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Conversation-in-a-Box

You probably talk to your friends, family, neighbors or co-workers about decisions made in your community or in Greater Kansas City every day. Wouldn't it be great to have those comments go directly to people who are making the decisions?

When you use Imagine KC's Conversation-in-a-Box, they will. Your comments will help determine our region's goals for the future. Now is the time to talk!

What it is

The Conversation-in-a-Box is a kit that will guide you through a discussion with others in your community about the vision for a sustainable future for the Kansas City region. The kit includes three main pieces:

  1. A discussion guide
  2. A flexible agenda
  3. A response form

There are also two optional, supplementary pieces: a glossary and an additional questions document that you can use for reference or if you want to answer more in-depth questions.

What's the point?

The feedback from the conversation you hold will be used to validate, redefine and add detail to our region’s strategic goals, which will be communicated to local elected officials, planners and community leaders. This is a chance for you to tell our leaders what Greater Kansas City should accomplish by the year 2040.

I want to do it!

Please note: The deadline for submitting feedback from conversations is May 31, 2009.

The kit

Download the full Conversation-in-a-Box discussion guide
(The file will open in PDF format)

Browse through the kit:


Invitations

You can download and print the invitations below and send them to friends, co-workers, neighbors or anyone else you want to invite to your conversation. Click on the images to download.

Letter size
(#10 envelope)		 Letter size (half-page)Postcard size
(Avery 5899 or 8386)
#10 envelope invitation Half page invitation Postcard-size invitation

You can also send an e-mail version by following these steps:

  1. Click here (another window will open in your browser)
  2. Click once inside the new window and hit CTRL+A, release, then hit CTRL+C
  3. Open your e-mail client (such as Gmail) and create a blank message
  4. Click inside the body of the e-mail and hit CTRL+V. The postcard image will paste into the body of the e-mail
  5. Add a message about the time and date of your discussion, and send to your contacts list

Conversation tips

Allowing people to express themselves in their own ways and making sure everyone participates can be challenging. Here are some guidelines that will help ensure a productive discussion:

Role of the discussion leader:

  • Guide your group through the agenda
  • Help your group make necessary decisions
  • Make sure everyone participates
  • Make sure all ideas are heard and considered
  • Maintain friendly and casual atmosphere
  • Assist group members with any communication difficulties
  • Keep your group working toward its goal
  • Help members accept constructive criticism of their ideas
  • Help members build on others' ideas
  • Encourage cooperative rather than individual effort

The discussion leader should not:

  • Presume that he or she knows more about the topic than other members
  • Attempt to get the group to accept a particular idea
  • Teach or preach
  • Dominate the discussion

Ground rules suggestions:

Check the discussion guide for three sample, basic ground rules.

  • Let’s respect each other
  • It’s OK to disagree
  • Listen to others
  • Everyone participates — no one dominates
  • All ideas are good ideas
  • Stick to the agenda
  • Keep an open mind

More facilitation resources:

Corporation for National & Community Service

Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership

University of Missouri Extension, A Plan for a Small Group Discussion

Not Another Meeting!: A Practical Guide for Facilitating Effective Meetings