Capturing the post-conference energy pulse 

"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them"  (John 13:17).

Network or partnership meetings typically finish up their conferences with a sense of direction and a set of action items that teams are to continue and complete. The group’s purpose and resolve are at their highest points right at this time. The groups have, in essence, created an energy pulse that can be harnessed toward great ends. Every group intends to carry forward its resolve!

All too often, these valuable energy pulses are left to wither and die. Conference experiences are frequently left in the dust as conferees return to their homes and workplaces, resume a backlog of work–and effectively seal off and shelve (for now) their work on conference goals. That "for now" often turns into a forgotten pledge.

The pulse, it turns out, is more vulnerable than we assumed. Moreover, a weak pulse suggests a serious health problem which can lead to death. Jesus, too, recognized this tendency for his disciples to fail to put convictions into practice. As he washed his disciples’ feet in the Upper Room, he said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17).

How can the post-conference energy pulse be captured? Active communication is key.

The answer goes back to the network or partnership facilitators' responsibilities. Their leadership responsibilities do not actually end at the conclusion of the conference. To capture post-conference energy by conference participants, these leaders have a slim window to activate conferees to be true to their pledges of work on commonly agreed-upon objectives.
 
The time to gain traction on conference objectives is immediately following a gathering. Ideally, by the time conferees arrive back home, a personalized communication from conference organizers is waiting for them. This message notes their involvement in a particular working group and lists its immediate objectives.

The facilitator (or one acting in this role) encourages the conferees to plan now for how they can move forward on these efforts. This communication can point out what part each conferee can play and where/how each can contribute, even if all the conferees didn’t commit at the working meeting. The facilitator then offers to assist conferees if they need help getting into action and to address any questions they may have. The intensive communication doesn’t stop there. A second contact in a couple of weeks will reinforce the earlier call for action.

You and your group can continue the energy pulse with this short list of actions:

• Make contact arrangements
  Prior to the conclusion of a gathering, discuss how the group will remain in contact with each other. Get addresses, work group membership, phone numbers.
• Create an online collaboration point
  An online collaboration site is a "best practice" for groups that truly intend to continue their work between gatherings. One of the network's most critical appointments will be a communication or Web volunteer. Recruit those who will act as Web site editors (to organize the site) and prompt discussion and community. Sign up conferees to use the service and orient them on how to contribute to it.

Many partnerships and networks have found Web sites such as Global Connexion and OpenaCircle serve well as central online collaboration points. They take very little effort to be "up and running," because they are simple to establish and "brand" as a network's site and easy for ordinary people to use and manage. These sites can provide sections for everything from posting topic-specific bulletin boards for discussion and prayer needs, to coordinating schedules/calendars, to publicizing projects and links to relevant resources.

• Focus on the process, not the event
  The network’s goal isn’t to hold a conference; rather, the goal is for the conference to galvanize and focus goals that can be realized through ongoing, sustainable, collaborative action.
• Form a facilitation team
  Identify a facilitation team that will manage the follow-up tasks. A facilitation team is always to be preferred, with a facilitator tying things together and keeping the motion moving forward. The members on this team typically serve in these roles: facilitator, communications/Web coordinator, and work group/task force leaders. 
• Establish work groups
  These may be called task forces, etc.  But they are the means by which specific objectives are established and through which those objectives are realized. Talk with work group leaders at your working meeting and have them send the facilitator their brief report on any positive activity taken or planned in their section–the greater the specificity, the better. If there hasn't yet been any action, they can mention their hopes to get that activity going. These reports can be included in initial communications sent out to the membership that encourage individuals in the network to get to work.
• Maintain ongoing communication
  It is essential to launch intensive communication with members in the first two to three weeks following the conference to map out agreed-upon objectives and tasks. Make sure the facilitation team receives lots of encouragement as it prepares a plan for regular communications about developments, next steps, future meetings, and resources. Depending on security considerations you may be able to use e-newsletters, online discussion groups, collaborative Web sites (as suggested above) or a mix of any of these elements.
• Enhance network value
  As the network moves forward with subsequent meetings, its facilitation team can create a communications strategy to build up an atmosphere in the network that demonstrates the value of the network.

One way to heighten value is sharing the personal testimonies of what the network means to members and their organization. Here the aim is to help members realize that not only does the network benefit their own organization but that the cause itself can be furthered better through all the network’s members contributing back to the network.

This aim should reinforce these two points:  

– What can be accomplished together is bigger than what can be done separately;

– A successful network will generate greater, deeper, and richer productivity.

Reports of the actual work being underway, actions taken, and subsequent positive outcomes are also tremendously useful to bring a sense that the network is resulting in definitive value to its members. 

Rev. David Hackett is Associate Director of visionSynergy.

For more on partnership, collaboration and network development, see http://www.powerofconnecting.net/. PowerofConnecting's free monthly Partnership eNewsletter can keep network members motivated with examples of success, triumph past failure, noteworthy partnership news, and more. To subscribe, go to http://snipr.com/eNLsignup.