The Dayton Peace Process
SPEAKING FROM THE HEART
The Glass Talking Stick: A powerful tool for Real Thinking and Collaborative Innovation.
Traditionally, the Talking Stick is a wooden tool used by many indigenous people when they meet in council or a group. The person holding the stick speaks from what is deeply true for them right now, and what they are aware of in the present moment. Everyone else is asked to listen. When finished, the speaker passes the stick.
Most often, the practice of the ‘Talking Stick’ provides the missing link to go beyond where people are have stalled in Collaborative Innovation; in groups or business, in situations where people feel stuck in seemingly unsolvable circumstances, in abrasive conflicts, or where life and its essence – relationships – feel flat and featureless.
In recent times, we have been using glass art versions of the talking stick that combine the power, rich symbolism and ancient wisdom of indigenous people with the color, beauty, mystery, the strength and fragility of blown glass, and magical flow.
Dr. Robert Barthelemy is the Founding Director of the Wright Brothers Institute and the Wright Brothers Institute’s IDEA Lab. He has been a consultant to a variety of aerospace industry companies and federal government organizations, including Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Ball, GRC, UTC, various Department of Defense organizations and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
He says, picture this: the leaders of five European nations that are in the process of destroying each other have to begin a conversation that might lead to a workable peace process.
The CEOs of ten of the biggest corporations in America have to agree: to an approach that will merge these ten independent companies into three mega-companies.
A Four-Star General and a politically-appointed Service Secretary have to construct a process that will define the future readiness of the United States Air Force.
The common element in all of these pictures was my own Talking Stick created from a variety of chosen unique colors, symbols and figures. One of them, a Silver Eagle, represented my truest beliefs as well as my Destiny.
While it is simply an attractive piece of art and substance, its use has been magical. I began using it in my work and it always led to meaningful conversations that quickly got to the heart of the matter. At first, my friends and colleagues were surprised that a nuclear rocket scientist who spent his life trying to make a difference in a giant military bureaucracy would believe in such a thing. But Talking Sticks have been used for thousands of years when conscious, meaningful conversations were required.
The rules seem simple, need some skill to introduce, and are usually more than worth it.
And yes, with assistance from my Talking Stick, the leaders did find a way to start the Dayton Peace Process, the CEOs did create the three biggest aerospace companies on the globe, and the United States Air Force remains the most powerful military deterrent in the world.
Dr. Robert Barthelemy is the Founding Director of the Wright Brothers Institute and the Wright Brothers Institute’s IDEA Lab. He has been a consultant to a variety of aerospace industry companies and federal government organizations, including Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Ball, GRC, UTC, various Department of Defense organizations and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Bart has served as Visiting Scientist at the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and Adjunct Professor at the University of Dayton. Bart was the National Director of the National Aerospace Plane Program where he was responsible for the technical development of the nation’s hypersonic aerospace plane. Buy his new book, Collaborative Innovation. Download a sample chapter here.