Safety Mini Unconferences as a roadshow model. Reverse exchange, participative experience.

Unconference? The first time I experienced the audience-controlled contribution format was at university. The organizers simply threw a microphone in a foam cube into the audience - the catcher made a spontaneous contribution on the chosen topic (healthcare). No registered speakers. That was totally refreshing. After the contribution, simply throw it on at random (e.g. cube product from Catch Box - set up automatic subtitles on screen for the deaf, including sign language interpreter).

Another time, I came to the unconference in a hall with a pile of empty 6-bottle plastic boxes. The organization's task: grab the boxes, create an own seating area with a view of many others and then start/participate with spontaneous contributions on the topic (architecture).

How it began

Around 1998: Harrison Owen's Open Space Technology Conference (OST) is a large group method and sparked the idea in the USA. The participants set the agenda and lead the discussion. A dynamic and participative experience.

2003: First specific unconference with Tim O'Reilly's “Foo Camp” in Sebastopol, California.

Can the model be transferred to industrial safety?

Yes. The model for up to 500 people can be broken down into its individual parts and adapted to specific situations. Like the ScienceOnline Together series, for example. The aim was to bring together scientists, scientific communicators and enthusiasts (= mix of different target groups, recommended for interdisciplinary conclusions) to discuss the intersection of science and the internet. Choice of competent, non invasive moderators/facilitators included.

Three key features to go for:

A - Participant-driven agenda | Empowers attendees to shape the content and structure of the event, leading to more relevant and engaging discussions. A reverse model for learning from the frontline.

B - Focus on conversation over presentation | The format prioritizes interactive knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving rather than traditional lecture-style presentations (almost only the coach/trainer speaks).

C - Community building and networking | Effective at fostering relationships and collaborations that often continue well beyond the event itself.

In global industrial safety, teams are often scattered across branch networks at different distances. Instead of time-consuming agenda coordination in the central training center, a mini unconference can go on tour.

Above all, this could open the door to the fact that “expert voices from the frontline are not heard”. An Unconference is not a top-down collection of best practices, but the start of the interactive open communication culture of safety insights from “one place” to share with the “rest of the world”.

10-point catalogue as a basis for your own implementation:

1. Participant-driven agenda | Attendees decide on discussion topics, workshops, and sometimes even venues, prioritizing interactive communication over traditional presentations.

2. Emphasis on conversation | The content is generated collaboratively by all participants, rather than being delivered by a few presenters.

3. Minimal lecture-style presentations | The format prioritizes cooperative knowledge sharing and active participation from all attendees.

4. Flexible structure | The event adapts to the needs and interests of participants at each location, allowing for location-specific topics to be addressed.

5. Focus on problem-solving | Participants work together towards common goals, brainstorming solutions and developing initial plans for industrial safety challenges.

6. Interactive sessions | The format encourages hands-on activities, group exercises, and collaborative problem-solving related to industrial safety issues.

7. Diverse topics | The roadshow can cover a wide range of industrial safety aspects, including human factors, learning formats, communication, risk management, equipment maintenance, and compliance with health and safety regulations.

8. Networking opportunities | The format promotes connections between professionals from different branches and regions of the company (someone/a team takes care of ensuring that everyone has access to the outstanding knowledge on a suitable digital platform).

9. Technology integration | The use of digital tools for scheduling, communication, and documentation of safety practices can be incorporated into the roadshow.

10. Local expertise utilization | Each stop on the roadshow can leverage the knowledge of local staff to address region-specific industrial safety concerns.

Effects: Combine flexibility and participant-driven nature of an unconference with geographical reach of a traditional roadshow. An effective approach for addressing topics and best practices in industrial safety across multiple locations of a national or multinational company.

Choice of measurements of impact proposal

Intention: Comprehensively assess the impact of the unconference roadshow model on industrial safety across the organization. Regular follow-ups and continuous monitoring will help capture both immediate & long-term effects. A kind of reverse approach to go for safety improvement – collecting the frontline echo in an intelligent and fascinating way.

Quantitative Metrics

• Participation rates | Track the number of attendees at each location and compare it to the total number of employees at each branch office.
• Safety incident reduction | Monitor the change in safety-related incidents before and after the Unconference to assess its effectiveness in improving safety practices.
• Implementation of ideas | Measure the number of safety initiatives or improvements implemented as a direct result of discussions and collaborations during the Unconference.

Qualitative Assessments

• Participant feedback | Conduct surveys and interviews with attendees to gather insights on the perceived value and impact of the unconference.
• Knowledge sharing | Evaluate the quality and quantity of safety-related information exchanged during the events, including new ideas and best practices shared across different branches.
• Cultural shift | Assess changes in safety culture and attitudes towards safety practices within the organization following the roadshow.

Long-term Impact Evaluation

• Sustained engagement | Monitor ongoing safety discussions and initiatives that continue after the unconference series.
• Cross-branch collaboration | Track instances of inter-office cooperation on safety projects initiated during or inspired by the unconference.
• Policy and procedure updates | Evaluate changes in company-wide safety policies or procedures resulting from insights gained during the roadshow.

As is often the case, I see the occasional mix of theories and methods as an opportunity to intelligently break with static, long-standing knowledge and procedures. After around 50 years of “Safety-I”, we need additional interactions and interventions. Not a revolution, but rather evolution and synthesis. Personally, I find the import of procedures from completely different (economic) areas than the own to be the most interesting.

With curiously combining greetings