Category Archives: Meetings

January: Digital Era Optimism: Shaping Our Future (01/09/20)

Posted on December 22, 2019 | Comments Off on January: Digital Era Optimism: Shaping Our Future (01/09/20)
Please join us on Thursday January 9 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

Hindsight-Foresight-Insight-Action:
Shaping Our Future with Optimism in a Digital Age   

It is not about predictions…

  • It is about understanding patterns and lessons from 50 years in the past and recent actions you have taken (hindsight).
  • It is about seeing weak signals on the horizon, seeing patterns that they form, and seeing new possibilities (foresight).
  • It is about how new insights, new seeing, gives you “aha moments” and points you towards how you can up your readiness (insight).
  • It is about moving your “aha moments” towards planning and executing (action).
  • It is about learning what works from what you have done and moving with joy and optimism through the thinking, pondering, planning, acting cycle again and again to craft/shape/design the future that you want to create.
  • It is about community, collective intelligence that is characterized by diversity and differences and the richness of thinking and action that they produce.

“We have agency in imagining and creating the kind of future we want to live in, and we can take actions to get us there.” 

“Thinking about the future is a collaborative and highly communal affair. It requires a diversity of views. We need to involve experts from many different domains.” 

Marina Gorbis, “5 Principles for Thinking Like a Futurist”, Educauser Review, Winter 2019:  https://er.educause.edu/articles/2019/3/five-principles-for-thinking-like-a-futurist?

Join us on January 9 at UD as we collectively learn and practice our skills of future thinking and optimism in a joyful way and launch our new year intent on Shaping The Future We Want!

Speaker: Pete Sorenson, CMC®,  Strategic Organization Design  (see BIO below)

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Speaker BIO:  Peter Jay Sorenson, CMC®

We currently live in a digitally fueled, volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, (VUCA) world of organizations.

Pete’s focus is to collaborate on, discover, and create the next generation of organization design technology that can match the speed of change and disruption we are experiencing.

He is also focused on developing the next generation of organization designers that will make this world work from a values, effectiveness, and efficiency point of view.

He is known for his ability to see the big picture, make sense of messes, and lead teams to resolve complex issues.  He relates well to people from all stations of life, speaks frankly, and has a practical eye for getting things done.

He currently serves as the President of the Socio-Technical Systems Roundtable Stewards Team and is an Adjunct Lecturer of Engineering in the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.

In his consulting Pete’s clients come from the High Tech, Healthcare, Energy, Government, and Not-for-Profit Sectors. He has also been deeply involved in humanitarian initiatives in the developing world that focus on entrepreneurship and microfinance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2020

December: Annual Networking / Book Exchange / Social Meeting (12/12/19)

Posted on November 21, 2019 | Comments Off on December: Annual Networking / Book Exchange / Social Meeting (12/12/19)
Please join us on Thursday December 12 at University of Dallas *
RSVP on this Event for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[Please register/RSVP using above links so you can see who all is attending and share with others.]

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 Book Exchange’

Presenter / Facilitator: Jim Jameson

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

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

Meeting Location:  

University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Facilitator BIO:      
Jim Jameson is currently “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.

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Posted in Meetings-2019

November: Programming & Brainstorming for 2020! (11/14/19)

Posted on October 25, 2019 | Comments Off on November: Programming & Brainstorming for 2020! (11/14/19)
Please join us on Thursday November 14 at University of Dallas (Irving)
   (Please reply to submit your ideas before the meeting, especially if you can’t attend!)   
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

Programming & Brainstorming for 2020!  

Member needs and interests drive D/FW OD Network programs.  Accordingly, our November Meeting is a facilitated event designed to answer the question: “What programs do we most want for our 2019 DFW OD Network monthly meetings?”
   

Everyone will be able to recommend their ideas and help choose the topics for our  2020 programs.  What topics and speakers are most important, meaningful and relevant for you?  Here are some questions to stimulate your thinking:

  • What great speakers do you know in the DFW area who would bring a topic of interest to OD professionals?
  • What is a new program idea that you would like our chapter to try?  (For example, the TEDx-style talks have been very popular)
  • What topic in the OD field are you most interested in, and who do you know in the DFW area who could address it?  (i.e. information to stay current, major challenges at work, strategic OD issues, etc.)

We have been blessed with interesting and informative monthly programs during 2019!  Let’s make our 2020 programs even better!  Bring your ideas, energy and a spirit of collaboration!  Consume copious amounts of pizza and non-alcoholic beverages!  Network with your professional colleagues!  Learn more about what’s going on in our profession!  Learn new facilitation methods and techniques!

Please reply to this note with your suggestions for speakers and meeting topics OR any ideas to improve our OD Network!  (Especially if you can’t attend.)  

Facilitator:    Logan Renfrow  (see BIO below)

We look forward to seeing you November 14 at the University of Dallas!

PS – For anyone interested we will have a pre-meeting starting at 6:00 to talk about how we can improve our overall participation and engagement.

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

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
–  6:00  Pre-meeting  (for org improvement)
–  7:00  Networking / Food / Intros
–  7:15   Announcements / Program
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation 

Meeting Location:  

University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Facilitator BIO:

Logan Renfrow is a global corporate development professional with strong entrepreneurial leadership skills and the proven ability to develop and apply strategic insight. He spent five years in China and Singapore successfully managing organizational change and growth initiatives for an international manufacturer of electrical power systems for the shipbuilding and oil and gas industries.

Logan is currently working for a Dallas-based firm providing cross-cultural training programs where he develops the material for individual and group sessions, oversees the company’s global network of trainers, and advises clients on Chinese business culture. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and completed his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

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Posted in Meetings-2019

October: OD SOUND BITES (TEDx-Style Talks) [10/10/19]

Posted on September 23, 2019 | Comments Off on October: OD SOUND BITES (TEDx-Style Talks) [10/10/19]
Please join us on Thursday October 10 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

OD SOUND BITES
(TEDx-Style Presentations)   

At DFW OD Network we look for innovative ways to share our knowledge and experiences. Our October 10 monthly meeting will feature 6 speakers (below), who will each deliver an engaging 10 minute TED-style talk on a topic such as:

  • Organizational Agility:  Organizations must be nimbler than ever, with no slowdown on the horizon. How can OD Practitioners bring a sense of order during constant change?
  • Artificial Intelligence & OD:  AI is all the rage now, yet while there is great promise, there is potential for great harm. How can/should the OD field respond?
  • The Future of OD:  With so much new research, what are the emerging concepts, models, and frameworks for Organization Development?

OD Network is a great place for internal and external practitioners to share ideas and get feedback from others. We look forward to your participation in this multifaceted discussion!

SPEAKERS:

  • Pallavi Ridout – “Knock, Knock are you there? The Future of OD is Here!”
  • Pete Sorenson – “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and other Technologies on Organizations & OD”
  • Ben Dilla – “Cultivating Your Best Self at Work: Strengths-Based Emotional Intelligence”
  • Lara Azcona — “For ROI from D&I, Respect trumps Tolerance”
  • Jim Jameson – “Why Do We Do Things We Don’t Have To?”
  • Joel Bennett – “Evidence-Based Models for Building a Culture of Health”

Moderator:  Nancy Dixon, Common Knowledge Associates    (see BIO below)

We look forward to seeing you October 10 at University of Dallas for this popular meeting!

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

BIOs:  

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 without regret”.  On this journey she decided to quit her successful corporate career to prioritize family, pursue her passion for motivational speaking, and inspire others.

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.

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, he 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.

Lara Azcona, MBA is a Prosci certified change practitioner.  She has implemented change management across global organizations including technology and organizational changes at National Semiconductor and process change at Ernst & Young.  Strengthened by her experience in the educational field her goal is to make necessary change in the workplace an exciting prospect rather than a dreaded reality.

Jim Jameson is a semi-retired Consultant.  His work is mainly in the areas of Change Management, Collaboration, KM, and Communications. He believes that focusing on the people side of technology change is the key to improving ROI on transformational ‘IT solutions’.  Before focusing on OD Jim’s original background was in Engineering and Information Technology, mostly in the Oil & Gas industry.

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.  He first delivered stress-management programming in 1985, and OWLS programs have since reached close to 250,000 workers across the United States and abroad.  Dr. Bennett is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed research articles, and he has authored/ co-authored five books.

 

Moderator:  Nancy Dixon is a thought leader in the field of Knowledge Management.  Her recent research and consulting has focused on increasing the engagement and productivity of remote teams. She has written eight books as well as over 50 articles that focus on how organizations learn.  Her latest thinking is on her blog, “Conversation Matters” at www.nancydixonblog.com.

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2019

September: Embrace Strengths to Make an Impact (09/12/19)

Posted on August 26, 2019 | Comments Off on September: Embrace Strengths to Make an Impact (09/12/19)
Please join us on Thursday September 12 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

Embrace Strengths to Make an Impact    

Gallup’s approach to discover and focus on strengths has benefits at the individual, team, and organizational level. They’ve shown that when people can use their strengths daily they are more engaged in their work and report higher quality of life.

Brandy Schade, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, will walk us through a deeper understanding of our own strengths and the strengths across DFW OD Network. We’ll also explore the strength interactions that enable meaningful relationships and partnerships with family members, teammates, managers and leaders. Finally, we’ll talk about how transforming an entire organization into a Strengths-Based culture can maximize engagement and performance.

As part of this discussion, we want to build a “Team Profile” of the Strength Themes of the DFW OD Network!  If you have taken the CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) assessment, please email your Top 5 Themes to Ben.Dilla@gmail.com by September 11th.

If you haven’t taken the assessment (or want to take it again), Ben is offering a special rate (as a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach) of only $10 to complete CliftonStrengths online (including access to Gallup resources). Send an email request to Ben.Dilla@gmail.com, and you’ll receive a code for the online assessment; complete it by September 11th to be part of our DFW ODN Team Profile.

You can pay the $10 by cash or credit card at the meeting, along with the $10 meeting fee.  Special offer: If you’re a paid-up member of DFW OD Network, or if you join or renew at the September meeting ($60/year), we’ll waive the $10 fee and you’ll get the assessment for free!

It’s completely optional to take the assessment, of course. Either way, please join us on 9/12 for this very interesting discussion and analysis of “who we are”.

[Also – a quick ‘heads-up’ for the October 10 meeting, where we will have 6-8 short TEDx-stylepresentations.  We are looking for speakers – If you are thinking of submitting a talk please reply and let us know.  More info to follow.]

Speaker:  Brandy Schade, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach  (see BIO below)

We look forward to seeing you September 12 at the University of Dallas!  

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Speaker BIO: Brandy Schade     

Brandy Schade is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach who has coached 1000+ professionals and facilitated 70+ workshops across industries, within 15+ business units and in 15+ countries.

You can find her Gallup coaching profile here: Brandy Schade  –  Or connect with Brandy on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandyschade/.

Goal:  An evening full of personal and professional development and growth!

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2019

August: Collaboration to Bridge Learning & Change [08/08/19]

Posted on July 22, 2019 | Comments Off on August: Collaboration to Bridge Learning & Change [08/08/19]
Please join us on Thursday August 8 at American Airlines Headquarters *
Register on this Event for an accurate food count if you are coming!

[Scroll to the bottom of the RSVP page to see who all is attending or share with others.]

The Collaboration Effect:
Bridging Learning and Change

Learning and Change Management are two separate OD disciplines, right?  Maybe…  But we know that learning almost always brings change.  And that any kind of change almost always requires learning.  And these are usually happening at the same time.

Yet many organizations still have their learning & development departments and change management functions working independently, even within the same project. They eventually realize they need to collaborate, but it’s often too little / too late to fix all the disconnects.

Join us on Thursday August 8 as we discover how to proactively bring these two functions out of their silos and generate new synergies to maximize organizational effectiveness.  (We will tap expertise from both disciplines within our midst!)

Speaker:  Lara Azcona   [See full BIO below.] 

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   [This is our final meeting at this location!]

>> 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.

Speaker BIO:  Lara Azcona  

Experienced in making necessary change in the workplace an exciting prospect rather than a dreaded reality, Lara Azcona, a Prosci certified change practitioner, has implemented change management across global organizations including technology and organizational changes at National Semiconductor and process change at Ernst & Young.

Her experience in education has strengthened her skills in training staff as well as developing and facilitating learning across industries from software training to audit training and more.  Lara holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2019

July: Can Design Thinking Make For Better Orgs? (07/11/19)

Posted on June 21, 2019 | Comments Off on July: Can Design Thinking Make For Better Orgs? (07/11/19)
Please join us on Thursday July 11 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

We Suck at Designing & Changing Organizations!
Can Design Thinking Help Us Do Better? 

Our Dilemma – 4 Wicked Issues:

We live in a complex dynamic world of organizations in which we must deal with wicked problems involving a lot of stakeholders who wield power.

There are Four Wicked Issues that sabotage our organizational work:

  • Sustaining change – making change stick
  • Diffusing Change – spreading change throughout an organization and its ecosystem
  • Seeing from an Ecosystems Point of View – A point of view that sees ALL stakeholders and their points of view
  • Seeing Digital Impact – understanding the opportunities and constraints imposed by the all-pervasive impact of technology upon how work gets done

Is Design Thinking a Useful, Newish Tool We Can Use?

The fields of organization design and organization development are filled will many tools, ideas, techniques, models, and approaches that prove to be of varying degrees of helpfulness in achieving organization’s desired outcomes. Sorting through this “bag of tricks” and figuring out when to use which one is an ongoing struggle for the practitioner.

Design Thinking is a fairly recent model and approach that is available to the practitioner.

  • What are a few basic concepts of Design Thinking?
  • How does it fit with other approaches that we have available to us?
  • What are some unique perspectives and insights of Design Thinking?
  • What is an example of how Design Thinking has contributed to a project?

Join us for a lively discussion on how using design thinking can help us wrangle these four Wicked Issues!

Speaker:    Pete Sorenson, CMC®     (see BIO below)

We look forward to seeing you July 11 at the University of Dallas!  

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Speaker BIO: Peter Jay Sorenson, CMC®   strategicorganizationdesign.com 

We currently live in a digitally fueled, volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, (VUCA) world of organizations.

Pete’s focus is to collaborate on, discover, and create the next generation of organization design technology that can match the speed of change and disruption we are experiencing.

He is also focused on developing the next generation of organization designers that will make this world work from a values, effectiveness, and efficiency point of view.

He is known for his ability to see the big picture, make sense of messes, and lead teams to resolve complex issues.  He relates well to people from all stations of life, speaks frankly, and has a practical eye for getting things done.

He currently serves as the President of the Socio-Technical Systems Roundtable Stewards Team and is an Adjunct Lecturer of Engineering in the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.

In his consulting Pete’s clients come from the High Tech, Healthcare, Energy, Government, and Not-for-Profit Sectors. He has also been deeply involved in humanitarian initiatives in the developing world that focus on entrepreneurship and microfinance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Comments Off on July: Can Design Thinking Make For Better Orgs? (07/11/19)

Posted in Meetings-2019

June: Integral Organizational Wellness [06/13/19]

Posted on May 27, 2019 | Comments Off on June: Integral Organizational Wellness [06/13/19]
Please join us on Thursday June 13 at American Airlines Headquarters *
Register on this Event for an accurate food count if you are coming!

[Scroll to the bottom of the RSVP page to see who all is attending or share with others.]

Integral Organizational Wellness:
Bridging the Workplace Gap
Between OD & Mental Health  

In this session, Dr. Joel Bennett will first provide a summary of The Model of Integral Organizational Wellness™, as described in his recent article published in the Journal of Biobehavioral Research (see link below).

Joel will then lead us in an interactive exercise that explores the three overlapping areas of the model: Individual Wellness, Workplace Behavioral Health, and Organizational Development.  He will also describe the model’s three nexus points: Resilience, Positive Organizational Behavior, and Wholeness.

For an advanced look at this interesting topic you can download his article from this link, or you can email Joel Bennett or Ben Dilla to get a copy.  Please join us on June 13 at AA HQ to participate in this lively discussion.

Speaker:  Dr. Joel Bennett,  OWLS   [See full BIO below.] 

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.

Speaker BIO: 

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.  He first delivered stress-management programming in 1985, and OWLS programs have since reached close to 250,000 workers across the United States and abroad.

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/ co-authored five books: Raw Coping Power, Heart-Centered Leadership (with Susan Steinbrecher), Time and Intimacy, Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse, and Well-Being Champions: A Competency-Based Guidebook.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2019

May: IBM’s Org Change Management Approach for ERP (05/09/19)

Posted on April 22, 2019 | Comments Off on May: IBM’s Org Change Management Approach for ERP (05/09/19)
Please join us on Thursday May 9 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

IBM’s Organizational Change Management Approach:
Leading ERP Driven Transformations   

McKinsey and Company has reported that 70% of all enterprise technology transformations fail due to lack of employee engagement and inadequate management support.  These are ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ projects that blur the lines between the physical, digital and biological domains. Enterprise-wide technologies were in the first wave of this revolution, and early failures drove an interest in the human factors that impact transformation success. Since the early 90’s, many firms have developed methodologies and tools to increase engagement and adoption. These strategies are now being applied to the next wave of digital transformation.

Our speaker was an IBM Sr. Managing Consultant for the past 10 years with the Organizational Change Management practice in the Enterprise Architecture group of IBM’s Global Business Services division.  He will provide an overview of IBM’s Better Change methodology and present IBM’s best practice tools used to drive ERP technology transformations such as SAP, Oracle, Workday, and PeopleSoft.

Speaker:    Dr. Fred Asher     (see BIOs below)

We look forward to seeing you May 9 at the University of Dallas!

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Facilitator BIOs:

Fred Asher, PhD, has led over 38 technology-driven organizational transformations with large firms such as AT&T, IBM, Rockwell International, Texas Instruments, Shell, ExxonMobil, and others. He started his career developing Deloitte’s new organizational change management methodology for technology-driven change. Much of this work was later included in the Heart of Change Field Guide written by Kotter and Cohen. He was recently a Sr. Managing Consultant in the IBM Organizational Change Management Practice supporting their clients through enterprise-wide, highly complex organizational change initiatives. Fred is currently the Organizational Change Management Lead for their AT&T Digital Transformation. As Fred finalizes their initial transformation efforts, he is actively seeking opportunities to support other companies with similar challenges.

Fred earned his PhD in Organization Behavior from Texas A&M and has been on the faculties at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. He started the first university-based SAP Organizational Change Management certification program at UTD. He is an adjunct assistant professor in the doctoral program with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Dallas teaching OL576, Strategic Change Management.  You can contact Fred directly at fasher@thechicagoschool.edu or  fred.asher@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings-2019

April: The Future of Work – Disaster or Opportunity? [04/11/19]

Posted on March 25, 2019 | Comments Off on April: The Future of Work – Disaster or Opportunity? [04/11/19]
Please join us on Thursday April 11 at American Airlines Headquarters *
RSVP on this Event for an accurate food count if you are coming!

[Scroll to the bottom of the RSVP page to see who all is attending or share with others.]

The Future of Work —
Disaster or Opportunity?

Hilary and Brian Hinchcliffe have studied the changing nature of work for 20 years.  In this interactive session, they will discuss the rapid and exponential change we are all experiencing, driven by technological innovations such as AI and Augmented Reality, and how those changes are impacting the world of work – today and tomorrow.  They will pose some questions to challenge your thinking, including:

  • What are the capabilities that employers seek in new employees today?
  • What the emerging work arrangements?    Who will be affected?
  • How can workers mitigate the negative impacts of these changes and capitalize on the positive impacts?
  • What are the implications for OD practitioners?
  • Will OD become less or more important as these changes begin to bite?

Join us on 4/11 for this interesting Thursday night discussion and help us discern what the future may hold for our work (and our clients)!

Speaker:  Brian & Hilary Hinchcliffe,  Kurru, LLC    [See full BIOs below.] 

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.

Speaker BIOs: 

Hilary Hinchcliffe is Chief Operating Executive Officer of Kurru, LLC, which she co-founded soon after relocating to the US from Australia in 1999.  She has a particular interest in how Consciousness affects the business process.  She has a corporate background in relocation, as well as recruiting, both in the international and domestic arena.

Hilary co-authored a paper entitled “Raising Consciousness through Cognitive Load Theory” which was presented at Oxford University.  This work focused on a neurological exploration of Consciousness and how it affects the learning process.

In her recent book, “The Better Business Brain”, Hilary merges scientific research and spiritual principles to create a discussion on some of the thinking processes that businesses need to draw on in the 21st Century and ways we can reach higher levels of Consciousness to better our brain’s functionality.  She holds an MBA in International Business and degrees in English and in Theology.

Brian Hinchcliffe is Chief Executive Officer of Kurru, LLC, a Texas-firm he co-founded soon after relocating to the US from Australia in 1999.  He works with companies to align personal and business success, believing that businesses can only prosper when their people are engaged and productive.  This is achieved through talent acquisition, organization & people development, and outplacement & career management.

Previously, Brian led the Executive Career Transition practice of Career Partners International in Texas and Louisiana, building a strong Executive Network.  As Senior Recruitment Consultant with Performance Search Group, he recruited for difficult-to-fill C-level, Executive, Managerial, and Engineering Technical positions for client companies.  As VP Sr. Consultant with Right Management Brian provided career and executive coaching.

Brian had international experience as an organizational change consultant with consulting and has sold HR technology. He holds an MBA and degree in Psychology.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

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Posted in Meetings, Meetings-2019

March: Leveraging Multi-Potential People (03/14/19)

Posted on February 24, 2019 | Comments Off on March: Leveraging Multi-Potential People (03/14/19)
Please join us on Thursday March 14 at University of Dallas (Irving)
RSVP on this Event invitation  for an accurate food count if you are coming!
[With above links you can register/RSVP. see who else is attending, and even share with others.]

Leveraging Multi-Potential People   

There’s an interesting TED Talk by Emilie Wapnick entitled “Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling“.  Have you seen it?  We’ve had some very engaging conversations about this in recent OD Network meetings and over email.  We will explore this topic in our March 14 meeting.

In the talk Ms. Wapnick says that many of us are multi-talented and have taken multiple diverse paths in our life and career journeys (not always intentionally).  It seems that many of us in the field of OD can personally identify with this characterization!

Whether you consider yourself a multi-potential or a deep specialist there’s a lot we can learn from each other.  We will explore what defines a “multipotentialite” and look for signs that point toward this orientation. Wapnick discusses three ‘superpower’ skills at which multi-potential people tend to be very good: idea synthesis, rapid learning, and adaptability.

We’ll also discuss how we as OD practitioners can encourage multi-potential people and specialists to work together, and how we can enable and equip the organizations we serve to best leverage how people are wired to achieve the best in organizational performance.

This session will be co-facilitated by Ben Dilla and Jim Jameson, two self-described “multi-potentials”.  Please join us for an evening of self-reflection, small group, and large group discussions to foster helpful insights on this topic.  (We will review the TED Talk video in the meeting, or you can preview if you like!)

Facilitators:    Ben Dilla & Jim Jameson  (see BIOs below)

We look forward to seeing you March 14 at the University of Dallas!

(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 – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *
   Campus: 1845 East Northgate Drive,    Irving, TX 75062     (972-721-5000)

  SB Hall is #34 on the new UD Campus Map      [Google Map for Nav] 
  >> Click for Satellite Map of the building and parking (with lat/long)

Note:  SB Hall is on the north side the campus, near Gorman Dr. and Haggar Circle.  The SBH Serafy Special Events room is on the first floor (use any door).   Easy to find!

Parking:  Lot Q, along Dominican Lane (just northeast of the building), or Lot L (to the southwest) is larger.

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

Facilitator BIOs:

Ben Dilla is Managing Director and Executive Coach with Bold Leader Development (BLD LLC). His career has taken him to a diverse range of industries and organizations including the military (US Air Force), financial services, transportation, customer service, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

In addition to his coaching and consulting work through Bold Leader Development, he serves as an Affiliate Professor of Management and Director of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program in the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business at University of Dallas. Ben has a Master of Science and PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciences & Leadership from the US Air Force Academy.  He is also a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach.

Jim Jameson is currently “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 Management and post-grad certificate in Knowledge Management, both from George Washington University in DC.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Comments Off on March: Leveraging Multi-Potential People (03/14/19)

Posted in Meetings, Meetings-2019

February: Special LUNCH Meeting: ODN Secrets, Successes & Struggles (FRIDAY 02/15/19 in Dallas)

Posted on January 28, 2019 | Comments Off on February: Special LUNCH Meeting: ODN Secrets, Successes & Struggles (FRIDAY 02/15/19 in Dallas)
Please join us on FRIDAY February 15 for a special Lunch Meeting in Dallas!
Register on this Event for or an accurate food count if you are coming!
[Scroll to the bottom of the RSVP page to see who all is attending or share with others.]

ODN Secrets, Successes & Struggles:  
The State of the OD Network!   

Or in other words: Who are we? Where are we? And where in the hell are we going?  Come out for a rare luncheon DFW ODN meeting to discover the state of the OD Network, its wishes, its dreams, and its stark realities.

Be entertained and enlightened by Dr. Glen Earl, your fellow DFW ODN member, while he draws back the curtain on the OD Network, sharing with you the secret sauce and inner workings of this global organization…which you are a member of a regional affiliation.

Dr. Earl serves as an ODN Board of Trustee; his term is from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. Additionally, he is on the Editorial Board of the OD Review…yes after some 60 years, the professional OD journal changed its name from Practitionerto Review. Big changes are afoot!

Come “loaded for bear” i.e. questions that inquiring minds want answered. The landscape is shifting for all professional associations. Find out how that is affecting the OD Network. OD as a practice is gaining a worldwide presence and Identity; find out what the OD Network is doing (or not) to be a leader in this globalization.  And share ideas on how we can help!

We will have a stimulating conversation about the OD Network’s future as an organization and as a field of practice. We look forward to seeing you there!

SPEAKER:   Dr. Glen Earl,  Chicago School of Professional Psychology   (See Bio below)

    
Remember – No ODNet meeting on February 14 – come to this one on 2/15 instead!     
  
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)    

Schedule for Friday’s Luncheon:  

–  11:30   Networking / Food / Intros
–  12:00   Announcements / Program
–    1:45   Closing and evaluation  
 

Meeting Location:   CSL Dallas  (Center for Spiritual Living)
  – Address:  4801 Spring Valley Road, Suite 115, Dallas 75244    <– Google Nav 

CSLDallas is located in the northeast corner of a two-story office complex near the intersection of Spring Valley and Inwood Road.  The parking lot is off of International Parkway although the official address is 4801 Spring Valley.  A large sign at the parking lot entrance 4801 Spring Valley has CSLDallas at the top.

From Spring Valley go north on International Parkway one block and enter the parking lot straight ahead. From Inwood Road go west one block on International Parkway and enter the parking lot to your right at the corner.  The entrance to the CSLDallas complex is in right hand (northeast) corner behind a big tree with CSLDallas signage above foyer opening. 

NOTE: Google maps may take you 100 yards south of the actual location.

Parking is plentiful and free!  (Lot entrance is 1 block north of Spring Valley and 1 block west of Inwood Rd.)

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

Speaker Bio:   

Dr. Glen Earl has over 25 years’ experience in Leadership and Organizational Development. After 6.5 years, he resigned from Parkland Hospital to serve as the Department Chair of the Business Psychology program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Dallas campus.

Glen earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University-LA campus. He is the co-author of Exiting Oz: How the New Workforce is Changing Business Forever.

 We look forward to seeing you there!

Comments Off on February: Special LUNCH Meeting: ODN Secrets, Successes & Struggles (FRIDAY 02/15/19 in Dallas)

Posted in Meetings-2019