Comments on: The Symposium http://cac.ophony.org/2007/05/01/the-symposium/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:15:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Agnieszka http://cac.ophony.org/2007/05/01/the-symposium/comment-page-1/#comment-14528 Agnieszka Wed, 09 May 2007 23:34:53 +0000 http://cac.ophony.org/2007/05/01/the-symposium/#comment-14528 I think the Symposium succeeded in starting a lot of great conversations and made a lot of the participants think about issues they normally don’t. This might be a benefit to academics like me, although I am not sure how business people feel about participating in an intellectual exercise that might not have a clear conclusion. My group talked about a lot of different things and we ended up deciding that in order to have meaningful, honest and effective communication, we need to know ourselves, be self-aware. I am still getting trouble remembering how we arrived at this particular discussion but that is where we ended up at the end of the day. What does this mean? Some of us felt that communication does not have to be honest to be successful. We questioned what it means to have an “honest” conversation in a business setting. Think about all the things your bank never tells you that they will charge you for, or about your cell phone contract. The whole concept of “self awareness” can mean so many different things we probably could have talked and debated this for hours. I enjoyed it because I would have never arrived at such a conversation and so it was challenging and surprising. I think the Symposium succeeded in starting a lot of great conversations and made a lot of the participants think about issues they normally don’t. This might be a benefit to academics like me, although I am not sure how business people feel about participating in an intellectual exercise that might not have a clear conclusion.

My group talked about a lot of different things and we ended up deciding that in order to have meaningful, honest and effective communication, we need to know ourselves, be self-aware. I am still getting trouble remembering how we arrived at this particular discussion but that is where we ended up at the end of the day. What does this mean? Some of us felt that communication does not have to be honest to be successful. We questioned what it means to have an “honest” conversation in a business setting. Think about all the things your bank never tells you that they will charge you for, or about your cell phone contract. The whole concept of “self awareness” can mean so many different things we probably could have talked and debated this for hours. I enjoyed it because I would have never arrived at such a conversation and so it was challenging and surprising.

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]]> By: James Drogan http://cac.ophony.org/2007/05/01/the-symposium/comment-page-1/#comment-14265 James Drogan Wed, 02 May 2007 12:21:45 +0000 http://cac.ophony.org/2007/05/01/the-symposium/#comment-14265 This was my fourth symposium and I think they keep getting better and better. By better I mean the issues under consideration are of increasing significance, they are being discussed in meaningful ways, and, personally speaking, I come away with a head full of ideas that require work. I also liked Taylor, yet I had a bit of problem connecting what he had to say to with theme of the symposium. I'll be reading his book over the summer and maybe I'll have more to say about this connection at a later date. I share Luke's feeling about Anson chat. It just didn't click with me. We had a great discussion group. Everyone was involved, lots of ideas, strong defense of positions, and, in the end, I think we were able to synthesize our time together into a pretty cogent idea that could be the basis for additional work. I'm big on prep. If you are interested, you can find my preparatory notes at http://jmsdrgn.squarespace.com/storage/Schwartz Symposium Seven.pdf. I toasted Herb, Mikhail, Elizabeth, and Mr. Schwartz at the Thursday night dinner. I do so again. Their energy and ideas have been critical over the last few years. I've been associated with the Institute since early 2002 and have watched it grow in confidence, and in the quality and quantity of its staff and what they deliver. Communications has, in my view, never been more important and its importance will only increase. Organizations need to take on the associated issues and I'm pleased to be associated with a group in the forefront of doing just this. This was my fourth symposium and I think they keep getting better and better. By better I mean the issues under consideration are of increasing significance, they are being discussed in meaningful ways, and, personally speaking, I come away with a head full of ideas that require work.

I also liked Taylor, yet I had a bit of problem connecting what he had to say to with theme of the symposium. I’ll be reading his book over the summer and maybe I’ll have more to say about this connection at a later date.

I share Luke’s feeling about Anson chat. It just didn’t click with me.

We had a great discussion group. Everyone was involved, lots of ideas, strong defense of positions, and, in the end, I think we were able to synthesize our time together into a pretty cogent idea that could be the basis for additional work.

I’m big on prep. If you are interested, you can find my preparatory notes at http://jmsdrgn.squarespace.com/storage/Schwartz Symposium Seven.pdf.

I toasted Herb, Mikhail, Elizabeth, and Mr. Schwartz at the Thursday night dinner. I do so again. Their energy and ideas have been critical over the last few years. I’ve been associated with the Institute since early 2002 and have watched it grow in confidence, and in the quality and quantity of its staff and what they deliver. Communications has, in my view, never been more important and its importance will only increase. Organizations need to take on the associated issues and I’m pleased to be associated with a group in the forefront of doing just this.

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