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The Party of the Year … plus some jelly babies!
So last week, the Learning Pool Summer Party took place on board the HMS President. There was a lot going on that day but I think the best experience that day for me was playing the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ game with jelly babies. My table consists of Mary, Ken, Nick and Clive (in pic). It was a game designed to communicate and get ideas on better ways of working.
Wacky ideas…
We had some really wacky and cool ideas at our table, I couldn’t wait to see what ideas everyone else was coming up with! 
I have to say, a lot of them did consist of licking the jelly babies LOL. Another thing I have to say is, it was certainly a great way to break the ice! Great work on behalf of the organizers for keeping the energies high throughout the event.
The highlight..
Well, to be completely honest… of course the highlights at a party would be the drinks, food, music and company, but to me this party had a different message it was trying to convey and I feel it was a really important one, coming from the thoughts and vision of Learning Pool’s newest addition, Community Evangelist, Mr. Dave Briggs. If you guys still don’t know who he is, no worries.. I’ll be doing a feature interview with him on this blog so you’ll have a better idea on how he’ll be ‘evangelizing’ the Learning Pool community 
The message…
Dave talked about comparing Apple’s and Google’s approach in conducting business. Luckily enough, he’s gone through some great detail here on his blog. But the basic idea is, Apple has a closed culture when it comes to conversations about them, whereas Google has a far more open approach towards conversations and basically builds their business based on those conversations. So which approach should local government adopt?
The title giveaway…
Well, you probably already know where I stand on this… ermmm.. from the title of this post I couldn’t resist folks, sorry! It was just so clear! And here’s are the 3 C’s why open culture can work.
- COST - This is not a time for us to be keeping secrets from each other especially if we are in the public sector where we are not even competing against each other. We need to think of ways to cut cost and increase efficiencies when delivering public services. Not to mention better ways of working with each other too. An open culture will break down the barriers and encourage us to learn from each other instead of reinventing the wheel.
- CONVERSATIONS - Its never been a better, faster and easier time for people to pick up on conversations that matter through the wonderful medium that we know as the “Internet”. Not to mention cost effective in terms of acknowledging developments being made not only within your own district, county or boroughs but also around the world! For example, just see how accessing a presentations on slideshare from another country’s government about its best practices in procurement can help to compare and contrast our own practices and possibly help to inform and improve it. So those conversations don’t even need to be directed to each other, because the internet has made “The world… your oyster!”
- COMMUNICATIONS - Communications are now taking a more dynamic and fluid shape in our society, both online and offline. This is due to the growth and continued development in how we as a community talk to each other using various social media tools available to us today. People often think that these communications only happen online, but we often forget that its like to egg and chicken dilemma, which comes first? In this case, is it people or the technology. To be absolutely honest, I feel people can exist without technology … but can technology exist without people? The answer is NO. People are the essence of any type of communication we have, whether its online or off. So stop arguing on whether we should all get online or not… let’s just get talking! Get on the social media bandwagon!
Dave Briggs Presentation Slides
So, that wraps up the LP Party message.. in a nutshell. You guys should’ve been there… It was great fun and there was even a live band there. Very classy! Can’t wait till next year Poolies. I’ll be expecting an invite in my mailbox next year too!
Hope this was useful…
Liz xxx
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It has to be said that this was the most informative and educational party I have ever been too. Sure there was alcohol and high spirits but an awful lot of networking went on too.
Dave Briggs presentation was a highlight. Informative, persuasive and fun. If he is on tour near you, get tickets.
Bring on the next “party”