Last updated on 8/3/2024

Yesterday’s conversation on conscious culture at The Meeting Place with the members of Conscious Capitalism Dallas was delightful.

Rob’s team did an outstanding job preparing for our event, and our CCD team as well. I want to thank Kim Bentson and Christopher Carrion for the work behind the scenes to bring the details together.

Based on the feedback received from the event, I’m considering sharing how TACTILE (not tactical) can support a conscious culture in any organization.

Thank you, Shaunna Black, for spending time with me after the event. Learning about the “accountability ladder” was just what I needed!

Ready for the morning.

Gathered a few things from work yesterday morning. Packed the car last night.

For me, preparation helps settle me before any event I facilitate. Note, I didn’t write “lead”, but facilitate.

Public speaking is the easier part of what I get to do. Droning on in front of an audience isn’t really enjoyable for me.

Encouraging people to have conversational learning, an opportunity to share their insights, that is where the magic happens.

Don’t misunderstand, being able to speak well before an audience is essential. As well, being able to create space to build shared understanding around a topic.

When you can blend the two, and add personal style, that’s an opportunity to create memories with the folks in the room.

Friday evening was fun!

A group of us gathered to experience the game, “Dawn of Disruption”, in the Dallas Improving office.

Thank you, Greg Magennis, for sharing the game with us! As well, Greg is a member of the Conscious Capitalism Dallas community.

If you wonder what may occur in the age of artificial intelligence, AI, this is a game your organization should consider playing.

The rich conversations that emerged during game play are worth the time invested.

It is inspiring to experience a game that is intentionally created for learning. Furthermore, I’m encouraged that it can be a platform for discussions about how to use AI to innovate in product development.

Please contact Greg if you would like to learn more about DoD.

Last updated on 8/30/2024

I was pleasantly surprised this morning.

When I arrived at the office, I found the HUGE “Thank You” card shown below.

As part of our continued effort to demonstrate how Conscious Capitalism work, we host technology-centric meetups in our Dallas Improving office.

During the evenings, our classrooms become meeting space for groups that range from the Entrepreneurs and Innovators Council (which focuses on tech in start-ups) to M3+ Mutual Mentoring.

M3+ celebrated 3 years meeting last evening. Being able to support groups like M3+ is a delight because it shows Improving’s commitment to community building.

Building community leads to creating, maintaining, and sustaining person to person connection.

In product development, we are people solving problems for people.

Staying connecting is essential to business, community, and product development success.

It feels like I’m having a Monday on Wednesday.

Yeah, it started as one of those days. Funny how wrapping up yesterday felt fulfilling.

Dinner with my wife, conversation about our daughters’ travel, and a good night’s rest.

I woke up ready for this morning, or so I thought. A series of small annoyances popped-up as I was getting ready to go into our Dallas Improving office.

As a result, I decided to get some “elevation” and perspective on the day.

We have a patio on the top floor of our office building. It was the right place for me to reset my expectations for the day.

I don’t know about you, but when things start going sideways, it’s difficult to break the momentum.

The choice I made to reflect for a few minutes while enjoying my coffee has started to pay off. A few emails have been sent, reviewing a PowerPoint deck for new client work, and writing this post are part of the pivot.

It’s not easy to rise above annoyance, when opportunities are in my face to get down into the petty, unproductive dirt they bring.

But, I’m an Improver. We choose to be different, to rise above the circumstances, and ask questions like, “How might we . . .?”

My question for you is, how do you “elevate” when it feels like events are pulling you down?

When was the last time you said you were proud of where you worked?

I find myself saying I’m proud to work at Improving more often than other companies I’ve worked at in the past. It’s not that we’re perfect, it’s because we consistently live our name.

I was assisting our team with taking photos of some recognitions that highlight our success and collective involvement. They’re worth sharing as they represent the type of organization Improving works hard to be.

Being ranked on Inc. Magazine‘s 5000 list is not a small accomplishment. Making the list for 14 years and counting is mind-blowing to me.

Here we are at Improving, we have a wall to remind us of where we’ve been and to inspire us to do better for our clients, customers, communities, and stakeholders.

Each day that I show up for work, I’m reminded that I should finish my day better than it started. Taking our tagline to heart, “Improving – it’s what we do.” has become a lifestyle for me.

Yesterday’s post showcased my painting and our collective “Come Together” experience in the Dallas Improving office.

Today’s post highlights the art work in progress. As well, it celebrates Amber Leese‘s instructional leadership for the event.

At times, it seems like we SHOULD NOT HAVE FUN at work.

Why?

If we’re spending 1/3 or more of our days for 5 days a week at work, why not have fun?

Why not build connections with colleagues?
Why not become friends?
Why not create community, internally and externally?

The answers might be found in our perception of what business “is” versus what it “could be”.

My preparations for facilitating a conscious culture workshop are challenging my long held beliefs. The more I review John Mackey’s and Raj Sisodia‘s books, I discover opportunities to change business for the better.

Posting here, on LinkedIn, creates transparency around the challenges business and companies face.

When those challenges are person to person, the complexity increases. There isn’t a “one size fits all” let alone a “one size fits most” solution to building, maintaining, and sustaining a healthy, conscious culture.

Tools that are in use and ones yet to be discovered have limitations and need to be used contextually. Specifically, in product development, not a single tool will achieve all desired outcomes.

The good news is we have enough tools that we can bring Conscious Capitalism to more businesses and companies. We can bring organizational change into a culture that respects all the stakeholders involved.

The most important in all of this is that we can be human and have fun while we’re crafting a culture that makes us all better.

In May 2024, I was able to assist with Improving’s Houston office, winning a 36-month, $6 million client.

The posts below reflect some of my experiences in the process of being a part of the deal.

This week, I travelled differently to and from Houston for client work.

Based on some conversational research, riding the bus turned out to be the better way to move between the cities.

I want to thank the Vonlane team for the enjoyable ride.

Having the option to avoid flying or renting a car was delightful.

As well, the easy access to the buses from premium hotels improved the trip.

P.S. If you are planning to travel, have you considered a bus?

On my way to work with my client.

What are your work plans for today?

Today’s meeting is focused on refining an approach based on a review yesterday.

Collaboration is a key ingredient for successful hashtag#teamwork.

I enjoy opportunities to make products better, regardless of type.

For me, it’s all about Improving!

This is both a business and social post.

As a consultant, I do get to travel. Not as much as pre-C19, but enough to “feel like” a consultant.

Today and tomorrow, I’m working a bit south of home in Dallas. I’m in our Houston Improving office for a few client activities.

Being a consultant stretches me. I feel that in a good way. Pushing toward excellence is a delight, as it gives me a sense of fulfillment when it is accomplished.

Here are 3 points I find as helpful for my practice:

1 – Keep an open mind, “no one of us is smarter than all of us”
2 – Actively listen for what is NOT expressed
3 – Be curious about why things are a certain way

Conversations around work to be done take on an open-ended, opportunity rich context.

P.S. If you do consulting, what are your 3 favorite tips?

There is something to be said about not being attached to things in life.

One of the disappointing realities I’ve been wrestling with is the loss of the car below.

It’s not the value of the car.

Nor is it the prestige of the car.

A car is still a car.

It was a gift, and that’s where my struggle comes from.

My Dad and his wife gave us a car that made our lives better for the year that we owned it.

It served its purpose, and I am deeply grateful for having it.

I will have fond memories of all the conversations around the intent, planning, and ownership of the car with my Dad and his wife. Those are what I will cherish.

How about you? Do you feel challenged to let go of things?

The post below is from LinkedIn on 5/26/2024 which explains the thread above.

No photos or graphics today.

Yesterday, at about 6:30 AM CST, I was heading to our Dallas office for work. I try to leave ahead of traffic, as I prefer to avoid other commuters.

The street leaving our community had been flooded about 1 mile ahead of my drive. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an alternate route for me to divert to as it is two lanes (north/south), no side streets close to the flooded area, and difficult to perform a U-turn on.

As I was driving through the flooded area, the truck ahead of my sedan accelerated and pushed a water wake over my car hood. My car stalled and would not restart.

Water around my car was several inches deep, so it was unsafe for me to exit. I called emergency services to help push my car over off the road.

I am grateful to be able to post this morning. Furthermore, I owe the first responders who helped me more thanks than I could express yesterday.

Stay as safe as you can today. Tell family and friends how much you love and appreciate them.

Life is short, and we tend to forget to show care and kindness.