KAI Symposium 2024 Review

KAI Symposium 2024

KAI Symposium 2024 – review

KAI Symposium 2024
The KAI Symposium 2024 was another great success!

Below are details of all the presentations, round tables and keynotes. Please Contact us for more information about the symposium or any individual topics.

Keynote Speakers

Keynote 1, Day 1 (Wed 21st Feb):

Guido Prato Previde

A Walk in the Park with KAI

There will be breakout rooms for 30 minutes after this keynote to discuss and reflect on the message.

More about Dr Guido Prato Previde

Dr Guido Prato Previde is a passionate business psychologist consulting leaders, teams and organizations at a local and at an international level. As a background, he is a medical doctor and a clinical psychologist. Guido has developed a number of professional collaborations with leading organizations (KAI Centre/UK; Creative Problem Solving Inc./U.S.A.; RHR/U.S.A.). He is Country Partner of the European Institute for Workplace Dynamics (IWD) and member of the Working with Resilience Consortium. Guido is the author of the Italian validation of KAI and a senior practitioner. www.decathloncons.it

Keynote 2, Day 1 (Wed 21st Feb):

James Pickles

From Breakdown to Breakthrough – Learning Valuable Lessons on the Importance of Failure and Collaboration, the Hard Way.

There will be breakout rooms for 30 minutes after this keynote to discuss and reflect on the message.

More about James Pickles

James Pickles is a 30 year veteran of high pressure sales and at the peak of success in 2019 (seemingly) without warning a public, severe mental and physical collapse changed everything for the better. He learned more about himself and what was really important to him during those dark months of illness than in all the previous professional years. https://www.jamespicklescoaching.co.uk/

Keynote 3, Day 2 (Thurs 22nd Feb):

Matt Marsh

Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Change Averse – a People-Shaped Approach

There will be breakout rooms for 30 minutes after this keynote to discuss and reflect on the message.

More about Matt Marsh

Matt Marsh has more than twenty-five years of experience providing the creative, empathetic and progressive leadership that helps organisations change, transform and innovate successfully. He has worked with strategy teams at Vodafone, Barclays, Lloyds, Microsoft, the NHS and Samsung, numerous SME’s and start-up’s, as well as served as Innovation Envoy for the UK’s Design Council. https://people-shaped.com/

Pre-Session Workshop with Iwan Jenkins:

How to Win Friends and Influence People – Using KAI Theory

When: 21st Feb, 11am-12 noon EST.

In this workshop, Iwan will explore:

  • Why working (or living) with irritating and frustrating people may be helpful to you!
  • How to get these individuals on-side and cooperative
  • See the world through the prism of cognitive diversity – and it will help you be more successful and happier

Read more about this workshop and book a place here.

Panel Discussion

Health and Care: Exploring the Links between Problem-solving Style, Motivation, and Stress

Wednesday, Feb 21

Dr Megan Seibel

To lead change that matters, we must consider our own health and care, and the health and care of others. Problem-solving style is often not a variable considered in this equation. This panel discussion will explore the connecting points.

Panel Moderator:
John Bryant

Panelists:
Guido Prato Previde
Megan Seibel
James Anderson

More about John Bryant
John Bryant is Director of Integrated Care and Generative Relationships at the Learning & Development Centre, a community interest company supporting change initiatives across health and social care. His 30 years of experience working in and with executive teams across different sectors reinforces his commitment to encouraging collaboration between partners and teams. He works with academic institutions, the NHS and councils to enable teams to succeed through increasing trust to achieve even better outcomes.
More about Dr Guido Prato Previde

Dr Guido Prato Previde is a passionate business psychologist consulting leaders, teams and organizations at a local and at an international level. As a background, he is a medical doctor and a clinical psychologist. Guido has developed a number of professional collaborations with leading organizations (KAI Centre/UK; Creative Problem Solving Inc./U.S.A.; RHR/U.S.A.). He is Country Partner of the European Institute for Workplace Dynamics (IWD) and member of the Working with Resilience Consortium. Guido is the author of the Italian validation of KAI and a senior practitioner. www.decathloncons.it

More about Dr Megan Seibel
Dr Megan Seibel is Director of the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving at Virginia Tech. She is also director of the VALOR Program at VT, which is dedicated to fostering leadership and capacity-building for Virginia’s largest private industries.
More about Dr James Anderson
Dr James Anderson is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Leadership and ALEC Graduate Program Coordinator at the University of Georgia. In addition, he is an Extension Leadership Specialists who travels both nationally and internationally presenting on culturally responsive practices for educational, organizational and community leaders.

Round Table Discussions

Samantha Giridhar

Round Table Discussion: Understanding KAI Within the Context of the Creative Arts

Through this roundtable discussion, I would like to reintroduce a focus on understanding KAI within the context of the creative arts. I will share how I am planning to explore the impact of KAI on approaches to choreography and improvisation within the field of dance. We will also discuss possible applications of KAI to the arts as a whole.

More about Dr Samantha Giridhar
is an assistant professor for the Academy for Creative Media Division at the University of Hawaii – West Oahu. A triple degreed Virginia Tech Hokie, she holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction as well as an MS and BS in Animal and Poultry Sciences. As a newly accredited KAI practitioner, her research interests are centered around how problem-solving style impacts approaches to the arts and education.
Tony Cevoli and Rob Samuel

Round Table Discussion: Is the KAI Framing of Opportunity Sufficient?

Recent studies have refreshed the exploration of opportunity discovery. A current debate is the identification of the opportunity itself to be addressed. This roundtable will cover current research; common areas of confusion when discussing opportunity; and areas of exploration to help refine our appreciation of opportunity.

More about Dr Robert Samuel
Dr Robert Samuel is an executive, educator, and consultant of systems engineering, emerging technology research, and open innovation and entrepreneurial practices. Robert has over thirty years of experience in healthcare, retail, financial services, higher education, utilities, defense, and government industries. Rob has been a Master KAI Practitioner since 2007.
More about Dr Tony Cevoli
is a consultant focused on behaviors of innovation in individuals and teams. His diverse background includes experience in military, corporate, healthcare, and education settings. Tony also works with the Resilience-Building Leader Program (RBLP), is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve, and is a KAI Master Practitioner. https://www.divergeanddesign.com
Sarah Bush

Round Table Discussion: Bridging Research and Practice: Working Smarter, Not Harder

This roundtable will cover the need for continued research that supports KAI theory and builds the case for continued practice. We will discuss opportunities for researchers and practitioners to collaborate on study design and data collection that will increase scholarly outputs and proof of KAI theory related concepts.

More about Dr Sarah Bush
Dr Sarah A. Bush is an assistant professor of Agricultural Leadership Education at the University of Florida. She has been a KAI practitioner for over 10 years and has conducted multiple studies using KAI theory. Her research focus on collaborative community-based problem solving, youth leadership, and workforce development.
Deborah Pettry

Round Table Discussion: Sharing Examples of Adaption-Innovation from Today’s World

What examples of Adaption-Innovation are in the world around you? What have you used in helping others identify preferences and apply A-I theory and practice as they interact with people in their daily lives? In this interactive roundtable we will share our real examples and create a collection for the KAI network.

More about Dr Deborah Pettry
Dr Deborah Pettry learned about Adaption-Innovation and took the KAI in Center for Creative Leadership’s “Targeted Innovation” workshop long, long ago. Soon she joined CCL full-time and became certificated by Dr. Kirton. She interacted with him many times and has a deep fondness for both the man and his work. https://LearningZenith.com
John Bryant

Round Table Discussion: Change that Matters – Developing Integrated Systems of Care and Health

More about John Bryant
John Bryant is Director of Integrated Care and Generative Relationships at the Learning & Development Centre, a community interest company supporting change initiatives across health and social care. His 30 years of experience working in and with executive teams across different sectors reinforces his commitment to encouraging collaboration between partners and teams. He works with academic institutions, the NHS and councils to enable teams to succeed through increasing trust to achieve even better outcomes.
Networking Activity

Strategies for Surmounting Team Resistance to Necessary Change: Leveraging Problem-Solving Styles to Achieve Results

Hosted by Anika Davis and Jessica Prater

Overview: In this interactive breakout session, participants will delve into effective strategies for overcoming team resistance when change is deemed necessary. The session will be facilitated in small breakout groups, each led by its members to foster dynamic discussions. By exploring insights into problem-solving styles, attendees will collectively generate innovative solutions and share their perspectives while building new relationships with fellow attendees.

Anika Davis KAI Consultant Jessica Pater KAI Consultant

Throughout the breakout groups, participants will collaboratively identify key takeaways, distilling their discussions into three actionable points. Each group will contribute to the general session participants a list of ideas and lessons learned, providing a diverse range of valuable insights. As the session concludes, attendees will leave with a rich compilation of practical strategies, fostering a collective pool of knowledge that can be readily applied in various professional settings.

More about Dr Anika Davis
Dr Anika Davis, CEO of Winning Results, excels in organizational development with a proven record of helping organizations foster growth and achieve remarkable results. With a background in organizational psychology and executive leadership across various sectors, her work focuses on strategic planning, leadership development, and employee engagement. Dr. Davis holds degrees from Duke, Argosy, and Vanderbilt Universities. www.getwinningresults.com
More about Jessica Prater
Jessica Prater, PHR, ACC is the Principal Consultant of J Prater Consulting, a firm based in Middle Tennessee focused on talent development and coaching. She brings 15 years of experience in organizational development, training, and human resources. Jessica holds a Master of Arts with an emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, where she now serves as an adjunct professor in the Behavioral Sciences Department. www.jpraterconsulting.com

Presentations

Nicolas Uwitonze, Hannah Sunderman & Thomas Archibald

Potential Application of Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation (A-I) Theory in Program Evaluation

This presentation delves into the integration of Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation (A-I) theory into program evaluation. It introduces program evaluation, A-I theory, and explores potential applications in diverse fields, emphasizing its relevance in evaluation consulting and entrepreneurship. The goal is to initiate a discourse on A-I theory’s application in program evaluation.

More about Nicolas Uwitonze
Nicolas Uwitonze is a PhD candidate and graduate research assistant at Virginia Tech, in the department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication. An accredited KAI practitioner and research fellow at the Centre for Cooperative Problem Solving (CCPS), Nicolas integrates A-I theory and KAI into his dissertation, focusing on evaluation entrepreneurship in Africa.
More about Dr Hannah Sunderman

Dr Hannah M. Sunderman is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, Education, and Communication. Dr. Sunderman received a Ph.D. in Human Sciences – Leadership from the University of Nebraska in May 2020. Her work focuses on leader(ship) education and development and seeks to answer the question: What processes and experiences (e.g., being a mentor) affect leader(ship) development and why?

More about Dr Tom Archibald
Dr Tom Archibald is an associate professor and Executive Director of Virginia Tech’s Center for International Research, Education, and Development. A community education and development expert, he specializes in program planning, evaluation, and adaptive management for organizational learning and social change, aiming to bridge research and practice for community development.

Paul Erricker

The Impact of Cognitive Style Gaps when Leading Change

Paul’s presentation is informed by case studies in supporting transformation teams understand the impact of their collective and individual cognitive style. Paul will focus on the cognitive gap between “change agents” and “change receivers”. Hints and tips on communication style to influence change will be a feature of his talk.

More about Paul Erricker
Paul Erricker is the founder of The Project Academy Limited. He and his team focus on the development of project leadership to support effective change. Paul is a leadership coach and Advanced KAI Practitioner, having enabled several hundred clients develop their own leadership style and to drive greater team collaboration. https://www.project-academy.co.uk
Anne Collier and Cynthia Shaffer

Upgrade Critical Thinking Skills with Style

Numerous clients lament the dearth of critical thinking skills and the reliance of staff on their managers to solve problems. We explore how to improve critical thinking skills by utilizing KAI to gain insight into biases and assumptions and the coaching process to critically think through a problem.

More about Anne Collier
Anne Collier, MPP, JD, PCC is an expert leadership coach who uses KAI, other assessment tools, and her proprietary communications work to support clients in actualizing their potential. She is passionate about helping leaders to improve performance, wellbeing, and culture in their organizations. https://arudia.com
More about Cynthia Shaffer
Cynthia Shaffer is an expert in strategic management. With a twenty-year career in healthcare and life sciences, she has a wealth of experience in establishing and developing large-scale programs and initiatives.
https://arudia.com

Ben Atkinson

KAI, Ideation and a System of Theft

Creating change that matters requires motivation, effort and a range of problem-solving styles. If leaders are aware of the spectrum of problem-solving styles, and have cultivated a diverse organization, they increase the likelihood of delivering innovative solutions.

Better still, if leaders can organize problem-solvers into a system of theft, they may connect change that matters with the problem-solving that matters most to an individual – increasing idea viability and decreasing the time to customer ‘thank you’.
This presentation uses metaphor to caricaturize problem-solvers and a communication tool to identify idea engagement points where, when and with whom it matters most.

More about Ben Atkinson
Ben Atkinson helps teams of smart people accomplish things they don’t think they can. A KAI practitioner for 3 years, Ben brought Dr. Kirton’s theory to Toyota, where he developed innovation systems for the North American manufacturing organization. More recently, Ben has been developing problem-solving capacity in the financial services and economic development spaces.
Jerald Walz

Teaching Change that Matters: Lessons from a Graduate Course on KAI

Teaching Change that Matters focuses on the lessons learned while teaching a graduate-level course entitled Cognition, Problem-Solving, and Preference for Change (LDRS 5534) at Virginia Tech. The purpose is to bring to light challenges that students face while learning A-I theory, focusing especially on objections students raise while learning KAI theory.

More about Dr Jerald Walz
Dr Jerald Walz is a KAI Master Practitioner and has taught a graduate course entitled Cognition, Problem-solving, and Preference for Change for the past five years at Virginia Tech. He regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, as well as presenting on KAI at academic conferences and organizational consultations.