Dear Colleague,

Below is information about presenting at the 2003 Pegasus Conference, Changing Our Organizations to Change the World: Systems Thinking in Action®, which will be held
October 8–10, in Boston, Massachusetts. Please read it carefully.

Every organization, whether local or global in reach, mundane or august in purpose, few or many in members, is a practice field in which we learn our most fundamental skill—how to engage with other people to accomplish a common purpose. Skills gained through these organizational successes ultimately emerge on the global stage and shape the dramas played out when cultures or nations, rather than teams, departments, or divisions, struggle to overcome the obstacles to working and living together for their mutual good.

The success of our engagements at any level are largely the result of both the quality of our collective thinking and the quality of our relationships, both within the organization and in our contacts with other organizations. We raise the quality of these two basic elements in ourselves when we:
" Learn to tackle complex issues through systems thinking, strategic conversation, and multistakeholder engagement.
" Shift from a focus on objectives to a focus on the processes needed for achieving success.
" Share in the wisdom of organizations that benefit themselves and the world by recognizing their interconnections.

When we embrace new ways of thinking about the complex systems we live and work in, and learn to go beyond the boundaries that prevent us from working together, we can not only improve our organizational effectiveness but also contribute to the well-being of our world as a whole.

We are looking for presentations, both application case studies and tools workshops, which explore how we can create sustainable organizational success and change the world for the better.

Please Note: We have very few available slots this year. Therefore, we have changed the proposal process. We are first asking for preliminary, abbreviated, short proposals, which are due on January 8. We will review these and make a first-cut. If your proposal is selected, we will notify you on January 10 and ask for a more detailed and extensive proposal, which is due on January 21. Because of the tight timeframe for the second stage, please be sure you can meet the January 21 deadline before you submit your preliminary application.

Audience
The Systems Thinking in Action Conference primarily serves upper-level managers from all industry segments, not-for-profit organizations, consultants, and educators. Approximately 50 percent of the attendees are relatively new to the field.

Sessions
Skill-building Workshop proposals should demonstrate how your session will help attendees develop a specific skill set related to the conference theme.

Application/Case Study proposals should demonstrate an organizational issue that is recognizable to a broad audience and from which the conclusions are transferable and highly useful in a variety of settings. The actual "company story" should make up only a small part of the session. The learnings, outcomes, practices, and methods should be the primary focus. Case studies should also support and reference the conference theme.

Case studies are most relevant when company members who were actually involved in the work within a company share them. For this reason, external consultants must partner with a co-presenter from the company where the project took place. Case studies presented by managers from their own organizational experience are strongly encouraged.

Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Strength of the presentation
• Presenters' skill and experience
• How well the session serves the theme of the conference, or how effectively it teaches a concept or skill set
• How the session "fits" with the other proposals (so that we may present a diverse group of sessions).

Please note the following:
• Preliminary application deadline is January 8, 2003.
• Notification of first-cut acceptance or decline will be e-mailed no later than January 10, 2003.
• Final applications are due by January 21, 2003.
• Final acceptance will be made by February 3, 2003.
• Since only complete applications will be considered, please provide all information requested. If you have already presented at a Systems Thinking in Action Conference, references are not necessary.
• No more than two submissions will be considered per presenter.
• All sessions are 90 minutes in length.
• We provide a complimentary conference registration for one or two presenters per proposal; however, presenters are responsible for their own accommodations, travel arrangements, and expenses. Should you feel that your session requires additional presenters, they will be charged $875 per person as a conference fee.
• If presenting a case study, external consultants must partner with a co-presenter from the company where the project took place.
• Pegasus Communications may rename sessions and edit descriptions as necessary.
• Acceptance of a proposal is based on the information provided in your application. Should a change in presenter, format, or content occur, Pegasus must be notified immediately and may reconsider whether the presentation should still be included in the conference.

If you would like to submit a proposal, please return your fully completed, printed application by mail, fax, or e-mail. An electronic version of the application is available at www.pegasuscom.com/presentapp.html. Please call Carrie Ruchin at 781-398-9712 if you have questions.

We look forward to creating a dynamic program for this year's Systems Thinking in Action Conference.

With warm regards,
LeAnne Grillo
Vice President and Conference Director


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