AoH Training 2023 – Day 2

Flow of Day 2

• • Knowledge Expedition
  • Open Space
  • Collective Story Harvest

Introduction

On our second day at AoH, we met with our participants at 9:30 am on September 29th. After setting the stage for AoH and meeting different participatory methods, participants started the day by meta-harvest of Day 1.

In meta harvesting, the events of the previous day were voiced through the eyes of a participant, and the experiences and emotions of the participants were portrayed by 4 people in the frame that was animated like a silent movie. Artificial intelligence (ChatGPT) was very creatively used to prepare the scenario of the silent movie.

Participants were eager to experience more together and courageously started hosting the practices as well as learning many others.

Stories from the field event became an area of experience sharing based on real stories told by our host Eren. Other people from the field asked their questions. They received information about how to apply Art of Hosting techniques in our own business areas. Thanks to these stories, they were informed about how they can use these techniques at many different levels, from the teacher group to the C-Level Executives.

Host Mary Alice emphasized the importance of powerful questions. 

Powerful questions are thoughtfully designed to foster deep exploration, reflection, and dialogue among participants. These questions do not have a simple “yes” or “no” answer but encourage participants to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The questions don’t need to be clever but should meet the need in the moment.

Participants write their questions and ask them to other people. Then, they offer their wisdom by reframing it.

Group dynamics were experienced by the participants. It was found to be important to think about and listen to the needs of the group and the needs of the individuals in the group. It has been discussed that some people may talk less or talk more in some places and the boundaries here may be variable.

Through the Knowledge Expedition method, the participants tried to create ways of how they can apply the various tools and methods of AoH in their own work environment and how they can make it more effective. At the same time, they concluded that asking powerful questions is much more valuable than the answers to create meaningful conversations and spark change. They concluded that creating powerful and meaningful questions is a process and that it is important to get help from other people in this process, as it is in everything else.

Within the group dynamic, they revealed the importance of addressing what the individual needs on a micro scale and what the group needs on a macro scale together and building the dynamic on this.

One of the core methods for hosting conversations is Open Space Technology. 

“What Courageous questions do we need to ask now to shed our shell?” was our question for Open Space. Participants who were hosting the open-space practice, asked the question to everyone, and thus, they became the host of their space. Then chose a spot to talk about it. Then the other participants who haven’t asked join whichever spot they want to join. Our four principles for open space:

• Whoever comes are the right people
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.
• When it starts is the right time
• When it’s over it’s over

Participants discussed their question for 1 hour with whomever comes. Then all groups voiced their passions and concerns, learned from each other, and, when appropriate, took collective responsibility for finding solutions.

Participants had the freedom to take part in multiple roles in the Open Space method. Therefore, rather than staying fixed in one place and feeling that they were an obligatory part of the process, they were able to participate in another group where they could neither contribute nor learn anything. Just like in life, if we cannot get or give benefit from one place, we need to go somewhere else, was emphasized by the participants.

Sessions were organized on various topics through sessions hosted by the participants. How to build resilient communities, what regenerative agriculture can be like, what vitality (regeneration and well-being) means for us, etc. Participants shared their views around meaningful questions.

CSH is a special process that brings people together to share their stories. It starts with a warm welcome and setting the stage for storytellers.  When the storyteller begins to tell his story, the harvesters begin to harvest. There are 6 questions asked to harvesters;

1. What were the strategies and/or practices to deal well with complexity and uncertainty? 
2. What can we learn about resilience practices from this story?
3. Where and how do the elements of the Fourfold Practice show up in this story? (Host Yourself, Be Hosted, Host and Harvest conversations that matter, Co-Create)
4. Where does trust show up in this story?
5. In what shape and form does power show up?
6. What useful questions can we take from this story that can be seeds for the future?

And there is a witness who collect and share what they noticed. Finally, the process concludes with a closing round. It’s a wonderful way for people to come together, listen, and learn from each other through the magic of storytelling.

There were six different designated storytellers. Each group embraced and liked the story. So many emotions came out, people were crying together, hugging each other, laughing and sitting silently.

The harvesters and witnesses were grateful that storytellers shared this story with them. A bond was established within each group.

“The feeling of being hosted began immediately, I was in an atmosphere, in an environment where I was being hosted.”

Melissa

—

“How do I stay grounded? Because my intention is to be really helpful and my intention is that people can stay together for long enough in a good conversation to do the good work together instead of falling apart. So this inquiry for me has led me into really wanting ro steward this practice to help other people learn how to host and harvest conversations that matter. And it’s my very great privilege to travel around and do that to be in learning with people. It’s just really a gift, the thought that anyone could host and harvest conversations that matter might make all the difference in the world.”

Mary Alice

—

“AoH is like living the life for me, so hosting myself and relatives, partners, colleagues and people around me and also being part of meaningful conversations that matter. We are chasing questions, actually, we are not looking for answers. If AoH were to be an object, I think it would be mycelium, going underground, fundamentals to life and hosting lots of other living beings.”

Eren

—

“I’m taking a lot of learnings and impressions back home from the Art of Hosting. I really enjoyed diving deeper into the 4-fold practice as well as the power of storytelling. Equally, I’ve deepened my sense of relation to the Art of Hosting community and the knowing to “never host alone”  I’ve been really fascinated by ‘Appreciative Inquiry’. Even though we didn’t practice it as much as other methods, I’ve been inspired to understand the process of this method a lot better. I believe there is power in shifting the narrative from ‘what is’ to ‘what could be’, as it engages the imagination to share current realities. It would be great to find a way to use this method in 1-1 and group coaching, which I’m planning to dive more into in the upcoming months.”

Rahel

—

“I am taking home a feeling of having made a new step in my journey as an event designer, facilitator and harvester. I really enjoyed practicing the Collective Story Harvest and have decided to implement it in my regenerative agriculture summit at the end of November – putting the stories of farmers at the center of the discussion, finding a common ground to grow from there.”

Marina