A reprint from The Baltic INDEPENDENT, February 17 - 23, 1995
by Ilmar Saar
The times are changing so fast you have no choice but to act. You can't foresee the outcome and ultimately, there is only the interpretation. When forces blow new futures at your feet, David Neenan says he can have you playing a continuous comeback business game.
In the next 20 years, humankind will witness one of history's greatest sociological transformations. Old ways of running governments, doing business, and dealing with employees and customers just won't work. As show by the former Soviet Union, those structures which refuse to change will eventually crumble.
David Neenan, owner of The Neenan Company, a Colorado (USA) based construction company with assets of $25 million, is offering free of charge a three-day seminar designed to help businesspeople or prospective businesspeople cope with the problems of operating a business in today's changing world.
The seminar focuses on teamwork, cooperation, coordination and trust. "The Working Game" borrows heavily on the principles of R. Buckminster Fuller. Dubbed by time magazine "the planet's friendly genius", Bucky Fuller was an inventor and designer who, among many things, created the Geodesic Dome, coined the term "Spaceship Earth" and developed the concept of synergy.
The Working Game evolved out of an evolutionary seminar created over 10 years ago by Marshall Thurber, a student of Fuller. With over 20,000 graduates worldwide.
In The Working Game, Fuller's visionary philosophy is brought to life through the practical application of the concepts of Gorgi Lozanov, Edward de Bono and in Particular, W. Edwards Deming.
Known as the "father" of quality control in Japan, Deming is considered the inspiration behind the turnaround in Japanese economy beginning in the 1950's. His principles remain the leaders in quality improvement systems and implementation.
The working game is about breaking old habits and routines that no longer work for you. You can learn how to use personal power to achieve, rather than merely control.
The Working Game is not three days of lectures. It involves a series of smaller games, out of which patterns emerge relating to life and work. These highly charged experiences, played against a background of proper theory, can lead to profound understanding.
Neenan's trip to Estonia stems from previous seminars in Sweden, Moscow, and Siberia. "Estonians and Latvians were coming across the Baltic going to these (seminars) and expressing interest," Neenan said. "Pretty soon there were enough graduates in the area, and they said 'Why don't you do it here?'"
In the past, foreign seminars were given with bi-translation. This one however will be in English as Neenan wishes to offer a complete unabbreviated version. The visit to Estonia is the result of an invitation by the Resource Development Foundation in cooperation with the Estonian Business School's entrepreneurship and business plan department to provide the seminar space and logistical support. The seminar is from April 28th through the 30th, and participation is open to the general public.
Neenan's seminars are regularly from $200 to $350 per participant. Why is he doing seminars for free? "It's for the adventure," he said.
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