Join us on a free information call to learn how a Paddling the Rapids group supports dialogue and break-through thinking, and can become a tool for learning with your peers. We know that meeting with colleagues has many benefits: increasing vitality, breaking isolation, exchanging resources, building leadership muscle, defining values, celebrating successes and more.  New Paddling the Rapids groups are being planned for executive directors, board chairs, managers, and emerging leaders. Groups are scheduled to start in October in Portland, Bangor, and the Portsmouth area.   

Curious?  Hear our plans, ask your questions, and meet other leaders.  Invite others you think would like to know about these opportunities by forwarding this newsletter. We will be hosting calls frequently.

The next calls are:

Email us to reserve a line at info@paddlingtherapids.com

"I would recommend this to any new executive director.  I had been on the job for two months before joining up, not knowing what I was in for and what I would have to bring.  The experience of meeting with other professionals is so vital when one is in this role."   ~participant

Check out our website for more testimonials as well as a list of participating organizations.

Sign up now for this book group discussion!

Open Space Technology. Open Space Technology is one way to enable all kinds of people, in any kind of organization, to create inspired meetings, dialogues, and events.The OST approach from Wikipedia: The Open Space Technology operates in a very simple fashion, and OST meetings require very little planning up-front. The organizers set no agenda and prepare only a very rough schedule; the meeting largely self-organizes. The facilitator remains largely invisible and has no control over the meeting itself. This means that one need organize only basic logistics (like space and food, for example) in advance.

At the beginning of an Open Space the participants sit in a circle, or in concentric circles for large groups (300 to 2000 people).

The facilitator will greet the people and briefly re-state the theme of their gathering, without giving a lengthy speech. Then someone will invite all participants to identify any issue or opportunity related to the theme. Participants willing to raise a topic will come to the centre of the circle, write it on a sheet of paper and announce it to the group before choosing a time and a place for discussion and posting it on a wall. That wall becomes the agenda for the meeting.

No participant must suggest issues, but anyone may do so. However, if someone posts a topic, the system expects that the person has a real passion for the issue and can start the discussion on it. That person also must make sure that a report of the discussion is done and posted on another wall so that any participant can access the content of the discussion at all times. No limit exists on the number of issues that the meeting can post.

When all issues have been posted, participants sign up and attend those individual sessions. Sessions typically last for 1.5 hours; the whole gathering usually lasts from a half day up to about two days. The opening and agenda creation lasts about an hour, even with a very large group.

After the opening and agenda creation, the individual groups go to work. The attendees organize each session; people may freely decide which session they want to attend, and may switch to another one at any time. Online networking can occur both before and following the actual face-to-face meetings so discussions can continue seamlessly. All discussion reports are compiled in a document on site and sent to participants, unedited, shortly after.