My partner and I recently participated in the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), Technology of Participation (ToP) training in Sacramento. It was an intensive but well-spent two days learning the ToP methodologies and processes for conducting group sessions in participatory decision making and consensus building. These methods have been tested through twenty-five years of experience and experimentation with groups all over the world and are now being widely used by leaders in for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, local community groups and governmental agencies with great success.
I like the method not only because it provides us with a very workable and, at the same time flexible framework, for the conducting the kind of consulting projects our firm does but because it appeals to my accountant’s sense of orderliness, symmetry and simple elegance. The basic component of all ToP methods is a unique formulation called the ORID. ORID is an acronym that stands for Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, and Decisional and describes a method to frame and give structure to any conversation whether between two individuals or the members of a group. It can, in fact be applied in any situation to provide a comfortable and encouraging environment for a dialogue between individuals to thoroughly explore a topic, to bring out what participants really see, feel and think is important or to elicit new ideas or insights or reflect on important issues or challenges. Built into the method is a mechanism to bring the conversation to a productive, decisional end and to enable participants to feel a strong commitment to the implementation of a plan or decision that was arrived at collectively.
Simply presented (and believe me I’m no expert so you will need to get detailed information from a trained Top facilitator) the method calls for conducting the conversation through four levels of interaction.
Objective – This is the first level in which you deal with the facts or events to be considered. The questions the facilitator asks at this stage are aimed at eliciting sensory impressions of the objective reality the participants are asked to communicate about what it is they are seeing, hearing, touching or observing.
Reflective – At this stage, the facilitator asks participants to reveal and speak honestly about their emotional, imaginative and intuitive impressions. What do they like or dislike about the subject or topic or certain aspects of it?
Interpretive – At the interpretive stage, the facilitator’s focus is on eliciting a sharing of experiences, meaning and opinion among participants by asking questions that add meaning, significance, value and importance to the situation or topic at hand such as – What does this mean to you personally? What do you consider most important about this matter? What new insights are beginning to emerge? What decisions need to be made as a group?
Decisional – To conclude things on a proactive and productive note, the facilitator’s seeks to draw out a collective decision, resolve or action plan from the participants based on the conversation that has gone before by asking – What is the consensus we have been working toward and how could it be articulated? What are the action steps we need to carry out in the future to honor this consensus?
This is a gross simplification. As I said I can’t claim to be an expert on the basis of my two days of training. And for that matter, even a more detailed description of the conceptual framework would not do the process justice. You have to see it practiced and practice it yourself before you really appreciate the power of the method.
ToP uses the ORID as a building block for its various facilitation processes such as the Consensus Workshop, Focused Conversation and Action Plan. It is this elegantly simple and intuitive process that underlies them all.
The importance of having a technique in conducting those serious conversations in life is apparent to anyone who has attempted it without one. Along with the more obvious benefits that come with helping individuals and groups come to agreement or address problems, a technique like ORID makes situations involving conflict or disagreement far less stressful and easier to manage. As Debra Fine in her book “The Fine Art of the Big Talk” says,
Every action you take toward others reverberates inside your own mind and body, so adopting a more peaceful and creative attitude in your interaction with others can significantly lower your own stress levels. Even in the most difficult situations, you can learn to respond calmly and positively.
For those interested in participating in a ToP training, you can go to the ICA website ( www.ica-usa.org ) and find the local registrar near you. Trainings are held on a regular schedule at locations throughout the country. See if it isn’t two of the most worthwhile days you have ever spent.