Biography: Ariane is a founding and managing partner of, and human systems development specialist with The Veritas Group, a consulting firm specializing in organizational development. She is a Senior Lecturer and member of the Executive College at California Lutheran University, and the Executive Director of the National University Center for Organizational Excellence. She has served as an advisor to numerous boards of directors and project based groups including the Senate Committee on Corporate Ethics.

Ariane’s specialties include systems thinking, organizational learning, organizational change, culture development, conflict transformation, strategic thinking, and executive/management development. She holds a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems and a BS in Physics. Her research and practical experience in the area of whistle-blowing has made her a recognized expert in this field. She is an acclaimed speaker and author.

Presentation Title: Thinking Outside the “I”: Moving from My Space In2 OurSpace

Abstract: The end product of this session is the exhilarating discovery that there is power in learning a new way of thinking. Communication, the essence of the successful journey from "My Space" to "OurSpace", goes well beyond the mere transfer of information, and even beyond the ability to internalize and apply that information. It demands nothing short of being able to think beyond the comfortable, wheel-worn paths of the intellect, i.e., of questioning our thinking and the limits of our thinking in order to expand our capacity to think.

This session is about creating the foundational skills you need to be successful leaders, managers, and citizens, the skill of communication, i.e., learning to think critically so that you are able to recognize what is behind your thinking and the thinking of others, learning to listen so that you are able not only to understand what is being said, but why it is being said; and communicating in a way that is clear, powerful and compelling.