We often apply methodologies such as socio-metric line-ups and intra-group conversations to surface diverse views, whilst at the same time allowing for differentiating and integrating views to emerge. When it comes to decision-making time, we assist the group in establishing its common ground from which to move forward. There are occasions though, on which agreement on some issues that are crucial to progress cannot be reached. So, what to do with those issues within a group process about which there is no natural consensus and that cannot simply not be agreed upon? Or those issues around which there is a lot of (potential for) conflict?

I recently participated in the Deep Democracy Foundation Course under the impressive guidance and mentorship of Myrna Lewis, one of the founding developers of Deep Democracy and author of “Inside the No: Five Steps to Decisions that Last”. It has taken more than fifteen years of intensive work to hone Deep Democracy into the straightforward, five-step methodology used in all sectors of society and in over 20 countries worldwide. This transformative facilitation methodology is designed for anybody who works with groups and relationships. Rooted in insights from process-oriented psychology, it offers tools to improve the ways in which people work together in complex and sometimes turbulent situations.

Deep Democracy goes beyond more conventional group decision making processes such as compromising or majority rule. Instead it recognizes and effectively integrates minority voices, thus creating wiser, more sustainable agreements, with full participant buy-in. Applying the Deep Democracy model allows us to do justice to and accommodate the minority voices, i.e. those in a group or system, who are usually defeated in a majority process (either by numbers or weight of other votes). Finding the so-called “wisdom of the No” and including it in the “Yes” allows us to get the best of both worlds and avoid the so-called “terrorist line” that so often obstructs change processes, to gain strength.

In addition to Collaborative Decision Making, Deep Democracy is also enables us to work with interpersonal and group dynamics in that it enables effective interpretation of what is actually at play in groups and relationships. It allows for seeing through what is being said, recognizing unspoken emotional issues that block progress, and suggesting ways to work with them. Lastly, Deep Democracy recognizes and works with the creative tension that is present in every conflict. It offers a safe way to engage with strong views and emotions, leading to innovative solutions and strengthened relationships, and thereby becoming a powerful conflict resolution tool.

I got much more than what I bargained for initially by taking part in the Foundation Course, in that I also learned a great deal about my own “role anatomy” and how it impacts on others. I feel inspired and challenged by the power of Deep Democracy as a facilitation methodology that allows for the wisdom of the minority voices to not only be surfaced, but also integrated in the majority decisions. The Deep Democracy tools are surprisingly simple, but their sheer power may blast you away if you come unprepared to acknowledge your own polarity…

Visit www.deep-democracy.net to find out more about Deep Democracy.

The Emergence Phase lies at the heart of a change process and is key to enabling something new (or existing but reaffirmed, and hence from a different quality) to surface, based on peer-to-peer learning and insights gained. Allowing for sufficient time and an appropriate space that is safe, not too prescriptive, yet contained enough, we enable a group to come up with innovative ways forward, rather than rushing into finding (the same or slightly different) solutions based on the same old perceptions or paradigm (i.e. doing what hasn’t worked so far differently). We thus refer to Emergence to describe the pivotal moment in a transformative event.

I was very fortunate to attend the Presencing Foundation Programme in Cape Town recently under the very capable and most inspiring guidance of the wonderfully mutually complementing female trio: Marian Goodman, Beth Jandernoa and Kassee Mhoney. The theoretical foundation of this programme is Otto Scharmer’s “Theory U”.  We spent three and a half days in a learning community of about 45 participants. It was an amazing journey that allowed me to gain clarity and reassurance on my own Self, my Purpose and Work; and find great inspiration to further improve our Emergence Practice.

Most importantly, I experienced the power of Emergence or rather, in the Theory U terminology, “Presencing” – “going to the place of silence and allowing the inner knowing to emerge”. In the U jargon the sequence of change events is referred to as follows: Co-intiating (uncover common intent), Co-sensing (observe, observe, observe), Presencing (connect to the source of inspiration and will), Co-creating (prototype the new) and Co-evolving (embody the new in ecosystems).
“Presencing,” a blend of the words “presence” and “sensing,” refers to the ability to sense and bring into the present one’s highest future potential—as an individual and as a group. Theory U offers both a new theoretical perspective and a practical social technology. As a theoretical perspective, Theory U suggests that the way in which we attend to a situation determines how a situation unfolds: I attend this way, therefore it emerges that way. As a practical social technology, Theory U offers a set of principles and practices for collectively creating the future that wants to emerge (following the movements of co-initiating, co-sensing, co-inspiring, co-creating, and co-evolving).

The Presencing Process is a journey that connects us more deeply both to what wants to emerge in the world and to our emerging, higher self. I-P-K is now represented in the Global Presencing Institute Community as well as the local Cape Town Theory U Practitioner Group. I look forward to applying my learning and insight around Theory U and Presencing and sharing as I go along with all of you!

For more information you might also want to visit www.presencing.com. The Presencing Institute (PI) is a global awareness based action research community for profound societal innovation and change. The PI community focuses on advancing presencing and related awareness based social technologies and making them available to change makers, innovators, and communities around the world.

The Handbook explains our own, particular approach to change processes, that builds on the idea of looking at social groups and institutions as complex systems. It contains various sections: starting with a brief general outline of how we believe we can deal with complex systems in a change context, it then draws practical conclusions on designing and delivering change events (such as workshops, meetings, conferences, …) – in particular in terms of the architecture of such events; it then creates an overview over methods and tools which allow to select and assemble them into a meaningful order that directs the event towards results.

What initally had triggered off the writing of this Handbook was the need to have some sort of “training script” for our facilitation and change trainings. We since have successfully held our first training events and are very happy about how people received and appreciated this tool. If you’re interested to learn more about possibilities and maybe a tailor-made training for your context/organisation, please touch base!

If this Handbook is useful to you, then we are very pleased. We welcome any comments, ideas, also for improvement! Please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Catherine & Marc

To download, click on the cover above or visit our “Resources & Downloads” section, where you find it under “General”

The I-P-K training approach is built on three levels:

1. The conceptual level provides participants with a complexity-based understanding of social change, ie. the system of thought around complex-adaptive systems and how to cause transformation in such a system. We consider it absolutely essential to see the big picture underneath in order to competently design change processes and events. After all, there is nothing more practical than a good theory! Furthermore, if we want to avoid a devaluation and disrepute of many of the tools and methods, we must contain the risk of their inconsiderate and mechanical applications. Yet, we introduced the complex ideas and concepts of complexity on a playful way, ie. by playing and simulating complex systems, an experience for every participant we could constantly refer to.
2. The second level of training deals with “practice”, which contained two kind of modules:
   • Sessions on more general, yet very practical aspects of faciliation, such as the role and behaviour of the facilitator, promoting diversity and dealing with conflict, and similar areas, which help the faciliators to consiously improve their own practice in any faciliation situation.
   • We introduced a series of methods and tools by practicing them in the training itself. Participants hence had a first-hand experience of how these methods “look and feel” and had an immediate insight in possible applications and the practical aspects of applying them.
3. The third level aimed at the experience of participants. Participants submitted “clinic cases”, ie. real events they will have to organise, design and facilitate themselves in the next three months (in distinction to “case studies” which lie in the past, “case clinics” are in the future and have more relevance and urgency for the participants). At the beginning of the workshop, they introduced their cases (in a Speed Geeking session, a method which they thereby learned) and then they worked in groups on their cases for 1 hour per half-day, immediately applying what they had learned. They walked out of the workshop with a clearer understanding of their upcoming tasks and new agendas for the events, where they will immediately use the methods learned.

The training cycle consist of three phases. We now held a basic training of three days consisting of modules on all the levels mentioned above. Subsequently, participants will now hold their events between now and December, thereby making their own first steps and gathering own experience. Towards the end of January, they will return and in an advanced training, we will capitalise this experience, discuss and understand it, and complement it with more sophisticated approaches and methods.

In fact I have been following Sugata Mitra already about 8 years ago (at my time at Helvetas), when he did his experiments called “The hole in the wall” – and was already highly fascinated then. “Imagine if you could take this further…” I thought – and Mitra of course did! I’m really excited to see what a long way he has come!

My initial answer to the question of how transformative momentum is sustained was the following: momentum cannot be sustained through internal or even less external interventions, but rather sustains itself if the platforms for collective conversations are present and accessible to all within the organisation at all times, i.e. if the organizational culture is one of learning in which knowledge sharing and change management strategies become second nature and all members/employees learn and practice this way of thinking and engaging with each other. So training in such methodologies could be a very useful way of making an organisation ‘fit’ for ongoing transformation in a complex and rapidly changing world.

I attended a Peter Block Community Building event last week that has inspired me greatly and also raised a new question: What if the transformation of large numbers of individuals within a system (i.e. its members being trained in various knowledge sharing and change management methodologies) does not lead to an organisational culture that is conducive to ongoing transformation? How and when does momentum last?

And I might just have found an answer to these questions in the form of further questions.  How do you create a sense of community amongst a group of people? How do you connect them to a common task/bigger purpose? Because only when people feel that they belong to a community will they also care about this community that they belong to and that belongs to them (Peter Block). So people care about what they create (Margaret Wheatley), but they carry on caring about what they create because they belong to a community that at the same time belongs to them (and that they carry on creating). So when and how do such transforming communities emerge…?

Catherine Widrig Jenkins

“I vow never to attend another poorly facilitated, talking heads, not enough interaction, powerpoint heavy workshop or conference ever again.”
Say YES to Bar Camps, Open Space, and Unconferences!
Your time is too valuable to be spent fighting with WiFi access so that you can check your email in a hotel in some exotic location while your life is clicked away, one powerpoint slide at a time.”

This has turned out to become an excellent excuse if I get asked to facilitate one of those poor quality conferences. I can now say to potential clients that come up with bad workshop instructions: “I’d love to facilitate your event, but I can’t since I cannot break this vow I have taken. So can we think about something different?”

Many of us experience our work, the organisations we are part of, our communities, even our countries and in fact the whole world around us as transforming at ever increasing speed. To deal with the resulting challenges we need an approach that involves all affected and interested parties with their experiences, insights, questions and wisdom.

Open Space Technology is such an approach. It supports organisations and systems of all kinds and sizes to utilize their inherent potential for self-organisation leading to high performance characterized by collaboration, cooperation, participation and broad leadership. It provides a framework of time and space in which everyone works on those issues they feel passionate about and for which they are prepared to take responsibility. Leaders, managers, consultants, students, group workers, community organisers, planners and everyone interested in the future of their organisations and communities will benefit from this workshop.

IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge is proud to host an Open Space Technology Workshop in South Africa in collaboration with the berlin open space cooperative (boscop) .

boscop members have facilitated several hundred Open Space events with groups ranging from 5 to 2108 participants in 30 countries worldwide. Their unique training design uses Open Space itself as the basic training process, which has been developed over the last decade through application in many Open Space Technology Trainings with participants from around the world.

Participants will thoroughly acquaint themselves with Open Space Technology (OST) in the workshop by:

• learning about the prerequisits of Open Space meetings;
• experiencing an Open Space planning session;
• experiencing an Open Space meeting under the title agreed on in the planning session;
• reflecting on the recent experience as a participant in another Open Space session under the title “Open Space on Open Space”;
• transferring their Open Space experience into first application steps in an Open Space action planning process;
• parallel “learning spaces” for self-organised learning providing books and articles as well as audio and visual resources on Open Space, and a “question & answer wall” to reflect on the current experience

The training design follows the Open Space process’ inner logic by placing experiential and self-organised learning at its core. The underlying principle being that “Open Space cannot be taught or studied, but must be experienced first-hand in order to be understood and remembered”.

IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge (I-P-K) is a Cape Town based consultancy firm that specializes in Knowledge and Change Management. I-P-K’s facilitation and coaching methodologies are based on understanding the complexity of living systems and social processes and are aimed at enabling synchronous learning amongst participants. We design transformative organizational processes that are inclusive and able to generate individual commitment towards a collective action plan: Open Space Technology is one of the approaches we use.

Read a short Background Document on Open Space Technology.

You will find all relevant booking details here below (click on “More…”). A more detailed training programme will be available closer to the time.

Details of the Open Space Technology Training 2009:

Host & Event Co-ordination: Catherine Widrig Jenkins and Marc Steinlin, IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge, Cape Town (www.i-p-k.co.za)
Training: Mia Konstantinidou and Michael Pannwitz, boscop eG, Berlin, Germany (www.boscop.org)
Location: Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek, Cape Peninsula (www.monkeyvalleyresort.com)
Dates (NEW DATES!): Tuesday (lunch time) 28 to Thursday (lunch time) 30 April 2009

Participation Fee Including Catering until 31 January 2009 only: R 6’750
Please note that this fee includes catering during the formal training sessions only. “After-hours” catering, i.e. dinner, accommodation and breakfast costs are excluded. You will receive your registration confirmation upon receipt of payment of a 50% non-refundable deposit. The remaining balance of the participation fee must be paid by 31 March 2009. Cancellations are not eligible for refunds, but a subsitute may be sent.
Participation Fee Including Catering From 1 February 2009: R 7’500
Multi-Booking Discount: 10% for every additional participant from the same company

You can book online or contact catherine.widrigjenkins@i-p-k.ch

To book accommodation at Monkey Valley Resort please contact: Sue-Lesley Norgate on 021 789 8008 or conferencing@monkeyvalleyresort.com and copy in catherine.widrigjenkins@i-p-k.ch. It is important to quote the reference “Open Space Technology Training 2009″ when making your booking in order to qualify for the special conference accommodation rates. Accommodation is available in twin rooms (sharing room and bathroom) at R 445 per person per night; in semi-share rooms (own room, sharing a bathroom) at R 558 per person per night and; in executive en-suite rooms (own room and own bathroom) at R 675 per person per night. All rates include breakfast. Please note that these rates are subject to availability at the time of booking. There is only limited numbers of each type of room (i.e. twin, semi-share, executive en-suite) – it is therefore recommended to book early if you have a certain preference.

For further information on this training event please contact: Catherine Widrig Jenkins
Email: catherine.widrigjenkins@i-p-k.ch
Skype: catherinewidrig
Cell: 073 387 7369

For further information on Open Space Technology visit: www.openspaceworld.org
We highly recommend to read “Open Space Technology: A Users Guide” (Harrison Owen 2008/ ISBN 978-1-57675-476-4) before the training and to stay over at the venue to be able to participate in the informal “after-hours” exchange with the other participants.