Continuing my harvest attempt of my scribbled notes and mind maps from my recent Art of Hosting experience. Here is volume two.
On Harvesting: What is the story? How do you want to tell it? We use participatory practices in conversation, then also use participatory harvest (e.g. two volunteers from each Art of Hosting to be on the Harvest team). Basic scheme of harvesting has two components: 1. Artifact. This we can name (e.g. relationships, draw attention to social capital “Stanley cup team pays attention to locker room dynamics”) and is sometimes written down (e.g. graphic recording, report). 2. Feedback loops. How get artifact back into the system to influence the system? Always planning the harvest and how to introduce it. The harvest plan produced in the meeting plan, because you’re not planning a meeting, you’re planning a harvest. Cool idea from Kelly Poirier – invite haikus as harvest.
On Circle: a place to land. Remembering how to be together and what’s already in us. Loved this language to introduce the principles of circle; “Some of the things that help us meet well”. Respect confidentiality: what’s spoken in circle stays in circle. And when something said really lands, hold what shows up – ring the bowl for a pause. Use of talking pieces (lovely stone, wood, shell). Acknowledging that emotion can surface during circle and instead of rushing over to fix, use the centre of the circle. (This was so helpful for me – whenever I could feel emotion I would tell myself “to the centre” and send the energy that way.)
Are you planning any meetings this week? Think instead of the harvest – what is the story you want to tell from the meeting? Then plan for that.