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Poet-Consultant David Whyte Here on April 25

David Whyte, an author who combines the seemingly antithetical fields of poetry and corporate consulting, will speak at Neumann on Friday, April 25, at 1 p.m. in the Thomas A. Bruder, Jr. Life Center. His presentation is free and open to the public.

Whyte brings his poetic perspective on creativity to the field of organizational development, illustrating how companies can foster employee courage and engagement in a marketplace that demands increasing adaptability. His recent focus is on the conversational nature of leadership and the reshaping of character for positions of responsibility in today’s world.

In his book, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity, he writes: “It is difficult to be enthusiastic and creative about anything for which we do not feel affection. If the aims of the company are entirely fiscal, then they will engage those whose affections are toward the almighty dollar.” He later writes that companies must find a real way of asking employees to bring creativity to the workplace, “a way that doesn’t make them feel manipulated or the subject of some five-year plan.”

From the employee perspective, Whyte believes that “there are tremendous forces at work upon us, trying to make us like everyone else, and therefore we must remember something intensely personal about the way we were made for this world in order to keep our integrity.”

Whyte holds a degree in marine zoology. He has worked as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands, led anthropological expeditions in South America, and traveled to India and Nepal. He is the author of seven volumes of poetry and two books on the nature of work.

For more information, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 610-558-5507.

4/18/08