How to make a Future Workshop
Introduction
People have used the methods of Future Workshop in several different ways during the years. In the following I will explain a little bit about the idea behind the method and the way I use it. I will not explain every little detail in pedagogy behind the methods here but more the way you can use it. I think the best way to learn how to make a Future Workshop is to participate in one or assist a person who is doing the workshop. Methods are always difficult to learn if you just read about them. You need to try it in praxis and make your own reflections. You also need to develop the workshop each time you make it – consider the time and persons who participate.
The idea behind the “Future workshop”
Robert Jungk, an Austrian futurist, has invented the method ”Future Workshop”. It is a combination of three steps based on creative techniques like Brainstorming or Mind Mapping. If all people used the power available the future was far from being lost, he believed. Everyone can make a change. And everybody should take the responsibility for our future.
The method of “Future workshops” is defined initially as follows: "Typically, a “Future workshop” can be divided into a preparatory phase and three workshop phases. The preparatory phase involves deciding on the topic and making the practical arrangements...." "The workshop itself begins with the critique phase, during which all the grievances and negative experiences related to the chosen topic are brought into the open. ... Then follows the fantasy phase, where the participants come up with ideas in response to the problems, and with their desires, fantasies and alternative views. A selection is made of the most interesting notions and small working groups develop these into solutions and outline projects. The workshop concludes with the implementation phase, returning to the present with its power structures and constraints. It is at this stage that participants critically assess the chances of getting their projects implemented; identifying the obstacles and creatively seeking ways round them so as to draw up a plan of action.”
What does one need to facilitate a Future Workshop?
First one needs to invite people to participate in the workshop. Normally 15-20 participants in the workshop are a maximum – otherwise it will be difficult for everybody to concentrate.
One must define a theme for the workshop. The theme should be of common interest of the participants.
Moreover, big posters for writing on the wall, markers for writing and food and drinks for the participants so they feel relaxed and happy during the workshop, are required.
Make the room for the workshop cosy and make a half circle of chairs with the front to a wall plastered with a lot of paper. Besides, tables for group work are needed.
At least two facilitators are necessary. One makes the communication with the participants, the other
One writes down utterances of the participants.
The Future Workshop- step by step
1. Introduction
The first step in a Future Workshop is to make an introduction for the workshop.
The facilitators introduce themselves and all participants tell their names and maybe brief personal details.
The facilitators introduces the method Future Workshop:
One can say some of the following:
- It’s a participatory method where one gets from the idea to reality
- The idea behind: People have too little influence on decisions about their daily life, on their work in their neighbourhood etc.
- In the Future Workshop every statement is equal
- Your daily life experiences and local knowledge is just as important as the knowledge of experts
- Use fantasy in your planning in order to go behind the daily way of solving problems –social fantasy
- Future Workshop can be used: When you are starting a new project, where you are facing problems and need to review your situation, in workplaces to better the environment – in every place you want change
- The limitations of the method: It is based only on local knowledge, it depends on the participants’ enthusiasm to work on the projects and realise them.
Introduction of the program and topic for the workshop
2. The Phase of Critical Statements
The idea behind:
- You need to empty your head for all critical statements you contain – it gives a better possibility to be creative and constructive later on in the workshop
- It is a way of exploring every part of the problem – if you see the problems of all participants it is easier to make good problem solving for all parts.
- It is not bad to express critics – critics help you to make changes in the world around you.
The form:
- Each person is in turn formulating a statement. The facilitator follows the half-circle and asks everyone personally so everybody gets a change to say something. The participants are only allowed to speak when it’s their turn
- If a person does not have anything to say then she can say “pass” and the turn goes to the next participant
- One facilitator writes down all the statements one by one on the wall. He writes exactly what the person said. Ask the participants if they have any comments.
- It is the participants’ statements that are in focus. The facilitator only facilitates the brainstorm and will not judge the statement – no statement is bad or wrong!
The rules:
- You can only say something critical
- You cannot comment on statements of other participants
- You need to present your statements shortly and clear
- Do not present critics on behalf of others.
The voting process:
After the brainstorm every participant need to vote about the importance of the statements. The participants get some time to reflect upon which statement each person finds most important. They have four votes each. They can use them on one statement or three different statements. They write their votes aside the statement on the paper on the wall. When everyone has voted the facilitator counts the votes and tries to sort the statements into categories based on the statements that gets most votes. After this she ask the participants if they agree with her categories.
3. The Phase of Ideas:
The idea behind:
- You need to go behind everyday thinking and ignore the limits of time, money etc.
- If you do not explore you dreams and utopias then you easily reach the same solutions as always. You need to use your social fantasy.
- Explain the participants that later on the workshop will be more realistic and constructive
- Give an example of an utopia
The form:
Is the same as in the Phase of Critical Statements
The rules:
- You can only say something about ideas
- You cannot comment on statements of other participants
- You need to present your statements shortly and clear
- Don’t present other peoples ideas only your own statements
- It is a good idea to develop on ideas of other participants
The voting process:
Is the same as in the Phase of Critical Statements
Group work in the phase of Ideas:
The idea behind:
- You need to develop your idea before you make it more realistic
- You need to describe what kind of wishes your idea express to see if you have picked the right idea
Making groups:
- Ask the participants if they agree with your categories. Every participant chooses a group.
Group work:
Every group gets a paper with following questions or questions you make up yourself.
Paper for Group Work – developing the idea:
· Make a detailed description of the idea
· Why is the idea good? – Write down some arguments that justifies your idea
· Which problems do the idea solve (for inspiration look at the list of critical statements)
The group should write down every answer to the questions so they later on can make a presentation on their group work.
The facilitator helps the participants during the Group Work if it’s needed. In this phase it’s important to remind the participants that they are still in the phase of ideas/fantasy/utopia and therefore it’s forbidden to be realistic (for instance to think about the lack of time/money/personal resources or other obstacles) and it’s forbidden to say no! Those rules should help the participants develop as good ideas as possible.
4. The Phase of realising the ideas/The implementation phase
The idea behind:
- To avoid problems and make a more detailed and solid project planning it is always good to analyse your situation in terms of considering your resources and your limitations.
- You should both consider the external factors that can effect your project and the possibilities in your own group
- Every participant should be realistic about his energy and time to work on the projects. The most common problem in realising a project is that the people who want the project are not realistic about their own resources and time. Therefore it’s good to discuss the project more detailed to know how much work each person is going to do and who is going to do what.
- You should not forget your idea but just make it more realistic
Group work:
Every group (the same groups as in the Phase of Ideas) get a paper with following questions or questions you make up yourself.
Paper for Group Work – how to make the idea realistic
· How can you describe your idea as a realistic project?
If the idea is broad choose one part of the idea and describe it as a realistic project
· What are the goals for the project?
Define goals and part-goals. It is important defining goals that you know is possible for you to reach.
· What kind of obstacles for your project do you need to overcome?
Discuss what kind of obstacles could affect your possibility to reach your goal (economy, unintelligent people, time etc.). How can you overcome these obstacles?
· Who can help you realise your project?
Make a list of persons/organisations that could be helpful
· How can you reach your goals?
Discuss the steps you need to take to reach your goal and make a plan for your project. Make also a time schedule for your project.
· How can your group work in the future?
It is always easier to discuss something than to realise it, so try to be realistic about your own personal time and resources in the realisation of the project. Discuss what each of you can do to realise the project. Decide when you have your next meeting in the group. Decide what each of you will do to realise the project until next time you meet.
The group should write down every answer to the questions so they later on can make a presentation on their group work.
The facilitator helps the groups during the group work if needed.
The presentation:
Every group makes a presentation of their project using the questions asked in the Group Work. The facilitators and the other participants ask questions about the project. In this way every participant can help each other with the project – they help the project group to reflect upon their project and maybe they have some suggestions that can make the project better.
5. Evaluation, follow-up and documentation
Evaluation:
It is always fine to make an evaluation after finishing a workshop. It makes the participants and facilitator reflect upon what was good and bad in the workshop and can help both parts improving the workshop and the conducts of the involved in the future.
Follow-up:
It is essential to make a follow-up on the projects because it is common that the groups run into difficulties during their work realising the projects after a workshop. It’s a good idea to hold a meeting one-three months after the Future Workshop. Here the participants can discuss if they should preview their projects and the facilitators help them with overcoming the problems.
Documentation:
Make a resume of the workshop with the list of critics and ideas and the results from the group work. It is also good to make a list of the participants’ names, telephone numbers and email addresses.
Each participant should receive a resume of the workshop after ended session.
6. If you want to know more…
If you want to read more about Future Workshop in English, we can recommend this book, which describes the ideas behind Future Workshops and the pedagogy of the method:
“Future Workshops: How to Create Desirable Futures”, by Robert Jungk, Norbert Mullert and Norman Edwards, 1996, Inst. for Social Inventions; ISBN: 0948826398
