Teresa Posakony

Teresa PosakonyTeresa is a group process artist who love's listening into what want and needs to happen in the places and spaces wehre groups come together, call that a meeting retreat, conference, organization or strategic planning session. She works in partnership with teams to skillfully design the conversations that support transformational change/learning, wise decision making and wise action.

Teresa is deeply committed to making the times groups meet to be ones where we can do real work together. What enables the real work to happen are environments of trust and hospitality, practices for deep learning, clarity of purpose, a good and emergent design, and practices to invite the leadership and wisdom present in the room to burst out and get to work!

Developing relationships that can thrive when difference, uncertainty, and chaos shows up is essential if our efforts are going to be resilient and if we are really going to create anything new. We engage strong practices of shared leadership that shift people's abilities and commitment to working in partnership and friendship going forward.

Working with collective leadership practices there is always the ME and the WE. In addition to working with groups, I work with individuals to help them walk OUT of old frames, mental models, habits, and limitations and Walk ON to a space of more freedom and clarity where they know how to stand as a leader and how to lead from their vision, strength, presence and beauty.

I often design in partnership with Tmothy Corey, Tenneson Woolf, Chris Corrigan and other close colleagues to form a powerful team to support groups as they move through significant change or in support of an event, community or initiative. We've found that having the balance, creativity, trust, and vision of 2 or more of us present makes a significant shift in the depth of the work we can do. Given the time of acceleration and transformation we are in, it seems many settings require this.

My work is informed and inspired by the web of pioneering leaders affiliated with the Berkana Institute and the extraordinary communities of The Art of Hosting and World Cafe. I have worked in close partnership with Berkana for over 8 years exploring what are the new forms of organizing human endeavors and what is the kind of leadership needed now at this time on our planet. We are "learning to live the future now" and working in deep partnership with pioneering communities and organizations around the globe.

I also lived thirteen years in the high tech revolution seeing how quickly human beings can come together to create a new way of working, communicating, creating, partnering, and learning. This was where I learned that my life work is about leadership, change and dialog. My high-tech career included six years of leading a large training organization and seven years as a Leadership and Organizational Development Consultant.

Practically I find myself working most with Open Space Technology, Circle Dialog, World Café, and Appreciative inquiry as core "social technologies" in my pallet of processes for change. The theoretical underpinnings of my work are living systems, whole scale change, organizational learning, authentic leadership, and whole brain learning.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS:


Teresa's clients include Washington Family Policy Council, Navajo Nation, Center for Human Development, Louisville Metro United Way, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Voices for Illinois Children, Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, Microsoft, City of Redwood City California, Clark County Center for Community Health, Evergreen School, Center for Ethical Leadership, Willing Disturbers, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace and others.

What people say about Teresa:

Teresa's work with our organization has been transformational. She offered us both her compassionate and open heart and her calm confidence even in the scariest moments. Teresa's wealth of experience in working deeply in conversation provides the grounding to support us in doing the work that most needed to be done. She brings more than a well-stocked toolkit of techniques; she brings an authenticity and genuine caring that is transformative. Teresa exudes presence - that genuine presence that comes from having done her own work." ~Steve Ryman, Center for Human Development

"Teresa, you are like fresh glass of spring water, after spending 40 days and 40 nights in a dry wilderness. If I had met you before the adventure, it would have only taken 4 days." ~Rene Jackson, Community Leader, Chicago Illinois

"Teresa takes me to the heart of the matter I'm working on, both regarding the development of the organization I work for and my personal growth as a leader. She listens carefully with the full benefit of her experience and intuition to help me listen more closely to myself so that I can take action in alignment with my core goals and principles. And her smile is infectious! ~Sharon Haselkorn, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Boston Massachusetts

"Your generous - fully present - listening for what is said, felt and unsaid - helps me recognize what I know and what is possible. Your coaching helps me clarify what is central to my journey - what I need to bring with me and what to leave behind. Your language and framing nurtures and expands the context for how to grow in my work and life. Your genuine connection and understanding of the impact of Parent Cafes is invaluable as we work to amplify 'parent voice' in the world. ~Lina Cramer, Wisdom Exchange, Evanston Illinois


CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS: