[Ailist] AI summit with the illiterate people

[Mary-Alice Arthur]

Hello all!

I agree with many AI colleagues about the value of drawing pictures as a way
of capturing what is told in stories.  I'd also like to contribute the idea
of provoking stories.  As anyone in Knowledge management will tell you, we
need context to find our content.  Here's what I mean:

Today I was with a small team who were highly literate, but therefore also
cynical.  I often get around these groups by taking my toy bag to work with
me.

I say that it contains a 'collection of common household objects' but truer
to say they are really only common in my house.  I pick up small,
meaning-packed objects everywhere I go.  Some of them are:  a squeezy ball
of the world, a small treasure chest, a giant coin, a box of aspirin, a tiny
teddybear, a miniature courier van, a cloth rose, a compass, etc. etc.

Depending on what I want to get from the group, I ask them a question and
then ask them to select an object that represents something they want to
talk about.  As you can imagine, what they bring to the group is then highly
metaphoric and deeply loaded with emotional intelligence.  It is also highly
memorable.

Objects are a great way to provoke -- and also capture -- stories.  I think
this might be a great way of getting the ball rolling with people who are
not used to working with story.

I've heard of people travelling with only a collection of shoes, or a set of
Lego people.  They all work.  They also get people out of their normal
headset.  I've also noticed that it is much easier for people to talk when
they are talking TO and WITH something.

An idea for more story gathering...

Mary Alice



Mary-Alice Arthur
SOAR
PO Box 10-868
Wellington
New Zealand
mobile:  +64-21-687-627
email:  mary-alice at getsoaring.com
web:  http://www.getsoaring.com