“Reflection Wildcard" | Monday Dec 13, 2010

Reflection is rare in real life and almost unheard of in an organizational context. “Let’s move on”, “what’s done is done”, “no point in looking back”…you know the drill. You’ve probably heard or even used grabs such as these.

As facilitators, reflection is a key part of our toolkit. Not only is it important for us to reflect on our own practice, it’s critical that we have a repertoire of reflection tools to use in our own practice.

In a wildcard there is no official guest facilitator. The space will be open offering an opportunity for anyone who wishes to offer a reflection process to step up. Maybe you have one to share. In which case you would be the guest facilitator. We will have time for between 3 and 5 reflection processes.

Social Dinner

Our practice of many years has been to walk down to Haymarket to the Vietnamese restaurant. Economical Vegetarians catered for. Pay your own. BYO.

SAIGON METRO, 760 GEORGE STREET , HAYMARKET – directly opposite Ultimo Road in George St Haymarket.

The Organisational Learning Australia Special Interest Group | Special Guest Speaker: Professor John P Milton

The Organisational Learning Australia Special Interest Group, extends a warm invitation to all organisational learning professionals and other interested parties to its November 2010 event.

Special Guest Speaker: Professor John P Milton Professor John P. Milton has worked with CEOs and leaders worldwide including Royal Dutch Shell, Kraft, Sony Ericsson and Nokia, led work for the World Bank and advised governments.

He is the spiritual mentor of business luminaries including, amongst others, Peter Senge (5th Discipline), Otto Scharmer (Theory U) and Joe Jaworksy (Presence) and he is referenced in these books.

John will be in Australia in November to lead and teach a Sacred Passage on Flinders Island, and will be giving a talk to SoLA, to share: · How he works with Peter Senge and Otto Scharmer - both in the corporate sphere and in the more personal, spiritual space. · The work he has done with the Talberg Forum in Sweden, where 500 World Leaders were taken on a solo experience in nature, in the French Pyrenees · How this work impacts on the individuals and organisations he works with, About Professor John P Milton:
John, a revered global Elder of the environmental movement, served as one of the first ecologists on staff at the White House, studied as a Woodrow Wilson Scholar at the Smithsonian Institute, and for many years directed the International Programs Division of the Conservation Foundation, now a part of the World Wildlife Fund. He is one of the founding members of Friends of the Earth and has served on various committees at the National Academy of Sciences.

In addition John has spent decades studying with practitioners of Ancient Eastern spiritual pathways, including Taoism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Tibetan Dzogchen, Tantra, and Hindu Vedanta - as well as the Native American Way and Christianity.

From these broad and deep experiences, John has developed a powerful approach to leadership in both business and life, which he calls the Way of Nature. This is taught on the nature retreats which he leads. For more information on the Sacred Passage on Flinders Island go to http://ensemble.net.au/aus/.

Date: Wednesday 24th November 2010

Event Time: 6:00pm Networking
6:30pm Presentation

8:00pm (approx) Meeting Close
Venue: UTS, Broadway Campus Room 580 Building CB 10 on Level 5 Map Directions Link <http://datasearch.uts.edu.au/about/mapsdirections/map.cfm>
Cost: IIM/solA Members $15 KM Members $20 Non-Members $30 (Charge to cover catering)
RSVP: By Monday 22nd November 2010 by online registration - Link <http://solnswnov.eventbrite.com/>

"How to Achieve Mind Body Potential | The Feldenkrais Method" with Rada Millwood | Monday Nov 8, 2010

Before babies acquire language around the age of two, they use their senses to explore the world around them. The developing brain assembles all the sensory-motor input to make sense of the world.

As adults, in attempting to achieve our personal transformational goals we employ many strategies - from self analysis instruments to gym memberships - frequently finding our intervention leaves our development gaps unmet and unwanted habits intact.

There is an exceptional personal development technique that engages with our pre-verbal learning system to improve body and mind. It has been taught around the world since the1960’s. The technique is the Feldenkrais Method®; named after its developer Moshe Feldenkrais [1904 – 1984].

The Feldenkrais Method® relies on the human beings’ innate capacity to use sensing, feeling, thinking and moving to develop and to mature our body-mind potential.

Students of this approach develop their capacity to become deeply aware of themselves; to become aware of self in relation to others and in relation to the environment, whatever it contains. Within a short time, astonishing changes can occur in vitality, creativity and response-ability in living and professional practise.

In this session, by participating in an Awareness through Movement® lesson, you will experience some of the Feldenkrais Method’s processes for learning to embody change. Please come prepared to remove your shoes.

About the Facilitator

Rada Millwood’s background is in the fields of adult learning, workplace learning and personal development. Her facilitation experience acquired in large and small organisations has ranged across organisational change and development, leadership training, and executive coaching. She has been in private practise since 1993. Rada is a certified Feldenkrais Method Teacher® (CFP). She is a member of the Australian Feldenkrais Guild and has been teaching the Feldenkrais Method® since 1997.

"The Business of Facilitation" With Greg Jenkins | Monday Oct 11, 2010

What are the 'business' issues for facilitators in 2010 and beyond?

Come and join a conversation on these and other relevant questions:

• What's my product/service?
• How do I get work and how much should I charge?
• What are the ways to organise my business processes for growth & long term success?
• How do I develop and care for myself and others in a solo business enterprise?
• How do I maintain a sustainable business?

This session will be useful to solo practitioners, those thinking about going solo and anyone who uses the services of solo facilitators and want to contribute.

For the purposes of this session 'facilitators' includes change agents, consultants, trainers, coaches, mentors, speakers, gamesters and any solo/micro business entrepreneur that works with groups.

About the Facilitator:
Greg Jenkins has a background incorporating 30 years in business, 10 years in facilitation. Greg has been Coordinator of Sydney Facilitators Network for past 6 yrs and is a role model for facilitators balancing both practice and business streams.

Greg runs a facilitation/mentoring practice and innovative boutique learning business that develops and delivers blended courses in Facilitation, Leadership and Business.

Greg has developed a new mentoring program ideal for facilitators and other solo change practitioners. 'VeSPA | Solo Biz Success' starts October 27. Find out more info www.tincanlearning.com | greg@changeagent.com.au | 0418 486 501

Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium foot bridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.

Time: from 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up

"How you do anything is how you do everything" great improvisation games for facilitators With Cindy Tonkin | Monday Sept 13, 2010

It is a Buddhist belief that how you do anything is how you do everything.
We as facilitators know that the simplest of processes can yield the most exciting breakthroughs.
Come play with us and discover a few improvisation games which will give you much pleasure, AND be useful when next you need to facilitate a group (or have them facilitate themselves!).
The games improvisers use to loosen themselves up and connect their brains before stepping on stage are games which reveal how you handle pressure, what makes you most afraid, what calms you most quickly.
How you play improvisation warm ups and how you respond to their built-in complexity gives you a way to access your patterns (and play with them, accept them, or even just laugh at your you-ness!).
If you're interested in having some fun, being creative, and learning a little about your own patterns, then come along!

We can guarantee you interaction, fun and a few games you may want to try.

Cindy Tonkin is the Consultants' Consultant. Her background in accelerated learning, NLP and more than 20 years experience in corporate consulting and training makes this workshop practical and fun. Her extroverted interactive style will keep you engaged. Cindy has been improvising on stage for the past ten years. She is currently producing and directing an improvised all-women show for the Sydney Fringe called Pink Ladies – Women make it up, all profits from which go to the Breast Cancer Network Australia. Find out more about Cindy at http://www.cindytonkin.com, http://www.consultantsconsultant.com.au and more about the Pink Ladies show at http://pinkladiesimprov.blogspot.com

"The Creative Brain and How It Works – Applied Neuroscience" With Silvia Damiano and Ralph Kerle | Monday August 9, 2010

There is a body of theories and papers starting to emerge in neuroscience around how our brain works creatively. This body of work suggests if you can be more aware of how your brain works in a context that calls upon creative endeavour, you will be able to alter your thinking or adjust your actions, in the process becoming more aware of your own creative praxis and how you can comfortably and confidently contribute your best to creative collaboration – an awareness that can be knowledgably sustained and improved over time.

In this highly experiential session, participants will undertake a creative team challenge using a theoretical framework and an arts based process to test this hypothesis in practice. Through this process, you will be observe and discern your own creative preferences and biases!!

About the Facilitators

Silvia Damiano, Principal of About My Brain

Silvia has degrees in Science and Sociology from the University of Buenos Aires and is currently undertaking a program on the Neuroscience of Leaderhsip with Middlesex University in the UK. She is an Associate Programme Director at Mt Eliza Executive Education part of Melbourne Business School. Her most recent role was Senior Manager, OD Westpac and she has worked in different countries, across many industries, helping teams and organisations to improve business performance, concentrating on key areas around leadership development and cultural change. In 2006, she received the L&D Excellence Award for the best learning tool by AITD (Australian Institute of Training and Development).

Ralph Kerle, Executive Chairman, the Creative Leadership Forum, Founder Creative Skills Training Council

Ralph is a globally respected consultant, presenter, educator, programme designer and writer on creative leadership, creativity and innovation.

His academic appointments include faculty adjunct at the Banff Centre, Banff, Canada as an Innovation Coach in their Leadership Development Programme and an International Thought Leader in their Leadership Learning Lab, faculty adjunct and Programme Director at the AGSM Executive Education Programme, University of NSW, Sydney Australia,and a member of the Advisory Board of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management and Technology, Utter Pradesh, India

He is a former Associate Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, a drama graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and holds a Masters Degree in Creative Industries. He is currently trying to find a university in which to continue his Doctorial studies.

Flow with Everyday Conflicts - Using the Skills from NVC Mediation | 1 or 2 Days with Ike Lasater 10 & 11 Sept 2010 Adelaide

A unique experiential learning opportunity with Ike Lasater (USA, Poland) supported by three experienced local coaches.
We all have conflicts within ourselves and with others, little and not so little. NVC Mediation provides step-by-step approaches to taking care of yourself before, during and after a conflict. Learn how to use the skills developed in the formal mediation context to transform everyday conflict into opportunities for deeper understanding and connection. NVC Mediation is based on Nonviolent Communication, a communication model developed by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Day 1: Understanding and experiencing the contribution of NVC Mediation skills when applied to our everyday conflicts.
Day 2: Extending our understanding and application of NVC Mediation skills.
This workshop is relevant for anyone who works as a mediator, manager, trainer, educator, facilitator, business coach or counsellor. Also relevant for anyone who wants to find new and effective ways to peacefully resolve conflicts between others; between you and another; and to transform warring voices in your own head.
No prior experience of NVC or mediation required.
For more information or to register contact Kate Raffin Mob: 0488 550 979 kate@kateraffin.com