WISDOM COUNCIL

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WHAT CLIENTS SAY
A wide range of organisations have experienced or applied the Wisdom Council including General Motors, AT&T, Unisys, Northern Telecom, Bank of Boston, Aetna, McKinsey & Co., the World Bank, Lucent Technolgies.

Here are some words from a few of them.

Young & Rubicam/Texaco
A new agency/client team met for the first time to share their collective wisdom on what was needed to create brilliant work together. They produced over 30 actionable recommendations to improve the quality of their collaboration.

"The Wisdom Council has really helped us to find the team spirit we needed to get started on this budget. It has lead us all to go deeper into our feelings and thoughts, reveal our true "us" as a team but also as individuals in this team. This has been a great experience we wish we can use again to go the step further."
Philippe Bonnet, Account Managing Director, Y&R Europe

Institute for the Future - USA
The Institute for the Future, a 30-year-old American company that develops 'foresight' reports for international corporations, employed the Wisdom Council several times as part of their strategic planning process.

The challenge was to create an environment in which the directors, all academics, would share recommendations for the way forward in a way that built on and supported each other.

"The experience was the best directors offsite meeting we have ever held. I am impressed with the Wisdom Council process. It is simple yet profound. It kept us out of our sometimes-dysfunctional communication styles with each other.

"We worked the issues, we listened to each other, we had more equal participation across the whole group than we typically do with other meeting styles."
Bob Johansen, President, Institute for the Future

Social Entrepreneurs Group
"The Wisdom Council offers an extraordinarily powerful system for focusing the mind and encouraging innovative thinking in diverse groups. I was impressed by the beauty and clarity of Mike and Patricia Bell's Wisdom Council workshop, which draws on ancient knowledge but is equally applicable to the modern boardroom, NGO or market focus group.

“Business consultants often claim that 'Management of change is the biggest challenge for organisation'. The Wisdom Council offers extraordinary tools, thinking and approaches which have been used throughout the history of time to make decisions and come to consensus on group vision and action in a non-confrontational and inspiring format.”
Brian Davis, Director, Creative Dream Company and senior business journalist for magazines including The Manufacturer, Professional Engineering, Chemical Week and many other publications.

Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies brought 460 of their Marketing people to Miami at the beginning of April 1997 for a Wisdom Council sitting led by Ehama Insitute, which included the entire management, during which corporate targets were decided and team building developed.

"Most of the people learned to listen and ask questions instead of approaching a problem with a prepared answer", says Kathleen Baier, Quality Manager of the $23 billion multi-national.

An independent questionnaire by the University of Massachusetts found that the staff thought the experience was challenging and that it released energy that improved relationships and communication.

Association for Management Education and Development
The Scottish Branch of AMED met to learn about the Wisdom Council and, in doing so, used the Council to help them resolve an issue they had been facing for several months.

The, then, Chairman said afterwards: "The atmosphere was one of calm and tranquillity, and everyone commented on how a complex problem had inroads made with no talking down, no interruption, and true use of the talents in the room."

AMED Conference 1998
"Wise decisions start with effective listening and countless misunderstandings indicate that listening is extremely difficult in any situation. The Wisdom Council seems powerful, practical and profound method of ensuring that the often unheard talent in a room is given the air to enable well-considered, balanced outcomes to emerge." Terry Gibson

"Its an interesting way of looking at complex decisions and probably helps to reduce some of the confusion and tensions around issues that generate quite a bit of heat. A lot depends though on who leads the Wisdom Council and what they bring" Andy  Leigh

"It was amazing how an analysis and a possible solution emerged so easily and quickly. The strength of this method for organisations is that there are a number of perspectives which can be considered and combined" Sandra Clyne

Knight Ridder - USA
Senior executives of this national newspaper corporation experienced a Wisdom Council as part of a one week leadership programme. They used the Wisdom Council to look into the future of their industry and developed deeper insights into their role and value. 

One participant said: "I liked this unique way of posing this question. It helped us to look at the issue from different perspectives. It was enlightening for me. Thanks!"

Energis Squared plc
As part of a company reorganisation that required greater cross-functional working and creativity, over 30 managers came together in a circular conference space at the Earth Center near Doncaster, England. 

They used the Wisdom Council to explore the questions 'what is needed to create a culture of vibrant innovation in an organisation?'. They arrived at over 30 recommendations which helped inform further work on the topic.

Learn about Other Forms of the Wisdom Council and the Training we offer.