Our world needs generative conversations – conversations capable of producing something new and supporting its development – more than ever. In an era of increasing complexity and big challenges, many of us are looking for new ways to engage in respectful conversations that generate deep collaboration and thoughtful action. 

The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter (also known as the Art of Participatory Leadership) training offers simple and powerful participatory practices, patterns and processes. These approaches have been used effectively in government, non-government and community contexts worldwide to enable the inclusion of diverse perspectives for better outcomes.

We warmly invite you to join us for a 3-day training event in the heart of the Australian capital, where politics are debated and policy is enacted, where people bring their voices to be heard, and international representation is located – the centre of decision-making for this big, beautiful land. Together we will discover how we can create and host spaces for collaborative conversations that generate wise action –  in our institutions, organisations, communities and families.

What will we learn, explore and practise?

This training is experiential – you will have opportunities to practise “hosting” various participatory processes and methodologies, through the lens of the invitation question. The training will support you to host more effective, purposeful meetings, and apply collective intelligence in complex systems. The learning includes:

• Simple and powerful social tools such as: Circle, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space Technology, Designing for Wiser Action, storytelling and more
• Complementary models and frameworks including complexity theory and practice, and new organisational forms
• Authentic presence and leadership, and working with emergence
• Real world application.

Who is it for?

• Anyone and everyone who wants to explore the power of collective creativity, intelligence, and collaboration with each other and within their communities
• Department leaders, policy officers, and program managers
• Business leaders, social entrepreneurs, community and
  non-profit leaders, community organisers and their teams
• Next generation leaders and other young activists
• Politicians and policy advisors.