Democrats and Repuplicans Could Work Together: Dynamic Facilitation Offers a Way

Some Readers Doubt Conservatives Have Good Ideas for America

Some people had difficulty with the blog I wrote on March 2, 2009 about the name calling going on between liberals and conservatives in this country that occurred after  President Obama’s speech to Congress about the fiscal crisis and the country’s future. It appears that I have far more faith in the capacity of all Americans to come up with creative ideas for the country than do many other citizens. Some readers have expressed their doubts to me that Republicans and conservatives lack the ability to come up with any viable ideas for dealing with the financial meltdown or our future.

Faith in Conservatives to Serve Comes from Dynamic Facilitation

Why do I have such faith in the capacity of conservatives to eventually come up with good ideas that will serve the country, even if we haven’t heard many of these ideas yet? Does it come from my basic stand in like not to make or keep enemies? Perhaps. It also comes from the fact that I’ve had training in a process in which people from diverging opinions routinely work on solutions to difficult problems and come up with breakthrough solutions. It is called Dynamic Facilitation and it a form of eliciting transformational thinking in groups. It is radical, exciting work. Once you have participated in it, you will wonder why the U.S. government is still doing business the old argumentative way.

Choice Creating Brings Out Best in People

Jim Rough, the originator of the DF model, has been teaching this work since 1990. The DF facilitator establishes a zone of thinking and talking known as Choice Creating, where sudden shifts and unexpected breakthroughs are normal. This is especially useful in times like these, when people face a collective challenge, and need to pull together with all their creativity, to face it. They need to bring their highest and best selves to the task. I can’t think of a better time than right now for our national leaders to use a process like Dynamic Facilitation.

What Dynamic Facilitation can do:

• Resolve the really BIG issues
• Build community
• Assure excellence of ideas and problem solving
• Build a culture of decision making that is collaborative and respectful
• Develop participants to reach new levels of empowerment
• Improve meetings from ordinary (bickering?) into great ones

Dynamic Facilitation Focused on the Issue, Not on the Egos

In DF meetings, participants face the front. The meeting is all about the issue or challenge to be faced. It is not about personalities or egos. Each participant is equal and the facilitator is there to assure that each participant is fully heard. As a result each participant is:

• Authentic
• Open-minded
• Open-hearted
• Learning
• Engaged
• Efficient
• Respectful

A Process of Deep Integrity and Deep Humanity

I took a Dynamic Facilitation workshop in 2008. It was a remarkable adventure in being seen, fully listened to and completely honored as a human being, no matter what wild thoughts I shared.  I participated in a group which considered the issue of human violence from a deeply thoughtful place and I was moved beyond words by the deep humanity of the process.

Hey President Obama and Nancy Pelosi–Listen up!–Try this!

Because of this experience I can say, with passion and full knowing, this process would work with Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, legislators and executives, with anyone who wants to make a difference in the financial mess our country is in today. I commend the Dynamic Facilitation model to President Obama, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to members of the Opposition Party, and to all interested Americans.

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