/Facilitating the conversation 
 +    * Steering conversations to the topic/question 
 +    * Keeping watch over group dynamics and people's energy levels ('holding the space') 
 +    * Including everyone in the conversation 
 +    * Reminding people of instructions and house rules (discretely) 
 +  * Time keeping and announcing (think about what would be an appropriate prop - bells, cymbals, alarm, gong, wine glass, soft->loud music…) 
 +  * Summarising, summarising, summarising 
 +  * Note taking (or harvesting, can be delegated if there is someone else available). 
 + 
 + 
 +Using a combination of solo, duo, trio, break-outs and circles, you can design many different flows and formats. When combining different conversation forms together, think about what kind of conversation is most appropriate for the topic and the goals. Some need more contemplation or intimate sharing, others more active and unifying conversations, some can benefit form having all the forms above, put together in a 'logical flow. We will deal with how to design flows in one of the next sessions, For now, think about how the different conversation forms would fit in a [[http://sustainabilitythinking.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/scharmertheoryu21.jpg|U format]]. 
 + 
 + 
 +Next time (April 2014): 'Harvesting': note taking and summarising, with a side note on listening and public speaking. 
 + 
 +==== Session 5: Listening and summarising ==== 
 + 
 +While the participants are 'conversing' one of the most important roles of the host is to listen and summarise conversations, find overarching patterns and distill the essence of the discussions.  
 + 
 +=== Listening === 
 + 
 +A few notes on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_listening|Active Listening]] 
 + 
 +== Comprehension == 
 +  * understanding what the other person is saying.  
 +  * shared meaning, language, jargon issues 
 + 
 +== Retaining == 
 +  * memory: related to making meaning (memory fills in the blanks - 'kunstendecreet', 'slacktivism' 
 +  * different memories, different meanings attached to the same statement 
 + 
 +We can’t retain everything we hear, several reasons: 
 + 
 +  * cramming: a lot of info at the same time stored in short term memory, then purged 
 +  * not paying attention to what is being said 
 +  * not finding something important - looses meaning 
 +  * lack motivation to better remember what is being said: using info immediately after it was received increases our ability to retain information 
 + 
 +== Responding == 
 + 
 +  * if in an interaction (conversation rather than lecture), you’re required to respond, it makes your listening more active  
 +  * mindless listening <-> mindful (active) listening 
 + 
 +== Active listening == 
 + 
 +  * both words and non-verbal signals (body language) 
 +  * hearing, then restating/paraphrasing what has been heard in your own words/language 
 + 
 +Barriers: 
 +  * distractions (physical - sounds, visual…) 
 +  * trigger words 
 +  * vocabulary 
 +  * limited attention span 
 +  * making assumptions based on our own experience, rather than really listening 
 +  * conversational narcissism, shift response - listen to what someone says, then turning the conversation to you without showing interest whether the others are listening, or whether what you’re saying is continuing/diverting the conversational flow 
 +  * support response - opposite of shift response: focus conversational attention to the other person, encourages cooperation (remember compass) - not me-oriented but we-oriented  
 + 
 +What to do: 
 +  * put personal emotions aside 
 +  * ask clarifying questions 
 +  * paraphrase and repeat to make sure you understand 
 +  * try to overcome all environmental distractions 
 +  * not judging or arguing prematurely (holding onto a personal opinion) 
 +  * eye contact (in most EU cultures) and appropriate body language (mirroring, or middle position) 
 +  * empathise, try to listen from within the others’ shoes 
 +  * intonation and stressing particular words can keep listeners from being distracted 
 + 
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise: In pairs: one person speaks, the other(s) listen, ask questions, repeat/paraphrase at the end, check if correct. What to talk about? Describe a painful situation/conflict/dilemma you’re currently faced with </blockquote> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Summarising === 
 + 
 +i.e. Restating main ideas of a conversation in as few words as possible. Summary is like a quilt that pulls together very different pieces of fabric 
 + 
 +In a summary the host takes what everyone has said into account, distills essential points in a concise and clear language. It's important to pay attention to what kind of information you’re summarising (is it describing the context, is it a call for action, opinions, answers to questions), especially if there are 'next steps' to be done. Always end by asking if people agree with your summary, if they have something to add, if something is unclear or if you misunderstood something - "did I get it right, did i get it all?" By the end of the summary, people should have a sense of closure, that the discussion is rounded up and there isn’t more to be said.  
 + 
 +A good summary: 
 +  * uses the words of the speaker so they maintain ownership of what is said 
 +  * enables an overview of the discussion/situation that is played back to the group, using their own words as much as possible 
 +  * finds the essence in the jungle of words and opinions 
 +  * no advice, opinion or re-interpretation 
 +  * it doesn’t have to be perfect - it allows the group to reflect on whether you understood correctly - and if not, maybe others didn’t either… 
 +  * it gives the speakers a chance to 'hear themselves' as they have been heard - they can review their thoughts and feelings from a more detached position 
 +  * sees things as a whole, when all the details, distractions, emotions… are removed 
 +  * ensures clear communication 
 + 
 + 
 +== How to structure summaries == 
 + 
 +Be short and to the point, keep in mind what the topic or the question of the conversation is and find a words to pull together possible answers/clear descriptions. 
 + 
 + 
 +Begin with a statement that shows that you’re summarising: 
 +  * let me see if i understand so far… 
 +  * here’s what i’ve heard, let me know if i’m missing something 
 +  * let me see if i have all of this… 
 +  * we’re coming to a close and i’d like to try to pull together what we said, to see where we are and where we’re going… 
 + 
 +If there are different opinions or options, make sure to include them all 
 +  * on the one hand… while on the other… 
 +  * at the same time… 
 +  * and… 
 + 
 +End with an open question: 
 +  * what else? 
 +  * what other points are there to consider? 
 + 
 +When to summarise? 
 +  * at transition points 
 +  * in between sessions 
 +  * when changing topics 
 +  * to wrap up a session 
 +  * in the beginning and/or end of the day 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +<blockquote>Exercise: pick a range of different videos of speeches, lectures, TED / PechaKucha talks, interviews and debates. Watch and listen to them, take notes and verbally summarise what you heard. Try getting a very different range of people and topics: from politics, science, culture, activism... and if you speak different languages, try it out with a few different ones as well</blockquote> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Impromptu public speaking === 
 + 
 +When summarising, you usually don’t have time to prepare a considered speech (unless the workshop spreads across multiple days, and you summarise the previous day in the morning - which you should always try to do). If it is possible to find some time to consider your words, that’s great, If not - a few things to keep in mind when you’re trying to be persuasive/holding people’s attention (Suggestions from [[http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/marie-danziger/%28page%29/faculty|Marie Danziger]]: 
 + 
 + 
 +A speech has 3 elements, and so does a summary: 
 +  * logos (content and structure) 
 +  * pathos (emotional impact) 
 +  * ethos (personal credibility and likeability) 
 +(all three depend on the audience’s sensitivity) 
 + 
 + 
 +Logos: 
 +  * keep it simple and easy to remember 
 +  * establish common ground 
 +  * think about what might be objections and counter arguments 
 + 
 +Pathos: 
 +  * acknowledge your audience’s values and feelings 
 +  * share your own feelings and reactions 
 +  * use striking facts and contrasts 
 +  * be personal and visual 
 + 
 +Ethos: 
 +  * show that you care 
 +  * acknowledge the colour of your lens 
 +  * use examples 
 +  * refer to people 
 +  * be real and interactive 
 + 
 +<blockquote> Exercise: Have a casual group conversation about a topic of your choice. For example: 
 + 
 +  * how does your life change with your children on school holidays 
 +  * what does climate chaos and unpredictable weather conditions impact your life? 
 +  * how do you deal with exhaustion? 
 +  * what could we work on together? 
 +  * etc.  
 + 
 +Each host-in-training should have a chance to listen and summarise, so you should have as many rounds as hosts. Make the conversations 5-10 minutes long, then have the host summarise. Discuss the delivery and content of the summary together (did the host capture the gist of the conversation? was the summary helpful to make sense of what was discussed? what was the delivery of the summary like (think about logos, pathos, ethos)? etc...) Then move to the next conversation, until all hosts had their turn. </blockquote> 
 + 
 + 
 +Next session (20140612 at 2PM): Graphic Harvesting/Recording 
 + 
 + 
 +==== Session 6: Graphic harvesting ==== 
 + 
 +Many thanks to Nik Payne… many notes below are from his course 
 + 
 +=== What is graphic harvesting/visual recording/visual facilitation? === 
 + 
 +  * Not just about pretty pictures! It is much more about listening, digesting, synthesizing, organising, visualising and summarising conversations. So don’t worry if you feel that you can’t draw. Listening, distilling and spatial awareness are much more important to begin with. 
 + 
 +  * When the budget is tight, the facilitator can be the graphic harvester as well, but if  possible it’s better to have a facilitator focusing on hosting and the recorder on harvesting. The relationship between the host and the recorder is a very important one to cultivate - you’re there to support each other… 
 + 
 +== Why do it? == 
 + 
 +  * It helps to keep your and other participants’ attention on the subject, to see patterns and key insights from the forest of words and discussions. It isn’t just about the result itself, but about the participants seeing the whole grow throughout the session: they can SEE the process evolve and remember more and make sense of what is happening.  
 + 
 +  * Engaging multiple senses - not just audio and text, but also visuals (engaging other senses is another story). Our brain can process much more information when multiple senses are involved - illuminated manuscripts, graphic novels… 
 + 
 + 
 +== What do you need for graphic harvesting? == 
 +  * People and conversations 
 +  * Room with one or more big flat surfaces (walls, windows) and enough space to move (step back to see the big picture) 
 +  * Paper (or blackboards / whiteboards) 
 +  * Pens/Markers/Chalk 
 +  * Masking tape (or other tape that is strong enough, but won’t damage the walls) 
 +  * Knife (to cut the paper) 
 +  * (big) sticky address labels (for covering up mistakes) 
 +  * pastels to create blocks of colour 
 + 
 +=== What is the process of graphic harvesting? === 
 + 
 +== Preparation == 
 + 
 +Questions to ask: 
 +  * What is the need 
 +  * Who are the people 
 +  * What is the purpose 
 +  * What is the outcome desired 
 +  * What is the process (and hosting) 
 + 
 +What is the desired format (images, video, graphics, quotes…) 
 +  * depends on purpose and outcome 
 +  * depends on who it is intended for: 
 +    * individual - notes 
 +    * collective - graphic 
 +    * others who were not a part of the process - graphic for others 
 + 
 +To prepare yourself: 
 +  * what do I know about the context and the subject? What I don’t know, can I find out? 
 +  * What is the nature of the discussion, is there a structure? 
 +  * What are the sought outcomes, how can I make sure to capture and visualise them? 
 +  * Be aware that in the moment things might go differently, so be prepared to improvise 
 + 
 + 
 +== Capture == 
 + 
 +Important to remember that it doesn’t matter what you (the harvester) think. See yourself as a surface (e.g. surface of a lake) - when your mind is still, you can reflect things as they are, when it’s disturbed/wavy, you deform things, or make them murky… Be aware of your own lenses and try to keep them as clear as possible. You are there to support, not to give opinions: capture what is important to them, not to you. So first thing to do is BREATHE! It helps with staying calm and focused (and alive). The second thing is to LISTEN. Not just to what is said, but how it is said. The third thing is to THINK on your feet - just for a brief moment to help you DISTILL what is said. Put the pen on paper asap. TIME is of the essence… 
 + 
 +The first task is to gather data. Find flow and meaning in the words… 
 + 
 +The second (and most important task) is to distill and process data (what is the essence that can inform the outcome): 
 +  * Highlight meaning and recurring insight - what is this conversation really about? find keywords (even if they are not said), patterns, name them… Capture things that made the room react, things that they repeat.. 
 +  * Relationships and connections (e.g. network maps, clusters, mind maps…) 
 +  * Capacities, resources and methods (that can help the group achieve the outcomes) 
 +  * Actions (things people mention in passing that already points to 'next steps') 
 + 
 +The final task is to create imagery (if there is time). 
 + 
 +== Feedback/summary == 
 + 
 +  * Feeding back and feeding forward: using harvesting to make meaning of what happened and to inform the group towards next steps 
 +  * Try to get the opportunity to explain what you have done and to ask for feedback (what have I missed?) 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Harvesting tools === 
 + 
 +  * **Letters** (speed vs legibility): if things are going fast, write things up as you can, don’t worry about graphics 
 +  * **Spacing and structuring of space** (frame, flow - e.g. inside->outside, left, right, up, down…) 
 +  * **Lines**: grouping, connection, separation, emphasis 
 +  * **Shapes**: enforcing separation and grouping (different shapes have different associations: eg. circle = wholeness, square = contrast, stability, rigidity, star - importance, bright, rank), diagrams (venn, matrixes, curves…) 
 +  * **Symbols**: maths, music, religious, monetary, airport, road… 
 +  * **Visual conventions**: add meanings and contexts: speech bubbles, speed lines, emotional emphasis, hearts, excalamation marks, typographic playfulness (eg. shivering letters for the word cold) 
 +  * **Colours**: group, separate, enrich meaning, stimulate (take time to consider which colours to use! (exercise: associations to red, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, white (thin blue line around white letter), black) 
 +  * **Insignia**: flags, logos 
 +  * **Life**: people and things 
 +  * **Icons**: use to visualise - steal, or build your own iconography. 
 + 
 + 
 +=== Exercises === 
 + 
 +<blockquote> Below are a few quick exercises we did during a three hour session, each of which can expand to fill in weeks and months of practice. After each exercise take your tome to reflect on what you observed 
 + 
 +  * Write the alphabet as quickly and legibly as possible, in a straight line (or lines).  
 + 
 +  * Have someone read a magazine article out to you and try to: 
 +    * a) write it all down as quickly as possible not worrying about where on the paper you place the text 
 +    * b) take another article and write it out spatially. think about what is talked about and decide where to place the text. (left-right, up-down, centre-periphery, left bottom corner - right top corner). Note how the different spatial structuring effects the meaning and mood of the text 
 + 
 +  * Write down 3-4 words with sufficient space between them. Then draw different lines: 
 +    * one line to group two or more words 
 +    * one line to connect two or more words 
 +    * one line to separate two or more words 
 +    * one line to emphasize one or more words 
 +    * try to make a story based on what you see 
 + 
 +  * Write the same word four times. Then draw a circle around the first word,  a square around the next one, a star around or next the following word, a cloud around the final one. Then look at the different words and reflect on the meaning the different shapes add to the written words 
 + 
 +  * Divide the paper into four parts. Write two words in the first, three in the second, four in the third and five in the fourth.  
 +    * In the first part create a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram|venn diagram]] to connect the two words  
 +    * In the second create an [[http://www.graphpad.com/faq/images/1467a.png|xy graph]] and connect the words with an arrow 
 +    * In the third create a [[http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/Research/Decision_Support_Tools/2x2_matrix.gif|2x2 matrix]] and place one word in each quadrant 
 +    * In the fourth connect the five words in a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map|mind map]] 
 + 
 +  * Divide your paper into two columns and ~10 rows. In the left column write a word, in the right draw a symbol. The facilitator says words one by one, the participants write and draw: Eg. music, restaurant, toilet, money, love, death, religion, go left, no parking, Belgium, Michelin, Apple... 
 + 
 +  * The facilitator says words describing emotional states and actions, the participants draw them (using visual conventions, such as speech bubbles, speed lines, symbols...); Eg. hate, rest, death, love, thinking, yelling, running, laughing, sadness... 
 + 
 +  * The facilitator shows one coloured card at the time, the participants free associate. What does this colour bring out in you (emotion, action, mood...) 
 + 
 +  * The facilitator shows different ways of drawing people (star people, balloon people, stick figures, squiggles...) and invites participants to create a scene using different kinds of 'people' doing different things. At the end the participants describe what they see in each other's scenes 
 + 
 +  * Play a short video (5-10 minutes) of a public speech (politicians, TED talks, Pecha Kucha talks, debates...) and attempt to graphically record the talk using all the 'tools' learned so far. 
 + 
 +</blockquote> 
 + 
 +Next session: Flow, or how to design long form sessions that are composed of different types of conversations and exercises. This session is planned for the 18th December 2014.
  
  
Line 268: Line 659:
   * Chaordic Design   * Chaordic Design
     * http://www.innervention.nl/page21/page21.html     * http://www.innervention.nl/page21/page21.html
 +  * Ideo method cards
 +    * http://portiaplante.com/android2/lectures/pdf/ideomethodcards.pdf
  
 A few experiments that we at FoAM scavenged and adapted from various methods A few experiments that we at FoAM scavenged and adapted from various methods
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