Strange meeting methodology from maybe 10 years ago?

April 7, 2017 6:24 AM

I remember reading a very detailed blow-by-blow description of a special meeting methodology. It was for a large and busy group that might have a large set of issues to deal with, and was highly anarchic / democratic / collaborative.

IIRC it involved people writing their important discussion topics / issues on paper that got stuck to the walls... and these ideas were somehow prioritized?... and people were very free to move around to whatever group / topic they wanted to?

And I am stretching my memory here, but it seemed like this was also good for multi-day conferences, in which the ongoing agenda was set by this democratic initial process...

Ringing any bells? Links and/or search terms?

posted by Meatbomb to Human Relations (8 answers total)

Here's what I'm thinking:

There's a few job/training processes like this that I've been in, but no specific names. Sometimes they stick "parking lot" items to a list to address later.

Roberts Rules of Order seem vaguely similar but missing many of your aspects.

Process mapping involve mapping processes on the walls, but not the democracy.
posted by bbqturtle at 6:47 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

There are a lot of techniques like this that are used in "design thinking"-oriented places--games or activities that you can do among teams to elicit and prioritize ideas.

One that sounds pretty close to what you are asking is the K-J Technique. But take a look, too, at something like Gamestorming, which has a library of various activities you can use depending on what you are trying to accomplish.
posted by synecdoche at 6:50 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Are you thinking of an 'unconference'?
posted by lollusc at 6:52 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Sounds very much like unconference/open space process.

people were very free to move around to whatever group / topic they wanted to

A big open space principle is the law of two feet: "If at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else."
posted by enn at 7:11 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

I, too, thought of the K-J Technique/affinity diagram.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:14 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nominal group technique?
posted by zepheria at 9:00 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I am thinking it must have been unconference. But thanks everyone for all of these links, many useful leads for me to follow up on.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:00 PM on April 7, 2017

Open space is the term I've heard most in recent years. This question also made me think of an older term/method, Technology of Participation, which as I recall was very post-it heavy.
posted by yarrow at 1:04 AM on April 9, 2017