User:Wjbellows/In2:InThinking Network

Background
The In2:InThinking Network was launched on September 25, 2001 with the aim of promoting study and awareness of individual and collective thinking about sub-systems, psychology, variation, knowledge, and their interactions - elements recognized as the basis of W. Edwards Deming's “System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK)". The initial role of the “In2:IN” was to serve as a legal entity to allow a network of friends to organize an annual Forum, something first conceived in the summer of 2000. In parallel, founding members saw a need and the value of creating a network which brings together people who share an interest in using better thinking about thinking to create a better future – for individuals, organizations, and the world.  Significant momentum was gained between the summer of 2000 and the fall of 2001, with the events of September 11th intensifying the founders desire to make a positive difference in the world.

The concept of “InThinking” derives from “thinking about thinking”, where thinking is defined as “a way of reasoning.” InThinking invites an individual to learn to perceive the patterns of interdependencies surrounding him or her and to reason and judge with this insight. Such a personal transformation of thinking builds upon the foundation of Profound Knowledge to include the theories of Russell Ackoff, Edward de Bono, Peter Senge, Tom Johnson, and Genichi Taguchi, among many others. Network members seek to explore, combine, and extend their thinking for the increase of consciousness and understanding about how thinking can bring forth a better world. They believe that by “thinking about thinking” – or InThinking – one can acquire knowledge, work together, provide resource leadership, and plan more effectively. With InThinking, practitioners create a new awareness of various forms of thinking, their interdependency, the possible ways of integrating and including them - toward more joy and quality of life for individuals and organizations. Members strongly believe in the synergy of teamwork and its connection to “better thinking about thinking.”

Annual Forum
The vision of an annual “west coast” Forum dates back to the summer of 2000. Founding members had ideas to share and saw the role of a conference to help them expand a localized southern California thinking network into something much larger – an international thinking network. In envisioning the Forum, they borrowed ideas from conferences they attended and integrated them into the design of their own event. For example, they took the concept of a forum from the annual “Deming” conference in Cincinnati, the Ohio Quality and Productivity Forum, also known as OQPF. Similarly, borrowed the idea of a weekend event from the annual W. Edwards Deming Institute (WEDI) conference. They also borrowed the idea of a low-cost event from the WEDI conference, and settled in on $250 as the registration fee for their first Forum in 2002, which grew to $300 by our third year, and then to the current level of $350 (for registrations confirmed 3 weeks in advance of the Forum). To this weekend conference activity, they added two days (Thursday and Friday) of pre-conference seminars and workshops and defined the entire 4-day event, pre-conference plus conference, as their annual Forum. The conference activities begin at 4pm on a Friday and end at noon on the following Sunday. Beginning in 2006, we added 2 additional days to the Forum for post-conference seminars and workshops; hence the current 6-day format.

The design requirement for a low-cost entrance fee was achieved through the efforts of the founding members to work together, amongst themselves and with an alliance of “partners,” most of who were in a position to offer pro-bono support. For example, through a partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (then a business unit of Boeing and now a business unit of United Technologies), four days of pre- and post-conference seminars and workshops are offered onsite at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s offices in Canoga Park, California, at no fee to attendees.

Forum History
Follow the link to our Forum home page to see brochures from all ten past Forums. The themes and links for each year follow below, including 2012;

2002 – Creating New ROIs – Transforming the Economics of the 21st Century

2003 – What’s New? What’s Next? – Better Thinking for a Better Future

2004 – Making a Difference From Where We Are - Better Thinking for a Better Future

2005 – Daring to Lead – Influencing Better Thinking for a Better Future

2006 – Daring to Explore – Creating Possibilities Together

2007 – Passion Flowing In2 Purposeful Action – Unleashing the Power of Us

2008 – Transforming My Space In2 OurSpace - Developing Our Uncommon Knowledge

2009 – ...OurSpace - Bringing Progress In2 View

2010 – Juggling Roles, Goals, and Context...In2 Harmony

2011 – Exploring Opportunities: Imagine...Define....Lead...... 

2012 – Leading with Better Questions