Patterns & Metaphors
Conferencing failure
Template:
Most conferences measure failure in terms that can be described as a lack of transformation of those involved from one state to another more effective, appropriate, or enlightened state. Transformation implies a certain permanence and a recognisable and positive change that has involved the participant in some new awareness and decision-making. Most conferences are designed to ensure that this does not occur. In order to increase the chances of failing consistently, the following list, while not comprehensive, will assist even unskilled conference organisers to decrease the likelihood of any positive transformation occurring amongst participants in their care.
[Steps]
(a) Ensure that the issues and problems experienced and raised by the participants, in other words "real" issues, are considered of little or no importance to the conference. Instead appoint eloquent keynote speakers who name the issues that the participants should discuss in order to occupy their time and prevent distracting conversation about their real problems.
(b) Ensure that small group discussion is controlled and remains focussed on the remarks made by the expert speaker.
(c) In the case of real issues or problems inadvertently being aired, insist that they cannot be handled directly but that extensive research, committee work and specialist or expert analysis is needed and will be presented at a later date. Or point out that this point is to be covered by another speaker or is in fact irrelevant to the current discussion and theme of the conference.
(d) Encourage the spread of anxiety that the attempt to deal with the "real" issue will in fact lead to something frighteningly worse, thereby developing a fear of a real breakthrough and enlisting the support of the participants themselves in maintaining the controlled and safe structures with the minimum of risk.
(e) Take care to ensure that diagnosis of any situation is concluded in language that makes it impossible to think of creative proposals and interventions.
(f) Emphasize a single approach, as narrow as possible, to all issues, no matter how diverse. Problems and situations that fail to respond to this approach should be defined chronic, untreatable and then abandoned. Once an approach has proven to be consistently ineffective it should never be given up. Anyone who suggest or attempts variations and alternatives should be sharply condemned as inexperienced, naive, untrained, and ignorant of the real nature of the situation.
(g) Ensure that every problem is treated in isolation and avoid any attempts to confuse the issue by exploring any context, patterns or links to other situations.
(h) Ensure that proposals are vague and ambiguous in case anyone might attempt to follow them and actually achieve something.
(i) Insist that conferencing is a process of seeing what is wrong and finding out how it got that way.
(j) Make sure that any goals set are visionary, unmeasurable, and cannot be investigated, so that no one can judge if they have ever been reached. If possible make sure they cannot be reached.
(k) In the case of untrained and inexperienced participants who insist on something that will actually occasion change, and who fail to be shamed into acquiescence, it might be necessary to offer some kind of ambiguous, general idea which is untestable but which ensures that they have something to do. This may require insisting that they work to interpret the problem and its solution in an ideological framework. Transfer the issue from one hypothetical entity to another for as long as possible.
(l) In the case of conferencing, that in spite of all this is fruitful and effective, it is sometimes possible to limit the extent and possible consequences of the transformation by persuading participants that they haven't really changed and that further conferencing is necessary. Point out that the feeling of exhilaration is really illusory and escapist.
(m) Continually rehearse the dangers associated with transformative conferencing. People and situations might actually change causing no end of chaos and re-arranging. Participants may re-value their own creativity and find it difficult to remain quiet in constricting structures and processes. They may become uncomfortable and perhaps intolerable, increasing stress and pushing them towards alcoholism or a career change. Emphasize the importance of the well-tried, safe and predictable and consistently ineffective methods to avoid these problems and others like them.
