1. The Art of Hosting & Convening Meaningful Conversation Denna Vandersloot, Deputy Director, NFATTC

2. Setting the Intention The Intention for today’s call is to share with all of you set of practices designed to create spaces for hosting meaningful conversations to facilitate change and innovation.

3. Margaret Wheatley “turning to one another” Conversation is the natural way we humans think together

4. So let’s start with a question… Think about the last time you were engaged in a really meaningful conversation what elements were present that called forth your best thinking?

5. The Practices Circle World Café Open Space Technology Appreciative Inquiry

6. World Cafe Juanita Brown & David Issacs “The World Café – Shaping our Future through Conversations that Matter.” www.theworldcafe.com Let’s take a look at Café Conversations to go

7. Open Space Technology A way to create inspired meetings and events. Participants create and manage their own agenda of parallel working sessions around a central them of strategic importance. www.openspaceworld.org The Law of Two Feet – Passion & Responsibility Be Prepared to be Surprised

8. Appreciative Inquiry Appreciative Inquiry is a strategy for intentional change that identifies the best of ‘what is’ to pursue dreams and possibilities of ‘what could be; a cooperative search for strengths, passions and life-giving forces that are found within every system that hold potential for inspired positive change. (Cooper rider & Srivastva, 1987)

9. Circle Ancient form of meeting (council) Christina Baldwin & Ann Linnea have developed a modern methodology for Circle www.peerspirit.com

10. Asking powerful questions….. What makes a question evocative and powerful? How might you use questions and these practices in the work you do? Questions, thoughts, final comments…

11. More Information For more information on the Art of Hosting Meaningful Conversation you can go to: www.artofhosting.org