TODN Bulletin Board

Curiosity:  What's the big deal?

Are you curious about curiosity?

When was the last time you really became curious?  A time when you wouldn't rest until you had satisfied that curiosity.  A time when your curiosity pulled you forward and made you better.

The power of curiosity is often overlooked even though it precedes nearly every personal experience.  At some level, it drives nearly every human decision. Yet, many of us don’t consider ourselves curious.  When harnessed, curiosity can move us forward in EVERY aspect of life. 

During our January Change SIG, Paul Winston will help us explore recent research, learn from thought leaders, and engage in a dynamic discussion about the power of curiosity.  Paul has recently traversed a curiosity journey of his own.  With a career serving in HR and L&D roles for small and large organizations, domestically and internationally, Paul believes most answers needed for success in any circumstance reside just beyond the noise. 

Getting curious puts us in the proper state-of-mind and quiets our surroundings long enough to identify those answers.  A leader's greatest sense of accomplishment is often coaching individuals and teams to define and prepare for "what's next".  Our session will begin with the assumption that without curiosity, there is no next.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulwinstonhr/ 

For more information, contact SIG leaders, Vickie Bevenour  or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-493-5424).

Big 2018 AH-HA for You? 18th Annual Tips & Tricks Exchange
This is our annual SIG Holiday TIPS & TRICKS EXCHANGE. It is a joint Nov/Dec meeting and the agenda is one that we have had for 18 years. We gather to share something that has impacted us either professionally or personally during 2018. 

We ask that you bring a book, a tip, a technique, a brain-friendly recipe, a picture, a poem, a great quote, or anything else that has inspired, pleased or touched you in the past year. If it has been surprisingly successful, that's even better.

You can share your tip or trick with the group by telling us about it and/or making copies for everyone. We've found this to be one of our best programs - always full of surprises and a real GIFT to all of us!

NOTE: Our fourth annual after-SIG lunch will be at a nearby restaurant open for lunch. Feel free to join us (last year we went to Nantucket-Sutton Station, 5826 Fayetteville Road, Durham).

For more information, contact SIG leaders, Vickie Bevenour  or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

New Power:  Realizing How Power Works Now
QUESTION: How can we use New Power in creative ways to build community and design platforms that are more open, participatory, and peer-driven in our hyperconnected world? 

We will look at the core concepts from visionary thinkers Jeremy Heiman and Henry Timms’ guide to bridging Old Power and New Power, showcased in How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World -- and How to Make It Work for YOU.  We'll discuss:

• How is Power changing?
• In what ways is New Power reshaping politics, business, and life -- for better and/or worse?
• What is helpful to know about New Power in our work?
• How can we make a difference using New Power?

For more information on the Change SIG, contact the leaders, Vickie Bevenour or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

Suzanne ‘zan’ Ballantyne and Andrea Laine will lead us in discussing the benefits of mindfulness, the science supporting it, and then share and collect suggestions for starting or strengthening a formal or informal practice. Included will be a brief guided meditation to set the stage for those who are new to it, as well as those bringing lots of experience.  We want to hear what’s working for you and what is not. One of the greatest aspects of a mindfulness practice is having a community in which to share."

Suzanne Ballantyne, B.A., Psychology, M.A. (abt), History & Philosophy of Education, both from Canadian universities, is a Certified Health & Wellness Coach and Registered Yoga Teacher approaching 1000 hours of teaching. She worked as a Wellness Coach with clients in Canada, Europe and Asia for an Employee Assistance Program, gathering enough hours to obtain her ACC. Her real love is yoga and spiritual growth & development. As well as coaching clients, Suzanne teaches yoga in private and group classes, and in organizations, including SAS and IBM. In 2015 she broke the humerus bone off the ball of her shoulder and thought her yoga career was over. With practice, determination, and the wisdom of yoga, Suzanne has virtually restored her arm even with the plate and 10 screws. She's back doing cartwheels and swimming front crawl. Her meditation practice began at age 19.

Andrea T. Laine, MLD, ACC - Andrea is a leadership and habit change coach. She helps individuals who work in the non-profit sector approach leadership with confidence and grace. She launched her coaching practice in 2013 following a long and broad career in fundraising and public relations in New York and Philadelphia and on the heels of earning a master’s degree in leadership development from Penn State and 125 hours of coach training. Practicing mindfulness is a major component of successful habit change.  An earnest meditation practice for strengthening mindfulness has been a part of Andrea’s being since 2008.

For more information on the Change SIG, contact the leaders, Vickie Bevenour or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

Some of you heard me talk about the Shift Positive approach to narrative 360s in a session on effective feedback last spring.  The last training for the year is taking place in Philadelphia at the end of October. 

https://www.shiftpositive360.com/ for a discussion of the shift positive approach.  

https://shiftpositive360.com/register.php  to register for the 2-day training.  

When you take the 2-day training, you get everything you need to conduct these 360s.  You can earn back the cost of the course with a 360 for one client, and then there are no additional charges per future engagement.

Interested?  You need to register by October 1.  Message me for a coupon for $250 off.

Kathryn

Using Organizational Surveys to Drive Change
This month will be a bit different! Dr. Kyle Lundby has created a survey just for the August 24th Change SIG and we are inviting all members & friends of TODN to participate in this "State of Engagement Survey." It will collect data on engagement at an organization you have experienced as a prelude to making changes. A report will be generated after the SIG meeting & distributed to all.
Kyle Lundby, PhD, Principal, Global Aspect Human Capital Advisors, uses a mix of employee engagement and culture surveys to provide the data to then help leaders drive organizational change. He also does post-survey 1:1 coaching to help individuals prioritize and develop specific actions for change. To make it a little more fun and engaging, he has set up a “State of Engagement Survey” for TODN members/friends to complete prior to the August 24th Change SIG meeting. He will share some of the results to highlight how he leverages survey data to promote change.
We are inviting anyone who is a member or friend of TODN to take the survey. A summary report of the results will be available to all after the Change SIG meeting.
To participate in the State of Engagement Survey, you can click on the link below (or copy and paste into your web browser). 
NOTE – This survey is confidential. We are not asking for names, and no individuals will be identified. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you have questions or technical difficulties, please contact Dr. Lundby at info@globalaspect-hca.com.
    SURVEY:  https://mResearchSurveyEngine.modernsurvey.com/Default.aspx?eaid=678B3A33-4C1B-43B9-A132-A012EBBC9CDC

For more information on the Change SIG, contact the leaders, Vickie Bevenour or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

Over the past two years, Rob Kramer (presenter), in partnership with the Kenan Institute for the Arts, has been conducting a series of interviews with famous artists to explore this question.  In this conversation, we will discuss how successful artists such as T Bone Burnett (musician and producer), Jane Chu (NEA Chairperson), Krista Vernoff (Executive Producer of TV’s Grey’s Anatomy), Vivian Howard (chef and James Beard award winner), and Susan Jaffe (former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and “quintessential ballerina of the 20^th century”) use the creative process to develop and achieve leadership success. This fascinating discussion will provide unique insight into how successful and creative people lead today.  Published interviews can be seen here: http://www.uncsa.edu/kenan/artist-as-leader/index.aspx

For more information on the Change SIG, contact the leaders, Vickie Bevenour or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

We invite you to join our upcoming workshop on 7/26/18! The Business Imperative of Kindness of Equity in the Workplace.

Check out our EVENT LINK!

What is the role of kindness and equity in the context of today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment? Incorporating kindness and equity into your business and people practices is not easy, but we believe it is increasingly necessary for organizations to maintain a competitive edge and survive in today’s world. We will share our definition for kindness and equity within a business context and provide practical examples for building a kind and equitable workplace that has a direct impact on business productivity and innovation. You'll leave with specific actions you can take to build an organization that is kind, equitable, AND profitable. 

Our speakers are partners at Paradox Consulting Partners. The Paradox team includes MBAs, PhDs, and other advanced degrees in organizational psychology, business, and human resources. They share many decades of national consulting experience to successful organizations including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. 

Designing Your Life: Apply Design Thinking Tools
Come learn how to apply the tools of design thinking to build toward a life you love. Based on the book "Designing Your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. An ongoing question many of us face is "What am I going to be when I grow up?" It is asked by those from high school to retirement. One of the tools proposed by these two outstanding Stanford University professors is to think like a designer, meaning to skip thinking your way forward but instead building your way forward, prototype by prototype. 

Dr. Leigh Shamblin's background includes 20+ years of global leadership experience in education, international development, technology, and healthcare. Her current teaching, practice and scholarship focus areas include: leadership, design thinking, innovation, executive education, business/life coaching, change management, evaluation/assessment and sustainability. Leigh is currently a professor of practice at NC State University.  

For more information on the Change SIG, contact the leaders, Vickie Bevenour or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573, mcbreakthrough@mindspring.com).

I Didn’t Sign On for This: Dealing With Constant Change in the Workplace
Won’t it stop?! Today’s increasing pace of change can create a personal and work life that mirrors the experience of standing on the baseline at a tennis court and having your opponent fire balls from a tennis cannon at you. This type of change seems constant; before you can assimilate one change another comes along. The phenomenon has become known as “Repetitive Change Syndrome (RCS).” 

Moving through change, and especially leading in times of change, takes time and energy; it’s extremely stressful. In this program, Mike will lead us through an interactive, lighthearted, and fast-paced session on one of these:

 -- How to recognize the change effects on you and the organization
 -- Why we resist change and how to lower resistance
 -- How to more easily embrace and work within the change
 -- How to use practical time and management strategies to better deal with the stress of change.
 -- How to move on to the new reality

Change isn’t going to slow down; if anything, it’s going to speed up. Accepting and addressing change isn’t complicated it’s just hard; this program makes it simpler.