Containers For Learning

These containers are where the 5 Conversations For Human Work take place.

Action Learning Group (ALG): a space for aspirational and developmental conversations. In FPC 2, this was simulated using groups of 3 - 4.
Total Learning Community (TLC): a space where participants come together for dialog and experiential learning. In FPC 2, this was a dialog involving the whole cohort.
Work: containers where work takes place.
Personal Service Learning (PSL): where people find safety, belonging and healing (if the group is sufficiently skilled).
Informal containers: typically where conversations involving power and politics take place

Deliberately setting aside containers for such conversations allow issues to be set aside and discussed in the appropriate container when they arise, instead of having to be addressed immediately.

In my FPC 2 cohort, we did not form PSL groups. This made it very difficult to keep conversations that should be taking place in PSL groups outside conversations in ALGs.

A Note On Learning Groups

From Tong Yee to a past FPC 2 cohort:

Just want to define a few things as people have been asking me about PSLs and how to read up on them etc… (Please feel free to copy this into your own cohort chats if you find the distinctions helpful)

Human Interaction Lab (HI Lab): This is a week long structure that supports of learning of how diverse individuals interact with one another. It comprises of morning large system check-ins, afternoon classes that give added distinction to support the T-Groups, and evening whole system check-outs, and then typically residential experience where the interaction continues without structure. All data is contributing to learning.
Training Groups / Sensitivity Groups / Therapy Groups (T-Groups): Depending on whether there is a therapist in group (if not they are called Training Groups or Sensitivity Groups), these are small groups systems that typically sits within a structure of a HI Lab. But can also be conducted separately. Sensitivity Groups (Its original name) began as emotional support groups that created a space for specifically men to get in touch with what is going on inside themselves and to work through their units of work. Later on, the model was experienced as very powerful and evolved to become T-Groups and therein non gender specific to extend the learning / training for all. The intention was to develop more facilitators to support the healing of others. Therein Training Groups (T-Groups). Typically T-Groups have no structure and are open learning containers that respond to only what emerges and doesn’t define a modality of learning.
Action Learning Sets: In form, these look similar to T-Groups where it is a small group of (6-9) people that gather regularly to learn from each other with minimal intervention from a facilitator or container holder. But unlike T-Groups, action learning sets have ritual or process that provide structure in how each member of a group interact with each other. PSLs are action learning sets. Alcoholic Anonymous is also an Action Learning Set.
Action Learning Set (Organizational structure) / Community of practice: This is similar to the above, except the members are typically from a similar sector, industry or shared profession or skill set. Members gather regularly to take turns in working through each other’s issues and problems. They may not necessarily be emotional. Organizations also use this for large systems, to allow for different parts of their typically siloed system to meet and hear from each other’s experience. The model focuses on one person in each set, where each member goes into the full support of that person to better empathize with what they are going through. Over time, taking turns to addressing needs from each person in a system allow for equilibrium to emerge eventually.
Action Research: Action research is a process by which change and understanding can be pursued at the one time. It is usually described as cyclic, with action and critical reflection taking place in turn. The reflection is used to review the previous action and plan the next one. It is commonly done by a group of people, though sometimes individuals use it to improve their practice. It has been used often in the field of education for this purpose. It is not unusual for there to be someone from outside the team who acts as a facilitator. This forms the foundation of Design Thinking today and the philosophy of “just do first and learn along the way”.

Each structure has specific purposes. The distinctions in each container are not meaningless and reap different results.

I used to think they were gobbledegook. But after 5-6 years of this, I have really come to appreciate why the designs hold such intentionality.

Marking this a stub to remind myself to revisit this