New York City, January 2007 Appreciative Inquiry Events

Loretta Donovan loretta.donovan at GMAIL.COM
Sun Nov 26 10:13:43 PST 2006


Dear Colleagues and Friends,

New York AI Partners offers you the opportunity to kick-off 2007 with
Appreciative Inquiry in our home town of New York City.  These learning and
networking opportunities are an investment in your professional development
with long term dividends for you and your clients.  

1.     Appreciate Inquiry Foundations Course 

This in-depth, hands on, learn by doing course is designed for anyone
seeking a solid grounding in the theory and practice of Appreciative Inquiry
including managers, consultants, human resource professionals,
organizational and community facilitators — everyone involved with
minimizing resistance while achieving rapid change within human systems.

January 23, 24, 25

The Rockefeller University

1230 York Avenue at East 66th Street, New York City

Course Leaders:  Loretta Donovan, Denise Lalonde and Robyn Stratton-Berkessel


2.     David Cooperrider's New York workshop, Exploring New Frontier in
Applying Appreciative Inquiry, on Friday January 26th, is an interactive
session on the latest organizational interventions in various industries.   


This is a real bonus for you. The timing of both events coincides so imagine
how much more you will be able to take away from Cooperrider's workshop with
the comprehensive knowledge and experience of a solid Foundations Course
just behind you.  By registering for both the AI Foundations Course and
David Cooperrider's workshop you save $50 off the Early Bird and Regular fees.  

Important Dates for both the Appreciative Inquiry Foundations Course and
David Cooperrider’s Workshop:

Early Bird Fees until December 15, 2006

          Regular Fees from December 16, 2006 - January 10, 2007

Lodging is available at the Bentley Hotel, York Avenue and East 62nd Street,
at conference rates until December 15.  To reserve a room, contact the hotel
at 212-644-6000 or 888-664-6835, and request GROUP #125 for the conference
rate of $189, king or $209, double. Cancellations can be made without
penalty until December 27, 2006.

Please visit www.nyaipartners.com for secure online registration and further
information about the course, its benefits, typical participants, and what
they have said about the course.  

 -- 
Loretta L. Donovan
President
worksmarts
Strategic collaboration for business results

Co-owner, AI Consulting
www.aiconsulting.org

141-A Main Street
Tuckahoe NY 10707
loretta.donovan at gmail.com
tel: 914-779-3246
mobile: 914-309-3952

The great end of life is not knowledge but action.
~~ Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)

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>From  Mon Nov 27 14:00:14 2006
Message-Id: <MON.27.NOV.2006.140014.0100.>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:00:14 +0100
Reply-To: c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Catherine Pfaehler <c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch>
Organization: Catherine Pfaehler
Subject: AW: Proximity and Open Space after presentations
X-To: Joelle Lyons Everett <JLEShelton at aol.com>
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Joelle, Steve, Kerry, Harrison - thank you for this interesting thread! What
a beautiful story you share, Joelle. This direct asking would not have
happened if it hadn't been in Open Space and the person asking feeling safe
enough to ask. Creating this sense of "held open space" is our highest goal
and biggest job.

 

Love, Catherine

 

Catherine Pfaehler Senn

Open Space Begleitung & Coaching

Kellersriedweg 8

CH - 2503 Biel

+41-(0)32 - 365 68 41

c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch

 

  _____  

Von: Joelle Lyons Everett [mailto:JLEShelton at aol.com] 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 16. November 2006 21:09
Betreff: Re: Proximity and Open Space after presentations

 

Steve--

I read Catherine's sentence (What would the risks be if we opened space and
it wasn't certain to be safe?) somewhat differently than you did.  I thought
she was referring to a situation where the supposedly Open Space did not
feel safe for participants.

This is why seasoned OS facilitators stress the importance of prework with
the organization, getting to know the organization well enough to discover
whether top managers are prepared to be surprised, or whether they know in
advance what outcomes they will accept.

It is possible that opening space in an organization that is not really open
to it could damage my professional credibility and the reputation of Open
Space as a way of working.  But my first concern is that participants who
speak their own truth in Open Space will not be punished in some way for
that truth, and that participants not be asked for ideas which management
has no intention of using.

I opened space with one organization which was facing major restructuring,
and most of the participants felt that the meeting was just "for show," that
the decisions had already been made (which was not true, but I can see where
that feeling came from).  There were lots of conversations the first day,
but participants were very guarded, not much creative work.  At the
beginning of the second day, one of the participants addressed this issue
directly, requesting that one of the managers sit down with him and answer
the questions that were hanging unasked.

Most of the participants chose to be part of this conversation.  The
convenor was straightforward with his questions, but never attacking.  The
director, sitting on the floor in the circle, answered every question
honestly and without defensiveness.  Someone got a flipchart and made notes
of 
"What we know about our situation."  It was a beautiful piece of work.  I
sat on the sidelines and held space.  My only intervention came the night
before, when I refused the director's request to design a different type of
meeting for Day 2.  

The rest of the day, the emotional climate was entirely different.
Conversations were both lively and creative, and many expressed gratitude in
the closing circle for this opportunity.

In answer to your last question, Steve, you should not be fearful.  In fact,
courage is probably your most valuable contribution.  But sometimes Open
Space is not appropriate for the situation.  You will learn from experience,
so wade right in!

Joelle Everett
Sound Resources
Shelton, Washington, USA   

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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Joelle, Steve, Kerry,
Harrison – thank you for this interesting thread! What a beautiful story you
share, Joelle. This direct asking would not have happened if it hadn’t been in
Open Space and the person asking feeling safe enough to ask… Creating this
sense of “held open space” is our highest goal and biggest job.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Love, Catherine<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<div>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Catherine
Pfaehler Senn<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Open
Space Begleitung & Coaching<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Kellersriedweg
8<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>CH -
2503 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Biel</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>+41-(0)32
- 365 68 41<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>

<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>

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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Von:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Joelle Lyons
Everett [mailto:JLEShelton at aol.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Gesendet:</span></b> Donnerstag, 16. November
2006 21:09<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Betreff:</span></b> Re: Proximity and Open
Space after presentations</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Geneva><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Geneva;color:black'>Steve--<br>
<br>
I read Catherine's sentence (</span></font><font size=2 color=black face=Arial
FAMILY=SANSSERIF><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>What
would the risks be if we opened space and it wasn’t certain to be safe?) </span></font><font
size=2 color=black face=Geneva FAMILY=SANSSERIF><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Geneva;color:black'>somewhat differently than you did.  I
thought she was referring to a situation where the supposedly Open Space did not
feel safe for participants.<br>
<br>
This is why seasoned OS facilitators stress the importance of prework with the
organization, getting to know the organization well enough to discover whether
top managers are prepared to be surprised, or whether they know in advance what
outcomes they will accept.<br>
<br>
It is possible that opening space in an organization that is not really open to
it could damage my professional credibility and the reputation of Open Space as
a way of working.  But my first concern is that participants who speak
their own truth in Open Space will not be punished in some way for that truth,
and that participants not be asked for ideas which management has no intention
of using.<br>
<br>
I opened space with one organization which was facing major restructuring, and
most of the participants felt that the meeting was just "for show,"
that the decisions had already been made (which was not true, but I can see
where that feeling came from).  There were lots of conversations the first
day, but participants were very guarded, not much creative work.  At the
beginning of the second day, one of the participants addressed this issue
directly, requesting that one of the managers sit down with him and answer the
questions that were hanging unasked.<br>
<br>
Most of the participants chose to be part of this conversation.  The
convenor was straightforward with his questions, but never attacking.  The
director, sitting on the floor in the circle, answered every question honestly
and without defensiveness.  Someone got a flipchart and made notes of <br>
"What we know about our situation."  It was a beautiful piece of
work.  I sat on the sidelines and held space.  My only intervention
came the night before, when I refused the director's request to design a
different type of meeting for Day 2.  <br>
<br>
The rest of the day, the emotional climate was entirely different. 
Conversations were both lively and creative, and many expressed gratitude in
the closing circle for this opportunity.<br>
<br>
In answer to your last question, Steve, you should not be fearful.  In
fact, courage is probably your most valuable contribution.  But sometimes
Open Space is not appropriate for the situation.  You will learn from
experience, so wade right in!<br>
<br>
Joelle Everett<br>
Sound Resources<br>
Shelton, Washington, USA   </span></font><font face=Arial
FAMILY=SANSSERIF><span style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>* * ==========================================================
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To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
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