Special Session: Ethics in Narrative Practice and Design Coaching

May 20-21st 2008 Writers Center Bethesda MD

This workshop is a highly participative day. Exercises and tools will be designed to assist the participant

(1) to consider deeply the principles of ethics of narrative work

(2) to explore how the principles are applied in various settings

(3) to review participant designs and be coached for greater effectiveness

This special session is designed to accomplish two major purposes. Ethics in Narrative Practice is designed to assist the participant in learning the principles of ethics in narrative work and to apply them to designs. Design Coaching, the second half of the day, will be devoted to coaching participants on their own designs for anticipated (or previously done) narrative work.

This session is designed for those who have attended at least one of the workshops on Narrative Practice. The session will be limited strictly to 10 participants maximum.

The workshop will present a set of principles for guiding ethical narrative practice and spend the morning, exploring these in depth through example, reflection, and discussion. The afternoon will be devoted to short presentations by participants of their designs with guided discussion using ground rules and focused questions to assist the designer to consider alternative means to achieve their goals. Guidelines for preparation will be given to registrants.

Agenda

8:30 to 9:00  Final registrations and coffee/tea

9:00 to 10:00  Opening exercises

10:00 to 10:15  Break

10:15 to 12:30  Ethics in Narrative Practice

12:30 to 1:30  Lunch

1:30 to 3:30  Design presentations and discussion

3:30 to 3:45  Break

3:45 to 4:30  Design presentations and discussion

4:30 to 5:00  Closing and Evaluation

OTHER FUTURE WORKSHOPS

Exploring the Story: Narrative Technique to Enhance Appreciative Inquiry

Instructors: Paul Costello and Dr. Madelyn Blair

This highly interactive course is filled with examples and real practice. Developed independently, the Center's approach mirrors much of the philosophy that has guided AI for so long and offers another avenue of understanding social constructionism at work and how AI and narrative work together.

This workshop is for those who wish to use story within the processes of their work or aspire to create change. The Intensive will introduce Narrative Room practice, an intense story-focused tool for dialogue. This will be demonstrated and practiced by participants.

Appreciative Inquiry uses story at its core. Use this workshop to explore story at another level. A full discussion and exploration of the genres that underpin organizational culture will allow those desirous of change to address it through knowledge of the genre beneath the culture. This workshop will give tools to those who aspire to be effective change agents, drawing inspirations from Northrop Frye and other literary theorists. Depending on the participants' interest, time will be spent on the stories of power and core stories.

Many audiences find value
Our session typically attract business leaders, organizational development specialists, therapists, communications professionals, human resource executives, change agents, teachers, clergy, social entrepreneurs, and the insatiably curious.

Sponsored by The Center for Narrative Studies

For information and registration contact  pelerei@mac.comor call 301-371-7100.