Connections with people are formed by our experience with them over time. (Yes, Buddhists and Taoists, the present moment is our only reality, but we still experience it through the filters of the history and desires in our brains.) Besides learning about people we’re with though our direct experience, we discover more by listening to their descriptions of their past and present experiences and their hopes for the future.
The first thing that happens at Conferences That Work is a roundtable, where each attendee answers the following three questions (there are no wrong answers!) to the group:
- How did I get here? (past)
- What do I want to have happen? (present & future)
- What experience or expertise do I have that might be of interest to others? (past & future)
As people, one by one, answer these questions they share their past, present, and future with everyone in attendance. Each person opens a window through which the time line of their life can be seen more clearly. This sharing provides the foundation for connections to be deepened during the conference that follows.
Image attribution: Flickr user houseofsims
Tags: connectedness, connection, future, introduction, knowledge, past, present, roundtable, three questions
