Past Dialogues - 2007

Since The Presidio Dialogues began in late 2000, conversation starters have graciously donated their time and knowledge for which The Presidio Dialogues is very grateful. The names of these people are in bold below.

November 27, 2007

Spirit in Action: What Companies are Doing to Nourish Spirit at Work

If potential ideas and innovative insights could be rendered visible, one would see upon visiting most companies and organizations great ideas walking around in plain sight. You might see three members of a company, each holding a crucial piece of an innovation within them but not getting close enough to each other, for long enough, for these 3 pieces to fuse together into a magnificent new form. What are the characteristics of a business culture that encourage new ideas to find expression? What can each of us do, in our daily routine, to invoke our own insights?

Conversation Starters

Dick Butterfield, An Actor for 8 years, Dick was a member of the Company at A.C.T. He is currently Principle at Butterfield Speaks which helps companies tell their stories in a creative way

Dr. Steven Pritzker Ph.D. Faculty Member, Saybrook Graduate School. Co-Edited the Encyclopedia of Creativity and was the humor editor for Psychology Today magazine

Annie Summerville,Head Chef, Greens Restaurant-San Francisco, Author of "Field of Greens" and "Everyday Greens"

October 23, 2007

Spirit in Action: What Companies are Doing to Nourish Spirit at Work

The work place is going through a revolution in values. No longer just a place for a paycheck, the business world is evolving into a place where meaning, fulfillment and a sense of community are being sought. A growing number of companies do not subscribe to the old motto "leave your personal life at the door", and many are seeking innovative ways of engaging the whole person and supporting their local community. The growing movement of spirit at work encourages individuals, leaders and companies to integrate their beliefs and values into their work lives. What are some of the ways in which companies foster a sense of spirit at work? How do leaders incorporate their values into their leadership?

Conversation Starters

Chris Ewert, Dir, Marketing Operations, Adobe Systems Incorporated, cewert@adobe.com

Lewis Griggs, Griggs Productions, lewis@griggs.com

Maria Simon, LifeScan, MSimon1@lfsus.jnj.com

Kimberly Weichel, Ubuntu Peacebuilding, Spirit at Work, kim@kimweichel.org

September 25, 2007

Transparency, Open Source and the Economics of Giving Things Away

Proprietary Software, patents, trademarks and carefully monitored brand strategies are proven sources of economic success.

A newer development is the unfolding process of providing unprecedented access and transparency to core business information as a strategy for creating new types of connections to customers, suppliers and the building of unique streams of profitability.

Please join our 3 Dialogue Starters, each of whom brings a wealth of experience and insight, as we explore together this new way of doing business.

Conversation Starters

Brian Behlendorf, Founder and former CTO of CollabNet. The company provides tools and services based on open source methods. Brian was also Co-Founder and CTO of Organic Online.

Danese Cooper, Senior Director, Open Source Strategies, Intel Corporation. Former manager of Sun Microsystems' Open Source Program Office.

Bebo White, Mr. Bebo White is internationally recognized as one of the pioneers of the World Wide Web. He first became involved with the technology while on sabbatical at Geneva's European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

August 28, 2007

Creating Respectful Cultures - In Organizations and Communities

There is a story of a powerful Wall Street Investment banker having a sign permanently behind his desk that said something like: "The Boss is not happy"!

That sign harbored the assumption that the main strategy for achieving peak performance in a business or an organization was thru the use of threat, intimidation and tyranny of the powerful over those they manage.

While this age old strategy can produce results of a kind, they are in constant violation of the Golden Rule. No person who manages this way would ever want to be managed in the same way.

While respectful managers have always existed, this style of managing is a growing phenomena. New experiments are taking place. Working cultures are being created that are supportive, conscious as well as being focused on achieving financial as well as organizational goals.

Please join us for a Dialogue with three wonderful "Dialogue Starters" as we explore, "Creating Respectful Cultures-In Organizations and Communities.

Conversation Starters

Robert Fuller, Former President of Oberlin College and author of "Somebodies and Nobodies" and "All Rise"

John Renesch, futurist, international keynote speaker and author of Getting to the Better Future , "The Conscious Organization" and other published works. See more at www.Renesch.com

Nancy Southern, Director of Organizational Systems Programs, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center

July 24, 2007

Conscious Money: Transforming the way the world works with money

We are starting to change the way in which we work with money.

As consumers we are exploring ways in which our purchases can both acquire a desired item or service but also have a healing impact in the world.

As investors we are using our money to not just bring us a financial return on our investment but to establish new relationships, to understand how our money is going to be used and to direct investments towards ideal purposes.

There is great opportunity in this new development. This phenomena has just begun to fully express its potential.

Please join us for an evening of Dialogue as we discuss how "Conscious Money" is beginning to be used in the world.

Conversation Starters

Peter Barnes, Co-Founder Working Assets, Senior Fellow, Tomales Bay Institute, Author: Capitalism 3.0

John Bloom, Director, Organization Culture, RSF Social Finance

Kevin Danaher, Cofounder of Global Exchange, Executive Co-Producer of the Green Festivals and Executive Director of the Global Citizen Center his forthcoming book is entitled: "Building the Green Economy. Success Stories from the Grass Roots"

June 26, 2007

Exploring the Art of Concensual/Collaborative Decision Making

The process of having people coming together to make a business decision is nothing new.

However, for the most part, this daily business event has as an underlying assumption that one person will be responsible for final the decision.

That assumption is starting to change.

As we move deeper into a "Networked Age" there are innovative efforts underway that are shaping how business decisions are made.

We are moving away from the "who is the smartest person in the room" dynamic towards a model where teams of people, each with their own talent and perspective, are coming together to take full responsibility for making "better decisions".

What skills are needed to make this process effective?
What examples are there of concensual/collaborative decision making at work?
What lessons are being learned as this effort gathers deeper experience?

Conversation Starters

David Weber, Faculty Member, San Francisco Waldorf School

Matthew Steele, Head of Strategic Operations Engineering, Symantec Corporation

Alan Briskin, Collective Wisdom Initiative.

May 22, 2007

The Sustainability MBA: Does This Change Everything?

As a MBA program prepares the future leaders of business, what changes when one adds the lens of environmental sustainability and social responsibility to that training? What opportunities and challenges become more visible?

Conversation Starters

Ron Nahser, Provost, The Presidio School of Management

Dr. Julianne Maurseth, Faculty Member, The Green MBA

Mark Sires, Student, Bainbridge Graduate Institute

February 27, 2007

Reflecting Back and Visioning Forward

Winter is a time to go within, be quiet and listen for what might be born in the spring. In appreciation of this season, we will be hosting a special, free dialogue in February. We are asking that you take some time this winter to listen and ponder what you have learned through your participation in the Dialogues.

We will look back at how the Dialogues have moved us, individually and collectively. How have you changed? What new ways of being have the Dialogues inspired? And we’ll look forward to what we are needing now. How should The Presidio Dialogues support us now and further on? What would help us to reach greater clarity? What would support our thinking differently and being in the world differently?

Also, we will be sending a short survey to get your feedback on some ideas that might help us evolve and become an even greater support for members and new members in 2007. Please keep a look out for it or feel free to send a message to either of us below -- especially if you are interested to join the team or take over as our new Executive Director!

January 23, 2007

Consciousness in Business: The New Women's Role

As businesses integrate their concerns for people, planet and profit and move away from an ego-centric model toward socio-centric and even world centric orientations, what is the role of women in bringing consciousness to today's business world? What is the new language emerging that incorporates the developing integration of masculine/feminine to genderless leadership responsibility?

There are new principles and new paradigms emerging ...what is the new women's role in this emergence? What approach might befit the further development of a holistic model of sustainable, exciting, world transformation and growth? And how will everyone benefit?

Conversation Starters

Kate Jones, Founder of BodyMindMovement, Somatics Practitioner re-aligning mindbody unity through mindfulness practice to Re-Dignify the Body as the Residence of the Soul

Gwendoline Mitchell, Director of the County of Santa Clara Office of Public Affairs, recipient of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare Fellowship for Public Service

Pam Van Orden, President Enlightened Brand, brand consultant, educator, and author Brenda Wade, Psychologist, author Power Choices, television host (KQED), keynote speaker, and producer