Unforeseen problem of scale

[Lisa Heft]

Hi, John --

Sounds like you did an incredible job!

Also sounds like a reminder to trust the process, eh?

Trust that people will put of the 'right' topics (for them, anyway),

You said
>The amount of movement during the 45 minute discussion session was
enormous. People seemed to range over a large number of groups and
sometimes a topic was left unattended for several minutes and then
another group formed at that station.<

All that movement makes me think of the waves of an ocean coming in and
out, reaching a particular pebble and rolling it around, not reaching it
the next time, the next time moving it to a totally different place.

Interesting that you asked groups to come up with 3 key points - more of
a formal report-back moment, it sounds like.  Upon reflection, would you
do this again?  Or would you let individuals speak about whatever they
learned or saw or bumped into or laughed at?

Or with the assistance of the visualiser, is this actually how you drew
up the book of proceedings?

I find it's tough for people to change from total movement to sitting
and listening.  So I bet their bodies were eager to move again -
sometimes that's what sparks folks super-ready to get into convergence.

Yes, it worked!  And it sounds like it worked beautifully.  I never
believed one could do a large-group / short time OS  (believed other
people could do it, like the fabulous Jeff Aitken, but never thought I'd
do it) until I was at a conference where 350 people did a 1.5 hour OS
with one session time.  Enough for spotting key issues, anyways.  I
would never do a convergence in such a short session - personally I feel
that after thoughts *emerge*, it's hard for people to fit back into the
shape of the "therefore" in such a short time.  But you showed me this
is not always the case!

Excellent work, my intrepid adventurer!

Lisa

L i s a   H e f t
Berkeley, California USA

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