I am sure there will be interest. The trick will be to get the right people involved who will see it through. Off the top of my head I can think of many to ask but I don’t want to mention their names here since it places them under an obligation. Maybe all of us at PRC could put a list together and then you ask them if they are interested. If not, they could suggest other names in their countries.

Some practical questions:
–Do we also aim for a 12-hour video book?
–How long do you propose the one session in different parts of the world should be? An hour or is that too short?
–If an hour, it means we need 12 countries. You can count South Africa in.
–Which topics did you address in your video book?
–What format do you suggest?
–Specific aim of the undertaking? Target audience?

I have a suggestion. Maybe we should try to have at least one academic in each session, in addition to the practitioners. Such a voice represents education and research.

Let’s hear from the others–not only PRC, but anybody interested, even if only with suggestions.

let us imagine that a few of us from different parts of the world committ to preparing one of an agreed number of topics and that we agree to a common visual format and length.

then each of us facilitates one real-world session with one selected regional leader (preferably but not exclusively from practice) on that specific topic and some twenty middle to senior management professionals who agree to participate to the discussion with comments, questions and criticisms.

All of course in the english language.

I am absolutely confident that we can find an international publisher well willing to publish such a work, accompanied by a four/eight page leaflet of instructions for use, cv’s of facilitators and regional leaders and biliography.

What do you say?

Let me assure you that viewing an interactive session on the full screen of your computer is much more attractive than other channels of knowledge transfer.
Also, all this could be directly linked to an ad hoc web site which you can reach by either typing in selected queries or just clicking on the dvd where you can find wiki to give your input and links to further related knowledge.

It is one hell of a committment but it is also one hell of a way to attract global resources for the sake of all thos who are interested in improving.

With regards to your first point, I think it would be an ‘irresponsible’ undertaking NOT to leave almost 50yrs of experience behind, if one has it. I have always believed that one owes it to one’s profession to plow something back in your later years. I hate nothing more than wasted experience or unshared knowledge.

With regards to your second and third points, I don’t think you need to worry. It always amazes me to see the quest for knowledge that students (especially mature ones) have. So it will be used. Anyhow, that is not your problem. You did what you had to do and now it is up to others to use it or not. It is certainly their loss if they don’t. I must say that I experience it as a tremendous loss that I can’t understand any of it.

I know you said it would be better to repeat the exercise in English in other countries but I am not convinced that your effort shouldn’t be translated. However, it is certainly a challenge to think of a PRConversations effort. You have certainly set a good example, for which you have to be congratulated!