OASIS Conversations For Coaches

In these uncertain times, we are facing disruptions, challenges and polarization. There is a need to understand and address diversity challenges and to build collaboration and community. When we cultivate respect and engagement then innovation and co-created solutions are possible. Culture change happens through open-minded conversations.

A lot of energy is wasted because we misunderstand each other, make uninformed judgments and have difficulty coming to agreements—causing both relationships and results to suffer. For most of us, communicating with others is one of the most challenging aspects of our professional and personal lives.

Are you an open-minded person? Of course you are! It’s other people who are the problem, right? Sometimes trying to communicate with them is frustrating, drains your energy, and feels nearly impossible. But guess what? Those people think they are open-minded too, and they likely think you’re the problem.

Knowing how to shift to being open and flexible to respond, rather than react to differences and uncertainty, is one of the most critical skills needed today. When you approach interactions with an Open Stance you can observe more clearly what is present without collapsing into a stress reaction or disassociating and blaming others and/or yourself. You will be better able to choose actions for greater impact and success.

What if you could turn the desert of miscommunication that exists into an oasis where you can have refreshing conversations that allow you to understand where the other is coming from so you can develop empathy, insight and reach mutually beneficial agreements?

Ann Van Eron, Ph.D., MCC draws on scientific brain research and her years of cultural change, diversity and coaching experience to share a process to achieving mind-opening connections with others. The OASIS Process has successfully benefited a wide range of organizations such as United Nations, The World Bank, CVS Health, New York-Presbyterian Health Care, Ford Motor Company, Chubb Insurance, GE Capital, Caterpillar, Realogy, Consumers Union and more.

What are OASIS Conversations?

An OASIS Conversation is a powerful, five-step, easy-to-grasp process for creating a positive environment and communicating productively with others to produce agreements, solutions, and fulfillment. Each of the “moves” involves an internal awareness and choice of action.

OASIS is also a metaphor. What would be possible if you could create the experience of an oasis in your interactions? What if you could turn the desert of miscommunication that exists between you and others into an oasis where you can meet and have a refreshing conversation—one that allows you each to understand where the other is coming from so you can develop empathy and insight and reach mutually beneficial agreements?

Benefits of OASIS Conversations

  • Creating trusting and respectful environments and productive teams.
  • Clearing up misunderstandings and reaping amazing results.
  • Addressing all kinds of differences.
  • Enhancing relationships.
  • Increasing collaboration and innovation.
  • Supporting rapid problem resolution and creating agreements.
  • Managing multiple perspectives.
  • Inspiring a psychologically safe OASIS-like environment to create shared solutions.
  • Addressing conflicts and finding common ground.
  • Boosting morale and making workplaces and communities more effective, efficient and enjoyable.
  • Developing emotional and social intelligence.
  • Enable sustainable shifts and transformation.
  • Creating shared understanding, exploring options and agreeing on solutions.
  • Increasing mindfulness and positive energy.
 

OASIS Process

  • OObservation. Describe behavior or facts without judgment.
  • AAwareness of assumptions, emotions and background.
  • SShift to being open. Notice your judgment signal, stop, step back and become open and curious. Set an open intention.
  • IImportance. Explore perspectives to create understanding of needs and identify common ground.
  • SSolution. Explore options and agree on accountability.

Who is the Oasis Course for?

For several decades, we have been offering corporate and organization programs that are often customized to meet cultural needs.

This public offering is geared to the needs of executive, team, internal and external coaches, human resources business partners, organization development and training specialists, and those who want to enhance their competence, confidence and credibility in working with leaders and others. Leaders are also welcome to join. We define leaders broadly, as anyone who aspires to influence and make life and the world better.

This course is the first in a series of programs that could lead to coach certification. Some coaching experience is expected for this designation. This is a stand-alone course and can be taken without intention to pursue certification.

Benefits to Coaches in Learning the OASIS Conversations Process

OASIS is a proven process that has been tested all over the world with a wide range of leaders and organizations. It is a practical process that is memorable and applicable to many situations. Each of the components is supported by brain and other research.

The OASIS process will show you where to focus for creating engaged relationships that lead to innovation and results. You will be able to assess those interactions that you feel are in the arid desert and know how to shift into the flow of the OASIS for positive impact.

  • Be a coach who inspires your clients to create positive climates and open-minded conversations for engagement, inclusion and innovation.
  • Support leaders in having the mindset, skills and practices to engage in meaningful and inspiring conversations.
  • Show how to inspire across diverse stakeholders rather than rely on position power.
  • Master one of the most important skills needed for success in today’s rapidly changing world.
  • Support diversity, inclusion and equity efforts through mind-opening conversations.
  • Participate in an experiential learning community with experienced coaches.
  • Learn with a Master Certified Coach with over three decades of practical client experience with global organizations and a wide range of leaders.
  • Be able to use the OASIS Moves System to assess and address many challenges your clients face.
  • Learn a memorable process with cues for recalling. Often it is challenging to remember best practices in the moment.
  • Know how to work with resistance and build trust.
  • Address real challenges that you and your clients experience.
  • Make a bigger impact on client organizations.
  • Enhance your ability to develop relationships with leaders.
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Note: This will be the first course towards obtaining the OASIS Conversations Coach Certification. There will be an additional class and validation of understanding for the designation. There will also be an ongoing learning community for certified coaches. See the Frequently Asked Questions regarding the certification process. You can take this course as a stand-alone class and it is your choice if you elect to pursue certification. You will receive benefit in this course alone.

Note: We are in the process of securing continuing education credits with the International Coach Federation.

Components of the Course

  • Six Live Sessions. The modules explore the open mindset and the OASIS moves.
  • Experienced Facilitator and Coach. Ann Van Eron, Ph.D. developed the process and has taught it to leaders all over the world. She is an experienced executive and team coach and organization development consultant who has worked with a wide variety of organizations.
  • Flexible Schedule. Live lessons will be recorded so you can watch when best for you if you cannot attend.
  • Practical. The course is meant to be applicable in your life immediately. You will address your real conversations.
  • Community Support. You will be working with other coaches and learn from and with one another. It will be a rich environment of sharing
  • Reinforcement. You will receive support materials to enhance learning including the OASIS Conversations Planning Tool and the OASIS Moves Infographic which summarizes the process and can be used in interactions.
  • Habit Development. You will begin to notice your habitual patterns and create practices to recall how best to communicate when you interact with someone from a different perspective.
  • Experiment. You will be asked to practice and explore the skills with your real cases and your client’s cases.

Content of the Course

Session 1: Creating a Respectful Environment and Overview of the OASIS Conversations Process.

At the end of this module, you will appreciate that we all have different definitions of respect, will realize the benefit of adapting an open mindset and will glean first-hand experience of the OASIS Moves.

Session 2: O is for Observation and A is for Awareness

You will learn the power of differentiating observations or facts from assumptions—the first two OASIS Moves.

Session 4: I is for Importance

You will effectively engage with others by exploring perspectives to create understanding of needs and identify common ground—the fourth OASIS Move.

Session 5: S is for Solution

Solutions and next steps emerge after shared understanding and comprise the fifth OASIS Move.

Session 6: Practice and Specific Challenges

This session will apply the OASIS Process to specific coaching challenges.

Designer and Facilitator of the OASIS Course for Coaches

Ann's Story

After working as a Corporate Communications manager for a global insurance broker, I learned how challenging it is to be a leader and work with all kinds of personalities with different motivations. I was excited to study the field of Organization Psychology at Columbia University. I researched Transformational Leadership and how to enhance culture in organizations. 

I then assisted many organizations in working to create inclusive and engaged environments and coached many corporate executives. After conducting hundreds of focus groups, assessing companies and working with teams, it became clear that there are a lot of communication challenges, misunderstandings and misalignments. I recall one day, during a tense meeting when I was sharing findings regarding diversity challenges, I realized that people needed more than feedback or a training program: the team members needed to engage in open-minded conversations with one another. I wondered if there could be a simple process that would enable everyone with different perspectives to be open-minded, understand one another and co-create shared solutions. It had to be easy to use in a wide range of applications. I experimented with many kinds of conversations.

After years of experience in all kinds of organizations, I created the OASIS Conversations process of five essential moves that reflect what people do well when they are communicating effectively. Each move is supported by research and experience and enhances emotional and social intelligence. It’s imperative to pay attention to the climate we are creating and to question if we are fostering an oasis in our interactions.

The OASIS Moves have been tested all over the world the past few decades. I found that it worked in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and everywhere because it reflects how people interact. OASIS became a critical part of the United Nations leadership programs over two decades. It has also been tested in many other organizations. People share that the process is memorable and practical and that they are using it in their professional and personal lives years after learning it.

I continue to use the OASIS process with all of my clients and in my daily interactions. It has made a huge positive difference in all of my relationships and outcomes. I have devoted my life to sharing these insights to support people in connecting with themselves and others, enjoying life and making the world better for all.

Ann Van Eron, Ph.D., MCC draws on scientific brain research and her years of executive and team coaching and organization development experience to share a process for achieving mind-opening connections with others.

Find out why global organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, CVS Health, Ford Motor Company, Consumers Union and New York-Presbyterian Hospital are benefiting from the OASIS Conversations® and Open Stance processes. Learn how to minimize misunderstandings and reap amazing results.

Ann is founder and principal of Potentials, a global executive coaching and organization development consulting firm with experience coaching leaders, teams and coaches all over the world for over twenty-five years. She was one of the first Master Coaches to be certified through the International Coaching Federation. She has a doctorate in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and many certifications in somatic coaching, gestalt coaching, focusing, the Coaches Training Institute and is an avid learner.

Ann specializes in creating environments where people have open-minded productive conversations for greater results. She has developed a practical proven process to understand and work effectively with people with different perspectives (everyone) for unparalleled results. She is the author of the book OASIS Conversations: Leading with an Open Mindset to Maximize Potential. Her book, Open Stance: Thriving Amidst Uncertainty is forthcoming.

Ann is committed to assisting people in having open-minded dialogue, fulfilling their potential and enjoying life. Learn more at www.Potentials.com and www.OASISConversations.com

What Participants Say About the OASIS Process

Carina Stern Organization Development, United Nations

The OASIS® process has significantly improved communication and impacted the way managers interact with their staff and each other. It has consistently been highly rated as impactful by an outside assessment firm of our programs for many years. We have worked to have OASIS® be a part of many of our programs with a very positive response.

Project Manager New York-Presbyterian Hospital

99% of our managers report that OASIS Moves® is valuable and they are using it in their daily interactions even years after they took the workshop.

Training Director European office of global firm

Judging from the evaluations of participants, the training is a solid investment in staff. …It is making a lasting contribution to the organization’s efforts to revitalize the management culture. Both the content of the course and the presentation skills were of the highest standards I have seen or experienced.

Leader Fortune 500 company

The OASIS Moves® model is like a science that has helped me profoundly in my work environment and daily life. It is the most inspiring course I have ever taken, and I have taken a lot of workshops.

Workshop participant

Since our training, OASIS® has been a part of my daily work. It will definitely help me in my daily working activities, and you can be sure that it will continue to be.

Ramona Kohrs Manager, United Nations

Thank you …for the courses and workshops you taught here at the United Nations to help us become better supervisors and managers. I will never forget your kindness and your openness, as well as all the encouragement we received from you during those courses. The OASIS model will forever be my guide when interacting with colleagues and friends, both today and in whatever activities I will engage in in the future.

Workshop participant Not-for-profit Organization

I know I am a much better person and manager now. … The course was a wonderful experience.

Division head Ford Motor Company

This was the best training program I have ever attended in my career.

Director CVS Health

I have taken quite a few corporate learning training classes. I can honestly say that the way OASIS was presented will ensure we will carry the knowledge forward not only in our professional lives but also in our personal life. I truly believe this training will help me as others will perceive me as a better person. Thank you so much! You did an outstanding job and class membership participation was great.

Manager NASA

You have an amazingly effective method to integrate abstract concepts with common sense and turn them into useful techniques. I really appreciate your teachings and will carry them with me for a long, long time.

Workshop participant

I feel taller; the OASIS Moves process is fantastic. Tremendous impact.

Kelly Wojda Director of Diversity & Talent, Caterpillar

“The OASIS method has been a safe haven for me in an uncertain world. …OASIS provides me a mental framework to stay open and agile, to be creative amidst change.”

Gretchen Neve Executive Coach and Diversity Consultant

Dr. Ann Van Eron is an expert in somatic practices that enable heart-centered difficult conversations that deepen understanding, strengthen connection, and encourage new approaches to new and old issues and dilemmas.

Senior Manager Fortune 100 company

When I took the course ten years ago, it had a profound effect on me like no other course previous or thereafter. It was the most useful and enlightening course I have ever taken. I am still using the process.

Wall Street firm

I enjoyed the ease and equanimity with which you made the course enjoyable for the wide variety of people in the workshop. Personally, I just thought it was first rate.

Jennifer Flake Executive Director, Communications, Ford Motor Company

We all face challenges relating to people with different perspectives. OASIS offers practical tips on how to be open-minded and work effectively with others at work, at home and in life.

Manager Government organization

Thank you so much for the great OASIS sessions. I know I learned a lot, and I plan to continue making a conscious effort to use OASIS at work and at home. I really liked your guidance and your approach. The most important thing I learned is to be aware of my biases, to listen better (“I’m curious…), and to be open to others. I definitely recommend the course to others.

Nena Stroiljkoic SVP, Global Client Services, International FInance Organization, World Bank

I don’t think any modern organization can survive without practicing OASIS. I am very grateful to Ann for introducing it to me.

Act Now to Secure Your Space

Session Details

Fridays, 
(6 consecutive Fridays)

Session 1: 
Session 2: 
Session 3: 
Session 4: 
Session 5: 
Session 6: 

Tuition is $1000.

This is a special price for the launch of this cohort. We request to use some parts of the recordings in other programs. We will not use any part where you specify it is confidential. By joining, you agree to this.

Sessions will be held via Zoom and will be recorded, if you miss a session.

Kindly send an email with your intention to join and you will receive an invoice.

You may instead choose to send a check to
Potentials
195 North Harbor Drive #3706
Chicago, IL 60601.

Feel free to call with questions: 312-593-6790.

Learn more Here and at Potentials.com
Access free chapters and an infographic at OasisConversations.com

Frequently Asked Questions

All sessions will be recorded and made available within 24 hours.

Each of the sessions are 90 minutes. You will be encouraged to practice the skills and mindset in your daily interactions, so not much extra time will be needed. You may want to reinforce the concepts by reading some materials provided.

Anyone who interacts with others will benefit from this process.

Even those with experience will benefit from the OASIS process. Many experienced practitioners say the process is invaluable.

This is a standalone course. This with another class and a validation will lead to the OASIS Coach Certification designation. Send an email to Avaneron@Potentials.com for more details.