Not wanting to lose the learning momentum created during the conference, our friends at Antioch University in Seattle are hosting a follow-up gathering for conference participants residing in the Northwest. On January 6, organizers will convene conversation around the questions, What were your significant "AHA's" from the conference? How are you taking those into the New Year? And how can we support each other in that work? If you live in the region you should receive an invitation shortly. For more information, contact Gwen Kiehne.

And finally, in a quick survey of the blogosphere we found a few posts capturing some of the learnings from the conference and inviting further inquiry. We encourage you to comment on these posts or bring the conference learnings to readers of your own blog. Please let us know if you have a blog post to share with the community.

Tennyson Woolf commented, "One of the things I liked most about this conference was the effort on creating solid opportunities for people to dialogue. Not just networking in the halls between sessions and bathroom breaks, but instead, deliberate dialogues. The main ballroom was set with more intimate tables of 4 and 5 rather than 10 - 12. Each keynote included a "turn to one another and discuss" part. I was part of team that hosted deliberate concurrent session dialogue spaces in the form of World Café and Circle. A nice buzz in the room. A helpful way for the group to learn with and from itself."

Memo Cordova said of being at the conference, "it was easy to envision and experience a different kind of relational plateau--a way to interact with others that allowed you to first think about how you are contributing to society. In other words, what is your societal impact? How are your actions contributing to a positive or negative work/family environment? What is your psychological footprint in how you relate to others? What are you doing to relate to others in a caring, open manner? ...do you see where this is going? It's simple personal dynamics that is heady stuff nonetheless. But this conference encouraged that kind of thinking and those kinds of conversations."

One participant wrote of Van Jones's presentation, "It was the most moving part of the conference and spoke to the experience we have been talking about in the Theory U presentation. it is the moment of connection with our hearts and the field of potentiality. We realize as the collective (over 1,000 folks in the room) that this man's dream touched every person heart as the right thing to do and the right thing to support. We all walked out of that room changed individuals."

Lowest early prices available now!
The centrally located Sheraton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts will be the site of the 18th Annual Pegasus Conference, November 17-19, 2008.

Join us in bringing some of the extraordinary energy from this year's conference back to the east coast. And get the lowest early registration prices available! Individuals register for just $950 through December 31!

Teams of 4 or more pay even less.
Call for details at 1-800-272- 0945.

The majority of the work in any conflict conversation is work you do on yourself. No matter how well the conversation begins, staying in charge of yourself, your purpose, and your emotional energy is key to a successful outcome. Prepare for a conversation you've been putting off by creating a checklist to clarify your intentions and assumptions. Then follow a 4-step model designed to help you stay centered so you can constructively shape how you are and what you say.

Step #1: Inquiry
Cultivate an attitude of discovery and curiosity. Pretend you don't know anything (you really don't), and try to learn as much as possible about your opponent/partner and her point of view.

Step #2: Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment means showing that you've heard and understood. Try to understand the other person so well you can make his argument for him. Then do it. Explain back to him what you think he's really going for.

Step #3: Advocacy
When you sense that your "opponent" has expressed all her energy on the topic, it's your turn. What can you see from your perspective that she has missed? Help clarify your position without minimizing hers.

Step #4: Problem-Solving
Now you're ready to begin building solutions. Brainstorming and continued inquiry are useful. Ask your opponent/partner what he thinks would work. Whatever he says, find something that you like and build on it. If the conversation becomes adversarial, go back to inquiry.

Practice, Practice, Practice
The art of conversation is like any art-with continued practice, you acquire skill and ease.