4 stories of real application of hosting practice and how it had gone to work in different context were offered by the hosting team. Everyone choose one story to listen to and one listening thread to listen out for and to harvest as a way of really focussing the listening and getting to some of the gold nuggets of learning. Working with stories is a great way to bring to life more information about a community or a project. " if you want to learn about a place listen to the story, if you want to change a place change the story"
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Knowledge expeditionsThe hosting team offered 4 knowledge sessions, an opportunity to dive into some hot topics to explore a bit more in depth. Everyone choose to go to one group or the other. 7 little helpers for a simple start - Bronagh Recap on the tools and how they blend together - Linda Working with powerful questions - Mike Harvesting and developmental evaluation - Jon and Sue The four fold practiceMike explained that hosting is a practice, something you learn to do by continually doing it. He spoke about how you can learn a lot about a cafe or hotel by the way it is hosted, so it is with hosting conversation spaces. All you can do is create good space where something might happen but you cant control it.
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He talked about how when you begin to learn you learn fast then you usually forget what you learnt and return to old habits but eventually with practice you get so that it becomes a part of you. He introduced the 4 fold practice - Host yourself, you are the tool you cannot host others if you cannot be present and show up yourself. How do you welcome yourself, how can you be present and feel like you are not in a rush or distracted. How well do you sit in the middle of the fire? Be hosted, your can't broker this if you yourself cant do it this is about learning the art of conversation, remaining open, asking questions and not rushing to judgement. Host others this is the scary bit, stepping up to create the space for good conversations and actions by other people. Having the clarity of purpose, preparing the space well. Co creating communities of practice, becoming a community that learns together and continues to meet and support each other Sue and Bronagh invited everyone to walk round the four practices, really to experience them and talk about what this practice could be for them |