CAN you drink from a fire hose? Not really. At least, not directly. You need to slow the water down, capture it, taste it, digest it.

I'm at Heathrow Airport now, on the way back from a packed 3-day training session with one of our sponsors, focusing on how to "think like a public sector leader" on issues of technology-enabled change. It gathered a huge group of people, Powerpoints, and ideas -- many that seemed right on. (The days were so packed I regrettably missed the evening tour of the Pyramids.)

The best thing, however, was a willingness to focus not just on issues and ideas, but also on the digestion and use of those ideas, on translating them from "out there" (the world of Harvard research or headquarter's policy) to "in here" (how the ideas fit and functioned in the front-line world of field personnel).

This was relatively easy to do. Presentations simply needed to give real time -- from 30-50% of the total -- to interactive discussion to clarify the ideas and how they might be applied. I would have put even more time into having participants discuss in small groups and plenary sessions what they planned to do with the ideas "back home."

I've been impressed over the years by students who remember years later a position they argued on a case study. They don't remember what I said, mind you,but rather what they said when prodded by the flow of the discussion to get engaged.

I've also been dismayed by how many conferences and training sessions succomb to the pressures to cover more topics and squeeze out participant interaction. I understand the pressures -- with revenue targets of $60,000 per day per employee, firms recognize that time away from selling is EXPENSIVE. They want to pack in as much information as possible.

Unfortunately, multiple days of talking heads and Powerpoints in a darkened room rarely convey information that is useful. People-- even thirsty people -- just can't drink from a fire hose.

Best regards,

Jerry

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Our next Leadership for a Networked World workshop:
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/execed/lnw2