Future Search: A One Day masterclass (25th June)  and 2 Day Facilitors Workshop 26th-27th June 2008 by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff

Future search is defined  as a “ a learning laboratory for shared leadership, self management and sustainable planning”.  Through collaborative enquiry, individuals, organizations and communities using  open and  supportive structures  at finding common ground and co-creating the future of organizations and communities.

Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff the pioneers of this approach regard it as a “ large group planning meeting that brings a whole system into the room to work on a task-focused agenda…in a Future Search people have a chance to take ownership of their past, present and future, confirm their mutual values and commit to action plans grounded in reality”.

Through its sequential stages of :

• Mapping of the present
• Taking ownership of the past
• Creating a range of future scenarios
• Identifying common ground
• Developing and agreeing action plans
  

Future Search offers Organisations, Institutions, Companies, Businesses and  Communities  the ultimate  strategy making framework using a whole system approach.

Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff  are the pioneers of Future Search and Founders of the Future Search Network.  They have been at the forefront of  spreading effective strategy planning world-wide.  They have co-authored Future Search:an action guide at finding common ground in organizations and communities and Don’t Just Do Something,Stand There: Ten principles for leading meetings that matter

AN ORIENTATION TO FUTURE SEARCH & A LEADER'S ORIENTATION TO EFFECTIVE MEETING MANAGEMENT

Meetings, short or long, constitute the major building blocks for human
endeavour in all areas of society. They are as common as dirt, and for many
people about as popular. The purpose of this one day workshop is to give
leaders some novel perspectives on making meetings more time efficient,
productive, and energizing. We define "effective meetings" as those that
enable people to increase their capability for action. We will demonstrate
ways that those who lead meetings can:

        *Get the right people in the room.

        *Quickly explore relevant facets of an issue.

        *Greatly increase participation.

        *Reduce the potential for conflict.

        *Increase the quality of decisions.

        *Help people take responsibility.

        *Build greater commitment to act.

Our emphasis is NOT on agendas, flip charts, media, Powerpoints and meeting
technology. Nor do we deal with diagnosing and fulfilling group and
individual needs. Our philosophy is that the quickest route to effective
meetings is working with people the way they are, not the way we wish they
would be. Our techniques involve managing STRUCTURE, before, during and
after, in such a way that people voluntarily use what they have in service
of important tasks.

We will deal with meetings from two perspectives . In the morning, we will
introduce principles and procedures that can be used in all meetings,
regardless of purpose or length. We also will show how leaders can use
meeting management as a path toward self-knowledge and greater personal
effectiveness.

In the afternoon, we will provide an orientation to Future Search, a 3-day
strategic planning meeting that embodies in a single event the strategies,
procedures, theories, and philosophy presented earlier. Future Search has
enabled hundreds of business firms, communities, UN agencies, NGO's and
other systems around the world to quickly transform their capability for
action. We will outline the underlying principles that make this method
effective and illustrate with examples from around the world. We will
provide a first hand experience in Future Search planning, the key to
successful conferences. We also will present a DVD of an important strategic
conference and dialogue with participants on their potential applications.

June 26 and 27, 2008

 AN ADVANCED FACILITATION WORKSHOP

We will present a philosophy, theory and method for transforming diverse
work groups of all kinds. This seminar, based on our new book titled, "Don't
Just Do Something, Stand There! Ten Principles for Leading Meeting that
Matters" integrates system change and personal growth theories.  It it is
for experienced leaders who want to increase their capacity to help large,
diverse groups stay task-focused and accomplish ambitious goals. Future
search experience is not necessary for this workshop.

We redefine facilitating as an essential form of integrative leadership
sorely needed by organizations and communities. We teach a simple theory and
practice equally applicable to the concerns of society, organizations,
groups and ourselves.  Effective task group managers do not facilitate
"people." Rather, they seek to create conditions under which people will
bring to bear the best in themselves. We show how you can work on structure,
which is controllable, rather than behaviour and motivation, areas we can do
little about. We show you how to structure meetings for results and manage
so that every person can bring their best into the room.

Workshop agenda includes:

Differentiation and Integration: A Core Concept of System Development
Managing Boundaries and Roles
Functional Sub-Groups: Understanding the Informal System
Managing Polarities in Self and System
Containing Anxiety and Owning Authority
Skill Practice