After having described in my last article why barcamps and PM Camps are such a great success, I will now introduce three exemplary model sessions in my barcamp and PM Camp series:
Type 1 – Sharing Knowledge!
The initiator of this kind of session believes he knows something that is important for him and wishes to share it!
Maybe someone had an extraordinary experience, learned something totally new or came to a basic understanding …
And he is assuming that, maybe, others also could be interested. Consequently, he will announce a session, telling people in advance what he will be talking about. Naturally, he will not want to bore his audience with a long presentation. Perhaps all he is going to do is come up with a few theses and then describe shortly what he experienced. And then the debate and discussion will start.
Type 2 – Make Use of Other People’s Experience!
The initiator finds himself in a new situation and is looking for help!
Perhaps someone would like to ask a question he has spent a lot of time thinking about already. Or maybe something happened in his life and he does not really know how to cope with it. He might even be facing a huge problem, wishing to talk about it with friends.
And then he will announce a session and see who is coming.
Of course, with this type of session, we need particularly “good” listeners. I mean listeners who try to first listen as carefully as possible and are then capable of mirroring what they understood with as little distortion as possible.
Most importantly, the participants should be capable of empathy and be persons who do not immediately wish to “know everything better”, wanting to make a good impression with “uncalled-for advice”.
If you get this kind of group, this type of session will often result in something really great. And I am surprised at how great the “participants” of these kinds of sessions behave.
Type 3 – New Experiences!
The initiator wants to do something active, play or try something out!
There is an unlimited number of possibilities for these kinds of sessions to be a success. Every PM Camp will give you a surprise. It can have something to do with movement or make people thoughtful. New experiences are actively made and relevant things are experienced playfully. Novelties and well-tried strategies are tested. More often than not, we discover “new frontiers” together. And if you try something new in one of these sessions and find out it is not a good concept, then it is not a problem if you just tried it during a PM Camp.
All you need is the courage to take part and also be prepared to leave your own shadow behind. And before you even notice it, something extraordinary will happen. There can be a regression and many creative and wise concepts are suddenly set free.
More Types …
Of course, these three types are just examples out of many. They are only three patterns for sessions you will often remember for a long time!
In my next article, I will write about PM Camp rules.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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