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Enterprise mobility - It’s more than connecting on the go.

The new Nortel vision of mobility redefines the possibilities for communication and collaboration in dynamic, distributed enterprises. It’s a surprising but very real statistic: 50 to 70 percent of office space is unoccupied during normal business hours (International Telework Association and Council). Where are these people? Some are elsewhere in the building or visiting another company site. Others are working at home or on the road. With the widespread adoption of telecommuting, wireless and various other “virtual office” technologies, this trend will only increase. How can companies ensure that time and distance do not become barriers to productive collaboration? What’s the best way to enable geographically dispersed teams to work together in ways that are natural, convenient and effective?

Ever since the adoption of the cellular phone in the 1980s, and the surge in wireless everything in the ’90s, businesses have answered these questions with various “mobility” technologies (http://www.sbc-one.com/mobility/index.php), such as in-building wireless LANs and cellular phone service. But as we take stock, halfway through yet another decade, enterprises have only scratched the surface of the ever-expanding possibilities. As key standards and technologies mature and new innovations reach the market, it’s time to raise the bar on what constitutes real mobility for the dynamic, distributed enterprise.

Enterprise mobility must make network boundaries invisible to the user.

Some vendors would have you believe that if you can wander around the premises with your laptop or PDA, you have arrived… or that mobility is achieved if you simply have wireless communications of some sort. But in reality, this is far too narrow a definition. Sure, wireless communications enable people to get away without losing touch, but is the wireless device the only way your users want to connect when away from their desks? Chances are, even guests in your own conference rooms or visitor offices are offered only wired Ethernet access to the Internet. Enterprise mobility should extend seamlessly beyond the boundaries of your company’s buildings. Users should be able to roam across town, on the road, or around the world anywhere within the reach of a LAN, MAN or WAN. And users should be able to connect in many ways when they are away from their offices such as via wireless LANs (WLANs) (http://www.sbc-one.com/products/large/applications/mobility/wlan 2200.php), from an Ethernet jack in a hotel room over DSL or cable modem connections from home, or someday with WiMax.

Enterprise mobility should be more than just having some way to connect when you’re away.

Today, people carry a host of portable communication devices laptops, pagers, PDAs, multi-mode cell phones, two-way radio phones, etc. That’s fine and well if you don’t mind juggling a smorgasbord of electronics. Just watch business travelers unloading their pockets and briefcases at airport security, and it’s easy to see that we’ve traded some inconvenience for convenience.

Enterprise mobility should be about more than discrete mobile services. It should be more than carrying a device for e-mail and Web access, another for voice calls and another for urgent alerts. Mobility should capitalize on unified applications and multi-purpose access enabling users to not just connect, but fully engage, from afar. A consistent, quality user experience requires converged business applications that users can easily access in many ways both wired and wireless.

Enterprise mobility must be secure everywhere. It does seem like a paradox; the very openness that makes mobility applications useful would seem to make them equally vulnerable. You need free and easy flow across unsecured environments yet stringent protections against unauthorized or malicious access.

Enterprise mobility can resolve these challenges with a full array of security solutions that are easy to deploy and inter-operate seamlessly with existing network components such as routers, firewalls and existing authentication mechanisms. Collectively, these three elements point to a new model of communicating and collaborating across the dynamic, multilocation enterprise: a consistent, reliable, secure communications experience - anytime, anywhere and on whatever device you are using.

Towards a new vision of enterprise mobility

If we can embrace this broader perspective of mobility, enterprises really will achieve their stated goals of improving productivity, reaching new markets and delivering superior customer care. The technology enablers are here or on the very close horizon. Here’s a sampling in the table below.

Capitalizing on these technologies, we can redefine the possibilities. Let’s take a closer look at the three key dimensions of a new vision of enterprise “mobility”.

Enterprise Mobility Dimension #1

Eliminate network boundaries (or at least make them invisible to users).

Real mobility must span wired and wireless domains.

The new vision of mobility encompasses three classes of bandwidth:

> Wired bandwidth to the user’s desktop, enough bandwidth to support highspeed Internet access, IP Telephony and multimedia applications

> Wireless WAN bandwidth, available just about anywhere, embracing enterprise WLANs, public WLAN hotspots, campus and metro wireless mesh networks and 2G and 3G public wireless services

> Nomadic bandwidth a combination of wired and wireless options for occasional, on-demand use by outof- office users, who may be at home, in a hotel or at enterprise and public WLAN hotspots

Edholm’s Law of Bandwidth observes that bandwidth in each of these categories increases over time yet retains a constant relationship (Phil Edholm, IEEE Spectrum, July 2004). The major implication is that the more plentiful and economical bandwidth becomes, the more applications naturally migrate from the desktop to mobile campus workers, teleworkers and road warriors.

To be useful though, basic connectivity for these applications must be natural, convenient and simple for end users, whether they are connecting on wireless or wired devices. This ideal capitalizes on the growing trend toward devices that have multiple connectivity options, such as public wireless/WLAN dualand tri-mode operation, wired Ethernet and even dial modem in a single device.

At Nortel, we’re already making it as simple as possible to use these different modes for wired and wireless connectivity. For the path of last resort dial modems a method is provided that makes it easy to select the most costeffective number to call based on dialing phone number.

The goal is a seamless experience that transcends traditional network boundaries. Users can roam from floor to floor in a building or campus, across the city and around the world. Wherever they roam, they enjoy non-disruptive voice, data and multimedia sessions, with little or no noticeable impact as they move around or cross networks. Dynamic network analysis transparently determines the most applicable connection point for data, voice and multimedia sessions.

You can achieve this ideal in progressive stages.

The first step toward this goal is a scenario whereby WLAN data and IP Telephony users can roam across subnet boundaries in a campus environment. IPsec mobility uses IPsec VPN sessions/tunnels that support a persistent IPsec connection. The connection doesn’t “break” when the user roams between enterprise WLANs, WLAN hotspots and public wireless services.

The next step comes with the emergence of dual-mode wireless smart phones and voice-enabled PDAs complementing public wireless and WLAN capabilities. When loaded with IP Telephony or multimedia clients running over IPsec VPNs, these devices will enable on-premises users to set up and receive sessions over the public network or an enterprise WLAN.

The final step is for seamless WLAN/public wireless roaming services based on IP networking and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). With this approach, enterprises can either use their own IP Telephony or unified communications system or subscribe to a hosted offering from a service provider.

On the wired side, true mobility embraces IP Telephony to simplify and enhance the user experience across network domains, enable new levels of convergence and profoundly change the way employees, partners and customers communicate.

Enterprise Mobility Dimension #2

Provide a consistent, highquality user experience.

Unified communications simplify today’s patchwork of devices and services.

Mobility today is delivered in a highly fragmented world of multiple devices, multiple phone numbers, multiple mailboxes, multiple security procedures, device-dependent interfaces and disjointed communication applications (such as telephony, IM and conferencing). This scenario is further complicated by the proliferation of mobile devices, ranging from smart phones and PDAs to tablet PCs and laptops, running under a handful of different operating systems. The new vision of mobility establishes a consistent quality of experience across these various devices, with “unified” communications that:

> Integrate presence across a broad range of activities and user devices, such as phones, PCs, laptops and PDAs

> Converge asynchronous communications (such as e-mail, voice mail, short message services) and synchronous communications (such as IM, voice, video and application sharing)

> Enrich mobile communications with voice and multimedia capabilities

“Engaged” applications redefine the possibilities for collaboration and customer care.

With the attributes of unified communications in place, applications can engage, not just connect. The network can deliver critical and time-sensitive information precisely when, where and how users need it. For example, imagine your customer support center being able to locate and engage the specialist that can best meet the client’s needs, drawing on a geographically distributed pool of specialists. Imagine a supply chain management application that brings the right people together anytime, anywhere to resolve a supply or delivery issue. Or a collaboration application that makes it easy for dispersed creative teams to spawn new innovations.

The pivotal glue for this vision is SIP a signaling and control protocol for initiating sessions between and among users, regardless of the media being used. SIP enables communications sessions to understand and preserve “presence” attributes associated with a person’s location or activities. When SIP is embedded in business telephony, users can connect over any device anytime, anywhere.

Here are some other examples of unified communications available today or being rolled out:

> Speech-activated voice mail, e-mail and fax handling by phone. Handsfree access to messages allows mobile workers to remain productive while away from the office.

> Web-based messaging and personal mailbox administration. Users can access messages and manage their personal mailbox from any Internet browser.

> Voice portals. Hands-free access delivers any information on the intranet, including pricing, supply, product and financial data.

> Speaker verification/passwords provide hands-free user authentication or another level of security.

> Access to Web portals from public PCs (no client software required) provides unified mail retrieval; voice mail, fax and e-mail handling; booking and handling of conference bridges; and multimedia collaboration with personal call routing rules.

> Location services offer location-based authentication and privileges, locationbased presence and I/O management (such as using a PDA to control display of detailed images on a nearby highresolution monitor).

Applications such as these make it intuitive and easy to use mobility applications applying technology to drive ever closer to recreating the in-person experience.

Uses are not just connected and engaged. They’re in control.

The frenetic culture of the Internet Age brainwashes us to believe that we must be constantly available to everyone, all the time. The notion is that collaboration and connection must be instant, on demand or else productivity will suffer. In reality, this kind of neverending connectivity can stifle the very productivity it purports to create. When employees can be interrupted at any time, gone is the focused opportunity to research and reflect, conduct private meetings with important clients and dedicate one’s focus to the task at hand.

Where mobility does have the potential to over-run its users, our vision of mobility gives users dominion over exactly how and when their communications follow them and when they leave them alone.

End users enjoy a high degree of control as to how their presence is communicated (or hidden), and how incoming sessions are handled based on caller, media used, time of day and ultimately even on location. They have tremendous flexibility to customize their communications to suit their work requirements, schedule and preferences.

With our vision of unified communications, users have a single control panel from which to access directory information, launch and/or receive multimedia sessions, participate in multi-party calls, initiate IM or application sharing sessions, track the availability of coworkers (via presence) and manage their availability (via personal agents).

Matters of the heart are a true mystery to all involved. In order to

make a commitment to a relationship, it takes strength and trust in

another. When we trust our partner and we receive trust back, it is a

very nice feeling. One should never betray or play games with that

trust. Those games usually get caught, and a broken trust will surely

create a huge wall of communication breakdown. When you truly trust

another, you are opening your heart and mind to an outsider. You are

at this time very vulnerable for just about any kind of emotional

attack. Confusion and misunderstandings are amongst those emotions

now.

This is why communication is so important. It is the key to opening

all those doors. Without it, the doors will remained locked and one

will have to work very hard to break through. It is much more

productive to just talk, listen, and understand your partner. I am not

saying that this will be easy, but with love in your heart, it can be

done. The end results will definitely be more lasting. For every

forced door, there will be a negative memory to try to bypass in the

future. When doors are open with love, patience and respect, they will

have only good memories to savour and smile upon in the future. Those

are extremely important in tearing down those walls.

Communication is a very important act between two people. It even has

more importance than sex to keep a relationship building stronger. In

order to to communicate, it takes two willing and open minds. If one

mind is closed, all that will happen is the other will grow in

confusion and frustration.

Some of us worry about the ABC`s in life and others worry about the

EF&G`s in life. Thats OK. It is what adds the color to our black and

white life with each other. Yes it would be easier if we all worried

and thought about things equally. It would be less confusing. But only

for a short time. Soon enough our complacency with each other would

get “OLD”. It would be as if we could read each others minds, but what

would be the point if we thought and worried the same.

A little bit of controversy is a much needed thing in a relationship.

It helps us to get to know another part of our partner and also our

own selves. When we open our hearts to another, only then will we

offer this part of us. Until then it isn’t necessary. One very

important thing about a person sharing their inner most fears and

disappointments is never, ever, try to stifle that person or walk away

in frustration. If someone is that open with you, embrace it and hear

them out. Never belittle their concerns as being immature or

nonsensical because you would never have those concerns. Remember the

ABC`s, we all think differently. Only then can you both communicate,

otherwise you will add another block to the wall of communication

breakdown.

When we are forced into silence, we begin to build walls. If we are

not allowed to voice our inner feelings or disappointments, we will

quickly stop trying to communicate forever. Once the first brick has

then been set, the foundation of the wall to communication breakdown

will rise up very fast. Trust me, there is not a single relationship

that does not carry or tear down a brick to the wall of communication.

There are many levels of relationships. Some of us are put into

situations that take much courage to see past our hurts and

disappointments. Just remember what brought your relationship together

in the beginning. Many times we will be forced to return to page one

and start from there. With open minds and nonjudgmental hearts we can

get past many mistakes and problems that will arise in a relationship.

Another favorite, but not so good habit that we as humans create, is

to regurgitate things over and over again. I use the word

“regurgitate”, because that’s how I view having things being tossed

back in your face. Have you ever noticed that another lovely habit

(NOT) that we as humans have is to only dig up the dirt when we are in

the heat of anger? We do this time and time again, because we already

know that these things are a guaranteed hit. It is a very cheap and

bullish way to try to win a conversation. Is that not what most

communication breakdowns are? Conversation wars that end up shooting

old ammunition back and forth at one another? The problem there is

that noone ever wins that battle. All that is really happening is that

both parties have just taken an equal part in adding more blocks to

the wall of communication breakdown. Both sides lose.

Communication can only really work when neither party is being

selfish, meaning that if one person is feeling that they are being

attacked with every word that is coming their way, and it is all about

hurting them. They have automatically closed an open door without even

realizing it. Low self-esteem will surely make a person feel this way.

Or if one partner gets carried away and will not stop to let the other

party absorb what was just said, this too is a typical selfish act.

That is why it is important that we take turns with each other and try

to understand what is actually being said. If one partner misunderstands, and you are aware of that, then you are

responsible to stop and work with them in a loving manner to get them

to open that door. It is vital to not assume anything until the other

person has completely finished.

This is why the power of writing is so productive. One person writes

his/her thoughts down, uninterrupted, without fear of being derailed

from their thoughts and with the ability to just get it all of their

chest, so to speak. People pay big bucks to be told just this, so

listen up! If you find that your wall of communication breakdown is

starting to build, then this habit of writing letters to each other is

a very good way to bypass the wall.

Always reread your letter before handing it over. That too helps you

to maybe erase a thought or two that was purely emotional when writing

it. We all know that old saying, “I did`t mean that, I was just upset

at the time”. Well there’s a hind site tip for all of us struggling

with that d**n wall of communication breakdown.

Do you ever feel that you are so far under that wall, that you will

never be able to communicate with your partner again and just want to

run away? Before you run away, think about exactly what and why you

are running from. Are you running from a partner that could very well

be the best thing that ever happened to you? Or are you in fact

running away from your own issues that you refuse to deal with?

Remember this, if it is your own demons that you fear, you will run

forever. You will never be happy. You will always blame your

relationship or your partner for your downfalls. Running away is a cop

out. It is a true weakness in character. To stay and fight and trust

that your partner will understand your troubles is a true sign of

courage and one that will be greatly respected.

We all have our pasts. We must understand that yes, they did happen

and that is what they are, past issues. To have your past continue to

come between yourself and your partner is a bad thing. Whether it is a

person or just an experience, it should be left in the past. This is

where good communication comes to the rescue yet again. When we are

made aware of certain issues in our partners pasts, it sometimes makes

them easier to understand and deal with if they happen to come about

again. If we are left in the dark and we have to meet up with

another’s past and it is not a very good experience, we will be weak

in defense and our ability to communicate positively will be almost

non-existent.

Some people fear their partners pasts, viewing them as a threat to

their own relationship. This is normal and should be dealt with

through love and understanding. Again we must communicate with each

other and not look down on anyone for their honesty and true fears.

That wall of communication breakdown will never completely come down

if we skip a few blocks and ignore them, or handle them so wrong that

they double in size. A good strong relationship will endure most any

mistake made by humans as long as both partners are willing and honest

with each other.

********************************************

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different

in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide

to our communication with others.”

- Anthony Robbins

“Words are a wonderful form of communication, but they will never

replace kisses and hugzzz”

-Dorothy

“Some think that love is all flowers and good times, but I think that

love is more than just that. Love is the bad, as well as the better,

not lived alone, but a journey together. Something that only the

closest can share, with communication, respect,”

-Anonymous

Wireless VoIP is a technology that converts voice information
into digital data packets, and transmits them wirelessly over a
mobile network. Several VoIP
telephony companies have recently made deals with wireless
carriers that will allow them to combine the two communication
technologies more and more over the coming years. Wireless VoIP
technology will eventually allow people to make cell
phone calls at considerably lower rates.

The use of VoIP services is really in it’s infancy at the present time, and like an infant will grow as time moves forward.

While the business community has been on the forefront of the use of VoIP and broadband phone services, it’s use is catching on quick with the general public. The drive to cut costs and have fewer bills to keep up with are just a couple of reasons that consumers are beginning to take a serious look at VoIP and broadband phone services.

Cable television companies have begun to offer their clients service bundles which can include cable tv, broadband internet and broadband phone service all in one. These bundles are usually priced to save consumers enough on their separate monthly services that it makes sense to make the switch to the bundled packages.

Consumer savings also doesn’t stop at the bundle. Depending on the service provider and the package chosen, there is also the aspect of cutting long distance costs to zero when using broadband phone services. This free long distance is an offer which some consumers simply can’t pass up, when combined with the extra savings on the service bundle.

If you are considering subscribing to a bundled service, there’s a few things you should know up front, and don’t be shy asking questions before you buy.

Before you can know if you’re truly getting the best deal is to know what you’re actually paying before you decide to go with a bundled service.

Add up your true present costs, factoring in:

* Present monthly cable or satellite bill

* Your average monthly pay per view movie purchases

* Your monthly phone bill without long distance charges

* Your average monthly long distance charges

With this information at hand, you will know at a glance which bundle will save you money.

Also, when inquiring about the service plans, be sure to ask about setup and equipment charges. There will be variations in these charges with different providers and their bundled services. These are usually one time fees, if any.

If you haven’t been contacted by your cable tv or internet provider about these services yet, don’t be timid about asking. If they don’t offer these services yet, they will shortly. As the competition for your business grows, so will the services which are offered. It’s only a matter of time.

The latest research shows that more and more people use their ringtones as a fashion statement. Countless companies are growing up to cater for this need and the music industry is taking note. However caution needs to be given for those wishing to purchase ringtones from the internet. In a recent survey, 36% said they had been mislead by a ringtone provider at least once.

Despite this, the ringtone business is set to become a multi dollar business within the next 3 years. Already in Europe more people bought ringtones last year than CD singles. This craze is only expanding with advances in mobile phone technology, which allows consumers to listen to MP3 quality ringtones on their mobile. The most popular being TV shows and films. These new tehnologies are allowing consumers to customise their phone like never before. Not only ringtones but wallpaper and logos etc. The list is endless.

This is especially true of teenagers who make up the bulk of ringtone consumers. To a teenager a ringtone is not a way for you to know that your phone is ringing but a fashion statement. It tells who you are to others around you, on the bus, in the street, where ever it may be. Its like wearing sports wear or “grunge”, it tells people who you are and what you stand for. So what started out to be a “fad” might turn out to stay with us. Who can predict what will be the next “fad” in the mobile market.

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Smoking area available.
Typical italian breakast is served to the coffe bar or to the B&B
Guests have their own keys for easy “come and go as you like” access.

From january 208 New rooms with private bathroom!!!

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•You need kindly to inform us before your arrival your expected time arrival at our B&B by email or phone

•The check-in time is any time after 12.00 PM, in case you’ll arrive before, we can hold your luggage at the B&B.

•The check-out time on the date of departure is 10.30 AM. We can hold your luggage after 10.30 am.
•In case of a “no-show”, we will charge you the total amount of the reservation.

•The balance payment of your reservation will be made only in cash during the check-in (only in euro). We do not accept credit cards.

•The price include not a continental breakfast but a typical italian breakfast, that means a breakfast based on a “cornetto” (croissant) and “cappuccino” or “espresso” coffee . The breakfast will be served at the coffee bar called “ Nerobollente” located nearby the B&B from 7.00 AM till 12.30 AM.

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Obtaining and carrying off designer tops is not vey easy. Even so, thanks to magnificent ready to wear designer clothing and higher disposable wages, the best part of us shopaholics might well afford to buy a gorgeous item of good value high fashion clothing every now and then. Then again, there are likewise certain issues associated with trendy designer clothes that are likewise not there with your conventional mass produced clothing, with the most fundamental ones being the design and the cost of such skirts. Check out the latest Stella McCartney fashions at Matches Fashion.

High fashion t-shirts charges much more than even the very best brands available in the market; and the reason why designer tops cost so much is because designer skirts not only offer folk super quality and outstanding styles, but because they are exclusive. Even budget ranges in high fashion tops carry only limited editions, so there are particularly low chances that you will often observe your neighbor wearing the same super dress that fashion junkies recently bought.

To select the best kind of designer trousers for yourself, keep a close eye to a number of things. If women are not a regular designer dresses buyer, then chances are that budget is a clincher with you. In such a case, it is even more essential that you select awesome designer dresses that will often actually give you back your money’s worth.

To do this, the first thing to do is to buy sensational designer clothes that looks nice with your body shape and weight, If folk don’t do this, then even the best designs might end up making you look a complete mess. Follow the basic fashion rules of not acquiring loose skirts that will make you look fat or short and not purchasing stripy patterns and highly dark colours if you are astonishingly slim etcetera to buy tops that match your physique, colouring and facial features.

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Communication Cables are used to transfer data from one point of Network to another. There are numerous types of communication cables available in the market. The most common types of Cables are - Coaxial Cable, Fibre Optic Cable, Drop Cable and UTP Cables.

For Detail about Cables You can Visit Cable Tel Industries

Communication services are essential in keeping guests connected. Many business executives and travelers demand efficient facilities that can keep them in touch with home base and perform tasks remotely. From small inns to large hotel chains there is a recognized need to provide their guests with the latest communication technologies.

It is imperative for a sophisticated communications management system (CMS) to account for telephone charges, internet usage, equipment fees, surcharges and new technologies added every day. Potential revenue walks out the door without a proper metering system.

Virtually all communication servers and telephony platforms are equipped with a mechanism of delivering transaction logs (usually Call Detail Recording (CDR)). These logs are captured by the CMS application, translated into a database, assigned a cost and instantly delivered to a property management system. In some small B&B, inns and motels billed transactions are spooled to a printer. Larger environments require more sophisticated delivery of transactions to desktops, one or more property management systems and a central hub.

CMS applications are usually tailored for the special needs of hospitality. These accounting systems generally facilitate real time billing directly into room folios, departments and GL accounts.

A CMS reporting engine can provide concise up to the minute information for accounting comptrollers. Detailed and summary reports can be derived for guest rooms, meeting rooms, convention floors, administrative, employee and tenant extensions.

Most hotel chains will have special billing policies across their properties. A robust CMS pricing engine can accommodate any carrier tariffs, custom hotel plan, markups, surcharges, price limits, discounts or taxation. These tariffs can apply to internet billing records, carrier services or IP/PBX records.

Competition and alternate communications technologies over the years has reduced the cost of long distance. Many general managers have complained about the loss of long distance revenue. However, forward thinking comptrollers are now maximizing their returns with sophisticated communications management systems (CMS) that address the billing of new and old technologies (VoIP, Wi-Fi and fixed analog lines).

Most are becoming more savy about the capabilities of their infrastructure. Properties are reducing expenses through introduction of VoIP facilities and channeling more traffic efficiently. They analyze calling patterns, equipment usage and traffic flow.

These metrics assist in tweaking systems for better customer relationship. This generally results in recurring patronage revenue for the property. A CMS solution is vital to the success of every hospitality environment.

Relationship Constellations

Finding the hidden dynamics in relationship systems within organisations

Dr.Eddy Kloprogge

Introduction

The word organisation comes from “organic”, a system that organises (organism), following certain universal rules.

Either in the family, school or any other organisation, individuals form different levels of relationships, which themselves form regulating systems. Those systems determine a large part of our daily lives. People are born within a system (family, community etc) or choose to become a member of a system, for example, when joining a club or starting to work for an organisation. Once part of a system, regardless of your opinion, you are also part of the dynamics within that system.

Unit of knowledge

When we take one cell from a person (one unit), science has proven that that cell contains all the information of the total body of that person. We call the information in one cell the “unit of knowledge.”

When we take one person out of a system, that person contains all the information of that system. That person contains the “unit of knowledge” from that system.

One person contains different units of knowledge from different systems.

Communication

When you have Person A, who needs to communicate with Person B, to achieve a certain goal, it is obvious that both persons have to negotiate the outcome of that communication.

Pure communication is a form of art that needs quite some consideration:

When people meet for the first time, they use reference points of understandings that are built from their own history of memories, experiences and intelligence. Without these references one cannot communicate (example: you have to understand the meaning of the spoken words). However, those references are not always that clear (the meaning of a certain word is subject to interpretation). Understanding between life partners can be very good, but it may have taken years before those partners started to know each other. When you meet a person for the first time (like a customer and a sales person in a shop) the communication takes place on assumed (learned) understandings, which can be misinterpreted by subconscious interference of reference points (like somebody talks like one’s diseased dominant destructive father). The negotiation of the outcome of the communication (a sale) can be quite different when the interpretation of a certain language was compared with unconscious interference of reference points of a voice that resembles that of a very dear loving friend. Then there are the hidden “agendas” of the persons involved: person A wants to buy something, trying to get some discount, while person B wants to sell not only the item, but some other goods as well. During the communication all sorts of levels of feelings will express themselves by intonation of the voice, body language etc. Both persons will react on those signals (transference), which will then give counter reactions (counter transference) and therefore interfere with the “clear” communication.

We can compare the communication process with a floating iceberg. When we consider the “pure” communication (that is the communication without all the interferences like transference and counter transference) as the visible top of the iceberg (10 % that is above the surface of the water), then the rest of the communication (90%) is not visible, but dominates the communication process.

Relationships

Relationships, which are the building blocks of systems, are based on communication. We believe that when we are dealing with issues and problems within a system or organisation, we locate those problems at the level of communication. We now can make the hidden parts of the communication process (the under water part of the iceberg) visible with a technique called: System Constellation or Organisational Constellation.

Organisational constellation

The word constellation comes from the positioning of the stars and planets in the universe. Organisational constellation is the positioning of elements (people, influences etc) in an open space, using subconscious knowledge of the participants.

A person sets up a constellation by placing people (including a substitute for him or her self) intuitively in a specific configuration that represents an issue they want to have a look at. This provides a living map of key elements within a particular situation. Rather than simply talking about, or just looking at a ’snap shot’ of what is happening, participants will be able to see clearly into the interaction of these key elements.

Experience has shown that participants in the constellation become aware of the meaning of their own place. The conscious knowledge of this place and the position of others make space for acceptance and meaning.

An unconscious level exists in all systems formed by man; this can be interpreted as the system’s collective sub-conscious. The members of a system are generally unaware of the dynamics originating from this. The patterns that determine the dynamics in systems are often complex and intangible for the people participating in the system. For this reason they are also difficult to trace by questioning the members of the system.

When we set up a constellation, verbal communication is restricted to a minimum. The facilitator will interview the person with the issue or question and discretely guides the person to (intuitively) choose the representatives.

The experience of the participant

People tend to initially experience the constellation method as something ‘magical’. A participant tends to get drawn to a position that gives the feeling of balance and harmony. Being in harmony means that by “recognizing what is” you eventually experience a peaceful concentrated state of being. From this state of consciousness you experience inner peace. You are connected and at a distance at the same time.

While being in that state, when asked how your feel, intuitively you are able to reflect the feelings and thoughts that describes the part that you represent in the actual system.

Sometimes, very accurate and with quite astonishing preciseness, wordings will emerge and contribute to the solution focussed resolutions for the person whose issue has been constellated.

Relationship Constellations

It is not only those belonging to an organisation who participates in the success or failure; others also play a role - for example, the customer, the share holder, the users, the competitors and perhaps foreign affiliates. Like a network, all those elements are interrelated, they form relationships, they create a powerful whole that is more than the sum of its parts.

Regardless of your position in your system, the application of relational principles can give you insight into problems, help you in making critical decisions and open new perspectives for the development of the system as a whole.

Using Relationship Constellations, you can tap into the informing field of your business. You can select what you need from this network that receives all relevant information about the web of relationships within and outside the company.

September 2005

References:

Emotional Intelligence (1997) D. Coleman; Bantam Books, New York, ISBN 0-553-37506-7

Spiritual Intelligence (2000) D. Zohar and Dr I. Marshall; Bloomsbury, New York, ISBN 1-58234-044-7

Invisible Dynamics (2005) K. P.Horne and R. Brick; Crl-Aur, Heidelberg, Germany, 2005,

Acknowledgement What is (2001), B. Hellinger and G. ten Hoevel, Phoenix; Zeig,Tucker & Co, Arizona

Constellations (Submitted for publication) (2005) Dr E. Kloprogge, P.G. Gleeson and T.J. Francis.

The Therapeutic Relationships (2003), P.Clarkson: Whurr Publishers, London. ISBN : 1-897-6357-7

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