This is a shout out to Mr. Allen Manser.
We were at a brilliant UBC Young Alumni session tonight trying to figure out what The Next Big Question was. The discussion's foundation was based on program development for alumni engagement: we were trying to brainstorm questions that would engage multi-disciplinary alumni in relevant, stimulating discussions.
What we created this evening was so much more. It was an "Ideation Station" (thanks AM for the word of the evening!).
It was a safe forum. Political correctness was a non-existent concept. Questions were the way of the world. Geek-chic ruled. Who knows what would happen if those six pages of questions that we pumped out tonight were discussed and debated by our formal and informal leaders, not to mention if the general public engaged in the discussions.
After not noticing that two and half hours flew by and as we were pulling out our blackberries and icals to schedule our next "Ideation" evening, I couldn't help but feel slightly sad.
Don't get me wrong, I was extremely energized by the brilliance and drive and enthusiasm of the people in the room, but I was sad that more people weren't involved. I was sad that this wasn't a discussion that we had on a regular basis. That we didn't question the standards, the status quo, our politics, our education, our economy, our media, our future and our past more often.
I wonder, how can we carry on this conversation? How can we spark people to ask these questions? How can you create that safe forum? How can you get more people involved? When can you begin to answer these questions and make something happen?
That's the challenge: how can you create your own "Ideation Station"? Not just for a corporate retreat or in the time of an election or when innovation is needed or wanted, but can you create this culture of questions and ideas? And then how can you spread that and create a movement of regular, frank, honest, curious discussions?
Now that's cool.
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