Category Archives: Meetings

Annual Networking/Social Meeting
and “Gold Elephant Book Exchange”

Meeting Goals:
– Connect: get to know one another better – personally & professionally
– Learn: share knowledge informally during the book exchange
– Enjoy: fellowship + creative responses (and humor) of the game

Please bring a gift-wrapped book that is meaningful to you – perhaps a book from your own library to ‘pay it forward’ or one from a second hand bookstore. Don’t spend a lot of money – it’s the thought that counts!

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

Handout/Procedure for the ‘Gold Elephant Gift Exchange’

Presenter / Facilitator: Jim Jameson

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

Facilitator BIO:
Jim Jameson is a Principal at Noah Consulting LLC (a firm specializing in Master Data Management for the Upstream Oil & Gas industry). His role is to improve the success rate of technology adoption projects, working mainly in the areas of Change Management, Collaboration, and Communications. He believes that focusing on the people side of technology change is the key to improving ROI on tranformational ‘IT solutions’.

OD Network Annual Planning Meeting

Our November Meeting is a facilitated event designed to collectively answer the question: “What programs do we most want for our 2014 DFW OD Network Monthly Meetings?”

Each of us will have the opportunity to recommend ideas and participate in deciding the twelve topics for our 2014 programming.  So — what topics are most important, meaningful and relevant for you?  Here are some questions to help stimulate your thinking:

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

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
   – 6:30  Networking / Food / Intros
   – 7:00  Announcements / Program
   – 8:45  Closing and evaluation

Meeting Location:
University of Dallas – Art History Bldg, Room 112 *
1845 East Northgate Drive,  Irving, TX  75062   (972-721-5000)
The Art History Bldg is #11 on the campus map.

>> Click for Satellite Map  of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note: Remember – the back of the Art History building faces the parking lot. Go around to the front of the building, which faces the trees, to enter the building (see map). We are just inside the main glass doors.

Parking: Available in various places across the campus.

Cost: No charge for members ($60/year). $10 for guests.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Institute of Management Consultants (IMC)  DFW Chapter Board Members invite you on Monday evening, October 21, 2013 for a special joint IMC/OD Network program.  Our speaker is Harvard Business Review contributor Ken Lizotte, CMC^® , Author of The Expert’s Edge. He’ll tell you “How to Become a Thought Leader.”

This joint meeting will take place on the third Monday in October from 5:40 to 8 p.m. at Brookhaven Country Club.    For map and details click here! 

Ken Lizotte, CMC^®
The ROI of Thought Leading: Separate Your Firm from the Competitive Pack!  

Expert studies show that positioning your company as a “thought leader” results in greater revenue, stronger customer loyalty, increased credibility, word-of-mouth recommendation and prestige – what speaker Ken Lizotte calls a “thought leading strategy.”  Citing data from his book, Ken explains why this works and how to get your own thought leading program going so you too can begin breaking away from the competitive pack.    You will leave the October 21 Forum knowing how to:

• Build a thought leading strategy and brand that will generate higher levels of revenue, customer loyalty, credibility, word-of-mouth, and prestige
• Build strong thought leading reputation that leads to giving higher levels of value to your client

Click to Register now.       To get the special price ($30), use the promo code  IMCDFWWelcomesOD  on the payment page. (Please reserve your spot ASAP to ensure enough meals will be available).

We look forward to meeting you! 

Ilona Pesti, CMC^®
Forum Director on behalf of the IMC DFW Board of Directors   979-739-6596

More information about IMC and our chapter:
http://www.imcusa.org   or   www.imcdfw.org

We look forward to seeing you there!

Check-In:  A Powerful Group Process
for achieving group productivity and intimacy 

Come to our September Meeting and experience “Check-In” — a time-proven but seldom used tool that can dramatically improve group dynamics.  This technique was originally developed at the NTL Institute by Charlie and Edie Seashore.   

There is really no preparation required for this, but if you would like to have something to think about you should simply reflect on what has been happening for you in the past week and how you are feeling about that.

We try to have a “Check-In” meeting every year or so, and usually there is much buzz amongst everyone after it.  Someone commented:  “One year people would not leave for up to two hours after the meeting!”

Facilitator:   Gene Ruckle will lead our Check-In session.  Gene is a graduate of the AU/NTL Masters Program in Organization Development.  During the program Gene worked with Charlie and Edie Seashore, who are often referred to as grandparents of O.D.  They and many others from NTL created and refined this powerful methodology. And they taught it in the NTL Program!

Please join us on September 12 at UD and experience Check-In!  

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

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
 –  6:30  Networking / Food / Intros 
 –  7:15  Announcements / Program
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

Meeting Location:
  University of Dallas – Art History Bldg, Room 112 *
   1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)
    The Art History Bldg is #11 on the campus map.

>> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  Remember – the back of the Art History building faces the parking lot. Go around to the front of the building, which faces the trees, to enter the building (see map).  We are just inside the main glass doors.

Parking:  Available in various places across the campus.

Cost:   No charge for members ($60/year).  $10 for guests.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

This has been a popular DFW OD Network program for over a decade.  Once or twice a year we come together in our regular evening meeting to discuss the issues that we are currently grappling with in our own business situation or consulting practice that we would like some perspective on.

That does not mean we want people to solve problems for us or tell us what to do.  It means we need a listening ear — someone who can ask us questions to stimulate our thinking, or reflect back what we say to see if it makes sense.  And when trust is felt and confidence that the setting is helpful is there, we may even ask for some ideas and input, or other ways to frame and see our situation differently.

What we are trying to do is practice positive consulting behaviors, and do so in a way that is helpful to each other.

With this event there is a 16-slide MS PPT slide deck that we use to introducte our task as consultants to the consultants.  We’ll fly through it in less than 15 minutes so we can spend more time in our consulting triads.

(Please join our LinkedIn Group and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
    – 6:30  Intros / Networking / Food
    – 7:15  Announcements / Program
    – 8:45  Closing and evaluation

Meeting Location:American Airlines Headquarters *
4333 Amon Carter Boulevard, Center Port 5 (6 Story Building)
Fort Worth, TX 76155

>> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)
Note: Take Hwy 183 to Amon Carter exit; Go south to Sovereign Rd (SW corner).

Parking is plentiful, free, and very close to the door (see map). ADA accessible.

Cost: No charge for members ($60/year). $10 for guests.

Facilitator BIO:

Peter J Sorenson, CMC is an independent strategic organization design, change management consultant, coach, and social entrepreneur. He is known for his ability to see the big picture, make sense of messes, and lead teams through the resolution of complex issues. Pete’s consulting and coaching practice focuses on crafting strategy, intentionally designing organizations (with webs of intangible assets), creating change, and assessing what works.

As a social entrepreneur Pete also works to create economic and social self-reliance for individuals, families, and organizations in both the developing and developed world.

–  BA Behavioral Sciences – University of Washington (1976)
–  MA Organizational Behavior – Brigham Young University (1979)
–  Certified Management Consultant® (CMC®) (2002)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Future Impacts on OD –
Starting Now!

Do you ever leave one of our meetings wishing you could delve more deeply into the discussion?   We do, and in our next meeting that wish will be granted!  At our July luncheon meeting we will further explore some of the future trends suggested last month by Rex Miller, our “futurist” speaker.   We will share ideas about how these trends will affect OD, and what we can do NOW to leverage them!

At the meeting, we’ll take time to share how we see these dynamics playing out in our organizations in OD, Change Management, Training, HR, and/or Leadership development.   Rex talked about several fascinating trends.  We don’t have time to explore them all in depth, so we’ve selected the following topics to discuss at our lunchtime meeting:

• Employee driven engagement — How to ‘engage the disengaged’ by having employees be responsible for their own engagement?
• Building ‘organizational intelligence’ such as Purpose IQ and Emotional IQ in a more virtual/mobile workforce?
• How do we ‘steward the magic’ (like at Google)?  i.e. communicating values, culture, and heroes so new (and existing) people embrace the ‘magic’ of our company?

Schedule for Thursday’s Luncheon:    <– Note this is not an evening meeting!
–  11:15  Networking / Food 
–  11:30  Intros / Announcements / Program
–  12:45  Closing and evaluation   (end by 1:00)

Meeting Location:
University of Dallas – Art History Bldg, Room 112 *
  1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)
The Art History Bldg is #11 on the campus map.
>> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  Remember – the back of the Art History building faces the parking lot. Go around to the front of the building, which faces the trees, to enter the building (see map).  We are just inside the main glass doors.

Parking:  Available in various places across the campus.

Cost:   No charge for members ($60/year).  $10 for guests.

Facilitator BIOs:

The world is getting smaller and change happens faster and faster. Companies move through the organization life-cycle at a quickened pace. OD practitioners must learn to adapt, change, and alter their business model and process to survive and thrive.

Our June speaker is noted futurist Rex Miller. Rex is a nationally respected futurist, consultant, speaker, and communications expert. Highly esteemed leaders such as corporate presidents, business owners, and pastors describe Rex as an engaging, challenging, brilliant, visionary, pragmatic, authentic, innovative, provocative, thoughtful, inspiring, creative, and relevant futurist.

Not only will we learn about the ‘future’, we will hear about the great opportunities that lie ahead in the field of Organization Development for OD practitioners who are ready, willing and able to adjust as organizations shift.

(Please join our LinkedIn Group and comment on the discussions.)  

Schedule for Thursday Evening:

  –  6:30  Intros / Networking / Food   
  –  7:15  Announcements / Program 
  –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

Meeting Location:   American Airlines Headquarters *
  4333 Amon Carter Boulevard, Center Port 5  (6 Story Building)
   Fort Worth,  TX   76155

  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)
  Note:  Take Hwy 183 to Amon Carter exit; Go south to Sovereign Rd (SW corner).

Parking  is plentiful, free, and very close to the door (see map).  ADA accessible.  

Cost:   No charge for members ($60/year).  $10 for guests.

Facilitator BIO:

Rex Miller is a nationally respected futurist, consultant, and speaker.  His most recent book, The Commercial Real Estate Revolution, describes the dysfunction of an industry struggling with old paradigms and behavior. The book provides nine transforming keys for lowering cost, cutting waste and driving change.

He published his first book, The Millennium Matrix, in 2005, describing the power of changing media on the transformation of culture and organizations. It describes the new leadership models necessary to navigate change and lead a rising Millennial generation.

Rex joined TAG Consulting as a Senior Partner in 2010. He leads their A/E/C practice, Strengths-based leadership training, professional sports consulting, and is their resident futurist. He is a certified CoreClarity trainer and a member of the National Speakers Association, having spoken at over 100 industry and professional events.  He is also a USPTA certified tennis professional.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

The Millennial CEO:
Welcome to Leadership Generation Y Style 

Other generations have spent a lot of time and effort in defining the “Mysterious Millennial”. In the eyes of the experts, Millennial CEO might seem like a hiring mistake, or a mythical beast that can’t exist outside of entrepreneurship. How about breaking through those incorrect assumptions?

Our speaker, Chris Westfall, will share how one Gen Y guy, Daniel Newman, accomplished what few ever can — rising through the ranks to become CEO before his 30^th birthday, and gaining a unique perspective on team building, finance, social media and more.  In this program you will learn:

 – How to transcend the (unfair) reputation of Millennials
 – How corporations can turn cross-generational differences into competitive advantage
 – Leadership lessons from the Big Chair – with a Millennial focus and sensibility

The new origins of leadership are here:  the leadership of The Millennial CEO.   

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

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
 –  6:30  Networking / Food / Intros 
 –  7:15  Announcements / Program
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

Meeting Location:
  University of Dallas – Art History Bldg, Room 112 *
   1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)
    The Art History Bldg is #11 on the campus map.

>> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  Remember – the back of the Art History building faces the parking lot. Go around to the front of the building, which faces the trees, to enter the building (see map).  We are just inside the main glass doors.

Parking:  Available in various places across the campus.

Cost:   No charge for members ($60/year).  $10 for guests.

Facilitator BIO:

Chris Westfall is the national elevator pitch champion, an author, publisher, speaker and investment consultant.  He has appeared on CNN, ABC-NEWS, NBC-TV, and in The New York Post.  He has served as a coach and consultant to some of the largest companies in the world, including Cisco, Ford Motor Company, Great American Insurance, Brinker International, HP, Crane Worldwide, and Pier 1 Imports.  He is the publisher of The Millennial CEO (millennialceo.com), and author of The New Elevator Pitch (thenewelevatorpitch.com).  As an advisor to the entrepreneurship program at UTD, he regularly works with innovative companies to secure increased investment for new ideas in a wide variety of industries.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

What’s the Story?

Why just give a speech…  When you can deliver a message?

• Greater clarity around your personal story
• Authentic communication: being true to yourself and your listener
• The art of influence and persuasion
• How to get others enrolled in your ideas

When you make a real connection, you can make a real difference! That’s the power of The NEW Elevator Pitch.     See a quick video preview… (Please join our LinkedIn Group and comment on the discussions.)  

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
  –  6:30  Intros / Networking / Food   
  –  7:15  Announcements / Program 
  –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

Meeting Location:   American Airlines Headquarters *
  4333 Amon Carter Boulevard, Center Port 5  (6 Story Building)
   Fort Worth,  TX   76155

  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)
  Note:  Take Hwy 183 to Amon Carter exit; Go south to Sovereign Rd (SW corner).  

Parking  is plentiful, free, and very close to the door (see map).  ADA accessible.  

Cost:   No charge for members ($60/year).  $10 for guests.

Facilitator BIO:

Chris Westfall is the national elevator pitch champion, an author, speaker and investment consultant.  He has appeared on CNN, ABC-NEWS, NBC-TV, and in The New York Post.  He has served as a coach and consultant to some of the largest companies in the world, including Cisco, Ford Motor Company, Great American Insurance, Brinker International, HP, Crane Worldwide, and Pier 1 Imports.  He is the author of The New Elevator Pitch (thenewelevatorpitch.com).  As an advisor to the entrepreneurship program at the University of Texas at Dallas, he regularly works with innovative companies to secure increased investment for new ideas in healthcare.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Program:  The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is the highest level of recognition that a U.S.-based organization can receive for performance excellence.  Since 1987, the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria have provided the leading edge of validated best practices for improving performance in all sectors of the U.S. economy, including business, health care, education, government and non-profits.

Of the 99 Baldrige Award recipients to date, 16 of them are based in Texas.  Most of these sixteen organizations earned the Texas Award for Performance Excellence before applying at the national level.

In this session, you will receive an overview of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the Quality Texas Foundation, their award processes, and the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.  You will meet a panel of senior executives who have played key roles in leading their organizations on a journey to performance excellence using the Baldrige Criteria as their roadmap.  You will hear their personal stories of how their organizations have transformed their organizational cultures, and achieved and sustained measurable performance improvement.  You will then have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with our subject matter experts, and learn first-hand about what it takes to become a high performing organization.

Panelists:

Peggy Freeby, Human Resources Manager, Freese and Nichols, Fort Worth, Texas,  recipient of the Texas Award in 2007 and the Baldrige Award in 2010

Lynda Johnson, Chief Performance Officer, City of Irving, Texas,  recipient of the Texas Award in 2011 and the Baldrige Award in 2012

Pat Cooper, Director of Health Care Improvement, Baylor Medical Center at Plano    (one of four medical centers within the Baylor Health Care System to receive the Texas Award)

Panel Moderator:   Jeff Bracken, CEO, Bracken and Associates,  Member of the Baldrige Board of Examiners, Quality Texas Board of Examiners and Training Faculty, and former Manager of Organizational Development at GTE Directories, recipient of the Baldrige Award in 1994.

Event Organizers:   Jeff Bracken   and   Glen Earl, OD Specialist, Parkland Health & Hospital System

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

Schedule for Thursday’s Lunch and Program:

  11:30    Networking and Lunch    <– Note new time!
  12:00   DFW OD Network Announcements and Introductions
  12:15     Overview of the Baldrige and Texas Programs
                    (+ Award Processes and the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence)
  12:30   Introduction of Panelists and Opening Remarks
  12:45    Facilitated Panel Discussion
    2:15    Closing Remarks
    2:30   Adjourn

Cost:  No charge for members ($60/year). $10 for guests (program & lunch).

Meeting Location:    Argosy University, Dallas *
   5001 LBJ Freeway,   Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
          In Lecture Rooms 217-218-219

(Located in the ten story Heritage II building on the Northwest corner of LBJ and the Dallas North Tollway across from the Galleria)
 
Parking:   Free Parking on the top floor of the parking garage located next to the building.

Directions:          (Link to Map)

Going East on LBJ, take the Dallas Parkway and Inwood Road Exit.  Stay to the right and then turn left and go over LBJ Freeway by going straight through two lights.  Turn left on Galleria Drive and go under the Tollway.  Then cross the Inwood Road/Dallas Parkway service road and turn left on Galleria Circle.  Look for the ten-story Heritage II building with the Argosy sign on the top floor.  Park on the top floor of the white three-story parking garage on the north side of the Argosy building.

Going West on LBJ, take the Dallas Parkway Exit.  Turn right at the light onto the Dallas Parkway service road, then left on Galleria Drive, and left on Galleria Circle.

Going South on the Dallas North Tollway, take the Alpha Road exit, get on the Dallas Parkway/Inwood Road Exit, and turn right on Galleria Drive, and left on Galleria Circle.

Going North on the Dallas North Tollway, take the Dallas Parkway Exit, go over LBJ Freeway by going straight through two lights, turn left on Galleria Drive, and left on Galleria Circle.  

We look forward to seeing you there!

What makes an organization tick? Can all the parts really work together — harmoniously? How do different people with different thinking and communication styles align themselves to common group objectives that benefit the business as a whole?

February’s speaker Michael Rose has observed a pattern in business.  After seeing the ROE Methodology you will observe things differently too.  We will discuss three areas:

1. ROE Map – Learn a simple and effective Way to gain insight within any organization. ROE is the DNA of any business organization.

2. ROE Org Chart – You will learn a new organizational chart; the top down model is antiquated. An organization is like an organism; all parts within the cell must be healthy and work together to thrive. When a threat enters or existing parts become compromised, the remaining cell parts must pick up the slack in order to return to a healthy state. If not, the organism becomes compromised and might not survive.

3. ROE Gap – You will learn what “in-over-your-head” and “growing-pains” within a business really mean. Two gaps exist — the company gap and the individual gap. When individuals close their gap, the organization grows. Then the individual gaps widen and the process starts all over again.

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

Facilitator BIO:

Leveraging Social Media for Organizational Change

Program:   Digital technologies (such as Twitter, Facebook, and many lesser known tools) can be leveraged in unique ways to build collaboration and capacity for organizational change. In this month’s OD Net meeting we will take a look at how to use ‘social media’ platforms like these as powerful collaboration tools.

Our goals for this discussion will be to discover new insights and gain some hands-on knowledge for deploying both well-known and lesser-known social media ‘enablers’ to inform and encourage many change initiatives.

Facilitator:  Blake Godkin, Futurist, Strategy Consultant, and Lifelong Learner.

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

Facilitator Bio:   Blake Godkin is a futurist, strategy consultant, creativity expert, and professional facilitator. He works closely with organizations to bring about future-focused organizational transformation by helping them create and manage new ideas. Blake finds unique ways to understand his clients’ aspirations for the future, and then leverages his expertise in trends and facilitation tools to build capacity for change.

His client experience includes educational institutions at all levels, as well as non-profit and corporate entities. His ongoing research focuses on enhancing organizational strategic planning through aspirational thinking. Blake holds a Bachelor in Design from Texas A&M University, a Master of Science in Creativity & Change Leadership from SUNY College at Buffalo, and he is currently completing a Ph.D. in Planning with a research emphasis on strategic planning.   See   Blake’s LinkedIn Profile