Note from Joost about AI Co-Creation:
This article was created in dialogue with my co-creative AI sparring partner. It started with my personal reflections from the week. The AI helped identify a relevant theme, asked targeted questions to deepen the insights, and then drafted this piece using my input and answers.
While the AI structured and drafted the text based on our interaction, the core ideas, experiences, and insights are mine. I've edited the result carefully to ensure it accurately reflects my voice, perspective, and intent, turning raw reflection into a shareable 'field note'.
My aim remains to foster an environment where we can learn together, and to embrace curiosity about these new ways of working and the insights they can help surface.
The echo button: how strategic prep made the AI prompt click
It’s one thing to design an AI interaction, and another to witness it truly land with a group. This past week, during a live session for a mental healthcare network transformation in a Dutch province, I experienced one of those "wow" moments. We were working with Dembrane, our AI partner for capturing and synthesizing dialogues, and a feature we call the "echo button" led to a genuinely inspiring group reaction. It wasn't just about the tech; it was about the synergy between human facilitation, participant vulnerability, and a strategically prepared AI prompt.
Setting the stage: a dialogue with depth
The session involved a dedicated talk group, expertly guided by a facilitator, Jeroen. He has a real knack for drawing people out, asking clarifying questions like, "Can you say a bit more about that?" whenever someone shared a keyword or a concise thought that he sensed could add more value. This created an atmosphere where people felt heard, leading to a rich and meaningful dialogue. Adding to this depth was an expert by experience, Franky, who shared his perspectives with great vulnerability.
As the Dembrane analysis later confirmed, their conversation just before the "echo" moment centered on some crucial tensions:
- The strain between systemic requirements and a human-centered approach.
- The need for space to explore new ways of working without an immediate, relentless focus on predefined results.
- The search for balance between professional frameworks and informal support.
- The desire for transformation that wasn't primarily driven by budget cuts.
Their implicit goal, as Dembrane helped clarify, was to find "ways to realize transformation without systemic demands and budget cuts overshadowing the human dimension." I was observing this unfold, managing the Dembrane input from my laptop, somewhat removed from the immediate facilitation but deeply engaged in the content.
The "echo button" moment
At a certain point, Jeroen consciously chose to press the "echo button." Behind this button, I had prepared a prompt for our AI partner, designed to do two things: reflect back a synthesis of what had been discussed and pose a question to fuel the next round of conversations with other groups.
The question generated by the AI, based on their preceding dialogue, was:
"Gezien de uitdagingen die jullie beschrijven, lijkt het cruciaal om te beginnen met kleine haalbare stappen die direct impact hebben in de wijk. Kunnen we een voorbeeld bedenken van zo'n concrete actie die we morgen al zouden kunnen starten, zonder dat we vastlopen in systeemeisen?"
(In English: "Given the challenges you describe, it seems crucial to start with small, feasible steps that have a direct impact in the neighborhood. Can we think of an example of such a concrete action that we could start tomorrow, without getting bogged down in systemic requirements?")
The Dembrane analysis highlighted how perfectly this question connected: "small feasible steps" resonated with the need for space for new working methods, "without getting bogged down in systemic requirements" directly addressed the system-versus-human tension, and "direct impact in the neighborhood" brought in a focus on tangible results for people.
The group's reaction was immediate and palpable. As Dembrane captured:
- "Dit is wel mooi" (This is quite beautiful)
- "Dat is de welbekende, hoe gaan we morgen starten met iets kleins?" (That's the well-known, how do we start something small tomorrow?)
- "Mooi gedaan!" (Nicely done!)
- "Ja, dat is het" (Yes, that's it)
From my vantage point, I saw what I can only describe as mouths falling open. It was a moment where, I believe, people suddenly saw the profound potential of working this way when it's applied thoughtfully. It worked because Jeroen felt the freedom and the right moment to use it, and the prompt delivered something that the group instantly recognized as highly relevant to their conversation. "Ah yes," they seemed to think, "this is spot on."
Strategic prep meets live impact: a personal reflection
This experience also shed light on my own role. I find the strategic, preparatory work – like designing these prompts – incredibly engaging, more so than the live operational side of checking if the AI is capturing everything correctly. This "echo button" moment was a powerful affirmation of the value of that strategic preparation.
However, it also underscored that I can only truly witness and learn from these impactful moments if I am present and involved in the live work, even if it's in an observational or support capacity. It’s pushing me to think even more deeply about the purpose of such AI interventions in a live dialogue. What exactly do I hope to achieve when that button is pressed? This experience has certainly laid that question bare in a very stimulating way.
Key takeaways for fellow facilitators
Reflecting on this, a few thoughts emerge that might be useful for other facilitators looking to work with AI in similar ways:
- Human facilitation remains paramount: The success of this AI intervention was built on a foundation of excellent human facilitation. Jeroen created the safe space and the quality of dialogue that allowed the AI's contribution to shine. AI, for now, is a powerful partner, not a replacement for nuanced human interaction.
- Understand the "train of thought": When designing prompts or AI interactions, it's crucial to deeply consider the mental space of the participants. Where are they in their conversation? What are their underlying needs and concerns? The more attuned the AI's input is to this, the more impactful it will be.
- Clarify your intention: What do you want the AI's output to do?
- Is it to provide recognition of what's been said?
- Is it to offer inspiration or a new perspective?
- Is it to trigger deeper reflection or a specific next step?
- Is it purely to stimulate ownership over the synthesized content?
These are fascinating questions to explore.
This "echo button" moment was a small but significant reminder that when we thoughtfully combine human-centered facilitation with strategically designed AI contributions, we can unlock new levels of engagement and insight in our group processes. It’s not about AI taking over; it’s about AI helping us to be more effective, reflective, and perhaps even a little bit magical in our work.