Patterns & Metaphors
Conferencing as risk
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An investment of time, energy, money, human and material resources; an investment of enthusiasm, hope, passion; an investment of knowledge and experience. The stakes are high. Risk is essential to pioneering. It is practically synonymous with innovation, transformation and change. Conferencing is risking; risking the security of your own conceptual framework against the challenge of exposure to other frameworks; risking the fragility of personal idealism and enthusiasm in the heat of the interchange; risking the challenge to change, to become transformed, risking the danger that accompanies the opportunity of every crisis.
Risk is assymetrical. Possible loss can be weighed against possible gain. Generally, however, transformative conferencing is high-risk as the potential gain and the potential loss of change are both very high. Adopting traditional well-tried methods and approaches to conferencing will give more or less predictable results. This is a low risk "safe" approach. It is controllable, there are fewer surprises. Organizers and sponsors tend to want to control the process and structure of conferencing. In avoiding the risk of surrendering their control they may miss the tremendous transformative potential of the gathering. The conferencing process that is adopted by an organization, is a metaphor of the (in)ability of that organization to respond effectively. Transformative conferencing is a risk that is worth encouraging and entering into. It is a risk that cannot be avoided by organizations who wish to demonstrate their readiness to become part of a solution; to become part of a future; to become part of the change.
