Services: Details

#1 meaning first programs/workshops:

• MEANING First Life
  
• MEANING First Work
  
• MEANING First Team and Organization
  
• MEANING First: Creating the Government Workplace of the Future
  

An increasing number of people are questioning the meaning of their lives and work. They want to know that their lives and work truly matter and that they are making a positive and meaningful difference -- to themselves, for others, and for the larger organization, community and society. As pioneers in the Meaning Movement, Alex Pattakos and Elaine Dundon have created a unique approach that goes beyond the concept of "purpose" to the higher level of Meaning as the key driver for increasing engagement, resilience, and performance. These MEANING First programs/workshops are designed to introduce participants to the unique MEANINGology® framework, along with practical tools and techniques, for living and working with deeper Meaning.

The international bestselling books on Meaning, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work and The OPA! Way: Finding Joy & Meaning in Everyday Life & Work, provide further insights into how everyone can challenge their thinking and reframe their lives and work to achieve greater fulfillment and success.

#2 Meaning first innovaTion Programs:

• MEANING First: Building a Culture of Innovation
  
• MEANING First: Developing Skills for Innovation
  

The field of Innovation Management has evolved over the last few decades. In 1995, Elaine Dundon founded The Innovation Group Consulting Inc. and then collaborated with Alex Pattakos to develop the Innovation Systems Architecture model and assessment for Teams and Organizations, as well as to design and teach the groundbreaking course on Innovation Management at the University of Toronto. This was the first course to focus on Meaning and the "human side of innovation," as opposed to just technology/R&D as the driver of innovation. Elaine Dundon's bestselling book, The Seeds of Innovation, ranked among the top 10 business books of the year as it represented a breakthrough in the field.

Despite the evolution of the field of Innovation Management, many leaders still struggle to lead their organization's innovation agenda. Clearly, another paradigm shift is needed; MEANING First represents such a paradigm shift. While most people believe that innovation begins with a new idea, the Global Meaning Institute believes that innovation begins with the innovator.

Building on their extensive backgrounds in innovation, strategic thinking, existential psychology, and philosophy, the founders of the Global Meaning Institute have developed two unique and practical programs: MEANING First: Building a Culture of Innovation, and MEANING First: Developing Skills for Innovation.

#3 Meaning first leadership program:

The MEANING First program is a unique offering in the field of Leadership Development because it focuses on the topic of Meaning as the driver for the key dimensions of leadership: articulating a compelling vision; developing supporting strategies; inspiring the trust needed for effective execution; and encouraging individual growth. This interactive program begins by encouraging you to develop the Meaning Mindset needed for leadership and then provides practical tools and techniques for gaining greater awareness and insight into yourself and your impact on others, renewing your confidence and resiliency, as well as encouraging you to continuously lead with and to Meaning.

#4 meaning first Keynote Speaking:

The leaders of the Global Meaning Institute are recognized internationally as thought leaders in the intersection of  Meaning and Innovation. Their depth of experience working with some of the world's leading organizations, along with their teaching and writing, provide a strong foundation as a partner to help you reach your personal and organizational goals.

Here is your opportunity to hear their unique voice and challenge your group to live and work with deeper Meaning. Each speech is custom designed to align with your meeting objectives and, more importantly, to inspire your participants with new insights to think and act in new ways. Their track record speaks volumes as they have influenced such diverse audiences as:

• The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece
  
• American Management Association
  
• American Political Science Association
  
• American Society for Public Administration
  
• American Society for Quality, USA
  
• Association for Talent Development (formerly American Society for Training & Development)
  
• Axelson Center for Nonprofits, Chicago
  
• Boston Global Forum
  
• The Brookings Institution
  
• Canadian Society for Training and Development (The Institute for Performance and Learning)
  
• Center for Association Leadership, Washington, DC
  
• Colorado Federal Executive Board, Denver
  
• Credit Union Central, Canada
  
• Department of Economics, Curacao
  
• ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain
  
• Health Care Leaders Association
  
• HR Professionals Association of Ontario, Canada
  
• The Innovation Network
  
• International Center for Leading Studies, Crete, Greece
  
• International Congress on Cognitive Behavioral Coaching, Athens, Greece
  
• International Existential Coaching Congress, Bogotá, Colombia
  
• International Meaning Conference, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada
  
• Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia
  
• Michigan Government Financial Officers Association
  
• National Hellenic Society
  
• National Teachers Conference, Calgary, Canada
  
• OASIS Education Center/Institute (50+)
  
• Ontario Public Service, Canada
  
• Pancretan Association of America
  
• Pricewaterhousecoopers
  
• Ringling School of Art & Design
  
• Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia
  
• Seattle University
  
• Singapore Civil Service College, Singapore
  
• Summa Health System, USA
  
• TEDx Hong Kong, PRC
  
• The Conference Board
  
• University of Pennsylvania
  
• UNESCO (Global Creative Cities Network)
  
• VHA (Voluntary Hospitals of America)
  
• Viktor Frankl Institute, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  
• World Presidents' Organization
  

#5 MEANINGology® & meaning first innovation Tests/Assessments:

The Global Meaning Institute is leading the Meaning Movement with the following tests/assessment tools:

• MEANINGology® Life Meaning Test
  
• MEANINGology® Work Meaning Test
  
• MEANINGology® Team & Organization Meaning Test
  
• MEANING First: Building a Culture of Innovation Assessment
  
• MEANING First: Developing Skills for Innovation Assessment
  

The MEANINGology® Meaning Tests and MEANING First Innovation Assessments were developed by Dr. Alex Pattakos and Elaine Dundon based on their pioneering work, both research and practice, in the fields of Meaning and Innovation Management. Their MEANINGology® typology is built upon a new paradigm and formula for discovering Meaning in life and work, as well as the discovery that each person approaches and finds Meaning via a specific MEANINGology® Style. The MEANING First Innovation Assessments integrate their longstanding experience with personal and organizational innovation capacity building and expertise in Meaning.

These tests/assessments have been designed to provide an overview of your current level of thinking and feeling regarding the state of Meaning in your life or work, including an individualized MEANINGology® Style, as well as to help you identify areas where you can deepen Meaning in your life or work. For leaders, the MEANINGology® Meaning Tests and MEANING First Innovation Assessments also identify how to make Meaning a group-wide or organization-wide initiative that drives engagement & resilience, health & well-being, and performance & innovation.

The Global Meaning Institute has collected normative data to be used as statistical benchmarks or points of comparison in the different elements of Meaning for personal growth, leadership development, organizational transformation, and innovation management. These tests, which are available both online and in hard copy formats, are integrated into the customized MEANING First programs. The Global Meaning Institute also offers an option to prepare a team or organization-wide report that compiles, summarizes, and analyzes the MEANINGology® Meaning Test or MEANING First Innovation Assessment results, as well as the option to administer the assessment as part of a pre-test/post-test training program/client engagement.

#6 MEANING FIRST STRATEGIC ADVISING:

As pioneers in the Meaning Movement and thought leaders in the field of Innovation Management for over 25 years, the Global Meaning Institute has helped a wide variety of individuals and organizations to ask deeper questions, gain new insights, and reframe opportunities within a larger Meaning-focused context.

For more information, contact: info@globalmeaninginstitute.com