eekim.com: EEK Speaks

Fri, Jul 25, 2003

Creating Motivation in Asynchronous Environments #

I'm currently reading Leaping the Abyss: Putting Group Genius to Work, by Gayle Pergamit and Chris Peterson (who's on our Advisory Board). The book is about the MGTaylor DesignShop process. (2K)

Quick aside on MGTaylor: Founded by Matt and Gail Taylor, these folks have been around for almost 25 years, and are pioneers in facilitating what they call GroupGenius. I had a chance to work with Gail and Matt at the recent PlaNetwork Conference, and came away in awe of their process. (2L)

The MGTaylor process focuses on synchronous collaboration: same time, same place gatherings. Pergamit and Peterson write the following about the DesignShop experience: (2M)

Without having attended the event -- and discovered for ourselves both the costs imposed by some of our traditional procedures and the benefits that are possible within 72 hours -- we would have remained curious, but not moved to action. (9) (2N)

I had a similar experience at my first DialogMapping workshop, taught by Jeff Conklin in July 2001. Prior to that workshop, I had read several of Jeff's papers, and had come away with many interesting impressions of the IBIS grammar and the DialogMapping methodology. However, those impressions were not motivation enough for me to try the process myself. One two-day workshop single-handedly created that motivation. (2O)

I recently told this anecdote on our Collaboration Collaboratory mailing list, and suggested that synchronous collaboration was far superior at generating motivation than asynchronous collaboration. (2P)

Is this true, and why? Are there patterns of asynchronous collaboration that excel at motivation? (2Q)

I think it's true. It's simply a matter of show versus tell. When a group is sitting in the same room together, you can show whatever it is you want to show. When a group is dispersed, you can only tell them about whatever it is you want to show, and hope that they go and play. (2R)

That said, I'm sure there are patterns of asynchronous collaboration for creating motivation; I just can't think of many offhand. An obvious one is TellAFriend? -- personal recommendations from people you trust. If my sisters recommend a book, I'm liable to read it. If my friends Justin and Cindy recommend a restaurant, I'm liable to try it. (2S)

/collaboration | Posted at 8:29am

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