Dec.17,2008 Notes from CLC SIG meeting

From ASTDps Wiki

081217 ASTDps Collaborative Learning Communities Notes

Virtually Present: Mike Katagiri, Asme Thorve, Gordon Storey, Preeti Bhat, Mark Miller, and Scott Melanson, and Tami Smith. (Note – due to predicted snow conditions meeting was held using Chapter LiveMeeting facilities)

Next Meeting: Thursday, January 21st at Bellevue Regional Library and Online (see meeting invitation for instructions about how to participate virtually).

1) Scott proposed we explore the "human productive collaboration" phenomenon of learning before we get too caught up with web 2.0 stuff.

• Question: What are your experiences of good quality/productive collaboration? Also share examples of "collaboration" which was actually something else? Discussion of meetings: • Meeting facilitation (group problem solving) • "Meetings" are often not good examples of "collaboration". Collaboration tools aren't used well because people don't understand the purpose. An example: "Collaboration Meeting" that is merely checking off the box and walk away with a few to dos but don't feel that the group has created something significant. • Collaborative meetings are sort of "unmeetings" with no agenda (setup). • Good collaboration is open, stresses involvement, thinking together, dialogue methods, (like some of the 1st meeting conversation). Often come out with a better result; e.g. meetings that started by sharing a current reading and evolved the conversation into a rich dialogue. • Collaboration works when the group goes away from the table with a shared understanding and shared actions vs. going each individuals own way. Good collaboration results can be shared with future collaborations, and leads to some enhanced group product beyond what an individual can do on their own. Better output results. • Good collaboration is like “improvisation” “It happens” and you see what happens. Usually something good. It is an iterative process. • Not all meetings need to be collaborative which means we need to define the meeting "What are we trying to accomplish?" i.e. performance requirements vs. definitive solutions.

2) Collaboration and Learning environments discussion:

• Jay Cross - Informal Learning – comments that "courses are dead" If we continually use that term it … vs. we need to improve performance… Training > Learning > Performance… Could we get performance without "learning"? • We're always learning. How can I help the learner choose the right path? How do we create environments to help shortcut the natural process of learning. • Performance improvement: even the words Training Dept build in a lot of assumptions. Sometimes 80% of training requests are not really needed. • Reference also made to William Isaacs work, “The Art of Thinking Together”. • Peter Senge: Advocacy vs. Inquiry (Dialogue is more like inquiry) Advocacy is more the norm in our culture. Debates (I'm right you're wrong). What we're talking about is like a shift. If you have to produce something … • Example of ODN: Wiki usage. Unless it is collaborative. They are just learning how to do it. • How comfortable are we with true collaboration (in this society)? Something about a meeting that allows us to be there without being there <be passive?>. • Why not more collaboration? o Possibly people not using the collaboration tools may be more a fear of being open. o Different comfort levels with different people in different situations. Fear of criticism. o Need leadership to set the tone and encouragement of collaboration. Certain groups are "safe" but in other groups it is opposite. o Possibly a fear of sharing in certain environments. (expose what I don't know) o Also hesitant to participate because it implies taking ownership. Many orgs do not reward collaboration. Not many opportunities to share because so much output required. o We are such a "product-oriented" society (not getting enough done"). o Risk of trying it and it doesn't work out. • Safety > Fun > Learning (Collaboration) o Need to decide when we need it and when we don't need it. How much collaboration if it is product oriented (output) o True collaboration stimulates to certain individuals. Some situations we don't want collaboration. We have to know when to "cut people off" (over stimulated inhibiting getting to the results) o Good experience when there were no bad ideas, open. o A longing for opportunity to explore a topic area. The work world has limited opportunities for this. • Comment on TRF project case: o Often we are required to "short cut" the "planning" phase of instructional design. o Toyota production system - observation of typical Amer. Mfg. spending 2 months planning and 9 months building. Toyota would spend greater planning and have a shorter building phase. "Do something” < "Pour that concrete" - then jackhammer it out...> "Let's get it done!" • Fear: "Tribes" by Seth Godin - we need you to lead us. Tribes can form around anything (web 2.0 enabling). When someone expresses their passion, often criticism ensues, but that can be a good thing. It can ignite other's passions to work with you and continue to share. If we don't exercise our passion its like muscle atrophies. Most everyone has passion. Sometimes it takes one person to start the chain reaction. • In innovative environments: Suicide if you don't come to a meeting with new ideas. Trend is towards collaboration. • Encouraging innovative environments: Some people looked like "deer in the headlights" when they were asked to share. Where people continually think "differently" e.g. 20% projects <passion projects> is part of their job. Influences what meetings are like. Not a top down hierarchy approach.

• Managing and Training is like DNA: We think about DNA as to how it has people … DNA is like a constitution (framework) and then letting it happen. < principles vs. rules> Permit people to do what they need to do and allow emergence.

3) Collaboration in the ASTDps Chapter thoughts and ideas:

• Idea for a chapter program - describing org cultural differences. I.e. Google environment, others. Discuss: o How do managers create the truly collaborative environment? o What are the management principles i.e. everyone is totally accountable? • Like to see a lot of collaboration, free to collaborate and share ideas. Place to re-energize and find re-discover our passions. Bring our passions as well as our know how and get back knowledge. • What is the most important to get from ASTDps? Passion and energy as well as just “knowledge”. Get back to the roots of why I do what I do. o Yearn for conversations; learning from a conversation with peers, interactive experiences, participate with others. Do something like the Trainer’s SIG to encourage participative learning using small groups to discuss the topic? o Feel more “engagement” like the first meeting we had and studied some of the resources from the 1st meeting. Energizing. • Don’t necessarily want to hear presentations. What else is possible? Opens up new and best ideas. • Technology can be best when it is “transparent” and doesn’t get in the way of the conversation is the important part • Opportunity to use technology to have effective conversations. Many chapter members have not had the opportunity to experience it and help them move along on their journey. • Scott: Put my passion out to the chapter (blog) and encourage others to do the same. • Portion of the site for books, articles, reading for review and discussion. • Identify a "Passion Project" collaborative project that does something good (altruistic) o Raising visibility of the Chapter. o Collaborate on a Non-profit project o Idea: ODN & ASTD collaboration - World Café kind of thing targeting people who are out of work. • Help members build relationships with each other