CURIOSITY IN ACTION.
It WORKS.
The Framework
The Pathway Conversations™ framework allows groups to iterate their way into their best possible shared future. It is an affordable and high engagement approach to planning and gatherings because it is exceptionally realistic. Because it promises to engage everyone’s gifts, it works every time.
The framework’s Learning, Assumptions, Questions, and Actions conversations move people from disconnection to connection, and from unproductive to productive work together.
The social architecture of Pathway Conversations™ is inspired by liberating structures like Open Space, The Art of Hosting, and Flawless Planning. Its origins as a framework began 20 years ago.
The Contexts
The Pathway Conversations™ framework makes it possible for groups of any size to remain optimally aligned and productive. The framework is not simply “one more thing to do” rather it is a way of reimagining and refocusing planning and gatherings.
The framework adapts strategic and scenario planning, project management, working committees, and program launches in organizations, and town halls, task forces, roundtables, grassroots campaigns, and volunteering in communities.
The Pathway Conversations™ model is based on Engaged Curiosity: A guide to realistic planning in organizations and communities
(2025, Jack Ricchiuto, Nuance Works).
The Pathway Conversations™ Framework and Architecture is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND
Framework In Action
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A university wanting to transform its unremarkable strategic planning process made it realistic, more innovative, engaging, and universally embraced.
A group of community change practitioners took a realistic planning approach to empower their work as guides in global contexts.
A health care foundation wanted to develop a long-range plan that would engage stakeholders in family medicine workforce development.
An urban sustainability network that wanted to inaugurate a series of collaborations immediately launched a variety of new self-organizing projects.
A community college's program and project managers made unprecedented engagement gains in an environment of uncertainty.
A building technology consulting company in a dynamic, competitive landscape leveraged realistic planning to leapfrog innovations in their markets.
A software development company took a realistic approach to scenario planning and created the strongest alignments ever between leaders and functions.
A new primary care practice used realistic planning to exceed first-year expectations in building patient and provider portfolios.
A faith community, needing to align in choosing its next leader, used realistic planning to unite diverse perspectives to be discerning in their shared decisions.