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hosting_craft [2014-06-18 09:45] – [Session 6: Graphic harvesting] maja | hosting_craft [2015-04-03 09:09] – 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.// | ||
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==== Session 6: Graphic harvesting ==== | ==== Session 6: Graphic harvesting ==== | ||
- | Many thanks to Nik Payne… many notes below are from his course | + | Many thanks to Nik Payne for much of the information in this session comes from him... |
=== What is graphic harvesting/ | === What is graphic harvesting/ | ||
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</ | </ | ||
+ | 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. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Session 7: Flow ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | This session is co-created and hosted by Maja Kuzmanovic and Simone Tiesinga-Poutnik | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Designing a flow in participatory processes concerns the design of the process as a whole and the connections and relationships between different elements (sessions, participants, | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | * programme | ||
+ | * schedule | ||
+ | * ark | ||
+ | * flow | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Flow across fields === | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Flow in spiritual practices == | ||
+ | |||
+ | It won’t surprise you that flow is often associated with fluidity & spontaneity. This connotation is embedded in our language. Flow is one of those holistic terms that is applicable across disciplines and cultures. For example, in taoism, flow is related to the notion of [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | One of the important taoist lessons is that to achieve flow it’s important to let go of struggle, to stop fighting against the current to make things happen. It doesn’t mean that we should become apathetic and allow anything to happen, but that it’s important to observe what’s happening and act from an awareness of the situation, rather than holding on to goals that might not be realistic in a given situation. It also teaches us to embrace uncertainty, | ||
+ | |||
+ | A similar concept is found in hinduism and tantric buddhism, something called Sahaja - ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The tree grows according to Sahaja, natural and spontaneous in complete conformity with the Natural Law of the Universe. Nobody tells it what to do or how to grow. It has no swadharma or rules, duties and obligations incurred by birth. It has only its own inborn self or essence - to guide it. Sahaja is that nature which, when established in oneself, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace." | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == Flow in ecology and permaculture == | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the science of ecology flow is about the [[https:// | ||
+ | |flow of energy]] in self-organising systems, a way of maintaining a dynamic balance. For example, we talk about energy flows in the food chain: solar energy fixed by plants, moving to primary consumers, herbivores who eat the plants, then to secondary consumers, carnivores and predators who eat the herbivores and finally the decomposers the fungi, maggots and insects who eat all that decays. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | In permaculture it is important to harness the [[ | ||
+ | http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == Crowd dynamics == | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Crowd is non-linear, time dependent and has a particular type of intelligence of its own, that is different to the sum of intelligencies of each individual in the crowd. It can be related to [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == Traditional medicine == | ||
+ | |||
+ | Within our bodies, according to ancient healing systems like [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | In TCM, the Flow of Qi or life energy happens through a network of meridians that criss-cross our bodies. We use acupuncture to stimulate the flow in the meridians. In TAM illness is caused by blockages in the flow of fluids and energy through the body that can only be cleared using a holistic approach - massage, diet, meditation, movement and environmental stimuli. The physical and energetic flows are inextricably connected - something that contemporary reductionist and disciplinary approaches to medicine are lacking. [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | === Human flow experiences === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Our mental flows influence the way we interact with the world. Particular activities make us feel as if things flow from inside us to the outside and back again - we say we feel ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | List characteristics in terms of emotions, actions, resources. | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | In our exercise the answers were the following: | ||
+ | * an intrinsic goal, the activity is the goal itself | ||
+ | * a pleasant relationship with time, joyful | ||
+ | * intense focus without distractions, | ||
+ | * concentrated energy | ||
+ | * disappearance/ | ||
+ | * crossing the treshold, a point of no return | ||
+ | * a dance with pleasure and pain | ||
+ | * spontaneity and serendipity | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | === Flow in Psychology === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Flow (aka Zone) in psychology, according to Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, | ||
+ | |||
+ | According to the flow theory three conditions that have to be met in order to reach 'the zone': | ||
+ | |||
+ | * involvement in an activity with clear goals and progress | ||
+ | * clear feedback must exist between your action and its effect on the task (so you can adjust what you’re doing to remain in the flow state) | ||
+ | * a good balance between perceived challenges and your own perceived skills - you must be confident that you are able to complete the task at hand. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | //Flow model// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | When deliberately designing for flow experiences it’s good to keep these conditions and their effects in mind. It is therefore important to know beforehand who the people are, what is their skill level and what they’re interested in. | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | In Schaffer’s model several conditions must be met: | ||
+ | * Knowing what to do | ||
+ | * Knowing how to do it | ||
+ | * Knowing how well you are doing | ||
+ | * Knowing where to go (if navigation is involved) | ||
+ | * High perceived challenges | ||
+ | * High perceived skills | ||
+ | * Freedom from distractions | ||
+ | |||
+ | Something similar is often used in game design: | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Group flow === | ||
+ | |||
+ | So far we talked about individual flow experiences, | ||
+ | |||
+ | There are some characteristics of groups that psychologists suggest we should think about: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Creative spatial arrangements: | ||
+ | * Playground design: Charts for information inputs, flow graphs, project summary, craziness (here also craziness has a place), safe place (here all may say what is otherwise only thought), result wall, open topics | ||
+ | * Parallel, organized working | ||
+ | * Target group focus | ||
+ | * Prototyping and visualising, | ||
+ | * Using differences among participants as an opportunity, | ||
+ | |||
+ | See more about [[https:// | ||
+ | |Flow Psychology on Wikipedia]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Spatial Flow: How will people move in space, what is there to guide them, how do you steer movement, is there enough personal space? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Useful metaphors | ||
+ | * different forms of water - raindrops, brook, river, waterfall, lake, puddle, ocean… | ||
+ | * swarms, flocks - group made of individual particles | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Temporal flow: How will the group move towards its purpose while staying engaged and energised? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Useful metaphors | ||
+ | * ebb & flow | ||
+ | * breathing, pulsing | ||
+ | * birth, growth, decay, death | ||
+ | * day, season, year, decade… | ||
+ | * cycles within cycles | ||
+ | * bodily rhythms - different processes occurring simultaneously… think about flows for individuals (different shades of introverts and extroverts), | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | === Designing group flows === | ||
+ | |||
+ | We tend to rely on a combination of intuition (which comes through practice - our craft) and on proven techniques (either developed by ourselves or others). Intuition cant be taught. It comes from an iterative practice of designing a flow beforehand then running through it in your minds eye and check what your gut feeling says, then adjust accordingly. It also helps to run through the flow with someone you trust - whether they are co-facilitating with you or not - as if you’re crowdsourcing your intuition. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Both intuition and known techniques can give us enough grounding to include more experimental methods, which we always do - otherwise the sessions can become stale and routine. Most participatory processes are akin to the creative process which consists of phases of divergence and convergence, | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | // | ||
+ | |||
+ | It’s good to prepare the flow (in quite a bit of detail) beforehand, then adjust on the spot if something doesn’t feel right. No predesigned flow is ever perfect. It’s like a canal vs. a river. A canal cuts through a landscape according to a plan, a river carves its way through a landscape on its lowest points, where there is least resistance. To recognise the resistance the hosts rely on their keen perception and observation: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Designing a flow must be an iterative process. It’s like breathing - there is a progress but it develops through different cycles (e.g agreeing on purpose, action, reflection). In the Art of Hosting one of the approaches to designing the flow is a process called [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | - The Call: the caller formulates the question and creates commitment in the team (with hosts help) | ||
+ | - Clarify: clarifying the purpose and context, agree on the core team and people’s roles | ||
+ | - Invite: "the art of invitation" | ||
+ | - Design: create the ' | ||
+ | - Meet: before starting, check-in with the team and make sure you’re all present and grounded… It’s good to have someone to do 'space hosting' | ||
+ | - Harvest: reflection: a good framework to use is the so called [[http:// | ||
+ | - Act: communication, | ||
+ | - Reflection: breathe, celebrate, connect back to the purpose and the call | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Hosting as Art and Craft === | ||
+ | |||
+ | In designing flows we have to remember that it isn’t all about methodologies and formats - the stakes are much higher than that. Focusing on the techniques alone cannot produce life-changing experiences. [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | The image above by Simone Tiesinga-Poutnik describes a holistic approach to hosting. Grounded in our own source of life, we must pay attention to the world-views - our own and those present in the group (e.g. relational, mechanistic…), | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Participatory techniques === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Here are a few links to (compilations of) existing techniques: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * (see also the reference links at the bottom of this page) | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Flow exercise === | ||
+ | |||
+ | As our hosting craft session was close to the winter solstice, our flow exercise was to collectively design a solstice ritual. | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Exercise: Design a ritual | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Call\\ | ||
+ | hat is the purpose of the ritual? One or more people can succinctly describe the call, which can be discussed until everyone agrees on the purpose. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Ingredients\\ | ||
+ | Brainstorm (first individually, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Flow\\ | ||
+ | Combine the components into the flow of the ritual. How does it begin, where does it end? What are the inputs and outputs of each component? What is missing? Do we need additional/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Production\\ | ||
+ | Once you are satisfied with the flow, work on the details - the practicalities and logistics. Decide on the roles - who is doing what? Do they know what their role entails? Do they need anything from others? Think about the resources needed - materials, media, scents, foods or any other physical elements that might need to be made or procured. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Rehearsal\\ | ||
+ | Run through the ritual with everyone. First talk through the flow, then actually do it, by briefly walking through the spaces you’ll be using, inviting the people responsible for different components to explain what will be happening. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Ritual\\ | ||
+ | Set the intention to go through the ritual and fulfil its purpose. Check-in with the team and do a short grounding/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Reflection\\ | ||
+ | After a short break have a brief reflection on what people experienced (possibly using the "what? so what? then what?" framework. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Celebration\\ | ||
+ | End the session in a celebration of your choosing. It can be as simple as toasting to each other, or as elaborate as a whole party. It’s up to you, you are - after all - the host! | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | === The end === | ||
+ | |||
+ | With the flow and the ritual, we come to the end of the Hosting Craft training. It was an inspiring learning journey. From now on we will transform into a community of practice, sharing experiences and supporting each other’s facilitation effort. | ||
+ | |||
+ | My warm thanks to Simone Tiesinga-Poutnik who much enriched the last session on flow. But most of all I’d like to thank the gracious host-trainees: | ||
==== References ==== | ==== References ==== | ||
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* http:// | * http:// | ||
* http:// | * http:// | ||
+ | * Improv games (for ice-breakers, | ||
* Lego Serious Play (a bit too proprietary for my taste) | * Lego Serious Play (a bit too proprietary for my taste) | ||
* https:// | * https:// | ||
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* A series of exercises for a research course at KABK lasting 6 weeks: http:// | * A series of exercises for a research course at KABK lasting 6 weeks: http:// | ||
* FoAM's experimental methodology to create embodied future scenarios: http:// | * FoAM's experimental methodology to create embodied future scenarios: http:// | ||
+ | * Variations on the prehearsal pocket guide can be found through Future Fabulators [[:/ | ||
* Luminous Green workshops and retreats (the pages include briefings, questions, framings, harvesting etc.): | * Luminous Green workshops and retreats (the pages include briefings, questions, framings, harvesting etc.): | ||
* http:// | * http:// |