If space can improve how we communicate, that is fundamentally what improves performance and what makes the company money. The workplace is really not about cost. It’s an investment in communication. Credit: Ben Waber Books: Ben WaberThe Workplace Is an Investment in Communication Ben WaberQuotations: Ben WaberThe Workplace Is an Investment in Communication Ben WaberTags: … Continue reading The Workplace Is an Investment in Communication Ben Waber
Gurteen Knowledge Blog June 5, 2023, 07:20In my recent Knowledge Café, the Great Unheard, it occurred to me that throughout our everyday lives, we frequently consciously or unconsciously divert conversations from topics that make us feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. We avoid areas we are unprepared or unwilling to explore, perhaps due to personal insecurities, fears, or … Continue reading Creating Safe Spaces for Uncomfortable Conversations Valuing vulnerability, authenticity, and respectful dialogue
If a building doesn’t encourage [collaboration], you’ll lose a lot of innovation and the magic that’s sparked by serendipity. So we designed the building to make people get out of their offices and mingle in the central atrium with people they might not otherwise see. Credit: Steve Jobs Books: Steve JobsBuildings to Encourage Collaboration Steve … Continue reading Buildings to Encourage Collaboration Steve Jobs
Walking Conversations ** Water Cooler Conversations ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter People are more productive when they’re alone … but they’re more collaborative and innovative when they’re together. Some of the best ideas come from pulling two different ideas together. Credit: Marissa Mayar Physical space has a huge impact on the way … Continue reading Introduction: Conversational Environments ** Designing places and spaces for good conversations
Death Café The London Coffeehouses of the Enlightenment Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Terminology First, let’s consider the terminology. People have gathered in various settings for conversation and social interaction throughout history. These settings include coffeehouses, salons, clubs, and, even in ancient times, around campfires. There is a need for a generic term … Continue reading Introduction: Conversational Spaces Meeting places for conversations
Introduction: Conversational Spaces British Gentlemen’s Clubs ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The London coffeehouses of the 17th and 18th centuries were the engines of creation that helped drive the Enlightenment, the European intellectual movement that emphasized reason and individualism rather than tradition. Their history is a fascinating one. Modern-day coffee shops such as … Continue reading The London Coffeehouses of the Enlightenment Centers of Enlightenment thinking
The London Coffeehouses of the Enlightenment Salons Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter During the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain witnessed the rise of various gentlemen’s clubs, which served as hubs for intellectual discourse, socializing, and the exchange of ideas. These clubs played a significant role in shaping the intellectual and cultural landscape of … Continue reading British Gentlemen’s Clubs ** Of the 17th and 18th Centuries
British Gentlemen’s Clubs ** Viennese Coffeehouses ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter In the 17th and 18th centuries, salons flourished in Paris, Vienna, and the rest of Europe. Salons were social gatherings hosted in private homes, usually by prominent women, in which men and women engaged in intellectual conversation in pursuit of knowledge. … Continue reading Salons A gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host
Knowledge Café: Microphones Knowledge Café: Choosing the Venue Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter You should choose the physical space in which a Knowledge Café is held with great care, taking the following aspects should be taken into consideration: POST NAVIGATION Knowledge Café: Microphones Knowledge Café: Choosing the Venue Close Pop-up all posts in … Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Café Space The physical space is important
Salons Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Resources Wikipedia: Viennese coffee house Article: History of Viennese coffee house culture Guardian: Two hours with a stranger: can these questions open up a city? Continue reading Viennese Coffeehouses ** An institution of Vienna that played an important role in shaping Viennese culture
Viennese Coffeehouses ** Stammtisch Tables Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Benjamin Franklin recognized the value of conversation and the importance of cognitive diversity in convening innovative conversations when he founded the Junto Club almost 300 years ago. In 1727, at the age of 21, Benjamin Franklin, who went on to become was one … Continue reading Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club Benjamin Franklin founded the Junto Club – a conversational society in 1727
