The Synthesis Fugue

What kind of music do you enjoy? If you’re like me you appreciate a broad spectrum. So far today I’ve listened to Bach, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, and The Rolling Stones. The music I’m drawn to tends to result from synthesis: the combining of multiple, different parts into a complex whole. Attend the symphony and you’ll experience the splendid coalescence of myriad, unique aural expressions.

Synthesis, the third step in our learning structure, is when we collaborate with our audience to reassemble the elements explored during the process phase into a new coherent whole. Imagine you are the conductor. The orchestra is your audience. Together you are working to shape something resonant and memorable.

A powerful shift happens as you progress from Introduction through Process and into Synthesis. The topic you present in the Introduction, though helpful for the purposes of orienting your audience, is as yet abstract to everyone but you. Imagine if you told me, “Today we’re going to talk about native vegetation.” I would know what we’re discussing, but I wouldn’t have any relationship to the topic. It remains intangible to me. Process allows me to explore the content and make it my own. I can ask questions, deepen my understanding, and at least begin to satisfy my curiosity. Through synthesis we can then create a new form, or composition, that has personal meaning and relevance to each individual.

Too often, because we bypass the process phase, synthesis becomes merely a reiteration of what was stated in the introduction. For example, an introduction may be, “Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health.” The “synthesis” that follows falls flatly as, “Furthermore, don’t smoke. It’s bad for you.” This prevents the message from taking root and yielding change because the topic remains distant and impersonal to the audience.

Synthesis offers the opportunity to make meaning of process. The presenter or educator can facilitate synthesis by bundling together comments from the audience into likenesses, then reframing the main message after integrating input. This is a far cry from traditional approaches wherein we state the message in our terms, irrespective of participants’ voices.

In summary, a solid Introduction promotes productive, divergent Process, which in turn allows for constructive Synthesis. Keep in mind that all of these elements apply to both formal and informal presentations. What applies to teaching a workshop will also be relevant in a dialogue with your coworkers or children. Fidelity to each element will enhance the potency of all our interactions.

It’s great to be working with you to promote meaningful, lasting change.

Best,

Questions? Send me an email.

Process is to learning what digestion is to eating. Content that people make their own is content that can change their lives. To make our work as meaningful as possible we have to allow time for others to process what we’re discussing. This is exactly like the digestion process by which our bodies break down food and make it something we can use.

I played soccer throughout high school and college. During each high school season we’d gather at a teammate’s house the night before the game. The menu was always the same: spaghetti. In addition to building camaraderie, the high carbohydrate fare helped fuel us up to play the next day. Our bodies required approximately 24 hours to digest the pasta and extract the necessary nutrients.

Imagine playing a soccer game immediately after eating three helpings of spaghetti. Not a pretty thought. (Viewers of The Office should have no problem conjuring an image here.) But sadly this is what many educational approaches amount to–a spaghetti feed/soccer game.

Without process we can’t assume any material we present will be relevant to our listeners. The goal of the process phase is to help others take ownership of the content we present. They do so by strengthening their relationship to the content. Through process we can afford participants the opportunity to more deeply understand and internalize the risks of alcohol, for example, resulting in their truly owning their convictions surrounding alcohol use. This ownership can lead to changed action.

Underlying process is the opportunity for abstract, intangible ideas (think “Just say no”) to be more concrete. As ideas become more concrete they become more real. Then they have power to alter our perception.

It’s great to be working with you to promote meaningful, lasting change.

Send an email to andrewfrobinson@aweber.com to subscribe to future newsletters.

In the last few newsletters I’ve addressed how to slim down and optimize your content to maximize process and meaningful connection with adolescents. Now I’d like to put these key elements into a workable structure for you. In the next five newsletters I’ll explore in more depth the five phases I believe are crucial to the effectiveness and efficiency of your presentations: Introduction, Process, Synthesis, Motor, and Transition.

1. Introduction

The first phase is introduction. Your goal here is to have each teen “in the boat.” Simply put, you want to enter the next phase–process–with every teen operating at maximum engagement. We must answer the following key questions during this phase:

> What are we talking about?

> What’s expected of the teens?

> What are the ground rules?

> Why are we talking about this?

> How does this topic relate to the previous topics?

A good introduction will channel adolescents into the second and most important step–process.

2. Process

Process is to learning what digestion is to eating. It’s healthier to present adolescents with a light healthy snack of content–then allow time and freedom to interact with and take ownership of it. Only then will the content be relevant and actionable.

3. Synthesis

The third phase, synthesis, offers adolescents opportunity to make meaning of the process. The presenter or educator can facilitate synthesis by bundling together comments into likenesses, then reframing the main message after integrating the input from participants. This is a far cry from traditional approaches wherein we state our message in our terms, irrespective of the input adolescents give.

4. Motor

In the motor phase we address the all-important, oft-overlooked question: So what? How are the conclusions reached during synthesis supposed to influence teens’ decisions in the next twenty-four hours, seven days, six months? Help adolescents identify specific actions they will take based on their conclusions.

5. Transition

The fifth and final stage is the transition. Think of this as the pre-introduction to your next topic. Provide a sweeping summary of the conversation, highlighting the main points you and the teens identified. With this summary in place, you are ready to introduce the next topic.

I’m looking forward to discussing how to apply these five steps to boost the engagement and process in your work.

It’s great to be working with you to promote positive change in the lives of young people.

Best,

Andrew