I do not know if you are aware of it but ASTD chose to change any room set
with round tables into classroom style to accomodate more people. This
threw a real problem at presenters prepared to do team discussions and
small group / tabletop work.
I had an interesting experience at a recent government Innovations Group
conference facilitated by Peter Block that really addressed the classroom
style of participation. We sat "in the round", 8 -10 people per group,
without a table. It was very effect ive (enhanced communication, all
could participate more easily without the barrier of the table--even a
round one). This also allowed us to get a lot of people in a room without
the classroom seating style. Interestingly, when round tables were
brought in prior to one group session in preparation for lunch, everyone
had gotten used to working without the tables--and the feedback was--get
rid of them. They went away after lunch.
Debbie
--Deborah T. Broome Assistant City Manager, Plano, Texas P.O. Box 860358 Plano, Texas 75086 Phone: 972-461-7122 Fax: 972-423-9587 e-mail: Debbieb@gwmail.plano.gov
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>