The search conference technique (Williams, 1979) is
useful for both problem solving or planning. Aimed towards the stakeholders
of a system to help develop mutual perceptions of their existing circumstances,
their desired future, and how to get there by drawing on their experiences
and values and assembling their knowledge of the system and its environment.
Each search conference involves the following steps, which can be adapted
locally where required:
- Participants are requested to give their views of trends in society
as a whole.
- Responses are combined to provide a picture of ongoing changes
in their environment over which they have little direct control.
- Participants look at the development of their own organisation
or community, and make worthwhile judgements with respect to any
aspirations.
- Constraints of restricted resources and existing structure and
culture are then reviewed.
- The group formulate strategies for planned adaptation.
- The group deliberate the steps necessary to initiate the agreed-upon
changes.
- 3 characteristics of this process appear to enhance creativity:
- The encouragement of a new and broader perspective by looking
initially at the environment rather than the system involved.
- Focussing on desired futures rather than on current constraints.
- The requirement for stakeholders to confront and synthesize
conflicting views into a mutually satisfying design of and plan
for the future
- Observe the distinction between this approach of visualising
where your world is going and then considering how best to fit into,
as distinct from the standard creative problem-solving process where
you choose a particular future you want, and then try to see how
to achieve it. This method ‘goes with the flow’ rather
than trying to direct the way the flow happens.
[source:
www.mycoted.com]