Whether we come together as facilitators, consultants, leaders or committed citizens, we need discussions that go beyond individual perspectives. Especially at a time when social, ecological, political and existential crises overlap, we need spaces that enable more than just the exchange of information: spaces where shared recognition and deeper understanding can emerge.

Especially in large settings, such as a one-day conference with 800 people, it may initially seem ambitious – or even impossible – to actually make collective intelligence audible and visible. And yet, it is precisely in such moments that a deeper form of listening is needed.

In dynamic, complex contexts, language and analysis alone quickly reach their limits.
We feel: There is something in the room. – but we cannot (yet) name it.
We sense meaning – yet it eludes linear thinking.
And we are not outside observers. We are co-creators of what wants to come into being.

These are the qualities of liminal spaces – threshold spaces between what no longer holds and what is not yet visible or expressible. In such situations, it is not about quick answers. It is about listening together: What wants to be revealed?

In this context, collective harvesting is more than just taking notes. It is a practice of deep attention – attentively revealing the invisible threads that connect individuals to a larger whole. It is an invitation to the intelligence of the group to express itself – even if no one alone knows the whole picture.
It is about making collective knowledge conceivable. Together.

What makes harvesting possible in complex situations

When we work with large groups – such as at the conference mentioned at the beginning with 800 participants – it is easy to lose sight of what is actually important. The sheer volume of words, impressions, opinions and emotions can quickly become overwhelming.

But beneath the surface of every group interaction – large or small – there are deeper threads: patterns of meaning, moments of clarity, quiet insights waiting to be noticed.

To reap means to listen differently. Not just to record what is said, but to tune in to what wants to reveal itself.
It is a practice of collective meaning-making – not extracting answers, but delicately accompanying the unfolding meaning.

This is particularly important in complex and dynamic contexts. Complexity cannot be „solved“ – it invites us to see things differently.
Feeling differently what is present.
And to give form to that which is still formless.

From noise to resonance – listening intentionally

Our briefing with the twelve-member conference team began with a shared insight and basic assumption:

„When working with groups, teams or organisations, we often encounter complex processes for which there are not (yet) any clear words.“

Harvesting – whether through language, visualisation, poetry, music or other forms of expression – is one possible response to this challenge. It does not attempt to simplify complexity, but rather to make it habitable.

By giving shape to what we feel – and by filtering out what really resonates from the noise of conversation – we create common points of reference: collective anchors for meaning and significance.

Harvesting briefing – Focus on the essentials

So we invited the conference team of the day to listen and reap the rewards:

1. Capturing the essence of lectures
   What is the core message behind the words?
   Which sentence, which image, which feeling stays with you?
   Don't take notes – distil. Three to five key points are often enough.
2. Listen carefully in group discussions
   What will be into the room spoken?
   What matters to people – not only in terms of content, but also in terms of tone and urgency?
   Capture short, lively phrases or topics. Keep it light, keep it real.
3. When someone brings the room together with a closing thought
   What is the field of perception in the room while she or he is speaking?
   Which threads or images are interwoven?
   Write down the essence – not the summary.
4. Pay attention to POA: Patterns – Outliers – Absences
   What keeps coming up?
   What surprises you or adds excitement to the game?
   What is not being said – but could be significant?

Three members of the team accompanied the events throughout the day and recorded key contributions in writing. These notes and impressions were later incorporated into a visual harvest, which was shared with the participants at various points – as a mirror, as an invitation to further reflection, as a collective snapshot.

More than a method – an inner attitude

Harvesting is not merely a method. It is an attitude and a practice. It requires curiosity, presence and a keen sense of what between the lines lives. It invites us to step out of the urge to „understand“ things immediately – and instead ask questions such as:

• What would you like to see here?
• What do we know together that none of us knows alone?
• What meaning quietly develops between us?
• What enables smarter, more coherent action – especially from this Group out?

In this way, collective harvesting becomes a form of joint research – a practice of listening to what is possible. It helps groups to orient themselves in complexity – not through simplification, but through images, patterns and language that they can hold on to.

Listening that enables the future

In my role as Lead Harvester – reflecting on the practice of that day – one thought kept coming back to me:

Collective harvesting does not eliminate uncertainty – but it makes it bearable.

What if that is exactly what we need more of in these times?
Not the illusion of perfect clarity – but shared orientation.
Not quick fixes – but deeper listening. Listening that allows answers to take shape between us – supported by what we feel, know, recognise and create together.

And how is it with you?

Where and how do you practise collective listening or harvesting – consciously or more intuitively? What helps you to reveal the essentials in complex group processes?