DisAniaLia & La Q

Collaboration? Check it out!

Ways of thinking

Q-tools: An approach for discovery and knowledge work

think.

PHRASES
have ( got) another think coming informal used to express the speaker's disagreement with or unwillingness to do something suggested by someone else
think again reconsider something, typically so as to alter one's intentions or ideas.
think out loud express one's thoughts as soon as they occur.
think better of decide not to do (something) after reconsideration.
think big
think fit
think for oneself have an independent mind or attitude.
think nothing (or little) of consider (an activity others regard as odd, wrong, or difficult) as straightforward or normal.
think nothing of it do not apologize or feel bound to show gratitude (used as a polite response).
think on one's feet react to events decisively, effectively, and without prior thought or planning
think twice consider a course of action carefully before embarking on it.
think the world of have a very high regard for (someone)

Ecofactory & Cover It Live

Alaitz from Ecofactory and Team Academy specially for the final presentation of results of DisAniaLia project agreed to Cover It Live for us. It did not work at the end but thanks a lot anyway Alaitz! Read the entry on Alaitz's web.

New Style... watch EiTB!

Gorka, thanks for sending the link!

Trapped in the Lift (FILM)

A One-Day Challenge - after the conference

The conference was divided into two parts. The first part consisted of talks by 4 speakers who were introducing various subjects/views/ideas/policies. The second half was run using Open Space Technology (see blow) that was allowing people to share their views and discuss burning from individuals' point of view issues related to the subject of the conference. So it wasn't feeding delegates with the only truth about measuring not measurable. It was a platform to start dialogue about existing ways of measuring creativity and start conversation about other ways.

Open Space Technology and actually introduction to this working method is one of the most interesting things i have learnt during the day!

The final outcomes due to the nature of the working methods are not available on the day. When any gathered information arrives to me I will post it on the blog.

Quick intro to OST:
Open Space Technology (OST)enables groups of any size to address complex, important issues and achieve meaningful results quickly. It functions best where more traditional meeting formats fail: when there is conflict, complexity, diversity of thought or people, and short decision times. It has been used in widely diverse settings, from designing aircraft doors at a large aircraft manufacturing company to engaging street kids in defining a sustainable jobs program.
It is a new and powerful meeting methodology!

Four principles:

• Whoever comes are the right people
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
• Whenever it starts is the right time
• When it's over, it's over

Discussions take place in designated areas or separate rooms known as 'breakout spaces' and participants are free to move amongst the discussion groups. Each group records the conversations in a form which can be used to distribute or broadcast the proceedings of the meeting (in hard copy, blog, podcast, video, etc). In a multi-day Open Space, participants have the opportunity to announce new discussion topics / late-breaking sessions each new morning. At the end of the day (or 2 days or 2.5 days) the full group reconvenes for comments and reflection. This helps participants to re-engage in the full group over the duration of the meeting.

The "Law of Two Feet" — a foot of passion and a foot of responsibility — expresses the core idea of taking responsibility for what one loves. In practical terms, the law says that if you're neither contributing nor getting value where you are, use your two feet (or available form of mobility) and go somewhere where you can.

People can choose different roles for participation in Open Space meetings:

• Host: the person who feels a burning passion for the subject and is willing to take responsibility to call the conversation, invite others in and make sure something gets harvested.
• Participant: Anyone who is drawn to a conversation wants to stay the whole time and participate fully.
• Bumble bee: The ones who move from conversation to conversation cross-pollinating the learning.
• Butterfly: A butterfly may not want to be in any conversation, instead they prefer to sit on the lawn and look beautiful. A new, unexpected conversation may happen when two butterflies meet.

Open Space meetings make the assumption that people who care about the subject will come together. The initial meeting notice takes the form of an invitation, thus the people who have attended have chosen to be there and are willing to contribute. The objectives for the meeting and the time available affect design decisions such as whether action planning is included in the Open Space or not. More info about this method is available on line.

SUE M - work in progress

SUE Model - under development ...

During my last visit in May together with Borja we spent hours in Blue Sky room thinking/using/playing with very first version of SUE M (Beta!)

SUE M:
- is going to be as big as your palm
(so you can see that every problem you want to run through this tool is manageable, scalable & touchable)
- will help visualise your problem/idea/project
(so you can see it rather than only think about it)
- is going to be open for experimentation (suggested ways of using will accompany the model but everybody is invited to come up with new ways the tool can be used!)

Coming soon!

on models of cooperation in critical moments

Stevan Vokovic thoughts on collaborative production. (...) He presented five different models of cooperation which question individual behaviour in critical moments, illustrating interdependences, techniques of creating feelings of security or insecurity as well as paradoxical structures of communication: "prisoner's dilemma", "chicken game", "assurance game", "privileged game" and "altruist's game". The visual quality of these categories says a lot about the performative and paradoxical construction of identity.

from: Polyphonous Language and construction of identity by K. Schlieben

on working from home

She now works flexibly from home, without external control. She works when she wants to. However, she has to carry out an incalculable amount of work for a fixed fee. This means that she does nothing but work at home and can't relax there any more. The route to the desk to read e-mails at the laptop has become as much of a routine as the way to the kitchen to make coffee.

from: She now works flexible ... by M. Osten, B. Kuster, K. Reichard & I. Lorey.

on collaboration

The motivation to collaborate is that it has to result in something that would otherwise not take place; it simply has to make possible that which is otherwise impossible

from: The collaborative Turn by Maria Lind (chapter 1)

Labania - creative currency (graph)

The graph has been created by Alberto.
All answers gathered on just one sheet!
Click on the image to enlarge it.

Comments welcome!

Eskerrik Asko Alberto!

A One-Day Challenge to Measure the Business of Creativity

Full report (sic!) from this conference should be available on Friday.
Watch this space and visit the website to learn more!

Imagination Experts Day Value = 650 Labanias

What is the value of Imagination Experts Day, in Labanias?
(according to Labanias - spreadsheet! *)

The total value of the Day = 650 Labanias! (merged value of individual value by 6 people, so 108, 3333333333 - would be the average value)

The lowest value of the day - 50 (by individual person)
The highest value of the day - 159 (by individual person)

The highest rated categories are:

with 54 Labanias in total:
After Imagination Experts Day you can still see connection created between work-home as i.e. your child still mentions the day

with 52 Labanias in total:
Spending a day at work with your child

The lowest rated categories:

9 Labanias in total:
Your boss has congratulated you running/taking part in the successful event

13 Labanias in total:
The event appeared in press

It was interesting to read through answers and especially look into the middle ground - into categories not with the highest scores, but highly scored by all people who replied.

All valued relatively high in their own Labanias was category 14 - During the event you discovered something new & inspiring about your colleague(s). (42 Labanias in total; highest value 11)

This questions over all was more valued then similar question in relation to a child: Your child during the day discovered her/his new passions/ potentials (39 Labanias in total; highest value 12)

Exactly same value as discovering your children potentials got category number 1 - A person that you did not know well before after the event smiles at you at the corridor. (Highest value: 9, given by 2 people)

I should also mentioned that to original list of 21 questions/categories one person added a new category and rated it highest of all:

Will you repeat this freshness day in your company?

I am not a data analyst, I am more data feeler :D but during the project i met people who are competent in this field! And who i hope will share their views of the results.

If anyone would like to view the whole spreadsheet I am happy to fwd it to you. Please get in touch via e-mail: aniabas{at}gmail{dot}com.

And share your thoughts!

* spreadsheet will be also available to view in Ania's notebook/journal on 19th June (Labein, Level 3 various locations of the table on the wheels...)

Disonancias Tour

Presentation of Results of all artists & companies involved in Disonancias 2007/2008 edition

Labein Tecnalia and Ania will present results in Bilbao and Barcelona.

June 19 (Thursday), 6:00-9:30pm + fiestecilla, Bilbao (EiTB, San Mamés)
Introduction: Cecilia Andersson
Presentations:
FUNDACIÓN IKERTIA + Cuantics Creatives [The metrocardiogram and the pulse of cities]
IMAR + ReD [O-void]
LANTEGI BATUAK + Amasté [I did this!]
TECNALIA + Ania Bas [DisAniaLia_LabAnia_InsAnia]
Conclusions: YProductions [...but, are you researching or are you working?]
Take your mobile phone to send messages to the speakers...
After the talks, fiestecilla with Daniela Bershan as DJ

June 25 (Wednesday), 4:00-8:30pm, Barcelona (Centre d'Art Santa Mónica, La Rambla, 7)
Presentations:
GRUPO SARKIS LAGUNKETA + Daniela Bershan [molekulo]
POLO GARAIA + Mariano Maturana y Consol Rodríguez [Garaia collaboration space]
LANTEGI BATUAK + Amasté [I did this!]
TECNALIA + Ania Bas [DisAniaLia_LabAnia_InsAnia]

Full programme is available from Disonancias website.

Labania - creative currency

Imagination Experts Day value - in Labanias

Imagination Experts Day took place at the end of March 2008. 2 months later I decided to check how much the experience is worth! I decided to measure the value of the day using a creative currency: Labanias.

Name of creative currency: Labania

What is it: it is a currency that was created to measure not measurable experiences/actions/benefits/situations.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Each person can rate/value experiences in different way and where for one person a smile might be worth just 1 Labania, for the other person same smile might be worth 5 Labanias. The currency has highly changeable rate and is a very personal one. This is its strength and its weakness.

Labanias cannot be exchanged for real money.

Partcipants (parents, experiment's leaders and supporters) were invited to rate how many Labanias each of the mentioned actions/experiences/outcomes are worth & send me the results. I will publish result on the blog, meantime feel invited and post your answers!

All mentioned categories below relate to Imagination Experts Day (called IED).
Not all actions below are relevant to each participant.

You CAN also ADD your own categories and rate them!

1. A person that you did not know well before after IED smiles at you at the corridor = .... Labania(s)

2. A person that you get to know better during IED is less formal; you can tell that it helps your communication and day to day tasks = .... Labania(s)

3. After IED you can still see connection created between work-home as i.e. your child still mentions the day = .... Labania(s)

4. After IED you see your working environment from a new angle. i.e. you believe that odd/interesting/new things can happen here = .... Labania(s)

5. After IED you started recognising your working place as one that invests into you, your children, employees, future = .... Labania(s)

6. After IED you are inspired to do other projects that are not necessarily part of your day-to-day work = .... Labania(s)

7. After IED you are inspired to do your day to day work in a different way = .... Labania(s)

8. Spending a day at work with your child = .... Labania(s)

9. Your child during IED discovered her/his new passions/ potentials = .... Labania(s)

10. Your child learnt more about your working environment = .... Labania(s)

11. The event you helped created/ took part in was shown on TV = ....Labania(s)

12. The event you helped created/ took part appeared in press = ... Labania(s)

13. During IED you learnt something new & inspiring about yourself i.e. discovered that you can run sessions for kids = .... Labania(s)

14. During IED you discovered something new & inspiring about your colleague(s) = .... Labania(s)

15. Your work place provided you with time and resources to prepare to run session for kids = .... Labania(s)

16. IED made you reflect about Labein. = .... Labania(s)

17. IED made you reflect about your place in Labein = ..... Labania(s)

18. IED made you change something about your work patter/ work approach = ... Labania(s)

19. Somebody has congratulated you running/ taking part in the successful event = .... Labania(s)

20. Your bossed has congratulated you running/taking part in the successful event = .... Labania(s)

21. Other companies/competitors see IED as an advantage/innovation over them = .... Labanias

art and collaborative practices!

Taking the Matter into Common Hands

The book maps out the issues surrounding collaborative art from a practitioner’s perspective. With contributions from Marion von Osten, Nav Haq, 16 Beaver, Copenhagen Free University, Maria Lind and Lars Nilsson, it examines the working relations between artists and other producers of culture, and explores the future of collective action in the art world.