Organizing effective events and conversations

Ewen Le Borgne

Komms Klinic SessionILRI, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2012

Overview

• What are we talking about?

• Basic ingredients

• Effective conversations

• Effective events

• Need a Komms Klinic session?

• Professional face-to-face conversations

• Meetings, workshops, events…

• And what’s going on around them

• What makes a conversation effective? Let’s find out!

1. What are we talking about?

1. What are we talking about?

2. Basic ingredients

1. Clear purpose and outcomes

2. Great content

3. A clear, flexible process

4. The right people

5. Strong logistics

6. Learning and follow up

2. Basic ingredients

Three activity phases

2. Design and organize (prepare)

3. Facilitate and manage (collaborate)

4. Document, capitalize and follow up (archive and act)

3. Effective conversations

1. What makes an effective conversation?

• Inviting

• Relevant

• Outcome-oriented

• Mutually beneficial

• What about events???

4. Effective events

1. Design & thinking

2. Content

3. Process

4. Participants & facilitators

5. Venue, set-up, equipment…

6. Results

4.1 Effective events: Design and thinking

• Achieve clear purpose and outcomes

• Mind the BOSSY HERALD!

4.1 Effective events: Design and thinking

• Big picture

• Ownership

• Sharpness

• Spectrum

• Yearnings

4.1 Effective events: Design and thinking

• How-to & heuristics

• Extent

• Running the event

• Attendance

• Location

• Dynamics

4.1 Effective events: Design and thinking

The agenda

Clear

Integrated

Outcome-oriented

Known to all!!!Relevant

Flexible

4.2 Effective events: (Great) Content

1. Inputs from previous work (publications)

• In various formats?

• On the spot inputs

• Good questions!

• Documentation of insights

4.3 Effective events: (A clear, flexible) Process

1. What work methods?

2. Time management

3. Before–during–after

4. Adapt for adult learning

5. Review, learn, improve

6. Interactive, engaging, dynamic

4.4 Effective events:The right people (participants and

facilitators)1. The chair

2. The facilitator

3. The resource person(s)

4. The minute-taker

5. The social reporter

6. The participants

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The chair

Respectful

Authoritative

Timely

Sees to the outcomes

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The facilitatorObserving

Creates a space

Balances needsRemains flexible

Refrains from intervening

Good communicator

Facilitates the process

Dynamic

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The resource person(s)

Knowledgeable

Trustworthy

Good speaker

Interested

Presents content

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The minute-taker

Quick (blind types)

ConversantAsks questions

Fast (to share minutes)

Documents the meeting

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The social reporter

Multimedia-savvy

Writes well

Listens carefully

Teases out issues and keeps it all in one place

Fast

Conversant

4.4 Effective events:The right people

• The participants

Motivated

RespectfulHumble

Curious

Keen on sharing

Active

Play the game

4.5 Effective events: Venue, set-up, equipment (Strong logistics)

• Venue: Booked? Capacity? Acoustics? Easy to reach?

• Transport All arranged?

• Equipment Audio/video? Venue equipment? Test it all out!

• Information Does everyone know where to go, what it’s about, whom they will meet, what they’re supposed to do before, during, after?

4.6 Effective events: (Learning and follow up) Results

• Learning

• New insights?

• Critical issues?

• Critical questions?

• After action review?

• Log book?

4.6 Effective events: (Learning and follow up) Results

• Documentation and (social) reporting

• Live document (Twitter, Yammer, pictures, audio/video, tags)

• Capture signals (interviews)

• Reflect (blog)

• Document and archive (presentations, wiki, web etc.)

4.6 Effective events: (Learning and follow up) Results

• Follow-up

• Clear commitment

• Accessible to-do list & minutes

• Check for comments

• Double-check understanding

• Come back on it next time

• Build on it: what’s next?

4.7 Effective events: examples

1. IPMS Experience-sharing workshop (‘IPMSGTP’)

2. AgriGender 2011

3. AgShareFair

4. USAid ‘Africa RISING’ design workshops

4.7 Effective events: examples

4.7 Effective events: examples

4.7 Effective events: examples

4.7 Effective events: examples

4.7 Effective events: examples

4.8 Effective events: So what?

• Design smartly for maximum impact

• Facilitate flexibly and interactively for maximum inputs

• Document to maximize outputs, follow-up activities and…

1.…share information for the best outcomes

5.Need a KommsKlinic session?

• We can support you with:

• Design

• Facilitation

• Public speaking

• Documentation and social reporting

• Contact p.ballantyne@cgiar.org

Resources

• Every presentation ever (video)

• Examples on Maarifa

• Organizing meetings effectively

• Ewen’s bookmarks on del.icio.us

• The chemistry of magical facilitation (1)(2)

• An overview of Facilitation techniques

• Find support on this and more on the ILRI Comms wiki (FAQ)

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