<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2">Raffi--<BR>
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Your position in starting a consulting business is a lot better than mine was, 20+ years ago. I had a couple of years work experience, counting summer jobs, 15 years out of the work world being home with my four children. No management experience outside my home. A degree in English, a certificate for the study of facilitating Creative Problem Solving, and a graduate-level program in organizational change.<BR>
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I stuck to things I knew about, creative problem solving, communication skills, planning skills. I found I had some abilities for facilitation and event design. I have never pretended to have any expertise in the financial and budgeting area of management. My general purpose, in my consulting work, was to help move organizations in the direction of opening decision-making processes to everyone in the organization, and tapping the wealth of creativity and experience that were there. <BR>
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After about ten years, I discovered Open Space, and it felt much more powerful than the methods I had been working with. I've gradually used it more and more with client organizations, but I still offer them the choice of other ways of working, and sometimes combine Open Space with other modes.<BR>
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When I was getting started, I found that I could get experience that I wanted and needed by volunteering my services to a nonprofit organization, to do something that I wanted experience in. Some of these volunteer assignments also led to paying work--a member of a board I had worked with might invite me to work with the board of another organization.<BR>
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If you think about the work you've done over the past few years, I'm sure you will find that you have done a variety of management tasks, perhaps without having any managerial title. You can find a way to include these on your consulting resume. <BR>
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The managers I work with know far more about their business than I will ever know. And many of them are expert and successful as managers (its usually the good ones who want their organization to be even better). I bring my expertise about supporting organizations while they change, and about facilitating meetings which help move that forward. You have a lot of experience in helping people come together and think about how to make their lives better, often under the most difficult and painful conditions. And this experience will stand you in good stead in working with other organizations as well.<BR>
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Good luck! <BR>
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Joelle Everett</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2"></FONT></HTML>
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