The international Genuine Contact Organization is a steward-owned organization, working together to expand the capacity of the organization and its members to increase the use of Genuine Contact in the world.
Following the graduation of the first group of Genuine Contact Trainers in 2001, the co-creators of the Genuine Contact™ program, Birgitt Williams and Ward Williams, recognized that all GC Trainers needed to have a say and a vote in the ongoing development and evolution of Genuine Contact. Anyone who has completed the Train the Trainer module has the right - but not the responsibility - to participate in creating the future of the Genuine Contact program, approach, and our own Genuine Contact Organization.
Since 2006, the Genuine Contact way of working, including the complete Genuine Contact program, has been led by Trainers who have self-selected to be Stewards of the organization. All Stewards have an equal voting right to decision making and all decisions are made based on fulfilling the purpose of the organization. The organization is funded via a membership model and all income goes back into the organization fulfilling its purpose.
We Walk Our Talk: The Genuine Contact Organization
The Stewards support the organization and its members in increasing the use of the Genuine Contact way of working and living in the world. This collective of people from around the world have completed the Train the Trainer program and choose annually to be Stewards. This annual renewal of commitment consistently invites new Trainers to join in this stewardship. It invites existing Stewards to evaluate their personal role in this group and re-commit to these efforts. In this way, we ensure that everyone who is a Steward currently has the energy and commitment to participate in this role.
They meet face to face and in online meetings. They use Genuine Contact tools and methods to lead the development of our organization. Their strength lies in their experience that comes from collaborating and learning together in a group that includes people spanning a multitude of competencies, cultures, and languages.
We embrace a culture of leadership where we
- Invite all Genuine Contact Trainers to join the Stewards
- Encourage all Stewards to take leadership for what has heart and meaning for them
- Create space for all Stewards and Genuine Contact professionals to co-create and collaborate
- Co-create the operational givens of our organization
- Make decisions, based on the Five to Fold Process, to empower everyone to guide the decisions that are made
- Maintain our organization as a Genuine Contact organization
Stewardship
Stewardship can best be defined as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care." Our leadership approach rooted in this responsibility of being good stewards of the Genuine Contact way of working and living. Not just in the present day, but with a long view of it's continual use and development for generations to come.
Join Us
Anyone who is interested in the Genuine Contact way of working is invited to become a member, formally joining our organization. New membership groups are available as you complete modules of the program and all graduates of the Train the Trainer module can become Co-Owners. The Genuine Contact Organization is a living breathing example of how organizational development can happen according to the beliefs, values, structures and spirit of Genuine Contact.
Genuine Contact Co-Owners Group
Co-Owners are Genuine Contact Professionals living and working around the world. They offer a variety of GC based services, including consulting, coaching, facilitation, and training in the Genuine Contact Program.