We had an opening conversation tonight focused on (a) what is the ultimate goal of this project, and (b) what forms might that take? Here are rough notes, thanks to Sue. We will be continuing this conversational theme through our time together.
People here already are Sue Woerhlin, Dan Doherty, Dave Pollard, Carol MacKinnon, Kathy McGrenera, and Tree, to be joined later by Daniel Lindenberger & Chris Corrigan.
END POINT VISUALIZATION CONVERSATION- (SUNDAY EVENING 7/18)
• Creating a book; having a specific date by which the book proposal would be done; the draft would be done; the book would be published
• multimedia mode; perhaps a teaching video on YouTube “here is what a pattern language is; this is how you use it”
• this would be a well known intervention in the field of facilitation, used by people to make a difference in their facilitation; PL could be known and appreciated similarly to how some of the better known methods are (e.g. Open Space, Future Search, AI etc.)
• Have a group like The Art of Hosting adopt this as a key resource; for example, embraced as a text.
• an event with a clear intention; convening a field defining launch event…. With a critical mass of key players/heavy hitters in the field….
• connection to/association with other networks, such as the Open space network, but also IAF, IAP2, NCDD…
• as an ongoing wiki, continually developed, refined, growing…
• ?: how does it really get used?
• what would be the entry point for folks.. an access tool, a diagnostic…. How do folks get started with pattern language being something they would use…. How could our website be more friendly/useful/relevant to pattern users (versus pattern writers). What is the interface between "i have this facilitation question or situation" and this body of PL work?
• creating a professional development group (non-local, weekly telephone conference) in which participants get consultation around actual facilitation situations they are preparing for/in.
• could include video clips of folks describing a scenario of a particular pattern (for example, Tree telling her favorite guerilla facilitation story for that pattern
• we want something that works with people wherever they arebeginners, as well as experienced facilitators.
• “seminal” and “ovular”
[process note-some of these are about the form; and some are about the core/purpose of the work etc.]
• the end point is that this work is both for learning and for problem-solving (i.e. a specific tool for intervention)
• ask facilitators what they need to help them…
• public facilitation laboratories (free facilitation and learning practitioners get an opportunity to learn).
• examine how we are (or aren’t)using the pattern language in our own work; PL as a lived practice (not just a project we are working on). Note: The Art of Hosting is really good with this sensibility; how did they nurture this in their community of practice? The AI community also
• look at how we can name patterns in our work (for example, Tree’s story about the facilitation at Windsong that used a future looking back exercise, which could be explicitly named as the “Timeshifting” pattern.
• us all sitting down with folks who are beginning facilitators or involved in groups a lot and sharing the pattern language with them and getting their reactions and seeing if/what they find useful..
• what would it take for lots and lots of groups to use our PL, as so many use Robert’s Rules of Order…
• we’re looking at underlying principles, that are a little subterranean and bringing them into the light.
• place of pattern language to help people find their way in a thoughtful, considered way in the face of so many different methods (that is, don’t just have to choose one of the existing frameworks.
• patterns can be used a few at a time; don’t have to know them all… what’s a useful subset that could have meaning. .. we will want to frame these at some point.
• deck of cards-could be organized with subsets (like suits in a card deck)
• It’s both a practice and an in the world problem-solving (a dual purpose)… like a martial art…. Both are complex environments (not complicated solutions/tools).
• Afternote: Richard Moore also raised the possibility on email of whether the PL could be used to map DF, or presumably other methods. Another interesting way to get it out into the world? Use it to map an existing method and share that map with the method's practitioners?
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