MITx u.

lab 1x: HUB HOST GUIDE

U.LAB: LEADING FROM THE EMERGING FUTURE

HUB HOST GUIDE

Dear Hub Host,
This short summary of the extended hub host guide is designed to support your efforts in
organizing hubs during u.lab.
There are many different layers to the u.lab hub hosting experience. From ensuring that the
hosting team is well prepared (across head, heart and hand) and able to facilitate a group of
people, to the logistics and ability to host a conversation space that is constantly evolving.
This guide was co-created by many people and the entire guide draws from the collective
experience of hub hosts around the world.
You can reach us at ulabhubhosts@presencing.com

WHAT IS A HUB?
INTRODUCTION
In u.lab, we believe in learning by doing which means that it is not enough to learn new concepts
intellectually; the real learning happens through application and practice in the real world.
A hub is any physical space where u.lab participants come together to learn and co-create, using
the frameworks and methods offered through the u.lab MOOC. In that sense, hubs help people
translate insights into action and co-create with others. The physical space enhances the typical
MOOC experience by providing group support for self-organized learning and co-creation. At a
local level, hubs can help connect people around common interests. At a global level, the various
hubs from around the world will be part of a network that exchanges insights, experiences, and
knowledge.
A hub can also be virtual. In the past we have seen examples of participants gathering online, in
virtual meetings, around a theme they all care about. This offers a different quality of being
together, and can still deepen the learning and increase the sense of being in it together.

SIZE AND LOCATION

Hubs can be almost any size: five friends in a living room, ten co-workers in a meeting room, 100
people gathered in a local community center or university. Similarly, hubs can be anywhere. During
u.lab in September 2015, over 350 hubs formed all across the world, from northern Canada to
South Africa and China. Hubs exist wherever u.lab participants choose to come together in the
context of this course.
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HOW OFTEN TO MEET

This is entirely up to you and the hub participants. There are many ways to organize a hub.
Every context is different. Here are some options to help you shape your own hosting experience.
1. Host only the Live Sessions
Some hubs convene on the four Thursdays of the live sessions (lasting approx. 1.5 hours).
Others chose to convene on another, more suitable day or time to watch the recorded version of
the live sessions, which is typically made available within a few hours after the conclusion of the
live broadcast. We encourage hubs to make time for conversation before and after the live session.
2. Meet weekly during u.lab
Some hubs convene every week during the course. During the weeks when there is no live
session, these hubs may use the time to reflect on course materials or engage in other possible
activities such as:
Coaching circles

Dialogue walks

Sensing journeys

Social Presencing Theater (SPT) practices

Prototyping activities

These activities will be described in detail and instructions will be given during the u.lab
course itself.
3. Meet weekly during u.lab and continue meeting afterwards
Some hubs continue to meet after u.lab ends: to further develop prototypes, continue the coaching
circles, deepen their SPT and/or awareness practices, etc.

HOSTING A HUB
To be a hub host, you may want to think about the following:

Forming a hosting team

Formulating an intention for your hub and the invitation for the community

Organizing a physical space to meet

High-level planning for the coming weeks/months

FORM A HOSTING TEAM

When you decide to host a hub, its often helpful to invite others to do this with you. In our
experience, it is often easier if you divide and share hosting responsibilities between 2-5 people. In
some hubs the participants agree at the outset to rotate leadership during the journey.
Take the time to explore as a team:
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What is the (time) commitment each of you can give, what are your individual intentions for
this hub, what are your needs/strengths/worries, etc.

Who wants to take on what role?

As a hub host, the key roles might include:

Convening, organizing logistics (dates/times, technology, refreshments, snacks, etc.)

Communication: writing invitation, communicating with hub participants...

Harvesting: documenting your process and outcomes

Hosting/facilitation of the meetings

Also explore what everyone's individual intention is for participating in u.lab and in the hosting
team.

FORMULATE AN INTENTION FOR YOUR HUB & INVITATION FOR

COMMUNITY
Intention: Set the hub's intention, i.e. Why are we doing this? with your hosting team.
Invitation: Outline as clearly as possible what you are offering, and what people are being invited
into (the hub's intention). Add where the meetings will take place, when, who else may be
participating, what they can expect (or not). You can also direct them to the online u.lab
introductory videos and registration page. Please note: each person in your hub should register
individually for u.lab on the edX platform.

ORGANISE A PHYSICAL SPACE TO MEET

Make sure the place where you meet is suitable in size and access, and free from disturbing
outside interference or noise. Should you wish to stream the live sessions, check whether the
Internet connection is strong and reliable and that you have the necessary equipment (e.g.
projector, screen, sound) for everyone to be able to see and hear the live session.

HIGH LEVEL PLANNING

Throughout the online learning process, hubs go through the different phases of the U. The 1x
syllabus can help you plan your hub meetings accordingly.
Co-initiating phase: When you first gather, create the conditions (time, space, etc.) that allow
people to get to know each other. At this stage, hub participants may find it helpful to share their
individual intentions and questions for the upcoming u.lab journey. We also recommend exploring
whether a collective or shared intention(s) exists, or could be developed. Some participants may
join simply to learn and observe alongside peers.
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Co-sensing phase: Participants will be invited to go to the 'edges' of a system of their choice and
apply deep listening and sensing practices. You could organize activities such as learning journeys,
stakeholder interviews, or shadowing practices (see the syllabus for more detail). Perhaps
emphasize that these activities are not necessarily to gather factual data, but rather 'deep data': an
experience of the system from the perspective of various actors within it. Then, since everyone in
your hub will be applying similar practices though not necessarily on the same challenge, issue,
or system the hub can be a place for people to come back, share and make sense of what they
have experienced with others.
Presencing phase: This will probably be the phase that feels the most unfamiliar to your
participants, particularly when they are eager to jump to solutions and implementing ideas. After
having leaned into the challenge or system in question, and having deeply explored the field and
reality that your participants are dealing with, this is a time to practice letting go and allowing the
deeper sources of knowing to emerge. In addition to creating this space in your hub for stillness
practice, journaling, and reflection, you might also want to take some time to explore what this
phase requires.
Feeling into the questions "Who am I?" and "What is my work?" is essential here, as well as
creating a safe space in which people feel they can surrender to and trust the process. What is this
reality calling on them to be and/or do? What action is required from them, and where
might they need to let go and leave room for things to unfold?
Crystallizing phase: This is the time to help each other crystallize what has come to the surface.
Because presencing is the act of connecting to source, participants may feel that what arises for
them is not yet all that concrete and relatively divergent. The crystallizing phase serves to collect
the gems from the presencing phase, reconnect to your intention, and formulate the required next
steps to manifest the future you want to create. To that end, you can host practices for participants
to get clear on what their next steps might be, such as dialogue walks, 3D-mapping, sculpting,
journaling, or SPT practices.
Prototyping phase: Now that next steps are materializing, take small actions to generate feedback
on your ideas. You can facilitate 0.8 prototyping by first creating space for participants work on their
prototypes. You could facilitate methods for generating feedback on prototypes in your hub, for
instance by hosting a prototype market, creating role-plays, or using 3D-mapping to make visual
representations of ideas in your hub.
After u.lab - Co-evolving your prototyping process: continue the iterative process of next steps,
feedback from the system and the universe, next iteration, etc. As a hosting team, you can
continue to offer space and time for sharing and learning, keeping participants connected to their
intention, and co-evolving the prototyping activities.
Still have questions? Have a look at the extended hub host guide for much more detail!
-u.lab team