Lab Learning: Day 6

Today we start the second week of the 4 week Lab. It's scary, coz we still dont seem to be clear on where we are headed. We've syndicated quite a lot of people, and we have developed quite a few model, but I see the team beginning to strain at the seams with the uncertainty as each try to take the leadership and figure out what's next. We have received a lot of information, but we are getting uncomfortable as we aren't sure where to go next. Tomorrow, we're going to take stock of what we have. we struggled all day today, but I learnt that the secret (as we are going to do tomorrow) is to go back to the fundamental question of the lab. The information we now know, and the answer to the fundamental question, will guide us in deciding that functionality we want to put into our model. Today, I learnt that the approach we take is through appreciative inquiry. It is the approach that takes a positive approach within the topic. Instead of asking what's wrong, we ask what's right, what should be there, what will be there and finally what must be there. In the many approaches, Appreciative inquiry falls into 4 things: Discover: to value the best of what is being done, Dream: to dialogue and converse of what might be, Design: distil these ideas into something thought provoking and appealing,and finally Destiny: craft the future you want thru innovative approaches. Possibility = Conversation and storytelling I also discovered that SME corp has come up with a Entrepreneur Development assessment frame work, which they use to assess small medium enterprises and provide the education and assistance to become good. They will be sharing this with us in more detail this Thursday. This lab has been a great challenge for me personally as I try to learn the means of facilitating a group towards an undefined future, while managing the strong opinions and conflicting personalities all the time realizing as well that as far as the team is concerned, I'm very much a member learning the ropes, and not the all knowing, wise facilitator. Every day the Lead facilitators pull something out of a hat, and god knows there's a hell of a journey I have yet to traverse to become like that. So just as we turn foes into allies through syndication, I too must syndicate my abilities and build my army of allies. Until then, it will remain a challenge to facilitate this group.