WHAT ARE LARGE-GROUP INTERVENTION METHODS?
These methods are used in large-scale change to create changes such as a new strategic direction for a business or agency, the redesign of work in order to be more productive, or the resolution of some community or system-wide problem.
In contrast to older methods where decisions were made by an executive group at the top of the business or in the mayor’s office, these methods gather those who are affected by the decision or actions to participate in the discussion and decision making. In business organizations, this might include employees, customers, suppliers, even competitors. In school districts, teachers, administrators and board members might be joined by students, parents, and community representatives. In a community, agencies, schools, churches, police, housing areas, local and state government might all be present. Depending on the nature of the issue, the questions are asked who is affected by this decision/action? Who has a stake in the outcome? The idea is to “get the whole system into the room” (all of the stakeholders) so that a new kind of dialogue about the situation they face can take place. The size of the group assembled is determined by the “critical mass” of people needed to bring about real change and is constrained by limitations of budget and the available meeting space.Why bring together so many people? Why not let the decision makers do their jobs and make the decisions? This question leads us to the second major defining assumption of Large-Group Methods. The assumption is that when people have an opportunity to participate in shaping their future, they are more apt to sustain the change. “People support what they help to create.” These are very participative events. By participative, I mean that people express their views, they listen to others, they have “voice” and are heard. They do not necessarily make every decision, but they have the opportunity to influence others and the decisions.
Stakeholders in communities and organizations bring knowledge, values, and experience to these events. Often the kinds of decisions that face us today are enormously complex and need the best thinking and experience of all those involved, not just a few. Executives who participate in Large-Group Events for the first time are often moved by the amazing variety of talent and capacity in their organizations. They often make remarks like, “I had no idea how great and how talented the people in this organization are! It has been a revelation to me!”
Underlying these methods is an assumption that democratic processes are more effective for moving forward in a united direction than hierarchical or bureaucratic processes. This assumption closely matches Deutsch’s ideas about the values underlying collaboration and cooperation. (See Chapter Two.)
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- WHAT ARE LARGE-GROUP INTERVENTION METHODS?
- THREE TYPES OF LARGE-GROUP METHODS
- This chapter begins in practice and works backward toward the theoretical question: Are there situations where managing conflict is enough... in which our socialized desire for conflict resolution may be more than is really needed for joint action?
- SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFLICT
- RECOMMENDED READING
- Participation-Based CMS
- EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS
- References
- THE CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD
- SUBJECT INDEX