Philadelphia Region Organizational Development Network

May 2003

Highlights:

STILL SEEKING NOMINATIONS

The PRODN Steering Committee is seeking nominations for the newly created role of Diversity Chair. If you are interested or know someone that would be great for any of these roles, please contact Kim Eberbach – Keberbach@onemain.com//215.836.4326. A full description of the Diversity Chair position is included in the newsletter.

We are also seeking nominees for people who want to work on the steering committee. If you are interested, please contact a current steering committee member.

PRODN CALENDAR12, 2002

- Monthly Meetings

- May 22 (Thursday) How to Maximize Success with Organizational Political Savvy With Joel R DeLuca, Ph.D. and Kathryn C. Mayer, Internal Political Savvy Certified Trainer at Salomon Smith Barney 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm -- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (City Line Avenue Philadelphia)

- June 26 (Thursday) Assessing the ROI of OD Interventions with Terrence R. Simmons, Ron Preston and Christine Dreyfus 5:30 – 8:30 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (City Line Avenue Philadelphia)

SPECIAL LEARNING EVENTS

- Tuesday June 3, 2003 Merging Cultures with optional Trainer Certification June 4, 2003 8:15 – 4:00 Leader Barry Oshry of Power and Systems, Inc (McCall Field, Upper Darby)

- Thursday & Friday, June 19-20, 2003 Facilitated by Antje Mattheus and Lorraine Marino 9:00 – 6:00 both days (McCall Field, Upper Darby)

- Friday November 14, 2003 Effective Strategic Partnering: Linking Business and Performance Needs with Jim and Dana Gaines-Robinson 8:30 – 4:30 (McCall Field, Upper Darby)

Special Learning Event – Open Space with Dutch Consultants

Here is another opportunity for us to explore diversity issues, particularly aMay 15s they relate to our role as OD practitioners. We are pleased to announce a multi-cultural day of Open Space with ten Dutch consultants who are visiting the U.S. as part of their professional development, and eager to engage in cross cultural dialogue with a group of U.S. professionals in the areas of human resources, O.D. and multi-cultural diversity. The event will take place on May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no charge for attendance.

Sponsored and hosted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the institution has generously offered to open the event to PRODN members who have interest in multi-culturalism and issues that impact the global community in conducting business, consulting and practice.

This unique opportunity grew from a relationship that Chrissa Merron, one of our members, has with one of the Dutch consultants. The colloquium will utilize a format known as Open Space to provide optimum opportunity to explore diverse perspectives and values, and is intended to increase understanding across geographic, demographic and cultural borders.

Facilitated by Ralph Copleman, a renowned facilitator of Open Space and a member of PRODN, the session will explore as its key theme: "Issues and Challenges Facing Institutions and Professionals with Multi-cultural Interfaces".

The conference is open to the first 40 people who commit to attending, and we look forward to an enlightening day of dialogue, mutual learning, and exchange of ideas.

Please join us!

WHEN: May 15, 2003

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (lunch provided)

Registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

3535 Market Street, Philadelphia (details provided upon registration)

TO REGISTER: Contact Sandy Edwards at edwards@email.chop.edu or (215) 590-1926

Registration deadline - May 9, 2003

Welcome Phyllis Jones

PRODN's new administrator is Phyllis Jones of PD Jones & Associates, established in 1994. We are delighted to welcome Phyllis and her talented staff to their new role supporting PRODN and our members. Phyllis and her staff, Ruth Hanker and Kathy Wiltsey provide administrative support to various clients including several Human Resource organizations such as SHRM Philadelphia, Philadelphia HR Planning Group and Tri-State HRMA.

They look forward to working with and providing administrative support to PRODN members!

You can reach Phyllis and her team at P.O. Box 2322 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
or by Phone at: 215-665-8151. If you want to communicate by fax: 856-216-1493 (fax)

SIG MEETINGS

Learning Group Next meeting, June 9, 2003 6:30 – 9:00 at Page Morahan’s House

735 Fetters Mill Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
Call for directions or check the website215-947-6542
We will be discussing pages 229-end in the book we are currently
reading:  Lessons from the Field, Applying Appreciative Inquiry, Sue
Annis Hammond and Cathy Royal, eds., published by Thin Book
Publishing, ISBN: 0966537335.

New Practitioners Group SIG

Next meetings

May 13 (Tuesday) and

June 18 (Friday).

Monthly meetings will be near Conshohocken. Please contact Cynthia Brancato for directions or additional information at 215-652-1602 or email her at Cynthia_Brancato@Merck.com

OTHER NEWS

- PRODN Diversity Chair & Inclusion Track

The Steering Committee (SC) of PRODN is a volunteer board with wide-ranging responsibilities and multiple interests. As individuals, our resources are limited. The issue of diversity is a complex and historically rooted issue that demands continuous efforts and structural support to create enduring organizational change. As communities and workplaces become increasingly multi-cultural, it is critical that organization development practitioners gain the awareness and skills to work across race, gender, ethnic and cultural boundaries. Our professional organization must reflect the importance of this issue in its board, its members, its monthly programs, and its special learning events. To reconcile these potentially conflicting realities, we propose the creation of a Diversity Chair and an Inclusion Learning Track.

Diversity Chair – The Diversity Chair will hold a two-year position on the PRODN Steering Committee. The Chair will be a full acting member of the SC, attending all SC meetings and having a vote in all SC business. The Chair’s responsibilities will be to:

1. Ensure that the issue of diversity and creating an inclusive organization is reflected in the workings and the decisions of the SC,

2. Work in partnership with the Learning Events Chair to coordinate programs and events,

3. Connect with the minority community members and professional organizations to establish alliances and inform the SC,

4. Lead and oversee the direction and workings of the Inclusion Learning Track,

5. Create a committee of volunteers whose responsibility is to support all events related to the Inclusion Learning Track.

The criteria for holding the Diversity Chair position will be:

1. A demonstrate passion for organization and/or community inclusion,

2. Proven learning and expertise in the area of diversity and working to establish inclusive organizations and/or communities,

3. Demonstrated awareness of “whiteness” and white privilege,

4. The ability to connect and establish relationships within the minority professional community.

Inclusion Learning Track – This initiative and line of programming will own the design, scheduling, and orchestrating of all events relevant to the issue of inclusion. The Diversity Chair and committee members will plan and schedule programs, learning events, community meetings, and develop periodic learning experiences for the SC. The Inclusion Learning Track will be supported by the SC in the same manner and fashion as the traditional Learning Events Committee, e.g., having access to the same resources and formal and informal appeal.

Other Learning Events

A number of interesting learning events sponsored by other organizations are highlighted on our website of particular interest are:

Beyond Discovery and Dream an AI design workshop – May 7 – 9 Bryn Mawr, PA.

Meeting Location Directions

Directions to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

4170 City Ave

Rowland Building
Philadelphia, PA 19131

215 871-6100 (after hours 215 871 6351)

From Philadelphia International Airport
Take Interstate 95 North.
Look for signs to Interstate 76 West to Philadelphia - Valley Forge.
I-76 (follow signs to Valley Forge) at St. Joseph's University sign - stay in left lane and look for Exit City Line Avenue, Route 1 South.
Take City Avenue South two blocks to Monument Road (Adam's Mark Hotel is on the left).
Make a left onto Monument Road, PCOM's entrance is on right before light. Our meetings will be in the Rowland Building. Follow signs to parking garage (flat fee $4).

From New York, New Jersey or New England
Take the New Jersey Turnpike South to the PA Turnpike Exit 6.
Take the PA Turnpike West To Exit #24 (King of Prussia/Valley Forge).
After the tollbooth, follow signs for Philadelphia, Interstate 76 East.
Take I-76 East to the City Avenue Exit (also known as City Line Avenue or U.S. Route 1 South). Take City Avenue South two blocks to Monument Road (Adam's Mark Hotel is on the left). Make a left onto Monument Road, PCOM's entrance is on right before light. Our meetings will be in the Rowland Building. Follow signs to parking garage (flat fee $4).

From the West
Drive east on the PA Turnpike to Exit #24 (King of Prussia/Valley Forge).
After the toll booth, follow signs for Philadelphia, Interstate 76 East.
Take I-76 East to the City Avenue Exit (also known as City Line Avenue or U.S. Route 1 South). Take City Avenue South two blocks to Monument Road (Adam's Mark Hotel is on the left). Make a left onto Monument Road, PCOM's entrance is on right before light. Our meetings will be in the Rowland Building. Follow signs to parking garage (flat fee $4).