20-80 minute IdeaExchanges work best for balancing focus and the opportunity for everyone to participate.
IdeaExchange
Guidelines & Processes
Each group should feel safe coming modifying, creating and/or agreeing upon its own norms or contracts for each exchange.
If your group is too large, dividing into smaller exchanges OR using the fishbowl technique can work well.(Especially if participants are nervous about expressing ideas).
Preparing
IdeaExchanges work better when everyone who participates is prepared. This means that participants have read and thought about the texts and the guiding questions, and that they have prepared questions and notes of their own. Good questions generate curiosity and dialogue that leads to a clearer understanding of an issue.
Faciltating
Although most IdeaExchanges are planned by one or two people who curate the texts and pose guiding questions, during the exchange itself there is no leader. Participants must truly collaborate without raising hands or interrupting each other while making references to the texts.
Referring
IdeaExchanges depend upon participants referring to the texts, guiding questions and the comments and points of co-participants. Exchanges are powerful when participants refer to evidence as much as possible.
Exchanging Ideas
It is essential that participants feel safe asking when they don't understand and when they don't agree. Because IdeaExchanges are not debates, when expressing doubt, participants should ask follow-up questions or state alternatives. When partipants stay focused on guiding questions and evidence, these exchanges can be a powerful innovation tool.
Many groups choose to limit the amount of individual commentsuntil everyone has spoken at least once.
This can encourage thoughtful comments and questions and to draw everyone out.
