Brytpunkt

Report from Future Search, Bangalore

Day 1

I'm really happy to get this opportunity to participate in the 55th Future Search Workshop which is held in India's Industrial Center, Bangalore. Future Search is a special Method for organizations and communities to find a common ground and create totally new ways of thinking and planning the future. Before the workshop I didn't have a clear picture of how many people would be participating in the workshop or which countries the participants would be coming from. To my delight I noticed that we have got people from all over the world, including Colombia, Sweden, Japan, Nigeria, and mostly from India, of course.
Already at the beginning you could feel the energetic and motivated atmosphere among all participants. It is especially interesting to participate in this conference as it is held with Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord, the creators of the Future Search method.
One of the first things we learnt was that this method is »more learnable than teachable.« That's also the main reason why I wanted to participate in this conference, as it would give me personal experience of the method. This will help me to gain practical knowledge about the Future Search method and how it is applied in working life; especially to the project I'm involved in, Breakpoint, which deals with integration and multitude issues.

Everyone has gathered around Marvin to hear "a campfire story".

After an interesting introduction of Future Search and its main principles we started »a real-life simulation« of a Future Search conference. Sandra and Marvin stressed that planning is the most important contributor leading to success and we planned and discussed carefully which topic to choose to this simulation. After choosing a topic, Workers health in IT sector, we formed groups and chose new roles which we would carry through the simulated conference.

We also got more information about issues like learning and personal growth, which both take place at a Future Search conference when people interact intensively and share thoughts. Getting new perspectives can also be demanding and even confusing to an individual. Confusion is still forcing us to find new perspectives; without questioning one's previous ways of thinking and understanding the world there is no room for change.

To find a shared vision and shared experiences about the world we were thinking backwards of our history and fulfilling a personal, global and local time-line. One of the Future Search conference's main principles is »all information is public« and it was great to see the other participants' life stories at the same time and realize that in spite of diverse cultural backgrounds and previous experiences we have so much in common.

The last task for the first day is to create a several meters long mind-map on the wall about the conference's topic, Workers health in IT sector. Discussion is vivid and intensively getting each of us involved in the handling of the topic. After creating the mind-map everyone can mark the most interesting issues on it. Tomorrow it's going to be interesting to examine what choices we have made.

Day 2

All participants are curious about which trends on the mind-map have gotten the most marks and hear what others are thinking when looking at them. We find several common concerns which many of us have marked as very important.

After the whole group has discussed these results, we form smaller groups which have participants with the same kind of roles. We have to choose a few greatest concerns which are important to us as government bodies. We really have to have our role in mind all the time and think from that viewpoint, as well as to analyze what is done and not done regarding these trends in real world right now. I guess I learn more about Indian society and government here than I could ever learn at any school back home! It can also be challenging to have a role which you don't know much about, and this Future Search simulation definitely is one of the best ways to learn a lot about something you initially have very a little information about.

With this task sharp opinions and statements starts to occur and everyone is thinking more critically, which I find really stimulating. Now we are really taking this topic seriously and everyone is actively involved in discussions. I feel a new kind of energy in the air.

Brainstorming about how future would be creates amazing ideas and we are putting those ideas in action in the most creative way by drama, songs and simulated TV-shows. It's great to notice that most of the ideas have a lot of similarities and we are feeling in the same positive way about future. This group is definitely creating positive changes for a better world to live in. We are talented as well; just look at these pictures!

Drama about a future workplace.

Before the day is over we have something inspiring to do. Now we can try to figure out what everyone present wants now and in the future. This task awakens a lot of reflections around our previous tasks as well as creating new ways of thinking. The Common Ground is developing. We agree almost on everything and didn't get anything to the »Not Agreed« list. Maybe with more time we would have more controversial issues to discuss, but at the moment we are unbelievably united.

It's easy to smile when you have accomplished something you can be proud of.

Day 3

First we gathered around the Common Ground issues which we found yesterday. Marvin told us that Common Ground issues have lots of similarities across cultural boundaries; the same Common Ground map could have been created on Hawaii or in South-Africa as well. All peoples have some things in common so deep inside of everyone that cultural differences can't change this.
Now, we choose an issue that we would like to work with and scattered into smaller groups. I think that when everyone could choose their absolutely most interesting issue, involvement increased even more. We were making action plans for the future and brainstorming around the issues was really intense. All groups got lots of ideas and action plans in an incredibly short time.

After a presentation of the action plans we had an interesting discussion on how to maintain this excited atmosphere and carry on with our action plans in real life. Everyone got the opportunity to describe their thoughts and emotions at this moment. Words like excitement, involvement, great, and commitment were repeated several times and it says a lot of our energetic mood. We also watched a video on a Future Search conference held in Santa Cruz County in California, USA. It was a good summary of how Future Search can work and lead to real actions that carry on for a long time. There History, Current Trends and Future Scenarios were carefully discussed and participants were able to set up really successful action plans.

It gets really crowded when everyone wants to make a statement on the mind-map.

We were discussing and reflecting on everything we had learnt, thought and felt during this workshop. Participants had several thoughts to share; some were confused about Sandra's and Marvin's role during this Future Search conference. It's difficult to guide people and at the same time avoid leading too much.
To me it was especially interesting to hear how people are already successfully working with the Future Search method within the textile industry and NGO's in India.

After three intensive, inspiring and at times really demanding days I'll return home with lots of new ideas and plans about how to use Future Search. I feel energetic about my work and have got that experience which I was looking for: Future Search really works and helps people to find each other, communicate and see the whole picture.
I want to thank every participant as well as Sandra and Marvin; we really made it happen! Now it's time for all of us to put Future Search in action in our lives.
By Anna Tienhaara, Ander & Lindström Partners.

Tillbaka