When a conference sparks a series of continuing conversations that’s a good sign. That’s what’s happened with the NGO Knowledge Sharing event I went to in Brussels a few days ago. Olaf Brugman has now posted the workshop materials and conversations continue.
Ton Zijlstra has been thinking about the impossibility of controlling social change. And in a knowledge economy command-and-control methodologies are going to be particularly ineffectual. Letting go of control is something we humans find hard to do, yet it can be what leads to the most connecting and exciting experiences.
Which neatly ties back to my Improv experiences of recent days. The best Improv moments happen in the moment, not from planning. A lot of laughter in the Improv exercises comes not from obviously funny lines, but from a delight in human spontaneity. We often relish the unexpected, however much our minds fear it.
What the Toronto conference also provided was a strong sense of community spirit. A lot of people, including me, had put in many, many hours towards creating the event, for no financial reward at all; they actually enjoyed being helpful. The result: a great event and rich connections, and lots and lots of learning.
