Checking In - Getting to know you ...

[Tim Merry]

Please let us know a little about you so we can all get to meet each other and build a design that is rooted in the needs and esires of all the people coming ...

 

Some questions:

Why did you accept the invitation to join this training?

What are you seeking to learn and contribute?

Where will you apply the learnings from these three days after the training?

 

Thanks

Tim

[Kameron H. Perez-Verdia]

TIm,

Thanks so much for the questions and opportunity to share a little about ourselves.  Do you want us to answer the questions in this forum or is there another online location that we are suppose to answer the questions?

 

thanks

Kameron

[Sherri Dettmer Cannon]

Greetings Tim and All,

Ahhh -- already I feel the warmth of this community:-)

I actively looked for this training following ALIA in Columbus last June and my learning there with Toke, Bob and Barbara Bash. Columbus was my second exposure to AoH mindset and practices, but this time, I left feeling called to be able and ready, not just aware of AoH.

To date, much of my facilitation/teaching work has been done with corporate clients.   It's no secret that the historical ways business has addressed internal and world challenges, aren't working.  Not only do I need more, my clients want more, too.  More candor. More humanity. Connection. Real transformation, not slogans.

Though I live in Southern California, I grew up with seasons and my favorite is autumn -- there's no place I'd rather be than Halifax in late September:-) I hope to contribute energy and complete presence to our time together. I hope to discover the most effective ways for me to live the AoH fully and transform the depth of my work in the world as a result.

Most immediately, I'll apply my learnings to my work with technology industry consultants from around the globe. I facilitate a course each month to help them understand and develop emotional intelligence in their personal and professional lives.

I look forward to being in learning with you soon.

Warmly,

Sherri Cannon

[Rachel Caroline Derrah]

Sherri:

Thanks for your contribution! I like what you said in "Real transformation, not slogans". Sounds like you have many ways to share your learnings & practice new tools after this training.

 

Hope you've been well since ALIA - amazing the connection I still feel among our group after sharing experiences in sword practice, calligraphy, flow game. Wow! Will be great to connect again.

Cheers,

//rcd

 

Sherri Dettmer Cannon said:

Greetings Tim and All,

Ahhh -- already I feel the warmth of this community:-)

I actively looked for this training following ALIA in Columbus last June and my learning there with Toke, Bob and Barbara Bash. Columbus was my second exposure to AoH mindset and practices, but this time, I left feeling called to be able and ready, not just aware of AoH.

To date, much of my facilitation/teaching work has been done with corporate clients.   It's no secret that the historical ways business has addressed internal and world challenges, aren't working.  Not only do I need more, my clients want more, too.  More candor. More humanity. Connection. Real transformation, not slogans.

Though I live in Southern California, I grew up with seasons and my favorite is autumn -- there's no place I'd rather be than Halifax in late September:-) I hope to contribute energy and complete presence to our time together. I hope to discover the most effective ways for me to live the AoH fully and transform the depth of my work in the world as a result.

Most immediately, I'll apply my learnings to my work with technology industry consultants from around the globe. I facilitate a course each month to help them understand and develop emotional intelligence in their personal and professional lives.

I look forward to being in learning with you soon.

Warmly,

Sherri Cannon

[Tim Merry]

go right ahead answer them here! Thanks for checking ....

Tim

Kameron H. Perez-Verdia said:

TIm,

Thanks so much for the questions and opportunity to share a little about ourselves.  Do you want us to answer the questions in this forum or is there another online location that we are suppose to answer the questions?

 

thanks

Kameron

[Sharon MacIntosh]

A number of my colleagues in Public Health, Capital Health have taken AOH. When they host meetings they "feel" different and often produce "richer" results than past facilitation practices. I really get the feeling these AOH people sincerely care about the people in the group and are truly committed to  creating a process that will produce the strongest outcomes. I would like to improve my practice to collaborate more effectively with them and to improve/update my knowledge, skills and awareness.

I am seeking to learn as much as I can. I will contribute whatever I have that seems useful to the group. My greatest resource may be 30 years of health promotion practice within public health and tobacco control in NS and Canada.

 

I will apply the learning with my work, volunteer and personal contexts.

 

I look forward to learning and being with you all.

 

Sharon

[Martin Buechele]

Hi Tim and all,

My journey from Austria to Halifax has just started. I'm sitting in the train travelling from Lake Constance to Vienna where I will take the plane to Canada on Saturday. It is an exciting time in my life. I have just started a sabbatical year after 5 years of secondment to the European Union public administration where I was lucky enough to get in touch with AoH and where I became part of the core group that has explored over the last couple of years a wide a variety of applications for AoH both within the organisation itself and in convening strategic conversations with external stakeholders - years very rich in learnings and definitively life-changing.

So, here I am now at the beginning of a year off during which I want to be a yourney man travelling through the AoH-, Presencing- and mindfulness communities in order to see how this work is applied at very different places - always holding questions such: What can I learn that allows me to further develop my hosting and what can I contribute from my experience? What is really needed in each moment?Where is it where I can serve best?

From this point in my personal journey I very much look forward to being present at the AoH in Halifax, to seeing some dear mates again and to getting to know many more practitioners.

 

Also being a mindfulness practitioner and teacher, another question that I'm holding is how mindfulness practice can enhance the quality of conversations and allow empathic and generative listening and speaking.

 

My intent is to continuously apply me learnings in my life. I am confident that during this sabbatical year clarity will emerge as to my future work, what I do see clearly already is that mindfulness trainings will be an essential element of it. And what I have learned in AoH has already been very helpful in my work as a trainer.

 

I very much look forward to being with you all in co-learning, co-exploration and co-creation and wish you all a wonderful fall weekend,

 

Martin

[Emily Tipton]

Hi Tim!

I'm really excited about joining you and everyone else for this training next week.  I've been looking for an opportunity close to home to immerse myself in the Art of Hosting, and that's why I initially accepted the invitation - but coincidentally I am also involved in the Activating Change Together - Community Food Security group as part of one of the host community teams, and so was offered the opportunity to come as part of that group.

 

I'm interested in learning how to make the Art of Hosting part of how I do the work I do in my community.  I think I can contribute a unique perspective about working in rural communities and I hope to learn how the Art of Hosting can make my work in sustainable community development more effective.

 

Primarily I will be applying what I learn to work in my community - as a volunteer, at work and as part of the Community Food Security project team.

 

Looking forward to Monday morning!  

Cheers

Emily

[Danielle Hiscock]

Hello Community!

 

I'll be at this training because there was just no way in the world I could give up the opportunity for my world to be turned upside down, AGAIN! I completed the AoH training held in March in Karlskrona, Sweden and amazing understanding, calmness, understanding, direction etc. etc. etc. have evolved in my life, like I've never known before. Really, I think I'm addicted to AoH :)

 

I am seeking to learn more about the techniques on the agenda that I was not exposed to in Karlskrona. I am hoping to learn more about harvesting techniques and to better identify the elements that need to be shared. I hope to contribute my listening skills in order to help others move through what they need to, which in turn helps me learn more (a win-win situation!). I crave experience in order to build confidence.. I would love to explore courage farther.

 

My dream for the future is to take these practices into disaster prone/affected communities as a form of community engagement that will incorporate local knowledge and vulnerable peoples into planning phases and therefore strengthen disaster risk reduction strategies.

 

Can't wait!
Danielle

[Julia Sable]

Hello all!

 

I'm so excited to be attending this training. I know quite a number of people within the ALIA circle, and have been universally impressed with their innovation, intelligence and enthusiasm; and the types of collaborative techniques that draw people into such sparky, productive and interactive conversations. Every time I have seen one of these 'art of hosting' methods used, the results have been very positive.

 

My interest in this group has evolved over the last few years. Working within meditative and contemplative contexts, I used and witnessed some of the methods, such as world cafe, open space and appreciative inquiry, to open up space for genuine and creative dialogue. More recently, I had the pleasure of watching Tim Merry with partner Marty Janowitz in action within a professional context, and was quite impressed that even in a business setting, participants responded with so much enthusiasm, and the process created a very strong sense of cohesion.  

 

At the same time, my personal professional development goals are to continue to develop my leadership and facilitation skills so that I can help others unlock their collective and individual potential, in pursuit of positive social change. That may sound rather abstract - mainly I am interested in the world of sustainability and how to continually bring people's awareness towards our relationship with our environment, particularly our consumption patterns. For example, I am currently running a paper reduction campaign in my 300-person office and have been trying to engage as many people as possible in devising solutions. I am also a teacher and meditation instructor in the Shambhala Community, where we frequently discuss questions around how to create an 'enlightened society' from a personal to global level.

 

To sum it up: I fully subscribe to the belief that brilliance can come from tapping our collective wisdom. I love working with people, and I want to be an agent of positive change in whatever communities I find myself a part.

 

Looking forward to meeting you all!

Julia

[Gordon Johnson]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am very excited about beign with you tomorrow with my colleague Tiffany Paynter. We are very involed developing a Performing ARts Centre in Bermuda using Appreciative Inquiry as our core.

 

We flew up from Bermuda yesterday and we are enjoying the sunshine on the northumberland Straight today. Here is a TEDx Bermuda tlak Tiffany gave earlier this year as a way of introducing her- http://tedxbermuda.com/videos/ 

 

See you tomorrow.