Patterns & Metaphors
Conference
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Meetings that bring together people with the intent of (a) pooling their experience, expertise, skills, information and problems; (b) juxtaposing their different disciplines, and polarities; (c) sharing their differing perceptions, concepts, opinions and futures; and (d) channelling their motivations and enthusiasms. Purposes vary but often include: (a) information exchange, (b) planning and decision-making, (c) inspiration, (d) problem-identification, (e) problem-solving, (f) fact-finding, etc. Aims, though these are sometimes unconscious, are to do with (a) development, change or transformation of situations, (b) attitudes, thinking, (c) strategy, direction and/or relationships, (d) beliefs, etc.
[Advantages] Conferencing is an opportunity for many things including: (a) recontexting, reframing, rehearsing one's perceptions and interpretations; (b) participating, involvement in creativity, decision-making and change processes; (c) networking, connecting, interchanging, coordinating, exploring different issues and initiatives, (d) personal growth, challenge and stimulation, renewal, remotivation, myth-working consciousness-raising, inter-personal dialogue and trust-working; (e) deciding about one's own life, changing direction, new commitments, becoming something new.
[Disadvantages] Although some participants do take advantage of the opportunities of conferencing, very few conferences are designed to provide these opportunities but in their structure and process reflect the inability of the group to risk genuine openness and the uncertainty of transformation. Many conferences are an exercise in organization-centred consumer-oriented, low risk events, structured so as to restrict any possbility for them to "get out of control" and perhaps become dangerously transformative. The predictable and "safe" events are very expensive in terms of the finance, organization and time invested and in terms of the drain on motivation, spirit and enthusiasm of those who participate.
