2009.01.23 19:00 - Small Groups

Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi Doug.

doug Sosa: evening..

Threedee Shepherd: Hi doug

doug Sosa: wish i cold sit in front of you.

doug Sosa: facing..

 Corvuscorva Nightfire nods..

Corvuscorva Nightfire: Three...couldn't he put a pillow down from Ade's pile?

Threedee Shepherd: Well, if you don't use a pillow but do a sit her command if the mat will let you, that will work

doug Sosa: can i turn on it?

Corvuscorva Nightfire: no..I don't think you can, on that one..hmm.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: three...I can do a sit here move and you can..

 doug Sosa: how do you do that?

Corvuscorva Nightfire: I have it on my Hud.

doug Sosa: ah, beyond me.

Threedee Shepherd: stand and point to the mat in front of useand right click and sit

Threedee Shepherd: not to a pillow but directly at the mat

doug Sosa: nope.

doug Sosa: ah

Corvuscorva Nightfire: does it not work, then?

doug Sosa: says "no room"

Corvuscorva Nightfire: ah well.

doug Sosa: tried a number of mat places.

doug Sosa: hey, but i want a block that is zero inches high :)

doug Sosa: wonderful!

doug Sosa: now we can talk!

doug Sosa: but after a complex day, its good just to be here.

Threedee Shepherd: what was complex on TGIF?

doug Sosa: well, you and i do have some things in common. lessee ?

doug Sosa: well day started with Slovneian violinist playing and discussing bach partita and how it relates to organization dynamics,

Threedee Shepherd: Were you at a lecture or workshop

doug Sosa: , then series of meetings on graphics and architecural spaces for meetings, then a busines planning meeting, then a series of phone calls planning other people's meetings. just finished with la jolla.

doug Sosa: stuff i organize at stanford.

hreedee Shepherd: ahh.

Threedee Shepherd: I am about to design an architectural space for meetings as part of a build in SL.

doug Sosa: glad this came up. want to say more, or should i?

Threedee Shepherd: you first

doug Sosa: we are exploring creating the best stage sets for the drama of straegic conversations. that is, the typical conference room in a corporation, lets say, turned to better account.

Threedee Shepherd: how many people?

doug Sosa: we are working smaller than i am used to, ten or less, real intimacy, salon type.

doug Sosa: we put time lines on the wall, fifteen feet long, how we got here, then a map of current complexities, then a few senarios for global futures, then some great art.

Threedee Shepherd: Ah, that's good. The old magic number of 7 plus or minus two, applies to the largest size of a group that is still small.

 doug Sosa: i did one last week with twenty and it was good. sundued lighting helps.

doug Sosa: we try a rule. pause after each speaker, feel what the group needs before speaking.

Threedee Shepherd: Twenty is a *different* kind of meeting/gathering than seven.

doug Sosa: yes, yet, it can be done. just slow people down a bit. Make sure that people feel present, and responsible for self presentation.

Threedee Shepherd: Yes. and still, I have the observation that if everyone does not have significant time to actually talk, their expectations when listening change, from what is possible in a small group.

doug Sosa: yes but , well, subtle.

Threedee Shepherd: I know I listen differently in sirtuations where I know I might realistically participate by speaking than when I think the group is too large for that.

doug Sosa: in 0 there is no reason to think you can't be heard if the wjat you have to say is meaningful to the group. It requires also that the group be good at listening.

doug Sosa: 0= my two key is not working..

Threedee Shepherd: Yes, but I cannot expect to realistically have a prolonged back and forth exchangew with one or two others in a large meeting.

doug Sosa: a back and forth os often a symptom of not listening. too much like tennis, and the remarks degrade quickly 9some times).

Threedee Shepherd: true. I note that it is harder to hide quietly in a small group

doug Sosa: now i need to fix my "two" key and go have dinner. Sounds like we have more to talk about.

doug Sosa: yes, but it is important to let a person not have to talk, even in a small group.

Threedee Shepherd: sure. this is an area I have read about and thought about a bit.

Threedee Shepherd: Yes, not pushing is important.

doug Sosa: i am doug a tdougcarmichael.com. gotta run :)

Threedee Shepherd: ok, later, bye

doug Sosa: gad the at sign is on the two key!! bye.