Martin Buechele

Vienna

Austria

Profile Information:

How did you learn about Art of Hosting (please add the date and place) and what attracted you to it?

I heard about it by colleagues in 2008, have followed some trainings since then have been practicing AoH at work and in my private life ever since.

From the very beginning I have been intrigued by the quality of conversation and dialog that is possible in a well hosted space. Having worked in the field of international policy development and implementation for environmental protection and sustainable development for many years, I have seen and experienced again and again how our habitual way of communicating or rather not communicating is hitting the wall. In AoH I immediately sensed a tremendous potenitial to create conversational spaces that allow co-creation of really sustainable solutions for the big problems which we are collectively facing - and which we have collectively created in the first place.

Tell us about your experience with Art of Hosting as part of your life and work. What would you say your competence in it is? (new, starting practitioner, experienced practitioner, steward)

For three years I was part of the core group introducing AoH in a big international governmental organisation, exploring how it can be useful both inside the organisation as well as when convening strategic conversations with a wide variety of external stakeholders.

I would call myself an experienced practitioner, currently at the beginning of a sabbatical year during which I want to travel through the AoH community and see how this work is applied at very different places. One of my guiding questions always is: What can I learn and what can I contribute?

What is the primary field/topic/focus in your hosting work?

While I started with the focus of how to apply AoH in multi-stakeholder engagement processes in the field of sustainable development I have come to realise that the real work is within myself. One of my current quests therefore is how to cultivate the awareness necessary to be fully present - step one on the fourfold path.

I'm also giving mindfulness trainings and one of the central practices there is mindful listening and speaking - the basis for empathic and generative conversations.

Where do you live/work?

Vienna, Austria - and in the present moment when I happen to be sufficiently mindful ...

Are there interests/passions that you'd like to share?

Mindfulness practice

Learning from nature

Exploring the power of silence - also in hosting groups of any size

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