On Tue, 25 Oct 1994, Richard Karash wrote:
> I know the "talking stick" from seeing it used. The only background I
> know is that American Indian cultures used it. Can anyone add more?
>
> It's effect is to slow down conversation so everyone can think and listen,
> pay more attention to each other, create more of a dialog and less of a
> competition. From my experience with Synectics, I know that in typical
> conversations, people put a lot of mental energy into how to break into
> the flow and don't listen to each other. Talking stick addresses this. It
> was very effective.
>
> Here's the protocol I've seen:
>
> Everyone sit in a circle. Put an object (the "talking stick") on a table
> in the center. Take the stick and explain this protocol --
>
> "Whenever you want to talk, walk over and take the stick, return to your
> place and talk as long as you want. When you're done, return the stick
> to the center.
>
> "There may be periods of silence; these are likely to be helpful so don't
> worry about them."
>
> Return the stick and wait for things to start.
>
> Passing the stick in turn, as Mike Gurstein described, also seems like an
> effective approach.
>
> On Sat, 22 Oct 1994, Richard Karash wrote:
>
> > Would someone familiar describe the talking stick? How to... and how it
> > affects conversation? I've been impressed by the impact I've seen in a
> > couple of instances.
> >
> > On Sat, 22 Oct 1994, Mike Gurstein wrote:
> >
> > > ... it appears that it is my turn with the talking stick.
> >
>