Re: Facilitators Guild -- March Meeting, "Groupthink" article, etc.
Brendan Boyle
(517) 332-4055
From: "Bloss, Doak" <ha_b...@ingham.org>
To: "Bloss, Doak" <ha_b...@ingham.org>; "Chas...@michigan.gov" <Chas...@michigan.gov>; "Harris, Rona" <hca_h...@ingham.org>; MC and Tamiko Rothhorn <mct...@yahoo.com>; "Strickling, Stephanie" <hpn_str...@ingham.org>; "kil...@michigan.gov" <kil...@michigan.gov>; "murp...@michigan.gov" <murp...@michigan.gov>; "opr...@michiganmhc.com" <opr...@michiganmhc.com>; "kkb...@yahoo.com" <kkb...@yahoo.com>; "TRot...@eatoncounty.org" <TRot...@eatoncounty.org>; "wa...@aol.com" <wa...@aol.com>; facilitatorsguild <facilita...@googlegroups.com>; Jennifer Grau <tgatr...@aol.com>; Anika Fassia <afa...@milhs.org>; Chris Herrmann <ch...@southlansing.org>; Cristy Brooks <bro...@ceicmh.org>; "danl...@anr.msu.edu" <danl...@anr.msu.edu>; "delg...@msu.edu" <delg...@msu.edu>; Dionardo Pizana <piz...@anr.msu.edu>; Dorothy Boone <dbo...@lansingmi.gov>; "eder...@msu.edu" <eder...@msu.edu>; "fran...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org" <fran...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org>; "hol...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org" <hol...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org>; Holly Nickel <nic...@michigan.gov>; "jcjavbg@@yahoo.com" <jcj...@yahoo.com>; "jessic...@sustainablesolutions.biz" <jessic...@sustainablesolutions.biz>; "j...@childandfamily.org" <j...@childandfamily.org>; jo mcglew <jomc...@gmail.com>; "josephm...@gmail.com" <josephm...@gmail.com>; "jrob...@mhsaa.com" <jrob...@mhsaa.com>; Juaquin Sanchez <sanchezj.c...@ceicmh.org>; K'Anna Burton <kan...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org>; Karen Pace <pa...@anr.msu.edu>; Katherine Nault <naul...@msu.edu>; "kat...@southlansing.org" <kat...@southlansing.org>; Kyle Powys Whyte <kwh...@msu.edu>; Laura Ray <lmra...@yahoo.com>; Lela Vandenberg <vand...@anr.msu.edu>; "Leslie....@hc.msu.edu" <Leslie....@hc.msu.edu>; "li...@msu.edu" <li...@msu.edu>; "LMRA...@hotmail.com" <LMRA...@hotmail.com>; Lori Eva <Lo...@nwlansing.org>; Marcus McKissic <marcus....@gmail.com>; "marvi...@att.net" <marvi...@att.net>; Michaelle Rehmann <rehm...@fsepmichigan.org>; "mich...@pearlpartners.net" <mich...@pearlpartners.net>; MK Quasarano <mkqua...@gmail.com>; monica kwasnik <monica...@gmail.com>; "mos...@gmail.com" <mos...@gmail.com>; "na...@michigantrails.org" <na...@michigantrails.org>; Nikki O'Brien <Nikki.O'Br...@hc.msu.edu>; "omar...@comcast.net" <omar...@comcast.net>; "phillips...@gmail.com" <phillips...@gmail.com>; "rapa...@comcast.net" <rapa...@comcast.net>; "rind...@gmail.com" <rind...@gmail.com>; "Roberts, Peggy" <hca_r...@ingham.org>; Roderick Macdonald <retire...@gmail.com>; "rosit...@sbcglobal.net" <rosit...@sbcglobal.net>; "rsp...@msu.edu" <rsp...@msu.edu>; "sanc...@ceicmh.org" <sanc...@ceicmh.org>; Shalonda James <jam...@ceicmh.org>; Sharon Granger <s.gr...@capitalareaunitedway.org>; "Sinno, Janine" <hca_...@ingham.org>; "Smi...@michigan.gov" <Smi...@michigan.gov>; Steven Couch <steven...@gmail.com>; Tiffany Lemieux-McKissic <tif...@cedam.info>; Tom Curtis <to...@allenneighborhoodcenter.org>; Vince Delgodo <globalw...@hotmail.com>; "vjoy...@comcast.net" <vjoy...@comcast.net>; "wimb...@msu.edu" <wimb...@msu.edu>; "wri...@yahoo.com" <wri...@yahoo.com>; "te...@greaterlansingfoodbank.org" <te...@greaterlansingfoodbank.org>; "smil...@yahoo.com" <smil...@yahoo.com>; Anne Barna <ABa...@bedhd.org>; "Canady, Renee" <hp_c...@ingham.org>; "cato...@msu.edu" <cato...@msu.edu>; "Cheatham, Marcus" <MChe...@ingham.org>; "Edokpolo, Debbie" <DEdo...@ingham.org>; "Hedin, Rachel" <hp_h...@ingham.org>; Kimbirly Bodfish <rind...@anr.msu.edu>; Monica Kwasnik <monica....@gmail.com>; "Smith, Mindy" <ho_s...@ingham.org>; "Chambers, Lisa" <hw_ch...@ingham.org>; Jacquetta Hinton <hint...@michigan.gov>; Kimberly Crampton <cram...@cablespeed.com>; "marre...@gmail.com" <marre...@gmail.com>; "Rosita...@vnsm.org" <Rosita...@vnsm.org>; "sonjoh...@aol.com" <sonjoh...@aol.com>; "Spears, Teresa" <hc_s...@ingham.org>; Temple Smith <smit...@gmail.com>; "kmg...@gmail.com" <kmg...@gmail.com>; Heather Rae Shoffstall McAlvey <hrsmc...@gmail.com>; "brow...@msu.edu" <brow...@msu.edu>; "awei...@mml.org" <awei...@mml.org>; "divers...@aol.com" <divers...@aol.com>; "TAYL...@michigan.gov" <TAYL...@michigan.gov>; "carlto...@comcast.net" <carlto...@comcast.net>
Sent: Mon, February 27, 2012 1:40:51 PM
Subject: Facilitators Guild -- March Meeting, "Groupthink" article, etc.
Hello, facilitators,
We had a wonderful and unusual meeting in February due to a mix-up over our room reservation at CCED. Regrouping down the street at Gone Wired, we abandoned the planned presentation and had a dialogue around these two questions: “Where is the hope for a non-polarizing alternative to public discourse?” and “How do we manifest it?” The answers that came forth from the seven gathered minds over the course of the hour, as to be expected, ranged from the deeply personal to the global.
Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 21, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. at CCED. Barring any complications, the trigger material will be the experience of the South Side Community Development Association’s dialogues on resident needs, and we will of course leave room for any other issues or facilitation events that participants bring to the table.
I am attaching the New Yorker article “Groupthink,” by Jonah Lehrer, that was mentioned in our February meeting. It’s a summary of recent research that refutes the long-standing assumption that non-judgmental brainstorming techniques unleash group creativity. Using a lot of really interesting examples, the author also questions whether diversity of experience is absolutely a positive thing (likewise lack of familiarity among participants) when trying to generate successful innovations. (Spoiler Alert: the answer is yes, to a degree, they are, but not absolutely—you need a mix of diversity and commonality, and a mix of familiar and unfamiliar participants to get the best outcomes.)
And finally, at Brendan Boyle’s request, I’m passing along this link to a video related to the East Lansing schools issue he has been actively involved in the last few months. Brendan’s participation in and facilitation of civic engagement on this issue might be a good trigger for a future Guild meeting, especially as we continue to explore the mysterious terrain between facilitated dialogue and community organizing.
--Doak
The link (you’ll have to paste it rather than click on it, I think):