DFW Organization Development Network

The Multigenerational Advantage:    Leveraging EACH for Success!  

Have you ever timed buying a pizza so that you could stack the most coupons to get that sweet deal? Maybe it’s 20% off on Tuesdays, the local paper gave you a 5% resident’s discount, and you have a Free Delivery coupon from your child’s school. What was $21.95 (not including tax and delivery fees) is now only $14!

What if we were able to cherry-pick the best that each generation present in the workforce has to offer, embed those values into the processes and ways of working, and create a truly, highly effective company?

As a Zillennial, I stand at the intersection of Millennials and Gen Z, witnessing the profound impact that the youngest generation is having on the workforce. In this discussion, we’ll explore how Gen Z’s unique values and expectations are reshaping the definition of a “successful” company and what organizations may need to do to remain relevant and competitive in the future.

Our goal for this session is to engage in co-creation in what the tactics and strategies of OD-professionals may be during the imminent transition of leadership from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials. How can we implement innovative organizational design? How can organizations adapt to meet the changing needs? And how can we ensure that the wisdom and experience of previous generations are not lost in that process?

Please join us on May 9 to stack the generational deck and leverage each for success!

Speaker:  Tristan Martinez     {see Bio below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening May 9:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIO:

Tristan Martinez is an Organizational Design Consultant who specializes in Human-Centered Design Thinking and Behavioral Analysis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Development from the University of North Texas and has earned multiple certifications, including Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Practitioner.

Throughout her time in the military, Tristan focused on developing the leadership capabilities of individuals and fostering a culture of transformational leadership that has influenced today’s Naval leaders. As a lifelong learner, Tristan believes the more she learns, the more she realizes how much there is to know. She has a true dedication for helping organizations achieve meaningful change that is beneficial for their most valuable assets – the people.

Dialogue in Organizations:    
Be Curious & Seek Shared Understanding    

A lot is happening in organizations and ecosystems today. Change is moving at a head spinning pace. Sometimes in our haste to get things done we forget that to align and coordinate to get things done we need to focus on building constructive, nourishing human connections.

Are we curious enough to wonder how an issue looks from another person’s perspective? Do we wonder about a perspective we lack that might make a huge difference?

Listening to understand, rather than to respond, is a way to unlock better options and enlist others to join us in collective action.

So how do we go about developing such a shared understanding? Is there an approach that is foundational to collective progress?

Yes, there is an approach, dialogue, which increases the possibility of building shared understanding by asking us to “hold our ideas lightly” and to recognize that the other is “a person first and an opinion second.”

Those are big asks, not easy to do and they take practice. We’ll get started on that practice when you join Nancy and Pete as we collaboratively explore an approach to Dialogue in Organizations that can work!

Please join us on April 11 for this important conversation!

Speakers:  Nancy Dixon and Pete Sorenson     {see Bios below} 

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening April 11:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:  

Nancy Dixon:     I’m a long time academic turned consultant and coach.  I’m a runner, a committed yoga practitioner, a meditator, a mother of two and a grandmother of three. What I care deeply about is that the people who work in any organization have a voice to influence what their organization does and what it stands for. My aspiration is to help make organizations worthy of organizational members putting their life’s blood into their work, because all of us have a desire to have our labor serve something that we view as worthy. I believe that happens when organizations learn how to hold meaningful conversations among their employees.

At heart I’m a writer and have written eight books and over 80 articles about how to make those conversations happen in organizations. My latest thinking is in my blog called “conversation matters” at www.nancydixonblog.com/.

Pete Sorenson:     I’m a freelance designer of teams, organizations, systems, networks, and ecosystems. I have been doing this for a long time and I am still trying to figure things out. I am curious, have a sense of adventure, a penchant for experimentation and innovation, and a sense of humor. I listen well. People having a voice in organizations is important to me. It is important as a part of people fulfilling their potential as humans. It is important as a way for organizations to tap into the information, perspective, and engagement that can help organizations fulfill their potential.

I will be starting a Substack soon called “Puzzling On Organizations & Ecosystems.”  I am puzzling about Human Centered Artificial Intelligence a lot lately.

Linking OD and AI:  
Exploring Proactive Digital Transformations  

The words “AI” quickly grabbed the world’s attention last November with the launch of large language models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. While artificial intelligence has been present for many years, Generative AI has sparked intense interest and focus in utilizing these technologies throughout our organizations. Our role as OD Practitioners and Consultants hinges on understanding how to apply Human-Centered AI concepts to the design and deployment of these technologies.

This month’s conversation is not aimed at orienting participants to the technology, but rather, developing our collective understanding in becoming proactive in advancing the quality of human life and the business performance these technologies may provide our organizations.

Please join us on March 14 for this timely topic!

Speakers:  Bert Painter and Tristan Martinez     {see Bios below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening March 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:  

Bert Painter is an independent consulting social scientist and documentary filmmaker who has facilitated participative design of work organizations with employers, unions, and communities across Canada and internationally since 1970. Current consulting work involves digital transformation of manufacturing processes and organization in a multi-national pulp and paper company. Of prior significance was a National Science Foundation-funded study of virtual organization of multi-institutional Research & Development, with findings published in a 2016 edition of an International Journal for Team Performance Management.

As a filmmaker, Bert has produced over 20 documentaries on innovative workplaces in North America, including “Engineering for Commitment”, the history of socio-technical design of work in North America. Meanwhile, a new film series on The Future of Work is in development.

Tristan Martinez is an Organizational Design Consultant who specializes in Human-Centered Design Thinking and Behavioral Analysis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Development from the University of North Texas and has earned multiple certifications, including Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Practitioner.

Throughout her time in the military, Tristan focused on developing the leadership capabilities of individuals and fostering a culture of transformational leadership that has influenced today’s Naval leaders. As a lifelong learner, Tristan believes the more she learns, the more she realizes how much there is to know. She has a true dedication for helping organizations achieve meaningful change that is beneficial for their most valuable assets – the people.

 Compassion at Work:  
Dispelling Myths & Creating Compassionate Communities 

Compassion at work may sound like a paradox or oxymoron but there is a growing body of research that suggests that is exactly what we need to create healthy organizations with engaged, innovative employees who create strategic competitive advantage.  Too often the workplace is a source of suffering despite our best attempts to create diverse, equitable, and psychologically safe organizations.

In this session, we’ll look at the latest research to understand suffering at work and attempt to dispel the myths leaders tell about why compassion won’t work in their organizations.   We’ll also discuss sources of pain that require compassion, and how to:

• notice pain and suffering at work,
• interpret what is shared,
• turn on feelings and empathy, and
• act in compassionate ways.

We will discuss the term Compassion Competence at an individual, group and organizational level, and how to create a plan to build more compassionate workplace communities.  The discussion will also look at current resources for the foundation of this discussion including the 2017 book: “Awakening Compassion at Work: the Quiet Power that Elevates People and Organizations” by Monica Worline and Jane Dutton (University of Michigan, Ross School of Management).

I hope you will care to join us on February 8 for this timely topic!

Speaker:  Carly Riehle, MSOD       {see Bio below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening February 8:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker Bio:  

Carly Riehle is a recent graduate of the Pepperdine University, Gradziadio School of Business program, Master of Science in Organizational Development. She has nearly 20 years of experience as a covert OD consultant having worked inside organizations in multiple industries including for-profit education, shipping, residential construction, and banking.  She is a project manager at heart, who thrives on helping others meet their goals and has been PMP certified since 2014.  Carly currently manages the Strategic Program Management Office for a $5B privately held bank in north Texas.    She is also a steward for the Socio Technical System Roundtable; and is serving as Project Manager for a book to be written by the non-profit organization, CCMV.

In her personal life, Carly is an avid researcher and a passionate collector of the stories that leaders in organizations tell that help or hinder their success.  While her primary roles of wife, mother, church youth leader, friend, manager and employee fill her days, she looks forward earning her Ph.D. in the coming years to satisfy a desire to continue to learn and scientifically test her theories about the impact of stories on personal and organizational effectiveness. For more information: carlyriehle@gmail.com

 Is Future Search in your
(or your client’s) Future?  

Future Search uses the wisdom of the whole system to create a shared vision, validate a common mission, plan action, and commit to implementation. It brings representatives and stakeholders from all parts of an organization and its ecosystem together in one place.  In same and mixed groups and as a whole group individuals explore and align on what they want for the future and plan to achieve it.

In our session we will:

• Experience a Future Search process
• Learn about the Future Search methodology
• Explore possibilities for a Future Search – what’s possible when people or parts of a system that typically disagree can find common ground

Please join us on January 11 to kick off the new year with a fascinating look into our potential Futures!

Facilitator:  Rosalind Spigel,  SpigelConsulting.com        {see Bio below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening January 11:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Facilitator Bio  

Rosalind Spigel, MSOD, ACC, brings creativity and insight to organizational systems to support engagement and alignment of stakeholders to achieve shared goals in their shared vision. In consultation with her clients, Rosalind designs and facilitates customized strategic planning and implementation, board development, leadership coaching, DE&I initiatives, capacity building interventions, and workshops. A certified Standards of Excellence© consultant, Rosalind is also a consultant with several nonprofit organizations.

Rosalind earned her MSOD from the American University/National Training Laboratories and received her coach training from the Gestalt International Study Center. She is trained to lead Future Search conferences and is certified in DISC. She is the recipient of the Hal Kellner Award for contributions to issues of diversity and social justice and has published on leadership, gender bias, and most recently as a co-author, Dissecting Meaning, Scope, and Roles of Social Justice and Social Action. For more information, SpigelConsulting.com.

 Annual Networking / Social
and Book Exchange!  

Seasons’ Greetings to DFW OD Network!  It’s time to for our annual networking/social meeting.  For the past 10 years we have held a “Gold Elephant Book Exchange” at our December meeting, but this year it will be a HYBRID experience!

People will be present both in the actual room (at University of Dallas) and on Zoom.  Instead of bringing a physical book everyone will send a recommendation for an extraordinary and relevant book in advance, and it will be revealed at the meeting to some lucky attendee.

This will contribute to our discussions, as we receive something unexpected (or “steal” from someone else, as part of the game).  And as a parting gift we will all walk away with the full list of books recommended by our peers!

Here is a link to recommend your book, and to let us know if will be attending in-person or virtually:     https://forms.gle/SkLvsoBwjAi6ndA98

The game is similar to a traditional white elephant gift exchange — each person in turn will draw a random book or ‘steal’ one that someone else already has. [Unlike ‘white elephants’ (which are often useless), these books are ‘gold elephants’ that will contain some unique nuggets of wisdom when opened (or stolen) by the right recipient!]   Discovering the golden nuggets will be part of the game as everyone will talk about the books they give (and the ones they get)!

Please join us on December 14 for a fun evening of food, fellowship, and books!
            

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening December 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:30  Virtual setup, FOOD, and Networking 
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Meeting Location: University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room*
   SB Hall: 2925 Gorman Dr,  Irving, TX 75062   

Cost:   $10 for In-person  (free for virtual)

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

 Innovating Our 2024 Program!   

Hello OD Visionaries and Innovators!

As we set our sights on crafting 12 exceptional ideas for 2024, we recognize the need to explore hundreds of suggestions. The more diverse our pool of ideas, the more refined our final selection will be.

To facilitate this, we’ve set up a Google Form for your advance contributions. Then on November 9 we’ll be holding a dynamic session on Zoom, where discussions will be animated and collaborative. Additionally, our Mural platform will serve as the space where these ideas will converge and evolve.

Please join us on November 9th 2023 for a session designed to be swift, interactive, and fulfilling. We’ve optimized the process to make your participation smooth and efficient.

Get Involved:

  
Schedule for Thursday Evening November 9:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Internal & External 
Communities of Practice:
State of the Art  

What are today’s best practices for vibrant Communities of Practice?

The last few years have seen communities of all types shift from primarily in-person to primarily virtual.  More recently we’ve seen a mix of virtual, hybrid, and too many in-person opportunities for any one person’s calendar.  In our October session we will:

• Explore current CoP best practices
• Consider the impact of psychological safety and other factors on participation
• Use an interactive case study to look at implications for ourselves

Please join us on October 12 for some introspection and inspiration!

Facilitator:  Terri Adkisson      {see Bio below}          

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening October 12:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Facilitator BIO  —  Terri Adkisson

Terri Adkisson is a fractional executive and business consultant, specializing in strategy, operations, innovation, and taming complexity. She holds an MBA from UT Austin, is a co-author of two books on virtual facilitation, and has worked with organizations in over 20 industries. Terri helps people see things that aren’t there yet but should be, resulting in profitable innovation and change.  www.TerriAdkisson.com

Escaping the Burnout Cycle:
A Systemic Approach   

[Note:  New title and presenter!]

Burnout has been talked about for decades. But here’s the real head-scratcher: Despite the recent investment in workplace mental health, burnout seems to be on an ominous rise. This dynamic session will give Organizational Development practitioners a framework for how to combat the prevalence of burnout with a multi-level approach that addresses burnout at the systemic root causes.

This framework includes both generating and evaluating solutions that can be put into action, leading to norms that promote the long-term well-being of employees. Get ready to consider what you can do to help organizations escape burnout and pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable work environment.

Please join us on September 14 for a highly interactive meeting. We are hoping to gain a treasure trove of systemic knowledge that equips us to navigate the complexities of Burnout within our organizationals.

Other Reading: Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem? | McKinsey

Facilitator:  Kelly Berte, McLean & Company   {see Bio below} 

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

  
Schedule for Thursday Evening September 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Facilitator BIO  —  Kelly Berte 
          
Kelly Berte is a Director, HR Research & Advisory Services, with McLean & Company. She brings energy to translating scientific concepts to real-world application for HR leaders, promoting human-centered change that helps organizations support their people to be at their best.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Kelly worked in a variety of cross-functional HR roles, building her expertise in holistic wellbeing, engagement, change management, leadership development, and HR operations. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Promotion from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Is “Systems Convening” the new OD?  
(A Knowledge Café)    

Have you heard of “Systems Convening (A crucial form of leadership for the 21st century)”?  Is it another name for OD, or maybe a new way of thinking about OD?  Well known experts Bev and Etienne Wenger share the principles of “Systems Convening” and many stories in their new book, which is available for free download here: Systems-Convening.pdf (wenger-trayner.com).

In our August ODNet meeting we will explore this interesting question:  Is “Systems Convening” simply another name for OD, -OR-  is it more closely related to leadership, -OR-  is it something entirely different?  Please glimpse through their book for 15-20 minutes and then let’s convene our DFW ODNet community to discuss!

We will use the novel Knowledge Café approach, where John will first offer a brief background and a few thoughts/questions.  Then we’ll follow the Knowledge Café process to host three rounds of small group discussions, followed by a full group discussion and reflection.

Please join us on August 13 for this interesting discussion and to experience the Knowledge Café process.

            
Provocateur/Facilitator:  John Hovell, STRATactical International   {see Bio below} 

         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening Ausust 10:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Facilitator BIO — John Hovell  
          
As a leader in the convergence of Knowledge Management (KM) and Organization Development (OD), John Hovell is the Managing Director and co-founder of STRATactical International. He is a practitioner, speaker, and author in OD/KM strategies and their application to current challenges. He is on the team creating a new international discipline known as Conversational Leadership.

John volunteers as the corporate lead for the award-winning annual ‘STEMmerday’ event where thousands of participants engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math related learning activities. He serves on several advisory boards including the International Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Psychotherapy, International Knowledge Management Institute, Training Industry Quarterly, and Synergy Development and Training. John may be best known for his Conversational Leadership framework and the practice of “C-Groups”.

Meeting the Challenge of BURNOUT   

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon that results from chronic workplace stressors that have not been successfully managed.  Research on burnout has identified the value of fixing the job, and not just the person, within six areas of job-person mismatch.

Improving the match between people and their jobs is the key to managing the chronic stressors, and can be done on a routine basis as part of regular organizational checkups.  Better matches enable people to work smarter, rather than just harder, and to thrive rather than to get beaten down.

Here is a short video preview by Kelly.

Please join us on July 13 for this timely and thought-provoking discussion!

Speakers:  Dr. Christina Maslach, University of California, Berkeley
      and  Kelly Berte, McLean & Company    {see Bios below} 

      
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening July 13:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:  
          
Christina Maslach, PdD, is a Professor of Psychology (Emerita) and a researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California, Berkeley.  She received her A.B. from Harvard, and her Ph.D. from Stanford.  She is best known as the pioneering researcher on job burnout, producing the standard assessment tool (the Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI), books, and award-winning articles.

Her latest book is The Burnout Challenge:  Managing People’s Relationships with their Jobs (2022). The impact of her work is reflected by the official recognition of burnout, as an occupational phenomenon with health consequences, by the World Health Organization in 2019.  She has been honored with multiple awards, both academic and public, including an award from the National Academy of Sciences for scientific reviewing (2020), and her inclusion in Business Insider’s 2021 list of the top 100 people transforming business.

Kelly Berte is a Director, HR Research & Advisory Services, with McLean & Company. She brings energy to translating scientific concepts to real-world application for HR leaders, promoting human-centered change that helps organizations support their people to be at their best.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Kelly worked in a variety of cross-functional HR roles, building her expertise in holistic wellbeing, engagement, change management, leadership development, and HR operations. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Promotion from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

 Presence Talk:  
Gateway to Metaphysics of Organizational Development

Note: For the first time in 3 years we are meeting HYBRID (in-person and virtual)! 

What do we mean when we say an employee is absent from work? There is a vast literature related to this single question. Here are some terms bandied about, as well as investigated: psychological withdrawal, presenteeism, turnover intentions, job commitment, and engagement.

There is a continuum from absence to presence. The shallows of the Internet, techno-stupor, the virtual workplace, the scourge of telepresence, and the faddish bauble of artificial intelligence pushes us toward absence. But what pushes us toward presence?

This session takes the perspective that most conversation and approaches miss the deeper meaning of presence and its central role in workplace spirituality. The question of engagement and absence rests on the surface layer. Dig deeper and find a whole lot more cooking underneath.

We will work and play together in our own presencing, with large group discussion, breakouts, polling, and spontaneous bursts of nowness.

Participants will learn an integral model of presence that Dr. Bennett uses in his OD practice. Registrants are encouraged to visit www.presencequest.life and download and read the free ebook “The Connoisseur of Time” at dl.bookfunnel.com/444146y1ye.
              

Speaker:  Dr. Joel Bennett, President, Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS)     {see Bio below} 

 (Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening June 8:  (CT)    
   –  6:30  Networking and Food!  (+virtual setup)
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Meeting Ends

Meeting Location: University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room*
SB Hall: 2925 Gorman Dr,  Irving, TX 75062
  (SB Hall is #34 on the UD Campus Map)      [Lat/Long Nav]

Cost:   $10 for in-person (free for hybrid)

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIO:  
          
Dr. Joel Bennett, Ph.D., is president of Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS), a consulting firm that specializes in evidence-based wellness, resilience, mental well-being, and catalyzing healthy work cultures from the inside out.

OWLS clients include corporate, private, nonprofit, local and federal agencies. OWLS has received close to $5 million in federal research grants to assess, design and deliver workplace wellness programs. Dr. Bennett is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed research articles, and he has authored or co-authored eight books.