BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.6//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:160@iaf-world.org
DTSTART:20260806T150000Z
DTEND:20260806T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260707T203152Z
URL:https://iaf-world.org/events/learn-and-connect-mind-the-gap-using-word
 s-as-tools-to-make-sure-were-actually-talking-about-the-same-thing/
SUMMARY:Learn and Connect: Mind the Gap — Using Words as Tools to Make Su
 re We're Actually Talking About the Same Thing
DESCRIPTION:Mind the Gap — Using Words as Tools to Make Sure We're Actual
 ly Talking About the Same Thing with Alma Zertuche and Lucy Chambers\nIn g
 roup discussions\, one word can gently steer people in completely differen
 t directions. Whether it’s jargon\, acronyms\, or seemingly innocent wor
 ds loaded with prior associations\, words really create worlds. The opposi
 te problem is just as real. Spend too long perfecting the wording and the 
 group falls into a wordsmithing wormhole\, debating definitions instead of
  making progress.\n\nFacilitators constantly walk a fine line between thes
 e pitfalls. In this interactive session we explore how to spot when langua
 ge is sending a conversation off course\, when clarification is worth the 
 time\, and how to bring enough clarity without draining the energy of the 
 room. You will leave with practical tools and a fresh appreciation for lan
 guage as one of the most powerful instruments in a facilitator's kit\, tes
 ted on real examples from the group.\n\nRegister for the session here!\n\n
 Joining from another part of the world?Use the timezone converter here to 
 see when this event starts in your timezone.\n\nAbout the speakers:\n\nAlm
 a Zertuche Alma took the scenic route into tech\, her career has touched i
 nternational affairs\, logistics\, education\, sales and a startup before 
 landing at Thoughtworks\, where she has spent the last 9 years helping tea
 ms turn messy problems into clear\, deliverable solutions. Based in Berlin
 \, she works across automotive\, loyalty and engineering sectors as a Lead
  Business Analyst\, and has a habit of making the invisible visible\, whet
 her that's an undocumented process\, an unclear requirement\, or the eleph
 ant in the room nobody else has drawn on the whiteboard yet. She colours o
 utside the lines\, builds genuine relationships with the people she work w
 ith\, and will not rest until everything is written down\, drawn out\, and
  understood by everyone in the room.\n\nLucy Chambers Lucy's career has go
 ne: linguist → accidental techie → facilitator. The thread running thr
 ough all of it is language. Starting in tech\, where unclear language turn
 s into expensive mistakes\, she developed a practical eye for spotting whe
 n people are talking past each other\, hiding behind jargon\, or confident
 ly agreeing on completely different things. The more she looked\, the more
  she saw: language shaping decisions\, excluding people\, and occasionally
  triggering surprisingly strong emotional responses to individual words. S
 he now works independently\, helping groups across disciplines and organis
 ations find a common language where there wasn't one before. Her facilitat
 ion toolkit is built on the conviction that words aren't just vehicles for
  meaning but tools\, and she uses language strategically to get a room to 
 understanding faster than anyone expects.
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iaf-world.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07
 /NA-Learn-Connect-Mind-the-Gap.png
CATEGORIES:Learn & Connect,NA Region
LOCATION:https://iaf-world.zoom.us/meeting/register/_IXFUBnET5C76KlmBxnoiQ
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR