Create Space for Unscripted Insights and Flashes of Inspirations with Morning Percolations
Morning Percolations
There’s a temptation to jam as much content and activity into an agenda as possible, to demonstrate that “we’re being productive.” But really meaningful group work happens in the spaces and discussion between the prompts and presentations and prescribed activities. There’s something inherently awkward about saying, “We’ve created a structured activity for you to be as innovative and inspired as possible!” So how do you create space for those flashes of inspiration, without overprescribing and smothering the spark of creativity? How do you bottle group lighting?
Fortunately, there's a hidden gem waiting to be discovered—the power of Morning Percolations. Elise Yanker, from Collaborative Consulting Inc., created this open space that allows participants to empty their mental backpacks. It provides an opportunity to breathe, reflect, say whatever doesn’t fit neatly into a well-structured agenda.
Morning Percolations opens every following day of a multi-day event. It serves as an open platform for revisiting the previous day's discussions. It's like igniting a warm conversation with, “We shared some good thoughts yesterday. Chances are, while you were having dinner, or getting ready for bed, or preparing for our day today, you were thinking about those discussions. Why don’t we start this day by letting those thoughts flow. As you think about yesterday’s conversation, what's percolating up for you?" The goal is to create a space that welcomes open-ended discussions, without the pressure of seeking immediate solutions, while encouraging everyone to lend an ear to their peers.
What makes Morning Percolations distinctive is the freedom it offers. Keep a loosely-held timebox of 30-45 minutes and the right questions to draw out ideas and make space for quiet people. Avoid the tempting trap of answering questions or resolving doubts. Keep participants on the line of inquiry, not advocacy. Open the aperture to as many perspectives as possible. Encourage people who both agree and disagree to speak up.
A graphic recording is especially helpful during Morning Percolations to visually track the topics of conversation, validating and acknowledging the participants' contributions.
Give Morning Percolations a try at your next meeting:
We had some great conversations yesterday. We have a full agenda today, but before we jump into it, I want to create a little spaces, about thirty minutes, for the insights you had since we adjourned. What questions are still outstanding for you? What ideas did you come up with? What were your observations about what happened yesterday? What do we need to be successful today? I’d love to hear what you’re bringing into the room. So, what’s percolating up for you?
Contact Lizard Brain today to learn more about how we can help your organization become more engaging and productive.