To the Compendium and Dialogue Mapping community:

You have heard of our Certification Program for Dialogue Mapping.  I would like to invite you to reflect on what your life might be like if you became a Certified Dialogue Mapper.  Here are some of the things the program offers:

A Craft Skill for Sense Making on Complex Problems. Horst Rittel's work on wicked problems and IBIS has lead to almost 40 years of research on and development of tools and ideas for tackling the most intransigent challenges facing organizations.  In the Certification Program you will master this body of work and make it your own, giving you a new level of clarity, insight, and contribution in the groups and teams you work with.

A Professional Credential. As a Certified Dialogue Mapper (CDM) you will have a credential that assures employers, clients, and the public that you have met rigorous standards of skill and competence.

Membership in the Network of Certified Dialogue Mappers. The demand for skilled Dialogue Mappers is steadily growing.  Those who are Certified will be listed in a new section of the CogNexus website, and will be part of a growing network of internal and external consultants who help each other, teach each other, and bring new work into the network.  For example, I am organizing two large events so far this year which involve groups of dialogue mappers facilitating breakout groups and helping them merge those sessions back into a plenary report.

If you haven't yet please read the Program description and seriously consider applying: http://cognexus.org/Certification/Cert_Program_Description.pdf

There are lots of other reasons to do the program.  For one thing it's going to be total blast.  There will be cool research projects and tons of rich discussions.  We'll work on-line and face-to-face, with video and audio and web tools and games and simulations.  The program will be intense, but it will also be very fun.

Some people have written to me saying that they would like to be in the program but they can't afford it.  If that's you and you really want to be in the program, please let me know -- there just may a way.

Sincerely,
Jeff Conklin

Dr. Jeff Conklin
CogNexus Institute ... Collaborative Display, Collective Intelligence
http://cognexus.org Phone: +1-707-256-3425  Fax: +1-707-256-3903
1037 Juarez St., Napa, CA  94559    USA