Introduction

Sponsor, Teresa Fujiwara: Thank you for taking time to join us in the charette for the next two days. We hope it will be well worth your time and that as a result we create some things to be working on together afterwards.

I was asked to give you some background on how we came to this event. The project began by discussions in the community and with families. From that listening a number of us have identified a priority for the community that has been labeled a variety of terms—integrated services, multi-services center, one-stop, etc. We are going to explore now, “What does that mean for us in this community? How can we build on our past work?” We hope to develop a road map for the community from this two days of great minds brainstorming how to work together to achieve results.

We are all here because this community is home to struggling families. We also have many assets and a lot to work with, including our diversity. Through these activities we hope to achieve clarity and understanding of each other's work; we hope to leave with a high level of energy and commitment to working together. We have heard a lot about InnovationLab's abilities to lead us through a process that can sustain us in our work over time, and we look forward to experiencing that process.

 

 

Introduction to the Process.

Michael Kaufman, InnovationLabs, LLC

What is this?

This is a model of a brain.

Let's talk about models. What is a model?

A model is an abstract representation of something.

Does the model contain all the information of the thing it represents?

By definition, it contains less information than the thing it represents. If it contained all of that information, it would BE “the thing.”

Why do human beings make and use models?

We make models to conceptualize and to help us manage and understand our world; to create; to communicate; to remember; to guide us; to replicate; to visualize and imagine; to test by doing “what if” experiments; to improve the model and thereby improve the “thing.” We use models to help us manage and understand our world.

How do models help us to replicate?

If we can tease out the key characteristics of the model, we can share it. The model is part of the learning process. We can do things to the model that we would not or could not do to the “real thing” or the thing it represents.

What are characteristics or working principles of models?

Models have scale—they can be larger or smaller than the thing they represent.

Models have to have a good connection, some familiarity, with the thing they represent; for example visual clues or statements of similarities, such as an architectural model is expected to represent some likeness of the proposed physical structure.

What can we learn about the model maker from the model?

Every model-maker makes choices about what information to include and what information to exclude in the model. By examining the model, we can make some inferences about the model-maker's attention to detail, point of view, knowledge, values, and priorities.

We can learn something about the model-maker's intention, and we can possibly learn something about the intended audience.

What are some models that we use every day?

A list of every day models includes maps; toys; anything on a screen [e.g. computer screen]; books; white boards; applications or forms; speech; money [a working model!]; credit card [that works better!]; menu; street directional signs; to-do list; calendar; watch or clock; blueprint; project plan. We could have a model of a car, and in some cases an actual car could function as a model representing wealth or status.

Is language a model?

Words are models. The word “love” represents something else, the emotion or behavior called by that name. “Love” means something different to each person.

If words are models, what happens when two people talk to one another?

They are sharing their models. They filter someone else's models through their own.

We have “model conflict”—not conflict in a negative sense, but the models are bumping in to one another.

What are the ways we can resolve conflict?

We can reach agreement on what the model is. What are the specifics about reaching agreement? There are essentially four ways to resolve model conflict:

Is there ever a time when human beings are not making and using models?

If we are 100% present in the moment, it is possible to not be using models; for example being “in the zone” physically or during a spiritual experience such as meditation. But generally speaking, most of us are somewhere in the past or future or somehow using models.

What are the traps in using models?

One trap is we get fixed on a model as being the only way, the right way. That is known as “model fixation.” Literally, our brain becomes deaf, dumb, and blind to anything outside our model. We can't sense anything outside of that model. The brain closes the door. The hardest model to change is the highly successful model.

Another trap in models and modeling is to mistake the model for the thing it represents.

It may be a trap to have only one model; one model is “one hand clapping.” It's better to have other models to interact with.

The model may be incongruent with the reality. It could be oversimplified. The gap between the complexity of the real thing and the simplicity of the model can lead us to make really bad decisions. As soon as you move them closer together [actually DO SOMETHING] you start to learn. It also makes it more difficult to change the model once the train is on the track and it's hard to get the train off the track.

You can get so focused on being a model-maker that you never get anything done.

It is very difficult to transfer models—it works better when people have to participate in creating their own models.

How do you know a model is a good model?

You can test it. You can continue to iterate it. Once you start to spend money on the model, there is huge resistance to changing it. Therefore, we need to be purposeful about designing into the model its evolution through processes of review and reconsideration.

Why are we having this conversation about models and model-making? How does it relate to the next couple of days?

The goal is to create a model that can be implemented. We are going to share models, explore models, and test models—experiment in a very low-risk environment. Because of these activities, there will be a lot of model conflict, by design. Human beings are not in conflict. Models are in conflict. What happens when our models conflict? Let's find out.

It is important to be aware that we all came into the room with working models that we are passionate about. We are trying to connect what comes out of this to real people and real lives. Let's see if we can articulate and explore our assumptions.

There has been a community effort to explore the idea of an integrated services system. Are we all here for that reason? We all need to remember that what we produce is only a representation of our real thing. We need to make clear our assumptions. By tomorrow afternoon, we hope to have a roadmap—of things in time that need to be done, and will be done, and who will do them.

How will this happen?

We need to clarify the language of charette. We design and facilitate collaborative workshops to help people come together and solve complex problems. During this workshop, each activity in which you engage will produce a product. We will document these products for you and post them on a website. It's an iterative process. There's no formal agenda but we start broad and get narrower and narrower. By tomorrow afternoon we plan to be at the level of detail of what has to happen, who will do it, and when.

Discussion of Walk About Activity

Assignment | Photos and Walls

When you arrived today, you responded to a series of questions written on the white walls. Those questions are:

Question: Now that you have completed that activity, are there any insights or particular things that stand out from your conversation? Any themes carried through several questions? Any surprises?