A hangout to engage in conversation

[Niel]

Thank you for your post "Are we losing the art of conversation" @barrythompson. I really enjoyed it!

The art of conversation is really an important part of getting on with others, with growing your business and even to remain a part of a community. Your post has sparked an idea and I wanted to make an offer (without breaking the house rules - @EmmaDingle, please let me know if I am out of line!).

As a consultant with international clients I have a business subscription with a powerful virtual communications paltform. My subscription allows me to host 100 people at the same time (with or without video) in a virtual room - I can also arrange for people to go into smaller breakout rooms to facilitate conversations. 

Would anyone be interrested in such a hangout (it would obviously be at no charge). My initial thinking is that I can start everyone off in the large room so that attendees could introduce themselves and we can then break out into smaller groups for more focussed discussion around our current breakthroughs or difficulties.

If the idea is welcomed and accepted, I will create an event and can set the system up for 100 registrations - first come is first served. 

What do you think?

[barrythompson]

I think its a fantastic idea - if it works well we could even make it a monthly event.

I think it should be almost like a self help group though.. no selling allowed possibly.

I have (for a long time) wanted the Pioneers group to provide a service that allows us all to share our experiences. This would be a great start.

Count me in for the first one.

Barry

[Niel]

Thank you @barrythompson, and I fully agree with the 'no selling' - It is a conversation and not a pitch :-) 

[PlanningHouse]

Sounds interesting but it would need to be extremely structured so as not to waste resources.  

[Niel]

You make a valid point and some structure would be helpful. Can you be a little more specific about the resources to which you are referring though? 

I would suggest having three ‘test sessions’ first. I can then do short write-ups, from an action research perspective, to inform changes. I found it helpful with other groups that I convened virtually to run workshops of the following sizes (ultimately leading to 100 participants): 10 – 25 – 50 – 100.

[PlanningHouse]

@Nieltime is my most valued resource, I need to ensure that whatever I embark on has a clear end goal so that I don't waste time as essentially its money, as a sole trader managing time is a fine balancing act - I'm sure other entrepreneurs have the same situation.

Test sessions sound like a good idea, however timings to catch as many intetrested participants would need careful thought.  I've found that this VP site only has a limited amount of people who actually engage, so if there was a way to share knowledge and experiences in a more meaningfully I think its a good idea.

One thing I wanted to adopt on this site was a locational list of services with VPs listed - so if we wanted to meet up for a coffee or just have a virtual chat we could do so with the ultimate goal of potentially working together on some projects or building relationships for reciprocol working arrangements. 

[Niel]

@PlanningHouse, thank you for the answer, ideas and clarification. Time is indeed very valuable. 

I think that the current goal is to engage in conversation around a couple of topics (I appreciate that this may not appeal to everyone). I can however vouch for the power of dialogue and the amount of awesomeness that comes up in conversation with really interesting people – imagine how much we could learn from every person on here. If there is good turnout, and the concept works, then I might be willing to invest some time to create something more formal - until then 'a conversation with a bit of structure' on a paid-for premium virtual platform is all I can offer. 

As to the timings, I can offer the times that I am available - this is unavoidable as I need to be present as the subscription administrator (I would encourage anyone to host similar get-togethers on other platforms!). The times that I had in mind falls between 18:00 and 21:00. Because my schedule is international and quite "alive" I can schedule a specific date but will not be able to commit to something like 'every first Thursday of the month'. I am really sorry that there is no clear solution to overcome the limitations of my availability.

I really like your idea of a location list and think that it could be really useful to networking. Have you raised the idea? 

[EmmaDingle · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone.

This is a very generous offer @Niel and video meetings may be something that may be of great interest to some members. May I ask what platform you are using? (Happy to discuss this via private message if preferred).

With regards to the other points raised, we've been taking on board the feedback, during discussions here, from members of the community about how changes to the functionality of the community platform could improve the community experience. I am working in the background on these and will keep you all updated.

In the meantime I do encourage everyone to tag their posts and comments with key info, like your location, industry sector and topic to help others find you.

[Niel]

Thank you for the support @EmmaDingle. 

I use the ZOOM platform and sessions can be accessed via dial-in or the free VoIP option. Please let me know if and when you would like a test-session and I can get around to schedule one. 

Also, good job with the community platform so far. Even though change is complex, you seem to have a good handle on it. Changing ideas and communities is infinitely more difficult than what many people think. Ultimately, the success of the change is the responsibility of us all. From a Dialogic stance, I would say that the VOOM platform is a ‘container’ (a setting, space, or atmosphere) in which some really profound learning and relating can take, and probably is taking, place.

A couple of quotes from Peter Block's book "Community - The structure of belonging" (2008) seem to land what I think this community is working towards:

"To belong to a community is to act as a creator and co-creator of that community" and "Community is the container within which our longing to be is fulfilled". I gave a right old smile when I thought how much potential this VOOM community has in terms of Social Capital. "A community’s wellbeing simply had to do with the quality of the relationships, the cohesion that exists among its citizens [while] Social Capital is about acting on and valuing our interdependence and sense of belonging"