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KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF BUSINESS
Volume 42, September 2004
    Publisher: © Key Associates, 2004
ISSN # 1545-8873
http://www.mkkey.com

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This Issue: On "Convening People"

This is a monthly electronic magazine for anyone 
who wants to be a better leader, coach, facilitator, 
or simply, to tune up their people skills.  It is a 
complimentary publication, devoted to the next
evolution of Quality Thinking.

Contents:

• What's Hot in Leadership
• Maintaining Yourself as a Leader
• Frequently Asked Questions from Leaders
• Educational Opportunities
• Useful Websites
• Articles/Publications

"We must have a pure, honest, and warm-hearted 
motivation, and on top of that, determination, 
optimism, hope, and the ability not to be discouraged.  
The whole of humanity depends on this motivation."
           -- The Dalai Lama

"There is no power for change greater than a 
community discovering what it cares about. "
-- Margaret Wheatley 

"Whenever two or more are gathered, I am there."
-- Matthew 18:20

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WHAT'S HOT IN LEADERSHIP
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HAVING FREQUENT CONVERSATIONS
WITH ALL EMPLOYEES, JUST TO LEARN.

GIVING UP CONTROL AND THE NEED
TO BE RIGHT.

PRACTICING THE ART OF THINKING 
TOGETHER.

BALANCING ACTION WITH REFLECTION.

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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
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I have never seen instructional material, in leadership 
training or development programs, about convening 
groups and managing conversations in that context.  
More likely, the leaders' mentors and role models 
have stood before masses and "told" the people 
how it was.

Having simple, truthful conversations with people 
enables a leader to learn, and gives others a 
chance to speak, feel heard, and also to learn.  
This is the natural way humans think together. 
Listening moves us closer.  Dialogue brings 
about innovative ideas.  Thinking rocks the status
quo.

Widen your space for conversations--extend yourself
in groups, suspend judgment, open your mind, and 
listen to learn.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Do you have suggestions for creating conversations? 

Margaret Wheatley says this beautifully in her book,
"Turning to One Another (p. 145):"

* Ask "What's possible," not "What's wrong?"  
        Keep asking.

* Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
        Talk to people you know.
        Talk to people you don't know.
        Talk to people you never talk to.

* Be intrigued by the answers you hear.
        Expect to be surprised.
        Treasure curiosity more than certainty.

* Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible.
        Acknowledge that everyone is an expert on something.
        Know that creative solutions come from new connections.

(excerpted)

Can you suggest formats for conversational meetings?

Here are some newer meeting styles:

• Ask Me Meetings: Basic Q&A.
• CEO Viewpoint Sessions: Allows groups 
  of employees to to voice concerns, raise 
  questions and share ideas with the CEO.
• Greenhouse Meetings: Tackle difficult 
  problems and come up with innovative solutions 
  that managers are responsible for implementing
• Marathon Meetings: Keeping participants 
  at the meeting until a decision is reached.
• Problem-finding Meetings: The only agenda 
  is to identify issues and problems, not solve them.
• Results Review Meetings: C onclusions are 
  drawn and plans made from review of data.
• Sound off Meetings: Participants vent their 
  feelings, with the guidelines: no name calling, 
  participation by all, listening to others and 
  acceptance of others' feelings.
• Whine and Cheese Party: A Sound Off with 
  a festive flair.  Additional guideline is that 
  after the party, no more whining.
• Vertical Meetings: Held with no chairs.
• 10-10: A format made famous by Logansport 
  Memorial Hospital.  A vertical meeting held 
  for 10 minutes every Tuesday at 10 o'clock to
  update all managers.
• Walking Meetings:  Meetings on the hoof.  
  People are more creative standing and moving.
• Workout Meetings: Made popular by Jack Welch, 
  these sessions evaluate organizational practices 
  and aim to eliminate unnecessary work.
• Brag Sessions: A forum for handing out public 
  kudos and accolades.
• Grapevine Sessions: Regular, open meetings
  where items from the rumor mill are discussed.

How do I include people and draw them out?  
I can only imagine silence when I call a group 
together.

In "The Art of Convening," a TeleTraining series, 
Craig and Patricia Neal do several valuable exercises, 
with the extra challenge of working via phone.

Participants imagine being in a circle formation,
where peerage is automatic.  People are welcomed 
to the circle, with a greeting, poem or thought.  The 
conveners' intent is to create a "container" for conversation.

One opener they use is called "Stringing the Beads."  
In essence, each person speaks when they are 
moved to, their name and thoughts related to a question
--adding their "bead" to the necklace.  The meeting 
is book-ended, in that you close in the same manner.  

A list of Openers/Warm-ups can be found 
at the Key Associates website, www.mkkey.com
under Publications-Free Facilitated exercises .

What is important is to invite the participation
at a human and personal level.  And maybe a 
little silence is not a bad thing.

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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Learn more about the Heartland Institute's series
tele-series, "The Art of Convening"
http://www.thoughtleadergathering.com

Key Associates teaches The New Look of Leadership
and the Art of Facilitation, and offers Future Search Conferences
http://www.mkkey.com/courses.htm

Methodologies for large group interventions
http://www.vista.uk.com/whatwedo/largegroups/index.php

A worldwide portal devoted to the fullest sharing 
of academic resources and practical tools on 
Appreciative Inquiry
http://ai.cwru.edu/

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OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES 
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Read more about large group interventions
http://www.geocities.com/dian_marie_hosking/LGIBasic.htm

On-line open space community
http://openspaceworld.org

A worldwide network to develop leadership 
capacity in communities:
http://www.berkana.org/index.html

The interactive planning process, Future Search
http://www.futuresearch.net

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ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS                              
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Books are linked to Amazon.com descriptions.

Block, Peter.  The Answer to How is Yes:  
Acting on What Matters .

Bunker, B. B. & Alban, B. T.  Large Group
Interventions : Engaging the Whole System
for Rapid Change.

Lappe, F. M. & Perkins, J.  You Have the Power:
Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear.

Hammond, S. A. & Royal, C.   Lessons From
the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry.

Owen, Harrison.  Open Space Technology:
A User's Guide.

Senge, Peter et al.   Presence: Human Purpose 
and the Field of the Future.

Weisbord, Marvin & Janoff, Sandra.  Future Search .

Wheatley, Margaret.  Turning to Another: 
Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future.

A comprehensive bibliography of Leadership books.
http://www.solonline.org/organizational_overview/Booklist/