TILT – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology
L yl e L a b a r d e e
TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED D In my previous column I introduced the term “Technology Enhanced Coaching” (TEC), and reinforced the idea that the importance of establishing what is known as “presence” in coaching calls for augmenting the use of technology and web enabled applications with traditional face-to-face or voice-to-voice support. In this column I will present a TEC resource that is as much about cutting edge web technology as it is about the age old effectiveness of writing and sharing personal thoughts with those whom one trusts. Our featured web application, JournalEngineTM, was developed by Kim Ades, MBA and her team at FOM Inc. in Toronto. Before we take a closer at it, let’s start with a perspective on why a web application that supports journaling and the sharing of one’s journal entries with trusted members of one’s community might be so important to us today. Margaret Wheatley, an organizational psychologist and teacher, has been organizing conversations among people in their local communities in over 30 countries. These conversations inspire local leaders to act, to achieve breakthroughs in understanding, reconciliation, and the formation of action steps. In her 2002 book, Turning To One Another - Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, Meg writes, "For as long as we've been around as humans, as wandering bands of nomads or cave dwellers, we have sat together and shared experiences. …
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T I L T MAGAZ I N E MA y 2 0 1 1
We have never wanted to be alone. But today, we are alone. We are more fragmented and isolated from one another than ever before. ... As the world becomes more complex and fearful, we know we need each other to find our way through the darkness. The yearning for community is worldwide. What can we do to turn to one another?" Well, if the skyrocketing number of Facebook users (now exceeding 600 million) is any indication, what many are doing is turning to the web to share and connect with friends. But is today’s Facebook experience intimate enough to achieve the kind of personal sharing and life changing call-to-action that Meg describes? Kim doesn’t think so. While recognizing the success of Facebook and other social media applications such as LinkedIn and Twitter relative to enabling people to connect, she sees these applications falling far short of providing a private, intimate place where members can interact with a close circle of trusted friends