Please see our new page on "Mentoring"

Presentations

Michelle Cooper and Mary Wheeler (www.donnerwheeler.com) will be presenting a workshop on mentorship at the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology conference in Newfoundland in September 2008; they also have a poster presentation at the 5th International Council of Nurses, International Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network Conference in Toronto in September 2008.

Professional Development Opportunity 

Do you need some time to step away from your day to day world to make important career and life decisions? If you do, consider donnerwheeler's Discovery Path Program©. This is an experiential and participative full day program that will help you re-evaluate your life, prioritize your options, develop a plan and then act on it. The next semi-annual open enrolment for the Discovery Path Program begins October 2008. For more information go to www.donnerwheeler.com/discovery.

Open for Business

Michelle Cooper was recently quoted in an article for M&IT Magazine called "Open for Business" that focuses on the large group meeting methodology Open Space Technology. Michelle, along with Diane Gibeault, Diane Leaker, Harrison Owen, and Larry Peterson were featured in this article that captures the essential points of what Open Space Technology is and when it is used with most beneficial outcomes. Download the article to read more about it.  To learn more about Open Space Technology or discuss bringing OST into your organization, please contact us

M&IT Magazine is published by Meetings & Incentive Travel, Inc. a division of Rogers Publishing Limited.  M&IT has been Canada's leader in the meeting and incentive travel industry for over thirty years.

This practical, highly interactive and participatory full-day post-conference session facilitated using Open Space Technology (OST) will provide the opportunity for participants to deepen their learning from the conference sessions attended. The content of this workshop will be brought by the participants. The outcomes will be what they create together. Participants will have the opportunity to develop new possibilities for action specific to their organizations. They will experience the power of OST as a strategy to navigate the chaos that is inherent in a vibrant and dynamic organization and to create mentally healthy cultures.

For more information or to register, go to the conference web site

Read about the Genuine Contact™ Program in The Change Handbook!

We are pleased to announce the inclusion of the Genuine Contact Program in the 2006 edition of ‘The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems’.  The new edition is the most comprehensive guide available to methods of organization and community change. It's designed for quick and easy access to information about high leverage change from today's foremost practitioners. This new edition is updated to describe 61 change methods and includes new chapters on selecting a method, mixing and matching methods, and sustaining results.  The Change Handbook describes each change method’s essential concepts and processes and provides advice on when to use each.

In 1999, the first edition of The Change Handbook provided a snapshot of a nascent field that broke barriers by engaging "whole systems" of people from organizations and communities in creating their own future. In the last seven years, the field has exploded. In this completely revised and updated second edition, lead authors Peggy Holman, Tom Devane, and Steven Cady profile sixty-one change methods – up from eighteen in the first edition. Nineteen of these methods are explored in depth, with case studies, answers to frequently asked questions, and details on the roles and responsibilities of the people involved, conditions for success, and more. This tremendously expanded second edition – 400 pages longer, nearly twice the length of the first edition – will undoubtedly become the definitive resource in this rapidly expanding field.

You can find the Genuine Contact Program included in the Adaptable Methods section.  This chapter highlights the Genuine Contact Program as a holistic approach that can be used on its own, or as a platform for using a variety of complementary change methods including Open Space Technology, Whole Person Process Facilitation, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry, and OpenSpace-Online® Real-time Conference software.

For more information, visit the Berrett Koehler website

Creating a "Marketplace of Ideas" with open space Technology

Michelle Cooper and her colleague Denise O'Connor have an article published "Creating a "Marketplace of Ideas" with Open Space Technology" in the most recent issue of the Innovation Journal - a public policy online journal. It addresses the use of OST for civic engagement. Click here to read it (requires free Adobe Reader).

St. Joseph's Villa

Michelle Cooper was appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph's Villa at the Annual General Meeting on April 4, 2005 for a two year term. Michelle is the first woman to accept the challenge of the Chair position and is excited about the opportunity to share her experience and leadership in this role. ST. JOSEPH'S VILLA located in Dundas, has been serving the needs of the elderly for over 125 years. Today, this fully accredited, and ISO registered, not-for-profit Home for the Aged is one of Ontario's largest and most innovative long term care facilities. St. Joseph's Villa is home to 378 residents as well as being a vibrant community activity centre for nearly 200 seniors who participate in its Day Program. For more about St. Joseph's Villa go to www.sjv.on.ca

Faculty Promotion

Michelle Cooper has accepted a promotion to the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing, McMaster University with an extension of her appointment for three years starting July 1, 2006. Promotion is recognition of a faculty member having reached a particular level of maturity and scholarly excellence in teaching, research and other academic activities.

Michelle Cooper is now an associate with donnerwheeler!

Michelle is pleased to announce that she is now an associate with donnerwheeler as a career development consultant and coach. donnerwheeler works with organizations that have realized that developing and investing in their employees will be a key factor in their survival. They work with individuals in organizations who have recognized they must learn how to link their personal effectiveness and satisfaction to the organization's strategic objectives. The principals, Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler are well known in the health sector for their long standing interest in and commitment to professional development. As career development consultants they speak, write, do research, provide workshops and individual coaching, and consult on career development strategies. They have provided career planning and development consultation services in Canada, the United States, Europe and Africa. For more information go to http://www.donnerwheeler.com.

RNAO Organizes the First Open-Space Online® Virtual Conference Aug. 15, 2003

RNAO became the first large organization in North America to host an Open-Space Online® conference. The idea for the conference was inspired by the SARS Hotline set up by RNAO. It came to their attention that many nurses were showing symptoms of “SARS Stress Disorder,” which are similar to post traumatic stress.  Michelle Cooper realized that nurses might benefit from an opportunity to dialogue in real time about their issues. In partnership with Gabriella Ender, she arranged an opportunity to trial an Open-Space Online® discussion in support of the work of RNAO. Michelle worked closely with Jennifer Jarjoura and Irmajean Bajnok at RNAO to develop idea, the theme and the invitation. Judith Richardson, of Pono Consultants International also joined Michelle during the conference to be available to answer questions about the technology. The discussions were rich and informative. The report will be used by RNAO to plan professional development activities to support nurses and data from discussions will inform their SARS report and recommendations due for release in the early fall of 2003.

OpenSpace-Online®, developed by Gabriella Ender and her colleagues at Open-Space Online GmbH, is a real time Internet conferencing program that is based on the principles of Open Space Technology. The participants create the agenda for the conference. Any issue that is important to participants can become part of the agenda. The persons posting the topic are responsible to start the "dialogue" and to ensure notes are summarized at the end of the discussion. Once the agenda is created, discussion topics are assigned to different "rooms" within the conference, creating multiple concurrent sessions.  A virtual facilitator guides you through the conference. You are able to move in and out of the discussions happening in each "room", or meet in the "Cafe" for a discussion about other topics. All participants can receive a complete report of all of the discussions at the end of the meeting in HTML format with a push of a button.

OpenSpace-Online® has the potential to connect nurses or members of any organizational or association locally, provincially, nationally and internationally to have real-time discussions and highly productive meetings, to create action plans and to actively participate in the activities of the association or company at a reasonable cost.

Michelle will be pleased to help you explore how Open-Space Online® can benefit your company or association. See a demonstration of the software at
http://www.openspace-online.com/oso_en/html/presentation_english/index.htm

Siberian Business and Nursing Associations invite Canadian International Consultants to assist in action oriented capacity building.

Two Canadian consultants are assisting in laying groundwork to advance nursing practice and the health of the citizens of Russia.  “Rather than bringing western expertise, our approach draws on the wisdom and leadership that exists locally, building capacity for change from within to advance the professional practice and role of nurses”, explains Judi Richardson, M.A., B.Ed., of Halifax, Nova Scotia, corporate coaching and organizational development consultant and trainer.  Ms. Richardson and Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN of Hamilton, Ontario are eagerly preparing for working with the Novosibirsk State Medical Academy and the Omsk Nursing Association in leadership development, facilitation, training and sharing of international knowledge.

Health care reform has been in progress in Russia for more than 10 years meeting international norms and standards; there is still work to be done to develop consistent standards of education, practice and ability to generate culturally specific new knowledge in these areas.

This invitation has come at a time when Canadian nurses, particularly in Ontario, are dealing with psychological challenges that some nurses are now experiencing since the SARS outbreak.  Ms. Cooper and Ms. Richardson have recently participated in an on-line discussion for nurses in Ontario on  "SARS Stress Disorder"; using an on-line version of one of the processes they will be providing training for in Siberia.  This experience will provide valuable insights for current issues for nursing in Siberia.

This work will enable nurses to work effectively with and take responsibility for leadership in current and future health care reform. As Russian Nursing Associations are eager to establish partnerships with Canadian Nurses, part of our mandate as well is to facilitate developing partnerships within Russia, with Canadian educational institutions and the Canadian Nurses Association for work-study programs and to advance organizational strengthening activities, also strengthening partnerships and linkages as well as professional and institutional capacity.

“We were fortunate to obtain a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) grant to cover most of the basic travel expenses,” said Michelle Cooper; “We would be pleased to accept donations to cover unfunded expenses such as our translator, meeting facilitation and workshop materials costs from anyone who may be interested in supporting this foundational work.”

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