Thanks for sharing your story to add to my resources Ingrid. I too have found doing convergence in a one day event challenging.....but important to attend to. I had some big learning a few weeks back with a group of nurses that came together to discuss issues and opportunities for inspiring nursing leadership. All was going well and reports were being entered into the computer near the end in a timely way that left me thinking that all would be well and ready for the prioritizing process before closing. However, what I did not realize was that they had had such rich and wonderful discussions that they were writing 2-3 pages of notes (or more!!!), We had had a glitch (virus on one of the laptops) earlier and were behind in printing reports. The person writing the thesis was at the computer with the printer attached (I have not yet mastered the intricacy of networking the laptops to the printers). We ended up with a 1/2 hr long pause between the end of discussions and the start of prioritizing, which gave people a chance to read and mill about, but you could feel the energy drop in the room. A number of people left at that juncture before closing. The sponsors got a bit anxious "We're losing them!!!" The suggestion to get writers to perhaps post their written topics met with "Oh no, we really want to do this". So, whatever happens....... There was nothing I could do but wait at that point....not to say that I wasn't a little anxious too! The prioritizing part brought the energy level back up.
My learnings - in the absence of a networked situation, keep the computer with the printer free, especially near the end of the day. I have always found a crush starting after the session following lunch . Have initiators of last sessions of the day just post written reports (and perhaps they will agree to enter them later ?!?). The earlier discussions about laptop free open space meetings were valuable contributors to this thanks. There is a difference of tolerance for waiting for delays in a group that has a vested interest e.g., a work group Vs a group that come together in this kind of conference/learning from each other format. The work groups don't want to miss the "voting" piece. This particular open space meeting was one that I was quite nervous about. It was my peers from across this end of the province that were sponsors and participants. Those of you who were at OSONOS in Chicago might remember my musings on doing open space in the health care system. This was the start. The feedback on the day at closing circle was on the main very positive and moved me to tears at some moments (although, that is not an astonishing feat in my case!!), despite the glitches. Michelle Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN The Cooper Group Consultants 200 Crestview Avenue Ancaster, Ontario Canada L9G1E2 Telephone - (905) 648- 4633 Fax - (905) 648-1763 E-mail coop...@interlynx.net The paradox of control is simple. The more we try to control life, the less control we have. Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., Minding The Body, Mending The Mind