Biography: Peter holds a B.S.E.E., M.A., Ph.D. and is President of Stonefield Learning Group. In this capacity, he serves as an executive and technical staff coach, consultant and trainer. He was an electronic engineer, marketing and sales executive for the Bunker-Ramo Corporation before becoming a psychologist. Peter was inspired by Psychologist, Carl Rogers and one on ones with two time Nobel Prize winning marine biologist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi regarding his theory of a Drive In All Living Matter To Perfect Itself.  Roberto Assagioli’s Psychosynthesis transformed his life and his studies with General Systems Theorist, Eric Jantsch, author of The Self-organizing Universe, gave him a more scientific understanding of Psychosynthesis. Finally, W.E. Deming’s work opened the door to taking this knowledge into business and government.

Peter has taught graduate-level courses on Cognitive and Creative Process, Psychosynthesis, Counseling Psychology, the Integration of Mind and Feelings and Mind Meditation and Creativity.  He has successfully completed over 200 consulting engagements, created more than 20 different training and development programs and coached over 300 executives and engineers. Some of the business training programs he developed are The Will to Excellence, Optimal Thinking, Managing Innovation, TQM, Agile Communications, Agile Leadership, Knowledge Management, Managing Change, Creative Thinking and Architecture for Teamwork. He has also facilitated the development of 10 knowledge leveraging “Communities of Practice” in engineering and marketing organizations.  His client list includes Apple Computer, Baxter Laboratories, Dow Chemical, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Stanford University, PPG, Sun Microsystems, U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency and General Services Administration. He was the principal consultant to, Region IX of the US Dept. Of Labor, the winner of the 1992 US President's Quality Award for Managing Change and the 1994 winner of the GSA Administrator’s Quality Award for Managing Change. 

Peter recently drafted a vision for computing for Sun Microsystems. His mission is to catalyze and accelerate the evolution of organizations and people. He is currently working with high tech startups in Silicon Valley.

Contact: Peter can be reached by e-mail at peter@slgllc.com for additional
information about this pre-conference session.

Website: www.slgllc.com


Title: Psychosyntheses - A Systems Psychology

Date: Monday, April 27th

Length: 3 hours (8:30-11:30am)

Location: California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge

Cost: None

Description: In today’s disruptive, increasingly technical and socially complex, global creative economy, individuals and organizations must continuously Innovate AND Adapt Quickly AND Execute Flawlessly AND Change, Evolve and Learn. Bringing Progress In2View in an AND world is facilitated by greater understanding of the psychology in play. This is especially so if the psychology is consistent with General Systems Theory, Chaos Theory and Systems Thinking. As the name implies the emphasis in Psychosynthesis is on the synthesis or integration of parts, subsystems, ANDS, even opposites in a way that evolves effectiveness and consciousness.

Target Audience: This workshop is designed for those who would like to understand the Psychology of My Space and OurSpace so they can lead, collaborate and interact more effectively and synergistically.

Everything which eventuates on earth has first been born in the world of the mind, and we should therefore remember that the new world of tomorrow is hourly being built by our thinking today. M.J. Eastcott

Organization Issues: Studies have shown that more than 80% of problems encountered by organizations are related to human relationships. Understanding the Psychology of My Space and Our Space, with a systems perspective, can help address problems like unproductive conversations, unproductive conflict, resistance to change, poor cross boundary collaboration, increasing technical and social complexity, shrinking knowledge lifecycles, relationship instability, ineffective leadership, lack of teamwork, low motivation and poor alignment. 

In individual and social systems everything organizes around identity.  Thinking processes, beliefs and values are driven by whatever role / mindset we are identified with in the moment.  For example, in the role of engineer we typically identify with the thinking processes, values and norms imbedded in the engineering specialization or sub-system, which in turn are influenced by the overall organization or larger system it is embedded in.  Like fish, we are often not fully aware of the medium in which we swim. Once we are identified with something, we in effect put blinders on that cause us to filter our perceptions, resist change and cling to old success strategies or identifications. Differences and change are subjectively perceived as threats to who we are. W. E. Deming warned, “not much can happen until and unless management changes its self image.” The creator of Psychosynthesis, Italian Psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli puts it this way, “We are dominated by everything we become identified with.  We can master, direct, and utilize everything from which we dis-identify ourselves.”

Objectives: In this session we will explore the basic principles and techniques of Psychosynthesis in an experiential, systems thinking and business friendly way. In the process you will have the opportunity to better understand yourself and others, expand your consciousness, accelerate your personal development and gain spiritual insights aimed at discovering your highest purpose and directions in life.

Handouts: Available for download (as a ppsx file)
Open using PowerPoint 2007, or with PowerPoint 2003 using the Microsoft Office Compatilbility Pack at this link.