Midwest Facilitation Network
(http://www.midwest-facilitators.net)
34th Midwest Facilitation Conference
Friday, May 7, 2004
8:00am to 5:00pm
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Catalyst Ranch
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| 8:00 - 8:10 | Arrival, Continental Breakfast, Registration, Networking |
| 8:10 - 8:15 | Conference Kickoff |
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SESSION 1 8:30am |
"A
Facilitator's Vision" AND |
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10:00am
to 10:15am |
Break, Networking, Etc. |
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TANDEM 2A |
"Create
the Future Work Session" The world is changing. Uncertainty is high. Thoughtful and informed preparation is key. With heavy information and work overload, it is difficult for business leaders to take the necessary step back to look forward and plan for the future. The purpose of this session is to create the optimum conditions to examine and plan for the future of your business. |
| TANDEM 2B 10:15am to 12:15pm |
"Group
Decision Making: Getting the Group Unstuck!" Have you been part of - or observed - a group that is stuck? Have you facilitated a group that isn't moving forward as quickly as it could? Learn some easy-to-use concepts and techniques to help groups - any kind of group - make decisions efficiently and effectively. |
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to 1:15pm |
Lunch, Networking, Etc. |
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TANDEM 3A
1:15pm to 3:00pm |
"Certification:
Moving to a Higher Level - Certified Master Facilitator (CMF) Program"
In this workshop, a board member from the National Institute for Facilitation will reveal what the research survey said about outstanding facilitated sessions and will show you how to determine if you have what it takes to be a Certified Master Facilitator. |
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1:15pm to 3:00pm |
"Enhancing
Productivity by Providing a Creatively Stimulating Environment" This workshop will explore the importance environment plays in eliciting more from participants and employees and how environment can make or break a meeting. We will discuss how each of the five senses can be engaged throughout the meeting in such a way that the participant is more invested in the meeting and its results. |
|
3:00pm
to 3:15pm |
Break, Networking, Etc. |
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3:15pm to 5:00pm |
"Consultative
Selling from the Inside and Outside" |
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TANDEM 4B
3:15pm to 5:00pm |
"Innovations
in Appreciative Inquiry" This session will focus on one of the innovations of Appreciative Inquiry - The Appreciative Inquiry Summit Meeting. It will provide participants an understanding of the AI Summit methodology and highlight a unique application at U.S. Cellular involving over 2000 participants. |
| 5:00 | Wrap Up, Door Prizes, Adjourn |
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For This Conference 
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The Facilities for the 34th Midwest Facilitation Conference are provided by Catalyst Ranch (known as Chicago's most unconventional meeting space), 656 W Randolph - Suite 3-W, Chicago, Illinois 60661, http://www.catalystranch.com | |
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Since 1993, Nightingale-Conant (Niles, Illinois) has been a most significant contributing sponsor to MFN providing the vast majority of door prizes. Nightingale-Conant is the largest producer and distributor of instructional and motivational audio and video tapes for Personal and Business Development, Wealth Building, Sales, Mind Technology, Health & Wellness and Spiritual Growth. Nightingale-Conant also provides Coaching Services and has a full-service Speakers' Bureau. Please visit their website at: http://www.nightingale.com | |
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Since 1993, University Associates, has been another significant sponsor and supporter of MFN activities, providing products and a number of high-value door prizes, such as tuition-free seats in their workshops. Please visit their website at: http://www.universityassociates.com | |
| Conference Fees |
Now accepting all major credit cards: (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover/Novus, Diner's Club)
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| 5 Ways to Register | Click
Here to go to Registration Information Page
Phone: (773)-463-2288 - During the recording press the "2" key. Please announce 'MFN Conference Registration', your company name, and the name, phone # and payment information of each registrant. Fax: (773)-463-9322 - Fax completed registration form with payment information for each registrant. E-Mail: register@midwest-facilitators.net - E-mail completed registration form with payment information and subject: 'MFN Conference Registration'. Snail-mail: Mail completed registration form with payment information to: MFN c/o Jordan-Webb, 2656 W Montrose Ave, Suite 110, Chicago, IL 60618. On-Site: Registration and payment ($119.00) on-site is
subject to availability. No guarantee without pre-registration. |
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| On-line Information | Chicago, IL Information Websites:
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| Meals | Continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack
are included in the Conference fee.
Participants with special dietary needs contact David De Witt: david.dewitt@dsc-logistics.com |
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| Dress Code | Business Casual. | |
| Lodging |
Participants are responsible for arranging their own lodging. There are many options available. For a wider selection of hotels: Click here for the Catalyst Ranch website's hotel list. |
|
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Hotel Allegro Chicago |
Hotel Burnham 1 W Washington St (312)-782-1111 or (877)-294-9712 http://www.burnhamhotel.com |
Rodeway Inn Mid-City Plaza 1 S Halsted (312)-829-5000 http://www.qualityinn.com |
| W Chicago City Center 172 W Adams (312)-332-1200 or (800)-621-2360 http://www.starwood.com/whotels |
Palmer House Hilton 17 E Monroe (312)-726-7500 or (800)-445-8667 http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=CHIPHHH |
House of Blues Hotel - Chicago 333 N Dearborn (312)-245-0333 or (800)-235-6397 http://www.loewshotels.com/hotels/Chicago |
| 656 W Randolph Building Security | Dial 300 to be buzzed in | |
| Travel |
Catalyst Ranch (known as Chicago's most unconventional meeting
space) is located just west of the Chicago's Downtown Loop in the
area known as the Haymarket Square District. There are plenty of public transportation options available. Car pool! Use your network! Call if you need help. We will help people who can offer a ride or who are in need of a ride to make contact with each other. |
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| Driving | ||
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From Chicago via I-90/94/57/294 (Kennedy or Dan Ryan Expressways) |
From the North - a) Take I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) southbound
to Washington St exit; b) continue eastbound on Washington; proceed
as (7-a) below. |
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From Chicago via US 41 (Lake Shore Drive) |
From the North - a) Take Lake Shore Drive (US 41) southbound
to Randolph St Exit; b) continue westbound on Randolph to Jefferson
St; c) turn right (northbound) to parking lots on Jefferson &
Randolph; proceed as (7-b) below. |
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From Chicagoland (north/northwest), O'Hare Airport, Wisconsin, points north via I-90/94/294 |
a) Take I-90 Kennedy Expressway or I-94 Edens Expressway southbound to I-90/94 Junction; b) proceed as (1-a) above. | |
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From Midway Airport, Chicagoland (south/southwest), points south via I-55 |
a) Take Cicero Ave (Illinois Route 50) northbound to I-55 (Stevenson Expressway); b) take I-55 northbound to junction with I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway); c) take I-90/94 northbound to Washington Street Exit; d) proceed as in (1-b) above. | |
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From Iowa and points west via I-290 and I-88 |
a) Take I-88 (East-West Tollway) eastbound to junction with I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway); b) take I-290 eastbound to junction with I-90/94 in downtown Chicago; c) proceed as in (1-f) above. | |
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From Iowa and points west via I-80 |
a) Take I-80 eastbound to I-55; b) take I-55 then proceed as in (4-b) above. | |
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(7)
Parking |
Driving eastbound on Washington: a) Driving eastbound
on Washington, there are two "Park 1" parking lots on
the NE corner and NW corner of Washington and Des Plaines Sts; $10 (in
by 8am) or $11 for all day; b) walk north on Des Plaines or Jefferson
to Randolph; c) walk west on Randolph to Catalyst Ranch
(just before I-90/94 bridge) at 656 W Randolph and dial 300 to be buzzed
in. Driving westbound on Randolph: e) Driving westbound on
Randolph, there is a "Public Parking" lot at 116 N Jefferson;
$10 (in by 8am) or $11 for all day and a "Park" lot on
the NW corner of Randolph and Jefferson; $11 for all day; proceed as (7-c)
above. |
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| Public Transit | ||
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(8)
Commuting From Chicago |
a) Take Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) L-Subway Trains
downtown; Blue/Red Lines to Clark & Lake Station; Red Line to Washington
Station; Green Line to Clinton Station; Orange/Brown Lines to Washington
Station; walk to Randolph then proceed as in (1-e) above. b) Take METRA Trains to La Salle Street Station, Union Station (also AMTRAK), Oglvie Transportation Center or METRA Electric/South Shore Station. Short walk North to Randolph St and proceed as in (1-e) above. c) CTA Bus routes on Randolph St, Halsted St, etc. |
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(9)
Commuting from other suburbs |
For public transportation information please contact:
Public Transit Information:
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| Air or Rail Travel | ||
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(10)
Travel By Air |
Take commercial flights into Chicago's O'Hare or Midway Airports. Rent a car and proceed as in (3) or (4) above, or take CTA Blue or Orange Line Trains downtown and proceed as (8-a) above. |
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(11)
Travel By Rail |
Take Amtrak Trains into Chicago's Union Station. Rent a car and proceed as in (1) above; or for public transportation from Union Station, take the CTA Blue Line train westbound towards Forrest Park from the Clinton Street station and proceed as in (8-b) above. | |
Friday, May 7, 2004
|
"A Facilitator's
Vision" |
Where is our industry going? What does success look like ten to fifteen years out? What is the role each facilitator can play in bringing about this vision? How do we move from being viewed as meeting managers who are expendable when the economy goes bad, to being seen as leaders in group dynamics and an essential ingredient in an organization's success? In this keynote address, Michael Wilkinson, one of the leaders in our industry, will give his view on where our industry is going, what our industry can become and the things each of us can do to lead the way.
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"Certification:
Moving to a Higher Level: |
Do you have what it takes to be a Certified Master Facilitator? In May, 2003, over 450 facilitators and clients participated in a research survey to first define the characteristics of an outstanding facilitated session, and then to identify the skills and abilities that a facilitator must have to lead such sessions. From this research has come the Certified Master Facilitator (CMF) program, a designation created by the National Institute for Facilitation (www.nifac.org). The CMF sets a high standard and establishes a level of excellence to which facilitators can aspire. The program provides a rigorous process for assessing advanced mastery in facilitation and for ensuring a depth of knowledge and facilitation experience. In this workshop, a board member from the National Institute for Facilitation will reveal what the research survey said about outstanding facilitated sessions and will show you how to determine if you have what it takes to be a Certified Master Facilitator.
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Michael Wilkinson |
Michael Wilkinson is the Managing Director for Leadership Strategies, a firm that specializes in providing organizations with professional facilitators to lead executive retreats and task forces through strategic planning, process improvement, information needs analysis, and issue resolution. He is the author of the firm's highly acclaimed course, The Effective Facilitator. He is also the principal author of From Management to Leadership, Strategies for Managing Client Relationships, The Effective Consultant, and Strategic Planning. Mr. Wilkinson is one of the nation's leaders in the facilitation industry. He is a Board member of the National Institute for Facilitation and founder of the National Facilitator Database. He has been awarded both the Certified Professional Facilitator and the Certified Master Facilitator designations for experience and demonstrated expertise in facilitation. In December, 2003 he was named Facilitator of the Year by the Southeast Association of Facilitators for achievement and contributions to the field. His client experience covers a wide range of public and private sector organizations, including such organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, KPMG Peat Marwick and The United Way of America. Mr. Wilkinson is a much sought after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both nationally and internationally. He has completed international assignments in Bangkok, Brisbane, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Singapore and Sydney. Prior to Leadership Strategies, Mr. Wilkinson spent eight years in the information technology practice of Ernst & Young's Management Consulting Group. He has been a certified data processor and was selected by the Governor of Georgia to serve for three terms on his twelve-member Information Technology Policy Council.
For more information visit: http://www.leadstrat.com, http://nifac.org, http://nfdb.com, http://www.seaf.org
|
"Create the Future
Work Session" |
Looking to shake up your meetings? Trying to find a way to keep your sessions energetic and vibrant? This workshop will explore the importance environment plays in eliciting more from participants and employees and how environment can make or break a meeting. We will discuss how each of the five senses can be engaged throughout the meeting in such a way that the participant is more invested in the meeting and its results. We will arm you with tools and ideas for transforming even the most boring, staid hotel conference room into a space that will exponentially increase the results of each and every meeting you facilitate. In the second portion of the workshop, we will talk about how to maintain the momentum of the environment you've created and keep your participants engaged every step of the way. We will explore the power of icebreaker, energizer and creativity exercises and go through a range of examples. And to make sure that you feel comfortable adding them to your repertoire, we'll practice them in the session and have some fun.
|
Marion Cook |
Marian Cook is a futurist, strategist, business executive and speaker. She is the President and CEO of Ageos Enterprises (Chicago, Denver), a business and technology consulting firm that helps clients find innovative ways to drive profitable growth. She began her career with 8 years at IBM as a systems engineer and strategist. She held leadership positions at 3 consulting firms before starting her own in 2000. Her leadership has most recently been recognized by the Influential Woman in Business Award presented by The National Association of Women Business Owners / Chicago, as one of The Top 100 People of Chicago's High Tech Community by I-Street magazine, and as a "Woman in Black" Award winner for leadership in the technology and business community. Currently, she is a Subject Matter Expert Editor for McGraw-Hill on how to run professional services organizations. She has been quoted in Crain's, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Business Ledger, Information Week and I-Street. Ms. Cook was appointed to Chicago's Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors and serves on many boards. She is on the team creating the "Future Learning Environment" exhibit for the 2004 Architecture Show at The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Field Museum's Council of Africa.
For more information visit: http://www.ageos1.com
|
"Group Decision
Making - Getting the Group Unstuck!" |
Have you been part of - or observed - a group that is stuck? Have you facilitated a group that isn't moving forward as quickly as it could? Learn some easy-to-use concepts and techniques to help groups - any kind of group - make decisions efficiently and effectively.In this session you will:
|
Kristin Aikin |
Kristin Aikin is a management training consultant, team coach,
and facilitator with a B.S. from Northwestern University and a M.S.M. in Organizational
Communication & Training from the Daniels College of Business at the University
of Denver. She is an expert at transitioning management groups into high performing
teams. She is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Training
and Development (CCASTD) and serves as a consultant and instructor for the
corporate training division of Outward Bound (Outward Bound Professional),
the Corporate Learning Institute and Partners for Productivity. Kristin is
an adjunct faculty for the Daniels College of Business and the Colorado Mountain
College. Kristin has consulted with clients in team and leadership development,
effective communication, conflict resolution, strategic thinking, managing
change, job interviewing, and 'train the trainer'. Her approach is personable,
professional, and focused on the quality and impact of the learning experience
and the outcomes. Kristin is qualified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,
FIRO- B and DiSC, and she maximizes the relevancy of these tools by incorporating
engaging experiential learning techniques resulting in higher work performance
and increased self-awareness and team esteem. Kristin is certified in low
and high ropes courses and rock climbing. She is fluent in Spanish and has
spent 10 years in experiential education, instruction and group and team facilitation.
Amy L. Riley, MSTD is a highly energetic consultant who helps clients meet their specific performance goals. She specializes in training and development consultation and facilitation, and she has experience working with a variety of organizational types including retail, manufacturing, software, technical services, healthcare, and financial services. Amy is successful because she is pragmatic, action-oriented, and listens intently to provide customized activities that fit the people and the situation, and are therefore, extremely effective. She uses creative approaches and exceeds client expectations with limited resources. Her training and development experience is broad and includes developing competencies for supervisors, designing learning events needed to successfully launch new processes, and mapping out individual development plans. She has designed, facilitated, and measured the impact of learning events covering a variety of subjects from motivating employees and understanding your leadership style to software navigation and process improvement. As a facilitator, Amy has worked with many company-wide cross-functional teams. She has facilitated large and small teleconferences, videoconferences, face-to-face meetings, department meetings, conferences, and training workshops. Amy earned a Bachelors of Arts in French International Business from the University of Illinois in Champaign and has a Masters of Science in Training and Development, with an emphasis in Organization Development, from Loyola University in Chicago. She is a graduate of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD)'s Human Resource Development (HRD) Institute and a certified Development Dimensions International (DDI) Facilitator. She has a certificate in Using the Internet in Corporate Training from Jones International University.
|
"Enhancing Productivity
by Providing a Creatively Stimulating Environment" |
Looking to shake up your meetings? Trying to find a way to keep your sessions energetic and vibrant? This workshop will explore the importance environment plays in eliciting more from participants and employees and how environment can make or break a meeting. We will discuss how each of the five senses can be engaged throughout the meeting in such a way that the participant is more invested in the meeting and its results. We will arm you with tools and ideas for transforming even the most boring, staid hotel conference room into a space that will exponentially increase the results of each and every meeting you facilitate. In the second portion of the workshop, we will talk about how to maintain the momentum of the environment you've created and keep your participants engaged every step of the way. We will explore the power of icebreaker, energizer and creativity exercises and go through a range of examples. And to make sure that you feel comfortable adding them to your repertoire, we'll practice them in the session and have some fun.
|
Eva Niewiadomski |
Eva Niewiadomski is owner and founder of Catalyst Ranch, an innovative meeting space in downtown Chicago, located in historic Haymarket Square. The environment at Catalyst Ranch is unlike any other conference center - it is colorful, eclectic, filled with retro furniture, windows, toys, artwork, books, an electronic organ, boas, essential AV equipment and lots more to boot. Prior to opening her own business, Eva worked for fifteen years for Quaker Oats, most recently in marketing and new product development. It was in that capacity that she trained as a facilitator and designed and led multitudes of new product, naming and promotion development brainstorming sessions. And, in her spare time, she also created a couple of Innovation Hallways and a Creativity Room for the divisions she was working for at the time. Those were the precursors for Catalyst Ranch. Eva has an MBA from Kellogg in Marketing and International Business. In her previous incarnations she was a CPA and a financial analyst, but she really doesn't like to talk about that deeply buried history. Some of Catalyst Ranch's loyal clients include US Cellular, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co, Unilever Home & Personal Care, Heartland Alliance, Quaker Foods & Beverages, Motorola, Supergroup®, Think Shop, Russell Williams Group and Customer Evangelists.
For more information visit: http://www.catalystranch.com
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"Consultative Selling from the
Inside and Outside" |
Success in selling consulting services is no different than in success selling other products and services. Your customer/prospect must first understand your value. However, many consultants and sales people still use selling models that don't fit the new business marketplace. They use a selling model that makes it difficult to differentiate themselves and stand out from the crowd. In an ever-increasing competitive climate, it is essential to approach the marketplace and prospects in new and different ways. This session will help you learn the language of "Value Translation" that will keep you from being bought and viewed as a commodity and will help you control the selling process.
Customer Value
One reason you may have trouble is that you may be giving out too much information too early and too fast. By doing this, you actually begin to give away some of your value and your prospect may be unwilling to buy the rest of it. What consultants really need to understand is that a prospect should never buy anything from you unless they believe there's a payoff - something significant enough for them to want to change from the status quo. So when you perceive a lack of interest or enthusiasm in a prospect, understand that the reluctance to buy is that they don't believe the payoff will big enough.
Consultant Value
As a consultant, if you are currently closing about ten percent of your opportunities, you are probably doing pretty well. However, if you could find a way to close twelve percent of your opportunities instead of ten percent, that would be a two percent increase in your effectiveness. This could result in a revenue increase of least a twenty percent. So increasing your closing ratio by a small percentage could result in a significant increase in your bottom line and that would be a big payoff for you.
These are pure issues about translating value, for yourself and for your customer/prospect. As an internal or an external consultant, if you have more business than you can handle, you probably don't need to attend this session. However most of you probably would like to know how you could sell more of your consulting services, more easily. This session will help you understand how you might better control:
- Giving away your services for free
- Taking too long to close
- Changing of work scope before you close, causing further delays, or
- Changing of work scope after you closed, lowering your margins
|
John Hirth |
John Hirth is President and Principal of this sales management
and motivational training company based in Arlington Heights, IL. Having been
responsible for sales and management personnel for over 17 years, John is
well qualified to bring his audiences practical and usable advice on how to
be more successful in selling, managing and motivating people. His energetic
and lively style provides a motivational spark that helps his audience push
past their success barriers to reach new goals and aspirations. His past selling
experience includes the sale of both tangible and intangible products to clients
as diverse as small manufacturing companies and individuals to Fortune 500
companies.
For more information visit: http://www.sellingdynamics.com
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"Innovations in Appreciative Inquiry" |
Appreciative inquiry is an approach to organization development (OD) that has been used successfully in small and large scale change projects with hundreds of organizations worldwide. It is based on the simple idea that organizations move in the direction of what they ask questions about. For example, when groups study human problems and conflicts, they often find that both the number and severity of these problems grow. In the same way, when groups study high human ideals and achievements, such as peak experiences, best practices, and noble accomplishments, these phenomena, too, tend to flourish. Thus, appreciative inquiry distinguishes itself from other OD methodologies by deliberately asking positive questions to ignite constructive dialogues and inspire action within organizations. This session will focus on one of the innovations of Appreciative Inquiry - The Appreciative Inquiry Summit Meeting. It will provide participants an understanding of the AI Summit methodology and highlight a unique application at US Cellular involving over 2000 participants.
Tom Griffin
U. S. Cellular Corporation
Chicago, Illinois
(back to agenda)Thomas J. Griffin is Director, Organization & Leadership Development at US Cellular headquartered in Chicago, IL. Tom authored The Appreciative Inquiry Summit (with James Ludema, Diana Whitney & Bernard Mohr). Other publications include "Appreciative Future Search: Involving the Whole System in Positive Organization Change" (Organization Development Journal, 2000) and "Appreciative Leaders: In the Eye of the Beholder ". Tom holds a Ph.D. in Organization Development from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.
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