OneTeamGov Canada- Unconference Breakout Session Guide
Revision as of 19:30, 24 November 2019 by Kayleigh.chaston-vickers (talk | contribs) (→Introduction)
J'aimerais lire ce guide en français
Breakout Session Objectives
We are aiming to facilitate:
- Shared understanding(s) of the topic to be discussed (aim for coherence, not consensus);
- Exploration of implications and opportunities from different perspectives – e.g. experiences, opportunities, barriers, etc; (what’s the current state? What could be?)
- Identification of practical actions that might make things better - e.g. ideas, next steps on how to make it happen. What can each of us do? What might we do together? How to bring it back to the contexts we’re working in?
- Have fun! First and foremost, we’re trying to enable connections, great discussions and provide everyone the chance to share their perspectives and ideas.
Our Working Assumptions
- There are a variety of ways to facilitate discussions, e.g. across a spectrum of very structured to unstructured, enabling divergent and convergent thinking, etc. This guide is meant to do just that. It’s not meant to be prescriptive.
- We want to consider and facilitate for a variety of participant preferences and styles, to the extent possible, e.g. extroverts and introverts.
- Less is more.There’s only so much we can do in a 45-55 minute breakout session. Our efforts will enable connections, creativity, knowledge sharing, and can inform practical action.
- We want to capture and share the learning. Share session notes following the event.
Methods & Tips for Facilitators
There are two sections below:
- First time facilitating? Or maybe it’s been a while? - this section includes three options for facilitating a breakout session.
- More experienced at facilitating or feeling adventurous? - bring and apply your skills at the breakout sessions keeping in mind the objectives above.
*The following methods have been taken and/or adapted from Liberating Structures, where you can find lots of other methods, and Agile Coffee.
First time facilitating? Or maybe its been a while?
Remember...
- You have an assigned topic for your breakout session, which is the idea someone proposed during the crowdsourcing exercise earlier in the day. - Mandatory
- There will be a notetaker to capture the discussion, particularly those that happen as a collective in plenary, and to keep time. - Mandatory
- Each participant will have a sharpy (extras will be in the room) - Optional to use
- There will be stickies (aka post-it notes) on each seat and in the room - Optional to use
- There will be flipchart paper in the room - Optional to use
How to Begin
- Communicate the Approach: First, communicate the approach to the room for the 55-minute discussion. “Today, we’ll take the next 55 minutes to:
- Unpack what the idea means to us so we know what we’re talking about;
- Generate some opportunities and challenges related to the idea; and
- Identify some practical actions that we might be able to take, individually and collectively related to the idea.
- Invite feedback to ensure people are ok with the approach.
- Unpack the idea: Generate understanding or coherence on what it means to the participants in the room.
- Is the person who proposed it in attendance? Ask the room. If yes, invite that person to share their thoughts on the idea and why they proposed it.
- If not, that’s ok, move to the next step.
- Continue to do one of the following three options
Option 1
xxx
Option 2
xxx
Option 3
xxx
More experienced at facilitating? Or feeling adventurous?
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