convergence (again)

[Julie Smith]

I need some help designing a convergence plan for an OST next week.  So
far, the OST's I've done haven't required this, so I'm treading into
(for me) new territory.

Here's the scoop:  Our three local mayors are holding a Youth Forum from
8:30 - 1:30 next Friday.  Their goal is to learn what community issues
are most important to youth and to weave those concerns into the
community's comprehensive plan.  The planning committee loves the idea
of OST, and they want to end up with a clear list of priorities at the
end of the day.

Just as I was getting ready to pose this question here, I read Lisa's
message, which includes this:

>>>And on a more event design note, shorter OSs are perfectly fabulous,
I've found.  Thanks to dear Jeff Aitken for first stretching my mind on
this.  I think it's important to know that if the goal is networking,
needs assessment, raising issues, spotting trends, airing concerns,
noticing what works, getting a snapshot, sharing passion, and so many
other things that come from emergence of thoughts, issues and intuition,
the swirling of ideas and bubbling up of topics is amazing, even in
short timeframes.

But my experience is that if you want to then stuff people back into the
shape of linear thinking to get to a 'therefore' (or a vote, or action
items) you want to give them more time.  And when passion is high which
might include pain or grieving (either overt or hidden issues), I find
that people need first to tell the story (as many times as they need to)
and to have others witness it...before they can move on to solution
thoughts.<<<

So...... looking for help figuring this out.  The core issue for the
mayors is to learn how our community could become a place more young
people would want to live in into their adulthood.  They would like the
event to end with a prioritizing of the top 10 concerns youth have about
our community.

I haven't done a prioritizing/voting kind of convergence before.  Given
our short time frame, will it work?  If so, how do I facilitate it?  How
much time will it take?  (I don't think Michael's re-opening the space
idea works here, except there IS talk about continuing this group if
there's a desire to do so (and I expect there will be)..... and on some
level it doesn't feel right to simply take input and send them on their
way...... it seems like the participants should have an opportunity to
express what they want to do with what they've created, regardless of
what the mayors or anyone else wants to do with it......)

OST is taking off like a wildfire here.  Our local community is home to
about 80,000 people.  I know of 1 - 3 OST events happening here every
week, many of them with youth.  I assume there are others I don't know
about.  A substantial percentage of our population is quickly gaining
exposure to (and loving) the OST process.  Every time an OST event takes
place, new events spring up from people who want to use it somewhere
else.  The Youth Forum is a particularly important event because many
people will be watching both the process and the outcome.  There will be
many opportunities for OST to spread even further, especially if we can
identify an appropriate convergence process.  Any help thinking this
through will be appreciated.

As I got ready to press the send button a new thought occurred to
me..... we've seen OST work for events and beginning to see how it can
become part of organizations...... how about an entire COMMUNITY that
embraces the concept...... ahhhhhh, sweet dreams.....

Julie

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