Help! Client's Three Week Worries

[Michael Herman]

think this might be beyond the documents and proof stage, doug.

you know this is an important issue.  they know this is an importnat issue.
there are many in the community who know this is important.  the ones who take
the time to show up will be the most passionate of all of those.  if there are
50 people or more... what seems like too  many, this will indeed be seen as
good news by all... because they want to see something happen on this issue,
and the numbers will be saying 'something is possible!'  so lots of people is
good news!  they will be glad to combine or delay sessions as needed... and
they will see those needs and address them.  indeed, the little workarounds
that they develop will be excellent practice for then sitting down and working
out bigger issues.  if there are many people, then a bigger space might be
found for future meetings... and announced to the list of first round
participants so that they know that there is room to bring others.  somehow
things always work out.  and whatever wrinkles like that just make for a
better story later on.... so enough rambling here...

maybe just point out that if many many people come, any disappointment will be
easily balanced by those saying 'my god i knew this was an important issue to
me, but i didn't know i had so much company!  ...thank you thank you for
announcing these sessions and giving us all a chance to come together to meet
and learn and act.'

that's my two cents... am sure others will have other, probably better
responses...  the key in all of this is that YOU know that it will work.  the
longer you wait to tell them so, the more they wonder if you KNOW it.  not
what you say, but how you ARE that counts.... as ever.

m




"Douglas D. Germann, Sr." wrote:

> Hi--
>
> Help, please!
>
> My client is getting jittery over how their OST will work. This is the one
> about "Influencing Senior Healthcare and Well-Being," which starts 2 weeks
> from today. 3 Wednesdays, 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day.
>
> Their main worry seems to be, What if 50 people show up and post 30 topics?
> We only have space for 9-10 breakout sessions, and they fear people will be
> disappointed if their session got "bumped" to the next week's time slot.
>
> Their solution? Have the opening be "You 8 people go to this space, you 8
> go to that space. Everybody gets 5 minutes to say what their issue is,
> around the circle. Then the group leader reports back to the main group."
> Sounds like a sure way to get *everybody* frustrated, to me.
>
> So what would you tell them? What documents would you download and e-mail
> to them to show that they really don't have anything to fear, that the good
> people they have invited will handle it very well?
>
> Please help me reason with these people, so we have a good event.
>
>                               :-Doug. Germann
>
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--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Avenue #1105
Chicago IL 60610 USA
phone: 312-280-7838

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.globalchicago.net

...inviting organization into movement

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