What are the takeaways and future directions from this workshop? It is abundantly clear that structure, coordination, and facilitation make the workshop run. A group of strangers, with some minimal connections. I should make sure to draw a network diagram of the workshop participant relationships soon. All of the participants have strong process skills and are open to the activity. So even for folks, like myself who favor structure, having an open mindset is good.
Peter, Kurt and Atsushi indicated at the dinner last night that the autobiographical statements are key to the creation of connection amongst the participants. How can this be brought into the work? Can I use this technique in my interviews for my dissertation?
I am also thinking back to the scenario exercise. Did we come to conflictual stereotypes because that is how folks experience academic institutions? Or is that how many institutions are? Are there new ways to create organizational and institutional structures that use tension and disagreement productively? Organizations that resist dehumanizing others, that seek connection, and work towards dialogue.
There is a deeper transformation possible here. This I think is what Kennan is talking about in her work. Yet, I wonder how open would others be to the use of these techniques in their daily work? How would even the 119 be if we did a simple thing like a “check-in”? I am thinking that I really miss Eric.
So how will these dynamics play out in Portugual. The group knows each other better. Will that be a help or a hinderance? How will they experience these sorts of activities?