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Profiles /
StephenMcGrailStephen is just a young guy (currently 27) trying to make sense of the world-at-large, the forces at play - individually, collectively - and where things might head to in the future... and what he could/should do in relation to this. He might actually get somewhere with this task (and reading the Wilber stuff he hasn't gone near yet) if he wasn't so adept at wasting time. I particularly enjoy having my worldview challenged and expanded (e.g. by the integral perspective) and doing the same to others in return. This was meant to be a short profile, but I've crapped on impressively below. Apologies in advance. I was introduced to integral theory and Wilber's works during the Master of Science in Strategic Foresight and Futures Studies program that I completed in 2006. My background in mostly in advertising and communication (as a brand/consumer strategist, writer and - slightly shamefully - also as a "cool hunter" for a few years). As part of that work I was asked to give various futures style presentations (e.g. on the 'future of food' for Kraft, the 'future of newspapers' for the Herald Sun) and I really had no idea what I was doing, except for gut instinct and googling. It was during this madness that I discovered the Swinburne Masters program. Life has never been quite the same since that moment. I currently work as a consultant at Futureye, a firm based on Bourke St in Melbourne that advertises itself as "the strategic advisory firm for leaders in sustainable development" (see www.futureye.com). Sometimes this involves great work such as helping primary school teachers avoid being freaked out by technological change (many fear it is slowly eliminating their role and function), running workshops and facilitating forums (such as a recent three day forum at RMIT for an organisation called 2050). Its always frantic. Often ethically challenging (what do you do when facilitating a visioning workshop for the sustainable devleopment and community relations team at BHP Billiton, the most powerful aspect of one participants vision was that BHPB was the one mining company allowed to mine antarctica?). Sometimes dull (I had to write a series of one-page guides for a client on topics such as "calling stakeholders", "writing an email", "giving a briefing/presentation" et al). Really, I did... Currently, I'm particularly interested in the creativity, awareness, and behaviour and systemic shifts demanded by the concept of sustainability - in various context: sustainable cities, sustainable product design etc... and how such shifts can be facilitated in people, companies / organisations and society more generally. Like Chris Stewart, in 2006 he got engaged to a goddness - another one. In this case the superwoman's name is Melissa, who is studying transpersonal counselling (at the Phoenix Institute) and is a general force for good and to be reckoned with. Happy to hear from anyone who enjoys a laugh, and/or has something provocative to say, and/or has summarised the collective works of Ken Wilber (including the new stuff on Integral Spirituality etc): stephen_mcgrail at hotmail dot com |