Posts tagged Learning Expedition
Visitors from France, Canada and Jyväskylän Maalaiskunta at the Yellow Office
Feb 13th
I am excited about coming week as we are getting local and international visitors at our home nest, the Yellow Office. I think this week culminates some of Monkey Business vision of being a global microbrand. I believe in Peter Senge‘s words that the “what is most systemic is most local”. But that we need to connect globally as well if we want to be more creative. I really agree on what Esko Kilpi once told me: “We need to organize places and space where people can meet and something new can emerge.” I think it perfectly resonates with the video below by Steven Johnson on Where the Good Ideas Come From:
About next week: First, we have the board of Maalaiskunnan Yrittäjät meeting at our office on Tuesday evening. Chairman of the board is our neighbour and friend Jouko aka Musti from Seripiste. Little birds are saying we may get a seat on the board, too. Also, a little after that there’ll be a group of people interested in Organizational Development coming all way from France and Canada to see where we dwell. In fact, the visit to our place is part of their learning expedition to Team Academy organized by SoL France. I heard from my friend that one of the participants have a blog called La nature d’une nouvelle entreprise. It seems to be all in French but Pascal said it’s good and I believe him so if you understand, check it out!

This past week our office has been occupied by people from Team Academy taking intense course of marketing coached by Heikki Toivanen. See the picture above. We are very happy to have people at our place, for a meeting in a creative environment or to experience the sauna.
Furthermore, Samuli Karjalainen dropped by for the first time in our office few weeks ago, and with him we explored the idea of a business sauna. It would be an event for local people interested in learning and meeting new people. First start with a short story or a presentation by someone followed by dialogue and sauna. Who is in for that?
Learnigs from the Jungle!
May 7th
Working together really shapes the partnership and cocreation. Last week Wed 28th of April till Sat 1st of May we had a learnig journey called Jungle Trip. It was first real cocreational project with CoMind. It took place in Helsinki, Jyväskylä and Taulun Kartano, Toivakka. Dialogues took place in plane, train, buss, smokesauna, pool, lake, walk… Thoughts were ignited by Esa Saarinen, SOL City, Team Academy and Design Factory. And we did learn a lot. Here is my short reflections about Jungle:
1.) Dialogue. Well obviously it´s the key element in cocreation. There can´t be shared undestanding without dialogue. And in Monkey Business we have learned to do “dialogue on the spot”. Short sessions between coaches- what´s happening and what do we want to happen next. Then we know what is the next move. When we know what we are aiming to – it´s easier to improvise. -> Goal!
2.) Culture. Or system. From the aspect of interaction. Someone has to lead in the beginning to make people interact. And then take care about culture througout the process. And this is something that separates TeamAcademy from many places. And this is something that will have a big role in DesignFactorys future. Team Academy is very down to earth and pragmatic, learning by doeing. Design Factorys comes to the same play-yard from different aspect, knowledge focused. And strongest tool in TeamAcademy are Leading Thoughts and yearly process of checking them.
3.)Braveness. We only become exellent by following our passion. We know who we are and how monkeys do things. We have to stand for our cornerstones. Our friend PAMPAM said it nicely:”The more serious someone is, the less I trust him/her”. So we need to remain the contact to our heart. Speak from it and to follow it.
What did you learn?
Thanks alot CoMind and all adventurers. “Unexpected is the spice of life.”
Tantourist, still alive.
Pictures from Team Mastery
Mar 17th
A New Learning Expedition starts tonight as our guests arrive to Jyväskylä. Tomorrow morning a Check-in (Everybody gets to speak, say their name, little background, feelings and why they are here) and on we go. This time we will have a group around 6-7 people but with loads of interaction with Teampreneurs of Team Academy. I am excited. We’ll update Twitter and hopefully blog too during the Expedition so even if not you are in Jyväskylä you can follow and maybe even participate in some way or another.
I also finished the Team Mastery report I was working on earlier and for that I went through my pictures of the previous session in Haarlem. I should post more about it at some point but let us get started with pictures. I like blogs with pictures and try to be the change in the world by posting some on my own.
Learning Expedition to Team Academy
Feb 15th
Ever since I started at Team Academy back in 2004 I have been actively taking part into Learning Expeditions as a representative of Team Academy. I remember my first one in October 2004 when for example Etienne Collignon, Javier Ruiz and Claude Zauber came to see Team Academy. Now, about 4,5 years later I am organizing a yet another Learning Expedition to Team Academy with these same people who actually have by now all started their own Team Academy initiatives. And n fact, Etienne and Laurent wrote an article for the SoL Reflections about their first Learning Expedition. I thought you may find that one interesting as well if you haven’t seen it yet.
So there is a new Learning Expedition coming up and we are expecting an interesting week with plenty of dialogue and good thinking together. This time, besides the normal program, there’s a real speciality as we get to see the birth-giving of the Young Leader Special Training program and enjoy the dinner and Finnish sauna with them on Friday night. Promotional slides are here below. You can also download them here. Inquiries and any questions can be sent to me to ville@banana.fi
Ps. All the Finns and especially ones around Jyväskylä. Next Wednesday you have a chance to see something special as the first international team of Team Academy IPOTA gives birth about their learning from being a team at Team Academy. It starts at 9am at Team Academy. I can also organize a Skype so that people from abroad could follow it through a video call. Drop me a line if you are interested in that.
Written by Ville Monkey






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