From 2 to 6 October, I had the opportunity to attend this year’s IODA conference in Mexico City. Besides the attraction of meeting and exchanging experiences with OD experts from all over the world, the predominance of the Hungarian delegation in Flow and Mexico itself, the subtitle of the conference – Strengthening Global Optimism through OD – left me in no doubt that I had to go, no matter what!
The Hungarian delegates: Péter Kalmár, Ágota Rózsa Tímea Rózsa, Diana Miskó (me), Judit Kalmár, Árpád Dunai, Petra Jakobsen
Besides the professional and cultural tsunami, the most important part of the conference was our workshop with Timi Rózsa (Tímea Ágota Rózsa – ICG), entitled “Meet at our borders – and find the strength to act”. Our workshop, which attracted almost half of the conference participants, used the power of the Gestalt approach to invite ODers to experience for themselves that to live optimism we also need to live its polarity, and how we can take responsibility for ourselves and choose to act, and how we can support each other and our clients in doing so.
Our workshop participants, from 5 continents, internationally renowned, with their own professional books
Timi and I were also surprised by the strong impact of our workshop. For me, one of the most touching moments was when a Mexican organisational developer, after I told him at a joint programme that my favourite (cartoon) film was Coco from Mexico, gave me a book about the film, because our workshop was so empowering and opened a new window for him. Thank you, Timi, for the idea and the involvement!
The rest of the conference was also extremely rich in professional, human-emotional and cultural experiences, thanks to Adriana De La Fuente, a leading figure in the Mexican OD community and the conference organizer!
Just to mention a few examples:
We visited the chinampas – floating gardens – of Xochimilco Nature Reserve in the south of Mexico City. Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its ancient agricultural system called chinampas, which are man-made agricultural plots created on the shallow waters of lakes. These floating gardens date back to the pre-Hispanic era, when the Aztecs developed the chinampa technique for growing crops on the lakes. (We also learned about the extinct axolotls, which chose not to “grow into adults” (not to metamorphose), thus retaining the unique ability to regrow almost any body part or organ – even the brain – in case of injury. Enviable!) An international OD team attending the conference is providing free support to this community – details of which were also provided.
On our way to the floating island, where we could plant and sample the exciting lunch made from the plants grown there.
… and the exciting lunch…
The Richard Beckhard and Marc Silverman awards were also granted. The former needs no introduction and the latter is also an IODA Award for Organisational Development, which rewards development projects that promote human dignity and dialogue.
The jurors of the Richard Beckhard Award are Jose Campoverde (Peru), Noble Kumawu (Ghana – current IODA President), Ulla Nagel (Germany), Péter Kalmár (Hungary), Roderick Barnett (Australia)
Richard Beckhard Award winner Enrique J. Zaldivar, with Adriana De La Fuente, the wonderful conference organiser and winner of the Marc Silverman Award
In addition to these I could also write about
- about the shamanic ritual,
- the development of the Potzolcalli restaurant chain, its award-winning lunch and its exemplary passionate founder,
- Our in-situ project launch led by Péter Kalmár at a large Mexican company, where 12 consultants interviewed the client at the same time
- The Congress Hall, where access is only possible with a very special permit and we got it
- our visit to the Teotihuacan pyramids with the support of Eduardo, the renowned archaeologist
- La Cueva cave restaurant,
- the Chapultepec Castle, where we also saw the rooms of the Habsburg ruler of Mexico
- Frida Kahlo’s house, where I also discovered that Frida was 25% Hungarian
- the Unicums of the Hungarian delegation, introduced by Peter Kalmar and striking at the most unexpected moments
- Mariachi musicians, singers and folkloric dancers who took us back to the distant past, all the way to the battle of the hunter and the deer
- the many inspiring discussions on everything from the characteristics and future of OD in each country, to the fate of Diversity training and appreciative coaching
- our bar-hopping tour and the
- moments of goodbye and what’s next in 2025 – but I’ll rather tell you in photos
Next September: IODA Conference 2025 Ghana – who’s coming?
Diana Miskó
