Replying to LO29537 --
Hello Martin,
We - mind@work - have developed a wonderful tool for groups and teams to
gain insight. Unfortunately, this space is too small to describe it
completely.
The tool consists of a brainstorming programm called mind@teamwork that,
besides working like a kind of chat-box, prints the ideas (items) on small
bits of papers, for instance hexagons. This specially developed paper is
called Euro+Forms. You can find some pictures on our web site
http:\\www.mindatwork.nl . The labels are given to the teammembers for
categorizing or clustering. Making a mindmap is one of the options. (So
i've also been looking at the same mindmap software you menioned, i can
also recommend Ygnius by Gael www.ygnius.com and there is another product,
but the download will not open).
After clustering the ideas and naming the clusters, we ask the particpants
to evaluate them, using a scoring method. The top-# priority is used in
the next brainstorm. With the computer everybody can submit ideas and at
the same time we can work in subgroups to speed up the clustering.
The method we use is based on the notion that people differ in the way
they perceive reality and most of the time we have conflicts about the
perceptions. Our method aims at letting the group construct the "model"
behind the different reality views, you may call it "Insight". We differ
in the way we handle reality, but there is a common model - or archetype -
from which we draw our notions. These are - for instance - the four
learning style by Kolb. Or four leadership styles. Or even, four colours.
The way we do so consists of four steps:
1. Accepting each other ("green")
2. Idea generating ("yellow")
3. Ordening ("blue")
4. Undertaking ("red")
We noticed that when we worked this way, the group or team gains insight
into the issue(s) that "haunt" the group. I use to call this "The Gestalt"
(yellow). You also can call it "The System" (blue). Or "The Issue" (red).
Or "Insight" (green). Here we have the four different reality perceptions
again.
Our computer programm enables us to downlaod the data to a report and / or
to the mindmapping tools you mentioned.
I do have to make some remarks on the issues behind "insight". People
usually DO NOT LIKE the Insight. More often than not, people have a
notion that the truth may hurt, or harm and that therefore you should
not inquire into the truth. Everybody in the group behaves in ways that
cover up the truth and cover up the cover up (see: Argyris). Our method,
uncovers the truht AND the cover up. This is often painful. For instance:
- there is no innovation that will save our organisation
- this project is doomed
- we are ourselves responsible for the situation we're in
- we've accepted an assignment we shouldn't have accepted
- our vision lacks power
- the management team is not a team, but a set of individuals pretending
to be a team
- the ICT-solution (costing millions of pounds) proposed is not the
solution to our problems
- creativity also involves destructing existing work
- we work in a golden cage and we're have to comply if we do not want to
loose our benefits
- communicating between people should not be done via the corporate
communications department
- customers are not interested in our new product, they want
improvements to the existing products that they have been asking for for
years
- safety on the streets is an issue you do not solve with more police on
the streets: it has to do with perceived availability
- our sales department doesn't function properly
- Knowledge Management is a joke: nobody will co-operate but nobody says so
- we can solve this problem, but not the way the management want to
- our owner is only interested in earning more money, not in the company
or the people
- the change proposed by the governement - our own topmanagement -
cannot work
-etc
But that is no insight, i assume.
Contact me if you want to know more,
Jan Lelie
PS: I'll be away on a training for a few days.
Martin Silcock wrote:
>It was back in 1997 I think that I first participated in the list. Much
>has happened since then, and whilst recently wrestling with some thinking
>I thought this knowledgeable list could help me again so I have rejoined
>and once again enjoying the high quality, stimulating dialogues.
>
>I am interested in "Insight" - what it is, how it happens, what it needs
>to happen, how it relates to knowledge, learning, creativity and
>innovation, what tools, technologies, ,processes and approaches help
>foster it. What is the anatomy of an insight?
[..snip by your host..]
--Drs J.C. Lelie (Jan, MSc MBA) facilitator mind@work
mind@work VOF - ondersteuning besluitvorming van groepen LOGISENS - bedrijfsverbetering
tel.: + 31 (0)70 3243475 mob.: + 31 (0)65 4685114 (auto) web.: http://www.mindatwork.nl/
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