Conversations Matter. They connect us with one another. They lead us to a greater depth of understanding. They open up new worlds and possibilities. They enable us to access wisdom that is only found in the collective. They excite and inspire us to take action. All of this from the simple ancient practice of conversation. The key is knowing how to use it.
You may be thinking …”we already have far too many meetings! We don’t need any more talking, we need action! Yet
, the reason people so often get “stuck in the muck” is precisely because they ARE having too many meetings and not enough true conversation.
True conversation is about focusing, speaking, listening and creating together. At Sparxx, we tap into this rich power source, through Café Conversations…a dynamic approach that fosters connections, collaboration and creation. The underpinnings of this approach are drawn from the work done by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs centered on “The World Café”, a process that brings people together around questions that matter.
Over the years, we have adapted and applied it to support a wide range of client challenges…and the verdict is in…it works! In the words of one of our clients,
“The Café Conversations and Powerful Questions were a unique, innovative way to get our teams thinking differently about issues and ideas. Using the Powerful Questions was a stimulating brainstorming technique that did not require functional specialization or much background – everyone in all functions could participate ACTIVELY! This technique also eliminated “ideation burnout”…so participants looked forward to the next question and round of ideation. Our group will definitely look to Sparxx and to this technique that they generously shared with us for future ideation and project start-ups.”
“None of us are as smart as all of us” -Ken Blanchard Cafés are designed to leverage and access this collective team wisdom as people have a series of conversations around questions that matter. Throughout the conversation, they are literally capturing these conversations in real time on table cloths. At the conclusion of each conversation they may be asked to create something . . . or they may all move to a new table and explore a new question with a new group of people.
In each conversation, ALL participants are actively contributing their unique perspective as well as bringing in other points of view from their prior conversations. The energy spirals as ideas are cross-pollinated and connections are sparked around the room. Through this organic process, the group is able to access a wider net of knowledge that transcends any one knowledge holder. After stretching and considering the challenge from multiple points of view, teams are then able to view the challenge and the world through new eyes!
These fresh insights spark new ideas and strategic pathways that the team is passionate and excited about moving forward together.
In our next blog, we’ll share more about the powerful questions behind a great Café.
“Whenever knowledge connects with knowledge, new combinations spontaneously take place. Ideas spark ideas, which synthesize with each other until more knowledge results. It is completely natural…sharing knowledge means bringing people into conversation.”
Verna Alee, The Knowledge Evolution
