Category Archives: Meetings

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

Meeting Goals: 

–  Connect:  get to know each other better – personally & professionally
–  Learn:  share knowledge informally during book exchange and a NEW game!
–  Enjoy:  fellowship + books + virtual party game

This will be our 10th Annual Holiday Event — but this year it is virtual.  We can’t bring physical gift wrapped books this year.  So instead please reply to this invitation with an Amazon link to a book that you would have brought.  (Or email to Jim Jameson).  I will keep it ‘under wraps’ and will only reveal your book at the meeting (in a new way)!

Here is a mailto:jimjameson83@gmail.comlink to the instructions for the book exchange in case you would like to know what to expect or to use with other groups.

In this fun activity perhaps we can all find some new inspiration, fellowship, and even some ‘golden nuggets’ in these challenging times.  I hope to ‘see’ you there!

Facilitator:   Jim Jameson

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
–  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
–  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

 
Facilitator BIO: 

Jim Jameson is “semi-retired” from his various consulting roles and is exploring new avenues.  His professional mission has been to improve the success rate of technology adoption projects, working mainly in the areas of Business Analysis, Change Management, Collaboration, and Knowledge Management.  He believes that focusing on the people side of technology change is the key to improving ROI on transformational ‘IT solutions’.

Jim earned an MS degree in Information Systems and post-grad certificate in Knowledge Management, both from George Washington University in DC.

2022 Program Planning —  
Using MURAL (+other virtual tools)!   

This year our November annual planning meeting will again be virtual, but we will do more than just planning.  We will be using some innovative virtual collaboration processes and tools to ensure that this meeting will be a learning experience as well!

We need your help to gather as many ideas as possible BEFORE the meeting.  Here is the initial Idea Gathering / Brainstorming Document for 2022 — please begin adding your ideas and suggestions to this immediately!    What topics and/or speakers would you like to see?

At the meeting we will be using the MURAL tool to take our brainstorming process to the next level, using the affinity grouping and voting capabilities of MURAL.  (Thanks to Stephen Anderson who is an expert on this tool and on group decision processes like this.)

For reference and to stimulate new ideas here are some topics from past years: LINK  

Again, our goal for this event (and the pre/post activities) is to select our 2022 programs AND to learn some new techniques for virtual consensus building in today’s VUCA world.

We look forward to working with you on this important activity and we hope you can join us on November 11 (and/or before)!

Meeting/Process Design Team:  Pete Sorenson, Stephen Anderson, Jim Jameson, Terri Adkisson, ++

Results Curation/Follow-Up Team:  TBD  (We are looking for volunteers!)

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
   –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

  
Speaker BIOs:   n/a this month

OD Sound Bites (TEDx-style Talks!)    

At DFW OD Network we look for alternative ways to share our knowledge and experiences. Our October 14^th monthly meeting will feature one of our most popular annual sessions!

Seven Selected Speakers will each deliver an engaging 8-minute TEDx-style talk on an OD related topic, reflective on where we’ve been this past year and looking forward into the future!

Here is our list of speakers and topics:

OD Network is a great place for internal and external practitioners to share ideas and get feedback from others.  Please join us on 10/14 to hear these multifaceted presentations and get to know the presenters!
             
Moderator:  Nila Sinha, PhD – Founder & Principal, Sinha Solutions, Inc.  (Email) 

(See speaker BIOs below.)    

Schedule for Thursday Evening October 14:  (CDT)
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
   –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

 
Speaker BIOs:  

Brian Lowell French is Brian Lowell French is a leadership creator, teacher, consultant and coach with 30+ years of experience. He is the Founder and President of Harmonic Learning, LLC, a talent development company providing leadership development, executive coaching, team-strengthening, and mindfulness-based programs. He also provides executive coaching through Franklin Covey, and serves as a Senior Consultant with KJE Consulting, providing DEI facilitation and coaching. Brian previously spent 16 years with Verizon, leading a team that provided the Global Leadership Development programs. He is a certified executive coach, certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and holds many certifications on industry-leading psychometric-assessments and leadership-content. He is the author of the soon to be published book, “Harmonic Leadership – Leading with Inclusive, Mindful Caring” and is a frequent speaker on the topic of leadership and talent development.

Carrie McHale Reed is President of McHale Group, LLC, which provides the assessment tools, skill-development, and coaching essential for individuals and teams to take action to achieve and surpass their desired goals. www.mchalegroup.us. She is also the founder of the Leader’s Warehouse portal where leaders can receive inspiration, coaching and tools to use.  She is also founder of Women’s Wizdom – a one-stop resource site to connect women from across the globe with the tools, people and coaching they need to live their best lives: www.womenswizdom.com.    Carrie is a published author and an international speaker in the areas of communication, leadership development, and change management.

Jay Gordon Cone, PhD is an author and co-founder of Unstuck Minds. He has spent the past 35 years supporting leadership development and organizational change. Unstuck Minds is a firm focused on helping leaders find compassionate and creative solutions when they feel uncertain and overwhelmed.  His current and past clients include: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell Technologies, Exelon, GE, Nokia, Fluor Corporation, The TJX Companies, and W.L. Gore and Associates.

Marilyn Sutherland is the Founder of LoveLeadConnect.com, and author of Why did you load the dishwasher like that? 9 Whopping Mistakes that Push Love Away, and creator of Relationship School (where women leaders finally learn the skills we should have learned in school). With a 30+ career coaching and consulting with companies centers around people, culture, change management, HR and OD. An avid personal development student, Marilyn has completed an M.S. in Organizational Development, 12 years of leading transformational training seminars, is trained as a Presence-Based Coach, and is in a certification program called “Sourced Experience.”

Nila Sinha, PhD is founder and principal of Sinha Solutions. Her focus is on high touch consulting from a scientist-practitioner perspective – Identifying core people strategy issues and maintaining a “solutions focus” with an emphasis on measuring outcomes that positively affect organizational results. Nila leverages 20 years of experience in talent selection and leadership development. Her areas of specialization include the construction of competency-based hiring and development programs, psychological assessment, test validation, and employee development. Over the course of her career, she worked with clients such as BNSF, Travelers Insurance, 7-Eleven, Comcast, and American Airlines. Nila completed her doctorate at Florida International University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Syed Zafar, author of Crossing Cultures with Grace and Humor, has been pursuing his passion of promoting intercultural understanding for over 25 years through keynote addresses, seminars & workshops.  He has presented over 600 programs on Intercultural Communication at corporations, universities and not-for-profit organizations across the world.  Syed Zafar was born and raised in Pakistan.  Before coming to the U.S. in 1982, he worked in Saudi Arabia for four years. Experience of living in three different countries provides him a unique perspective on the subject of intercultural communication.

Trevor Spunt, MBA is an Organizational Effectiveness Executive, Thought Leader, and Speaker with 20 years of experience helping global companies achieve strategic and operational organizational success. He has built a successful change management practice for one of the big 4 consulting firms, navigated Fortune 500 clients through strategic and tactical organizational challenges, and helped clients build sustainable organizational effectiveness capabilities. Mr. Spunt founded Soarington in 2012 — a firm dedicated to helping clients successfully introduce change to support their strategic goals.  Trevor is a Founding Member of the Global Association of Change Management Professionals and is also a member of the Oceans 7 consortium of Change and Transformation Executives.

Moderator:  Dr. Nila Sinha, Sinha Solutions, Inc.

Multi-Level Resilience and Mental Well-Being:
Best Self <> Best Team <> Best Organization   

Our September meeting will be devoted to discussions, polling, and break-out groups designed to help us think across levels in the areas of workplace and employee resilience and mental health.

Specifically, Joel and Ben will explore these qualities through a positive lens or growth mind-set and show how teams and organizations can embark on a journey to systematically develop qualities of resilience, thriving, and flourishing.

Also to help jump-start your insights in this area here is a link to a pre-reading article by Joel on multi-level resilience.

We look forward to seeing you online on 9/9 to gain new insights on resilience during these change-filled times.
         
Facilitators:  Joel Bennett and Ben Dilla  {See full BIOs below} 

>> October 14 preview – our TEDx Style Meeting!   This is one of our most popular meetings each year but we could not do it without your presentations!  We will feature 6 to 8 selected speakers with an engaging 8-10 minute talk.  If you are interested please submit a brief outline highlighting your topic, objectives, and impact of your talk.  You can reply to this message or email your outline to Nila Sinha (nila@sinhasolutions.com) by Monday, September 6th.  We hope to have initial selections by our next ODNet meeting on 9/9 so planning may begin!          

Schedule for Thursday Evening September 9:  (CDT)    
   –  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 BIOs:  
 
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 five books.

Dr. Ben Dilla is a business professor at the University of Dallas and an executive coach, trainer, and consultant through his own company, Bold Leader Development. His career as an Industrial & Organizational Psychologist included working as a behavioral scientist in the US Air Force, as a leadership development consultant for Personnel Decisions International (PDI, now Korn Ferry), and in OD & Training leadership roles for several companies in the DFW area.

As a coach, Ben often works with accomplished technical professionals who want to develop and improve their leadership and influence skills, which led him to promote a strengths-based approach to the skills of Emotional Intelligence.

Doing the On-Line / Hybrid Facilitation Tango! 
(A Knowledge Creation, Capture, & Curation Event) 

This event will use an “idea crowdsourcing process.” It’s not really “brain storming” because it’s based on our experiences & expertise. But it’s not really a presentation either. We will all contribute!

A few people will be presenting “idea seeds” of what they have seen work.  And since we all have been working remotely, we will tap into our individual & collective experiences to capture some helpful principles and practices.

Thus we will learn with and from each other, and perhaps take away some new insights!

Some questions for reflection:

• How do we promote dialogue in a virtual environment?
• How do we develop informal relationships and informal sharing remotely?
• What are the advantages of remote / virtual?
• What are the disadvantages of remote / virtual?
• How is facilitation the same?  How is it different?
• And what about our hybrid future?

Please join us on 8/12 as we use the Mural whiteboard, Zoom breakouts, and other neat tools for this knowledge creation, capture, and curation extravaganza!
         
Facilitators:  Stephen Anderson and Pete Sorenson {See full BIOs below}
   + supporting cast — Terri Adkisson, Jim Jameson, Jeff Richardson, & YOU! 
    

Schedule for Thursday Evening August 12:  (CDT)    
   –  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 BIOs:  
 
Stephen P. Anderson is a design leader focused on workforce learning and organizational development. And he’s on a mission: To make learning the hard stuff fun, by creating ‘things to think with’ and ‘spaces’ for generative play. Through custom-designed toolkits, on-site training, and now via The Mighty Minds Club, Stephen helps product teams work through their most difficult situations. As a keynote speaker, Stephen continues to challenge and inspire audiences as he exposes the quirky connections between games, play, learning, interactive visualizations, and other exciting topics.

Stephen’s newest book, Figure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding, was published in May 2020.

Peter Jay Sorenson, CMC®  is an independent strategic organization design and change management consultant, coach, social entrepreneur, university instructor, and ethicist.  His professional focus is to collaborate on and discover and create the next generation of organization design technology that can match the speed of change and disruption in this volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, (VUCA) digitally fueled world. (And on developing the next generation of organization designers that will make this world work from a values, effectiveness, and efficiency points of view.)

Personally his focus has been on using innovation to create economic and social self-reliance for individuals, families, and organizations in both the developing and developed world.

Return to Work: The New Normal 
 (and Tug-of-War between Organizations & Employees) 

Join us for a lively discussion on how organizations are bringing people back to work, in a hybrid or still yet to be defined environment.

Learn first-hand from leaders who are currently involved in designing pathways to bring people back into the traditional or evolving workplace.

We look forward to your participation in this highly interactive session where attendees will have a chance to discuss their point of view on the challenges faced by organizations and by employees as a part of this emerging process.

Please join us on July 8 to add your perspectives as we explore how people should be preparing themselves for a successful transition (or assimilation) into the new ‘hybrid’ workplaces of the future

Facilitator:  Pallavi Ridout   {See full BIO below}

Schedule for Thursday Evening July 8:    (CDT) 
   –  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:  
 
Pallavi Ridout  is an Executive Coach, facilitator, speaker and OD consultant.  For the past 16 years she has worked in leadership roles within the OD and Talent Management functions for global organizations. During this time she coached several hundred executives and helped employees and teams perform at their peak at organizations such as ICANN and Warner Bros.

She is currently writing a book inspired by her life changing decision to embark on a journey of “living a life of no regrets”.  On this journey she decided to quit her successful corporate career to prioritize family, pursue her passion for motivational speaking, and inspire others.

Humble Inquiry (2nd edition)
Book Discussion – w/ authors Ed & Peter Schein!  

This is an exciting opportunity to have in-depth discussions of the newly released “Humble Inquiry (2nd ed)” with like-minded professionals AND with the authors — the legendary Ed Schein and his son Peter!

Humble Inquiry, in a nutshell, is the basis for building trusting relationships to facilitate better communication and collaboration. It’s a way of empowering others by building trust and focusing on the contrast between asking (from a position of humility) versus telling (from a position of authority).

Humble Inquiry is useful for anyone — students, trainers, coaches, change consultants, or any other HR or OD professional.   Learning Objectives for these events include:

• Engage in critical discussions of a shared text
• Discuss practical opportunities to apply the book’s concepts
• Build relationships with other OD professionals
• MEET THE AUTHORS!

It’s OK if you do not read the entire book (or any of it).  Read what you can and join us for these stimulating conversations!

   
Facilitators: Joel Bennett, and featuring authors Ed & Peter Schein!   {See full BIOs below}

Schedule for Thursday Evening June 10:    
   –  6:40  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  6:55  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:05  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 BIOs:  
 
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 five books.

Edgar H. Schein is the Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His previous books include Helping; Process Consultation Revisited; The Corporate Culture Survival Guide; DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC; Organizational Culture and Leadership; and Career Anchors.

Peter Schein is a strategy consultant in Silicon Valley.  He provides help to start-ups and expansion-phase technology companies.  Peter was educated at Stanford University (BA Social Anthropology, Honors and Distinction) and Northwestern University (Kellogg MBA, Marketing and Information Management, Top Student in Information Management), and the USC Marshall School of Business Center For Effective Organizations (HCEO Certificate, 2017).

>> See http://www.scheinocli.org/ for more detailed Biographies of Ed and Peter, along with a history of their work and many other resources.

The Value / ROI of OD:   
the Bad, the Good, and the Future Possibilities  

Organizational Development (OD) only adds value when we invest the time, money, and effort needed to generate lasting results. In a way, it’s like Healthy Eating and Exercise: most agree these are valuable, but many still don’t stick with it over the long-run.

And just as with that unused gym membership, Leaders can become disheartened and disillusioned regarding the value of Organizational Development investments — which can further worsen the performance challenges in the organization.

For this Session, we’ve invited a diverse panel of professionals in the following categories …

• General Business Professionals (Internal) from:
  • FreshOne Logistics,  LSG Sky Chefs,  Wonderful Citrus
    
• OD Function Professionals (Internal & External) from:
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of America,  Istation,  Lufthansa Cargo,  NASA Marshall Space Center,  Steel & Pipe Supply 

… to talk openly about the Bad, the Good, and the Future Possibilities of OD in our modern and quick-changing organizations.  And how we can more effectively influence our organizations to stick with their critical investments in Organizational Development.

• PLUS — You will have the opportunity to directly contribute to the real-time discussion via the Mentimeter group engagement system. Have your phone ready!

Please plan on joining our lively group of DFW OD Network members and our honored guests from these diverse organizations.    

Facilitators:  Chris Price and Dale Hintz (+ Panel)  {See full BIOs below}

ALSO — Here’s a quick preview of our June meeting, which includes 3 ‘Book Club’ discussions prior to the main event on Thursday June 10 (when the authors will be online with us)!   

We are discussing “Humble Inquiry” by Ed & Peter Schein.  The 3 optional Book Club sessions will start on Wednesday April 28.
Click here for more info and/or Registration. 

Schedule for Thursday Evening May 13:    
   –  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 BIOs:  Chris Price and Dale Hintz
 
Chris Price, Price Leadership Group:  Under the tagline We Make People & Culture Simple, Chris Price works with organizations to improve results in Productivity, Innovation, and Financial Performance. Chris has led and coached teams and leaders (and ran corporate OD Practices) in North America, Europe, Russia, and Asia. Chris launched Price Leadership Group over a decade ago to help organizations Make Great People Decisions and Engage People as Partners — with professional-level Assessments & Systems for Individuals / Teams / Organizations.

Chris is certified in a variety of tools and systems proven to improve the critical business areas of Hiring, Development, Coaching, and Talent Planning — with direct experience implementing in over 20 countries.  Since 2001 Chris has been a regular faculty member at the Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD).

Dale Hintz, Excellent Cultures:  As part of the Excellent Cultures Team Dale serves Clients in Strategic Planning, CEO Succession, Vision & Value Creation, Change Management, Leader Assessment/Development & Employee Engagement.

Dale engages all levels including C-Suite, Mid-Management, Shop Floor and front line Customer Facing.  His “guided self-discovery” process weaves change and improvement into the fabric of the organization.  His direct style resonates with Leaders as they construct bridges from initial goals to amazing results.

What Happens When Cultures Meet?   

Join us to experience the time-tested, research-based workshop created by Barry Oshry, a pioneer in the field of human systems thinking. 

The When Cultures Meet workshop invites participants to explore and experience first-hand the challenges and opportunities that emerge when two or more cultures interact. Participants have described this workshop as insight-provoking, deeply personal & experiential, and the application of the learning continues beyond the event itself.

This workshop is usually done as a large group intervention and is typically run over 1-2 days. Wendy and John have custom designed this experience to fit into our 90 minute meeting format.  

This workshop is a blend of:

• two dynamic, experiential exercises which explore the interaction of two or more cultures
• thought-provoking strategic frameworks to consider the challenges and opportunities of cultural interactions
• application activities that help participants make sense of their experience to bring practical solutions back to the organization

The typical full workshop information is available on the Power+Systems official website.  

What might we achieve together when we practice how we interact with one another?  

Facilitators:  Wendy Moomaw and John Hovell    {See full BIOs below} 

Schedule for Thursday Evening:   (Note earlier start!) 
  –  6:30  Virtual setup and Networking
  –  6:45  Announcements / Intros  
  –  7:00  Program Begins Promptly    
  –  9:00  Closing and Wrap Up
  –  9:15  Program Ends

John and Wendy have fine-tuned the full length experiential workshop to make it as valuable as possible to participants in less than 2 hours. If you must arrive more than 10 minutes late it may feel confusing, but if so please join in with the others as seamlessly as possible.

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

 
FACILITATOR BIOs:  Wendy Moomaw & John Hovell

Wendy Moomaw is the founder of the Conscious Collaboratory℠, where diverse perspectives are invited to spark new solutions to old problems and where they offer services such as coaching, facilitation, education, and training. In partnership with Culture Principles, the Conscious Collaboratory℠ offers the Reimagining Racial Equity workshop, an 8-session intensive that transforms the approach leaders and individuals make towards engaging and operationalizing racial equity.

Wendy is openly committed to embedding diversity, inclusion, and racial equity initiatives into organizations in service to a thriving planet for all. Wendy coaches both leaders and their teams by integrating tools across the coaching and facilitation spectrum including emotional intelligence, polarities, navigating complexity, adult development, team coaching and facilitation modalities, embodied leadership, and the interplay of energy dynamics. Wendy recently served as the Board President of Conscious Capitalism of Central Maryland.

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 led a team to win a Chairman’s Award at BAE Systems in 2014. Previously, John was part of a team to win the prestigious NOVA award, Lockheed Martin’s top recognition award. 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. John 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.
the world.”

Beyond Problem-Solving:
Introducing Polarity Mapping    

How do you make decisions — especially when there is no right answer?

• Should we focus on the interests of the employees, or the organization?
• What about Short-term Gains vs. Long-term Organic Growth?
• Centralization or Decentralization?
• Growth or Consolidation?
• Innovation or Efficiency?

When confronted with tensions like these, it’s common to rush to analysis to determine the best or right answer. But, what if these conflicts aren’t problems to be solved, but rather “polarities” to be managed? What’s the difference, and how do we manage a tension that can’t be solved?

In this micro-workshop, we’ll take a hands-on look at Polarity Mapping as an activity, and how it can be used to bring people into dialogue around really complex topics. You’ll learn how this tool can be used to dissolve tensions between work groups, but we’ll also consider how this mindset applies to everything from personal to international conflicts. Learning to recognize polarities—and more critically *think* in this way—is a scalable skill for anyone who wants to make a change.

We hope to see you on March 11 in what promises to be a fun—and value filled—evening.

Speaker:  Stephen P. Anderson    {See BIO below} 

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
  –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
  –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
  –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

 Speaker BIO:

Stephen P. Anderson is a design leader focused on workforce learning and organizational development. And he’s on a mission: To make learning the hard stuff fun, by creating ‘things to think with’ and ‘spaces’ for generative play.

Through custom-designed toolkits, on-site training, and now via The Mighty Minds Club, Stephen helps product teams work through their most difficult situations. As a keynote speaker, Stephen continues to challenge and inspire audiences as he exposes the quirky connections between games, play, learning, interactive visualizations, and other exciting topics.

Stephen’s newest book, Figure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding, has been described as both “required reading for designers and anyone else who needs to explain things” and a book that will “change the way you see the world.”

Measuring Employee Engagement & Employee Experience:    
Actionable Insights with Practical Solutions     

Good employee engagement and employee experience are important, right?  But how do you actually measure them?  And how can we use these insights to make important decisions about our business and talent management strategies?

In our panel discussion we will explore:

• The history of employee engagement
• The science behind the measurement of employee engagement
• Measuring the employee experience
• Analytics of employee survey data
• Drawing insights from survey results
• Creating inclusive action plans
• Implementing actions and change management
• Case studies and best practices

Please join us on February 11 to engage in this timely discussion!

Our Panel — chaired by Brandon Jordan — includes Beth Guyton (moderator), Brad Brummel, Krystral Besaw, and David Daly   {See BIOs below} 

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

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
  –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
  –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
  –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

 
Panelist BIOs: 

Beth Guyton (Moderator) – Beth is founder and president of Interactive Quality®, helping healthcare organizations to optimize the people piece of organizational performance. Her expertise includes leadership coaching and development, enhancing engagement and retention, service excellence, change management, training, ethical leadership, and communication. https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-guyton-cphq-1a066423/

Brad Brummel, PhD. (Panelist) – Brad is an associate professor of psychology in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at The University of Tulsa. Brad conducts research on Training and Development, Job Attitudes, & Assessment of Individual Differences among others areas. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-brummel-689b543/

Brandon Jordan (Panelist/Chair) – Brandon is the Managing director and Co-Founder of Workforce Lifecycle Analytics. His background is in Industrial and Organizational and he helps organizations improve quality if hire, develop their workforce, and build/align business strategy based on employee feedback. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonjordantalent/

Krystal Besaw (Panelist) – Krystal is an Organizational Design & Development Consultant with GM Financial where she leads their Employee Engagement initiatives. Krystal implements innovative ways to foster organizational culture by creating a remarkable employee experience for team members around the world. https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-besaw-644726114/

David Daly (Panelist) – David is the Employee Experience Program Leader for Arizona Public Service. He works with executive leadership to develop best-in-class employee survey programs, analyze employee experience survey data, and develop action plans to address areas of opportunity. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-daly-he-him-a451278/     

Have you noticed?   
NOW is the Moment for Mindfulness! 

Join us for a thought-provoking mindfulness adventure exploring how organizations can leverage mindfulness to improve employee wellbeing, drive strategic initiatives, and enhance performance. This program will be experiential, didactic, and interactive.

You will enjoy the benefits of mindful meditation, gain an understanding of mindfulness based on its eastern roots and western adaptations, and participate in an interactive discussion. With an appreciation for mindfulness on both an individual and collective level, a continuum of mindfulness interventions is presented to stimulate the OD professional’s understanding of mindfulness as an OD strategy. Breakout groups will discuss possible organizational entry points for mindfulness including employee wellbeing, leadership development, DEI, team building, and talent management,

Your mindful tour guides are Beth Guyton, Myra Britton, & Dorsey Standish.  {BIOs below}
Group discussion facilitators are Ben Dilla, Chris Price, Nila Sinha, and Michele Studer.            

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
  –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
  –  7:00  Announcements / Intros / Program  <–Note earlier start!
  –  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

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

 
Facilitator BIOs: 

Beth Guyton is founder and president of Interactive Quality®, a consulting firm dedicated to helping healthcare organizations optimize the people piece of organizational performance. Her expertise includes leadership coaching and development, resiliency, fostering accountability, enhancing engagement and retention, service excellence, change management, design and implementation of customized training programs, ethical leadership, and communication strategies.

She is a Certified Executive Coach, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, Certified Mindfulness Instructor, Six Sigma Green Belt, Quality Texas Examiner, and trained mediator. Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts from LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and is a Masters of Industrial and Organizational Psychology student at George Mason University.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-guyton-cphq-1a066423/

Myra Britton is a retired, accomplished IT leader who sought to make a difference in corporate technology by advocating for women engineers and alike to advance in their field. As an accomplished technology leader and mentor, she specialized in coaching and empowerment of employees, building cohesive-confident-highly productive teams, which contributed to exciting tech developments. Myra earned a Master’s in Psychology, and was the first in her family — First girl, first to go to college, the first black female in senior management at a Dallas technology firm, and first to travel to the Middle East.

Today, she recognizes that less is more and that living a life of “now” and “enough” is so much more peaceful.  Myra loves volunteering, spending time with family and friends, hanging out with her two terrier dogs, taking long walks, boxing, landscaping, reading, and practicing mindfulness meditation.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/myrabritton/

Dorsey Standish is an exceptional teacher, scientist, and communicator. In her role as Chief Mindfulness Officer at Mastermind Meditate, Dorsey leverages her diverse background in research, engineering, and program management to develop and teach research-backed mindfulness meditation seminars. Her teachings combine neuroscience research with her certification in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program and her experience on multiple silent meditation retreats. She offers science-based, research-backed mindfulness seminars on a wide variety of topics including resilience, the science of compassion, and peak potential.

A lifelong learner, Dorsey Standish has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and is enrolled in the UT Dallas Applied Cognition and Neuroscience Master’s Program. As a research coordinator at the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, she studies the benefits of cognitive training in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorseystandish/