Convergence Design

Peg Holman pholman at msn.com
Tue Jan 25 12:27:54 PST 2000


As I mentioned about a month ago, I'm working with the Washington State Arts
Commission to develop a strategic plan using a series of Open Spaces.  I'm
starting to design the convergence day (Mar. 11) and would like your
reactions to two possible approaches.  I'll provide some background on
what's happened so far then describe the 2 designs I'm considering.  Your
reactions would be most appreciated!

Peg Holman


BACKGROUND
To date, we've held the first statewide meeting on "issues & opportunities
for arts and culture in the state and our communities" and 5 of the 18
community-based Open Spaces on the same theme.  So far, the process is
working as envisioned.  The meetings have been intense, filled with all the
agendas that generally stay buried and the discussions have been powerful
and fruitful.  The whispers of the themes that will form the strategic plan
are emerging: how to create a bigger pie (as opposed to squabbling over the
current small one), collaboration among large and small, east and west arts
organizations (Washington state has a very different character east & west
of the Cascade mountains), art education/art in everyday life, art
advocacy/the power of numbers.

One question that I'd asked of the listserv earlier was about continuity
between community meetings.  We found a solution that I think has been ideal
as it leaves each site independent in considering its issues and
opportunities but reminds them they are part of a larger whole.  What we've
done is in the closing circle ask each person to quietly reflect and choose
an idea/insight/message that they believe is part of the foundation of this
work.  They write or draw their message on a "link" and then we close by
having them read what they've written or describe their drawing and link it
to the chain.  The chain started at the first community meeting and is
growing in each subsequent location.  By the way, this form of closing has
allowed groups of 40 to express their essential insights in about 10-15
minutes.  This has allowed for people to get a sense of what's important to
the community as a whole in a very short time.  They have been powerful and
succinct closings.  This is an approach I will undoubtedly use again when
time is short.

As an aside, the 18 OS practitioners who are supporting the community
meetings are sharing a summary of their experiences and learnings via e-mail
after they do their sessions.  We have developed a great learning community
for our practice of OS.


CONVERGENCE DESIGNS

With that as background, here are the 2 designs I'm considering for
convergence.

The theme remains issues and opportunities for arts and culture in our state
and our communities.  The
goal of this meeting is to identify strategic plan themes and elaborate on
their content.

Design Alternative #1

1. Spend time with what has been created at the OS events.  Explore what's
on the walls (we're posting flip charts and art work from each session),
read proceedings
(60-90 minutes)

2. Gather for the OS with the focusing question:
In light of what you've read and experienced, what for you is the most
important focus for manifesting what you want for arts & culture in our
state and our communities?

3. Open the space for one time period and this variation:
If someone has posted a similar topic to what you're thinking, consider
working together (as opposed to keeping subjects distinct as is normally
done during an OS)

4. Instructions for the breakout groups:
* To ground this work, tell some stories about successes in this area (e.g.,
for a theme around arts education, tell some stories about arts education
having a significant impact).
[note: this is taking a cue from Appreciative Inquiry]

This will prove helpful as you address the following topics:

* Set a direction for this area by articulating a vision/challenge/stretch
goal (e.g., every child will have an impactful experience with the arts
sometime in their school career)
* Identify the key elements for success to move towards the vision
* Identify the key roles in this area - for the arts commission, for others
* Identify someone in this group to act as a focal point for this topic
during the writing of the plan
* Suggest actions, activities, plans
* Identify a good first step
* Are there any specific commitments that people are ready to make?
* Other comments, advice

5. Do a round robin: visit these focusing topics and make sure your voice is
included in everything you care about (One or two people would stay with the
charts the group developed to answer questions and take notes.  Everyone
else would circulate and comment as they wished.)

6a. Closing circle
We can take a step towards an overall vision by inviting someone to speak
it.  We can test the statement's viability by asking people to stand if it
works for them.  If enough people do (say 2/3s, we can ask for a few
comments from both those who stand on what about the statement works for
them and those who don't stand on what do they need for the statement to
work for them.  This is input gathering only - no debate, just recording
what is heard.  I have consistently been awestruck by the frequency with
which one person can crystallize a complex subject after a day of this sort.

6. Closing Circle: Reflection on the whole planning experience



Design Alternative #2

Design #1 moves from individual review to the large group to select the
themes.  This variation moves from individual review to small groups, then
to the large group to select the themes.

1. As in Design #1

2. Gather in groups of 8 and discuss the same question as in #2 above:
What for you is the most important focus for manifesting what you want for
arts & culture in our state and our communities?

3. Small groups choose no more than 3 topics stated in a phrase or sentence.
(Allow for wild cards.  Because OS is about diverse voices, I always make a
point of ensuring that even if no one else agrees, if someone feels
passionately about an idea, they can post it.  So much that becomes "normal"
starts at the margins.  This ensures there's room in this process for the
edges.).

4. The topics are posted and grouped.  These groupings form the themes used
for steps 4 onward as in design #1.


COMMENTS? REACTIONS?  Your thoughts would be most appreciated!



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