Fully engaged workforces mean greater productivity, profits, lower costs, better products and services—and more satisfying lives for all of us. Yet, do you and the leadership of your organization understand the conditions that foster engagement—and what gets in the way? Do you know how to engage others?

A recent Towers Perrin survey of 35,000 U.S. employees reports that just 20% describe themselves as "highly engaged" at work, "freely giving discretionary effort into their work, in the form of extra time, brainpower and energy." A previous Gallup survey reported similar findings. The benefits of full engagement—and the costs of low engagement—can be profound.

Gain new skills and a greater understanding of how to create more of what you want at work in a highly experiential three-session series, developed in association with and held at Catalyst Ranch in downtown Chicago.

Session One: Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 9:00 am – 12 noon
Full Engagement:
Increasing Productivity by Engaging Ourselves and Others
Presenters: Jackie Sloane and Adam Shames
What conditions foster engagement? How do we engage others in what we want to accomplish? In a highly interactive session drawing from creativity and communication theory, real business examples, and the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Flow and Good Business), participants will:
•–Leave with an understanding of the conditions that foster engagement
•–Learn more about the importance of intrinsic motivation and "flow"
•–Learn and work with a communication model for engagin others
•–Understand what is missing when you're not successful at engaging others

Session Two: Tuesday, July 13, 2004, 9:00 am – 12 noon
Relationships that Work:
Getting Along While Getting It Done
Presenters: Jackie Sloane and Brendan Sullivan
Nearly every significant accomplishment involves cultivating, leveraging or benefiting from relationships with others. Relationships are our most important assets, as individuals and organizations. Each time you engage in communication, you generate what’s possible—or  thwart what you want to achieve. In a highly experiential session, participants will:
•–Experience the generative effect of communication in relationships
•–Learn what's in it for us to think from the other person's point of view
•–Experience how emotional content is fundamental to meaning in communication
•–Understand and practice active listening

Session Three: Tuesday, August 10, 2004, 9:00 am – 12 noon
Collaborative Teams:
Maximizing Creativity and Productivity in teams
Presenters: Adam Shames and Brendan Sullivan
How do you leverage the individual talents and creativity on a team of diverse people? Drawing on innovation research, multiple intelligence theory and techniques of improvisation, this experiential creativity session will explore how teams best engage all members to produce results well beyond what could have been produced by one person. Participants will:
•–Leave and experience the principles of individual and collaborative creativity
•–Gain insight into team problem solving and the role of complementary intelligences
•–Learn keys to maximizing individual contributions and minimizing emotional deficits
•–learn how to enhance yourown work environment for teamwork to thrive

Details:
•–Location: Catalyst Ranch, 656 W. Randolph, Suite 3W, Chicago, IL 60661
•–Cost: $200 for all three sessions (paid prior to first session) or $75 per session
•–Registration: Call 773-465-5906
•–Note: This series is also available as conference content. Call 773-465-5906 for information.

Program Creators and Leaders:
Jackie Sloane MCC enhances clients' ability to engage others, cultivate and transform relationships, and achieve important goals. Through programs, consulting and one-on-one coaching, she has served individuals and groups from a range of organizations, from start-up to family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 firms, such as Kraft, Navistar and CNA. Her article on leadership and the importance of relationships appears in The Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership in Action magazine. A certified ontological coach and a Master Certified Coach, Jackie has more than 25 years experience in coaching, consulting and journalism, and a B.A. in Political Science.

Adam Shames, M.A., serves as a creative catalyst for companies, organizations, schools and individuals. He has guided hundreds of groups through the teambuilding and creative process since founding the Kreativity Network (originally based in San Francisco) more than a decade ago. A creativity expert, dynamic speaker, FourSight certified trainer, writer, musician, coach and organizational development consultant with SynerChange Chicago, Adam’s clients have included Sprint, Chicago Public Schools and McKessonHBOC. He is also a former “Teacher of the Year” with a master’s degree in education from Stanford University.  www.kreativity.net.

Brendan Sullivan’s programs help clients create more successful teams, encourage effective communication and develop creative work environments, drawing from principles used in successful improvisational theatre. Improvisation is about active listening, support, teamwork, trust, collaboration and respect. Brendan has facilitated his creativity workshop for a wide variety of clients, including BP (Amoco), Sara Lee, Aetna, First Health, Zurich North America, Jenny Craig and the Chicago Public School System. He is a teacher and coach at ImprovOlympic, a former producer, comedy writer and character voice for the Jonathon Brandmeier Radio Showgram, and an instructor at the University of Chicago's Graham School.  www.creativitycoach.net

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