Gregory's ServerAnd Then Satan Said:
We are going to separate into breakout groups of five people, after 8 min. each group will present what they discussed in the main group.
 72 comments
  @futurebird “don’t forget to complete the icebreaker activity before you dig into the group work!” @futurebird genuinely curious: is it any better for you if the report out from the group is done in a document, and nobody is put on the spot to report out? I guess I’m asking which part is the most annoying in the experience for you. @futurebird @jduckles In the early 2000s, a friend told me of an incident where some (white and cleanly clueless) college residence life administrators were tasked with coming up with and implementing a diversity training program for staff. "were required to share all the slurs they could think of regarding each other" WAT @futurebird @jduckles It's equally possible they came up with this idea on their own, or latched onto some badly designed training material, or misinterpreted and mis-applied some better training material. But refusal to listen to objections or concerns seemed pretty standard. "But refusal to listen to objections or concerns seemed pretty standard." So they sucked at the thing they were ostensibly trying to teach basically.   @PTR_K @futurebird @jduckles There’s something about assigning this sensitive task (designing the training) to untrained young people that suggests to me that the professionals involved had contempt for the whole premise, ya know? @fivetonsflax @futurebird @jduckles Combined with a mindset, "I am at this level of administration, therefore all my ideas are automatically more correct than those below me." @fivetonsflax @PTR_K @futurebird @jduckles We had a pretty terrible training from an ostensibly trained person—it was about 15 years ago though & the ones I’ve attended more recently have been better @futurebird Thanks for sharing. I've been learning a lot about the Māori (indigenous Neew Zealanders) ways of doing and being, and they make clear time for the acts of relationship building, as a requirement, before you can do real work together. When those two are conjoined, meet the people, and GET TO WORK. Things usually don't go well, and most time is spent on meeting, not working. When I facilitate, I like to make more relational time than working time early. It pays dividends later on.  @futurebird And he did rub his hands, for he knew by the time the last group came to speak, there would be nothing new to say.   @futurebird the group version of breakout never lived up to the promise of the one person arcade game I think he meant the hacking club that meets monthly called 2600... after the uh... modem. @llewelly  @bornach @llewelly @futurebird Yes, this is the one this is the jam. The other 2600 was named after the 2600 Hz tone that a blue box makes to signal the phone system to connect the following dtmf tones as a long distance call. Phreaking. 🤓😎😁  @futurebird I am guilty of asking people to do this. Heck, I think it’s baked into the day tomorrow!  @futurebird @MissPixiePancake Damn! You and those replying are giving me “Meeting PTSD”. 😫 Brings back horrifying memories of hours wasted in ostensibly worthwhile … e x e r c I s e s ! @futurebird I HATE breakout sessions with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns 🌞 🌞 🌞 😡 🤬  @futurebird Last time I was at one of these meetings I left when I heard the phrase "breakout rooms". Afterwards I asked a few coworkers what I missed but none of them knew because they had all done the same.   @futurebird After seven minutes of discussion, you realize you've only discussed the first question from a list of five, At 7:55, "Who's going to report back?" 7:59, "Did anyone take n--"  @futurebird Did Satan nominate a raporteur to take notes and summarise the discussion? Or does each breakout group spend the first 7½ mins arguing about that?  @futurebird Satan was really pissed that I didn't fill out my nametag. Fucking whiny little..  @futurebird After 5-6 minutes, Satan starts circling the room, asking each group how it's coming along, reminding them of the amount of time left.  @futurebird I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain: one always finds one's burden again...  @futurebird Did this my first time in a growing company. I was foolish and young and thought we really were meant to do something. As each of our breakout groups was working on "it's idea" for our assigned topic, the BSD came around and and "discussed" our topic. It became clear that we as a breakout weren't there to come up with anything other than the piece of the pre-determined plan we'd been assigned -- seemingly on our own. It was idea "dissemination" not "generation" at all. @FirefighterGeek @futurebird I have a similar experience. Being unaware of corporate speak at the time we were asked to “blue sky” some new ideas. After coming up with some great ones we were told to implement them…with no new budget. Never fell for that again. “We must picture Hell as a state where everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment.” - C.S. Lewis, preface to "The Screwtape Letters", 1961  @futurebird He’s been like this ever since he went through that PMP certification course.   @futurebird The worst is when you actually start to have a real discussion, and then you're at 30 seconds before returning to the main group, you didn't choose who would present, and you only talked about the first question.   @futurebird This has in my experience never produced any useful results. Not once. Ever.  @futurebird If I believed in Hell, it would include this. I enjoy the breakouts; it is the need to come back that stings. |
@futurebird And to that I say, "Not today, Satan!"