Context:

One can think of the accordion among two (or more) levels. Each level is a whole which may have subgroups, down to the smallest subgroup — one whole person. To effectively accordion between whole and part, you inquire when, why and how to work at each level and how to facilitate the transitions and communications between the levels.

What larger / whole groups are good for, and what they contributes to the whole process:

• When time in full group is compressed, it can generate burnished truth.
• a place to hear/draw out representative viewpoints, critical attributes, archetypal responses, underlying patterns, points of intersection, key issues
• a place to inventory critical issues
• a place to hear distilled experience/condensed, representative narratives
• a place to amplify stories; for ritualized sharing and listening (sacramentalized listening)
• framing tasks for smaller subgroups; rational/dry framing & emotional framing
• sensing and naming emerging essences, differences, consensus etc,
• the whole group is a social amplifier
• whole group sharing of small group work conveys the diversity/range of perspectives, but also affirms that others in the larger room are on similar paths, so offers both humility and confirmation)

What smaller subgroups are good for, and what they contribute to the whole process:

• allow for sharing and listening to/witnessing individual experience and stories
• For most people, it is safer to share vulnerable things such as emotions, un-articulated/formulated experiences, etc. in a smaller group.
• each person is likely to get heard more easily and more frequently
• more opportunity for individual participation, so more voices can be carried back to the whole
• people can get closer more quickly and easily
• easier to stay focused / follow the energy

INFO COPIED OVER FROM UNITY VS. DIVERSITY:

This oscillating process goes within several different “slices”: however the group breaks into sub-groups by similarity.
When to be in meeting as whole, when to be in small groups
When do we choose to notice our differences vs. commonality
Differentiation / Integration
Comes up when choosing serial or parallel processing format
Deliberate duplication of process or task can reinforce what's to be learned or assist in its emergence.
Parallel process saves time often.
More depth facilitated sometimes in small group (perhaps this is accordion)
Times when group needs to focus attention on differences, other times on common ground.
Issues around the timing of one / many. How to note which and for how long?

Instructions:

Scaffolding during Accordioning Meetings

Scaffolding is the structure that guides participants in working together toward their goals.

Good scaffolding is very clear and definite about issues like logistics (beginning and end times, writing on flip chart paper, etc) but may be deliberately vague about examples of answers groups should develop so as not to lock them into an overly specific outcome. Scaffolding is like a set of flexible tent poles across which many different kinds of fabric could be stretched but they would all be more or less waterproof.

1) Initializing - getting started

Instructions to form a smaller group out of a whole group will usually include

• membership - how many people in each sub-group (could be as few as one), who is in which sub-group - self-selection, facilitator decides, etc.

• time limits

• location - if not in the same room as the whole group

• framework for the 'report back' to the whole group - oral, written, electronic, performance, etc.

• "Soft floor/Open ceiling" -- start with questions everyone can probably answer from their own experience. Build a path from the opening question to more difficult or challenging questions

• if a facilitator/meeting designer cannot create at least one plausible answer to all the questions, the group will probably have difficulty with them also

• some questions should be "open" enough to generate a range of unexpected answers

2) Harvesting: Valuable work done in small groups can be lost if it is not represented or recorded and integrated back into the experience of the whole group. Losses can occur by skipping readouts to save time or by allowing participants to speak without sufficient scaffolding so that they lose the attention of the whole group. Applying guidelines can enhance the synergy between small groups and the whole

• Have something in common that all small groups respond to -- a single question

• Have something unique that each small group can contribute to the whole

• Select spokespersons ahead of time so they can prepare

• Consider having the whole group facilitator interview small groups in the whole group setting to help place their experience into the context of the whole group

• Save more than is spoken -- have a reporting structure that preserves more detail about the work of the small and large groups. Ideally, display this information in large, visual formats so that

  • it can be reviewed during the meeting

  • it communicates that participants are being heard, that they are creating a lasting record

Time references

The time required for groups to complete tasks expands as a non-linear function of group size. Example If a group of 3 can answer a question in 10 minutes, about group of six may need a half hour. Inexperienced facilitators often under-budget time for specific tasks.

Formats: Encouraging small groups to report with Title, text, picture/diagram often yields more comprehensive/creative and useable results.

Uses of physical space: Going to and from breakout rooms drains energy from small groups and makes in more likely that people will take ad hoc breaks, phone calls, etc. Where possible, keeping small teams in the same large room as the whole group meeting helps sustain energy and allows for intentional rotation of participants among groups and building ideas by 'borrowming' from each other.

Focus / energy

All participants should at all times know (from clear announcements, handouts, and/or wall graphics)

* where they are on the agenda/time-line of the day

Working with energy: energy is made up of accomplishment, left-right brain engagement, [Is 'energy' here related to Follow the energy?]

Small groups can establish relationships and sense of purpose as well as accomplish tasks

Variations:

Breakouts serve to concentrate shared attention. They may be informal or boundaried differently.

Accordion breakouts may happen over time (everyday democracy) or in a single event (world café, open space);  there may be an expectation or need for ongoing interdependence or not; they may be between strangers or people who are connected

Cautions & Caveats:

Defining purpose (with room for emergence) respects energy and attention of participants. (Invite with integrity).

There are opportunities for translation, concentration and bridging of energy that may result in energy loss, even crash.

Attend to and monitor participants’ energy vis a vis process evolution.