[Ailist] Help to improve AI summit please

[Richard Sellwood]

Hi,
 
I have been fortunate enough to receive a generous amount of help and advice from many of you on designing my first AI summit and I am very pleased at the results so thank you all!!
 
I did encounter a few problems and I know it doesn't feel very AI to look at these as a problems but I feel I missed something in the process and would welcome any advice on how to improve it!
 
I am very pleased with the overall results in terms of engagement of the people, the enthusiasm generated, the energy in the room on the day and the commitment to the way forward.
 
I has five sub-topics and attempted to do a full summit in just one day (there were only eight people). I found that there simply wasn't enough time and I wished that I'd had two days.
 
The Discovery phase with the 1-2-1 interviews worked very well and everyone enjoyed them. The sharing of the interviews as a group also worked very well and continued the high levels of energy.
 
In the dream phase I asked people to act out their dream of the future (following a period of self reflection to create their own dream). I am in the UK and thought that people would find this part uncomfortable but I discovered that they unanimously agreed this had been the best part of the day!
 
In the design phase I asked the group to take one sub-topic at a time and, in looking at both the themes they had identified earlier and the visions they had seen acted out, add new ideas and thoughts to the themes and stories.
 
This second visit to the sub-topic themes didn't seem to generate a great deal of extra learning and I was not sure how to guide the group to make it more effective. Maybe there is a different approach when trying to discover more about the sub-topic?
 
We went on to begin creating the PP's and this was not at all easy, so I would welcome any advice as to how to help people generate them when it just isn't flowing.
 
Because of the shortness of the day the PP's didn't get finished and therefore the important next activities and actions also were not completed. We have since worked on the PP's and completed them ( I am very pleased with them now!) and we have also begun the action list of activity and agreed how the destiny phase will work.
 
As I said, the day has been seen as a great success because the organisational change and culture change has begun and there is energy, enthusiasm and belief about the future so there are plenty of things to be positive about!
 
Thanks once again,
 
Richard
 
Richard Sellwood
07802 318803