I’m not sure who I would have turned out to be. I might still be drinking bottled water. I might want a yard full of grass. I might have been someone who mistrusts the public process.
I’ll never know.
What I do know is this: I care. I care where my water comes from, and how I use it. I care when a government entity says they want public opinion, and means it. I am impressed by an organization that cares so much about the opinions of their constituents, they bring a team like us in to protect, and keep open, that process.
I admire companies and organizations that value the public process, that won’t hold a public meeting, simply to “get buy-in.” That’s what leads a community to mistrust.
In a recent public meeting, I was a scribe, an observer. Third party. Unbiased. Those that attended the meeting were passionate and opinionated. They cared. They cared about making sure their voices were heard. They used the power that was given to them to speak up, and make things better.
So what?
As an observer, being a part of the facilitation process is nurturing me. It’s molding me into an active, invested member of this community, any community. I only hope that when it comes time for my own input, on some community hot topic, someone is there protecting the process. I know I’ll do my best to take the process seriously and do my best to come with ideas, comments and productive suggestions.
What’s your experience? Have you been on the facilitation end, protecting the process? Have you had an experience on the community member side that stands out? What works or doesn’t? What do you think of when you hear “public process” or “public meeting?”