Category Archives: Ideas

Inclusion’s Ripple Effect

Posted by Judith Katz on July 29, 2011 None comments

A few years ago, when we at The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group began thinking through the concept of Inclusion as the HOWSM, we could not have imagined how many dozens of business practices it might impact. Today, we don’t have to imagine it—we are seeing it happen.

Our clients are using Inclusion as the HOWSM in an ever-widening array of applications. Kaizens are incorporating the Inclusion as the HOWSM mindset to enhance the effectiveness of their teamwork. Global R&D functions, for whom communication from site to site can be a major challenge, are building online tools to foster greater awareness of people’s expertise—creating a global community, sparking collaboration, and increasing the speed of knowledge transfer. Manufacturing sites have brought people together to translate corporate strategy to their own specific operations. Supervisors and managers are listening to front-line people in the effort to identify pockets of waste and areas for innovation.

Inclusion as the HOWSM is becoming foundational in many day-to-day interactions—from one-on-ones, staff meetings, and yellow belt projects to tier meetings and town halls.  It is becoming a critical dimension in changing interactions within the organizations with which we work, accelerating results and performance.

Moreover, organizations have adopted Inclusion as the HOWSM to navigate traditional business milestones:

  • Emerging from bankruptcy
  • Merging with or acquiring another company
  • Closing plants and offices
  • Creating new ways of interacting with vendors, suppliers, and customers
  • Managing rapid expansion
  • Breaking through competitive barriers
  • Reinventing brand value propositions

These applications illustrate something we have always believed about inclusion: that, far from being a peripheral or conceptual tool, it is an imperative for how to do business, a new way to interact and lead organizations toward sustained success. Moreover, Inclusion as the HOWSM can serve as a fundamental mindset in nearly every aspect of business, in nearly every corner of the world. Almost any issue or change confronting the organization can be addressed more effectively by including the right people, at the right time, doing the right work.

When organizations approach Inclusion as a HOW to achieve organizational results, extraordinary things happen. Decision makers gain a 360-degree view of the issue at hand—a view necessary for making better decisions. Knowledge and success practices transfer rapidly throughout the organization, allowing good ideas to be shared and applied more quickly and eliminating the waste of reinventing the wheel. People feel safe enough to speak up and share their ideas and perspectives so that problems are solved faster. Individuals and teams are willing to make problems visible more quickly and identify innovative solutions in collaboration within and across business units. The entire organization can begin to perform at unheard-of levels.

Organizations using Inclusion as the HOWSM are experiencing these changes—which is why many of them have committed to driving an inclusion mindset throughout their systems. They stand as evidence of the power of Inclusion as the HOWSM to accelerate results and drive ever higher performance.

Life is about Experiencing, Learning and Moving On To Next

Posted by Frederick Miller on June 16, 2011 None comments

The JOY of it all

Tears are filling my eyes.

I can feel the room full of people getting ready to move on. It is a big room, actually a hockey rink most of the time, a hockey rink where in an earlier time I watched Kamen play on community and school teams from age 6 to 17. And it is where I have watched Rensselaer play for the last dozen years. But today it is so different – no ups and downs, no mistakes, no cheering when RPI scores and being disappointed when the other school accomplishes the exact same feat.  No wondering about the outcome. No winning and losing.

Everybody is a winner today. There are only ups, and that is why the tears are flowing down my face.

There are not many occasions where the joy is so pure. Even weddings have that sense of the loss of what was. And even on this day of so much joy there is probably some sorrow…the passing of an era in a family, in a person’s life…but the sorrow is hard to find, hard to feel, hard to hear because the JOY is so loud. 

There are 758 people waiting to walk across the stage to receive their college degrees. Many times that number are sitting in the stands with smiles on their faces and pride in their hearts and hopes about the future in their thoughts. As one of the trustees of the Sage Colleges, I march down the aisle and take a seat on the stage. This is my fifth year of this graduation ceremony, this community joy.  It brings tears every year, starting with seeing the grads line up outside, then walk in with such pure joy – a joy I have experienced nowhere else.

I have had the privilege of witnessing the birth of a child, and nothing is so precious and filled with such awe. But a birth is a private, intimate revelation, rarely shared with more than a few. It is not, at least in our culture, a public event.

This is a different experience. The sheer volume. The number of people who are experiencing joy all at the same time. Everyone in the Fieldhouse is happy. Thousands of happy people in one place, being joyous about life and about the achievements of people.

The cheers are fun to hear. As people walk across the stage, family members or friends in the audience call out their names. There is yelling and applause – just for them. How many times in life do people walk across a public stage and have other applaud them? For most, not too many times. For some, it is the first and possibly the only time it will happen.

And the grads …they can’t stop smiling. Some have writing on their caps. Others are wearing very special outfits, dressed up for their big day…maybe the biggest day of accomplishment in their lives so far. And for some of the families, they are seeing the first person in the family history achieve a college degree, or a masters or a doctorate.

The air is alive with joy. I feel the joy in all of my being and I am overwhelmed with a feeling of life in one of its finer moments. Seven hundred and fifty eight new graduates celebrating themselves, with their loved ones there as witnesses to the moment.

In this sacred space, all I can do is let the tears flow and know how blessed I am to experience such a moment and to share it with thousands of people in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Hockey Fieldhouse in Troy, New York. And in that moment, I realize we are not alone in our joy. Graduations like this are happening all over the country and the world. It is one of the gifts we give ourselves as human beings.

I Dumped Facebook: Disconnecting from the Constant Connection

Posted by Katrin Haldeman on April 21, 2011 1 comments

When I think of all of the relationships in my life, I generally start with my parents, siblings, children, friends, and co-workers.  On days when I contemplate the subject even more, I might include my doctor, my mail carrier, and my neighbors.  Recently I started to think about how much time I spend with all of these people.  Do I see all of them face to face every day? Do I call them every day and talk with them voice to voice, so I can listen to the emotion they might project in the sound I hear? No—and—no, I do not. 

I get up, text my youngest sister good morning, and receive texts on my way into work.  When I get to work I start my computer, and while I wait for it to load up, I check my email on my phone.  My home page was Facebook, so EVERY morning I would get a never-ending stream of other people’s status—some VERY personal, some funny, some offensive, and some sad.  I get real news from The Huffington Post, and fake news from The Onion.  I get spiritual messages from the Dalai Lama and political messages from every cause I have ever supported. 

I turned Facebook on in the morning and it was the last thing I saw before I went to bed at night.  With all the time I invested in my relationship with Facebook, we should have been engaged, or at least it should have been buying me dinner or drinks, whisking me away for a romantic weekend.  It had become my life partner.  Now, if FB was a person, a partner, a friend—and all I did was read, listen to, and participate with them morning, noon, and night – my family, children, and co-workers would be concerned that I was losing myself in this relationship.  And they would be right. 

If I WANT to know what is going on in my sisters’ lives, friends’ lives, or the Dalai Lama’s life, I can make that happen.  I can call my sister and hear in her voice that she has had a tough day. I can visit her and find out that something hysterical happened to her and I would hear her laugh AND I would get the opportunity to laugh with her—instead of seeing “lol : o”

When I started my relationship with Facebook it was to stay connected, to be informed about everything that was going on, and to feel like a part of something that was worldwide.  What I came to know is that connection no longer meant “personal” to me.  Everyone, everywhere on my “list” knew everything, not just about me, but about others as well.  My excitement and anticipation of the little red quote icon over my comments, messages, or invites started to feel the same as when I was a smoker and couldn’t wait to get outside to light one.  It felt like an addiction to a harmful substance. 

So I quit—cold turkey. As I write this, it has been 24 hours, 2 minutes, and 35 seconds since I posted my last status, and I can feel my connection to reality coming back.  I am now five times more likely to smile when I see you, 10 times more likely to laugh at the jokes you tell, and 20 times more likely to really listen to what you have to say.

Christmastime is Here, but it’s Not Alone

Posted by Corey Jamison on January 15, 2008 None comments

There is an ongoing controversy brewing in the hearts, minds and faith of millions of people in the United States around the issue of Christmas being driven from the cultural landscape. As one would imagine this is a complicated and sensitive issue.

From the perspective of many Christians, I can understand how the increasing disappearance of Christmas iconography and displays can feel like a war has been declared against Christmas. Yet, there is another side to this conversation that also must be factored into the discussion.

Despite the perception that Christian-related symbols are being ushered from the public landscape, an abundance of Christmas-related images are still on display in many public places, many more than for other religious holidays that occur during the same time of year. From a perspective of someone who is not Christian it can feel like Christmas is everywhere and yet from a Christian’s point of view it may seem that the displays are less frequent and less religiously based. With scant few examples of other publicly recognized religious observances, including Hannukah, Buddhism’s Bodhi day, the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice and the celebration by African Americans of Kwanzaa, aside from Christmas, I think it’s important to establish that from the point of view of these other religions, “generic” symbols such as Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, candy canes and sleighs full of presents, Santa at every mall, still appear very Christian.

An even more sensitive, and what may be the key, issue involves nativity scenes on display in public places, and especially on government property. The privately owned local mall may be fine for such a display, especially if it provides space for other religious displays. Conversely, government and municipal buildings, including schools, would not be appropriate places, as our laws continue to support a separation of church and state.

Ultimately, I think the issue comes down to an established privilege reinforced by a one-up and one-down public mindset. The group in the one-up position, in this case Christians, see their symbols as the rule and not the exception. However, when there becomes an increase of exceptions, the one-up group thinks the rules are changing when in reality what is occurring is a leveling of the playing field. When it comes to the public display of religious symbols during the December holidays we should be looking to create an “And” not an “Either” and to treat each others as allies instead of adversaries. Only then can members of all religions, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu, be recognized, respected and appreciated for their unique beliefs. buy cialisbuy cialisbuy levitrabuy levitrabuy propeciabuy propeciabuy somabuy somabuy levitrabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy levitrabuy propeciabuy soma

My Latin American Journey to Self Discovery

Posted by Donna on January 9, 2008 None comments

(This post was contributed by Guest Blogger, Organizational Development Consultant and member of our Community of Effort Donna Alonso)

My “Latin American Journey to Self-Discovery” was born from a spiritual awakening I experienced during the summer of 2003, shortly after I completed my advanced degree in organization development. This incredible idea came to me as I was feeling full of gratitude for life and filled with genuine excitement about life’s possibilities. It was a simple, yet, profound moment when the intense thought became an idea that became a dream that became a calling that became my inner voice and self saying, “GO to Latin America, live, learn and be with others!”

In 2005 and 2006, I launched my self-directed immersion program to explore three distinctively different Latin American countries: Puerto Rico, Panama, and Ecuador. This was not a vacation; it was a journey – one nurtured with incredible learning experiences that evoked everlasting change within my whole being.

Prior to leaving the United States, I researched and reached out to various organizations and made arrangements to volunteer with an American non-government, non-religious organization called “Global Citizens Network” (GCN) who partners with grassroots organizations around the world. I volunteered to work in two different communities in Ecuador right outside the city’s capital of Quito. I partnered with GCN because their mission speaks to my shared values of promoting peace, justice, cross-cultural understanding and global cooperation through the sharing of resources that will enhance the quality of life around the world.

During my travels, I lived with local families and used local hostels as needed to help me make the transition between families, communities, and countries. I frequented an established travel club and briefly attended language school – both provided great local contacts. I kept a journal the entire time I traveled to help me capture a real, pure essence of what I experienced. There are so many experiences in fact that it would take pages and pages to even begin to describe what was so generously given to me from the hearts and souls of the people I lived with and grew to know as family as well as others whom I met throughout my travels.

One of my most cherished experiences was the time I spent in the dry, mountainous, desert-like, Afro-Ecuadorian community called Tumbatu. I lived with an exceptionally wise and hard working couple, Marisol and Fabian, and their two, young children. Marisol is a vibrant, resourceful and dedicated mother and wife and a strong leader in her community. Fabian is a patient, reflective and supportive father and husband and a primary worker in the community’s local farm. They are very proud homeowners especially because they actually built their home themselves. They expressed their excitement and hopes for their home improvement plans and assured me that when I returned some day, they’d have indoor plumbing and running water. Fabian worked daily on the community farm to cultivate the land that produced beans and other crops. Marisol worked three days a week as a domestic worker for another family in a larger town on the other side of the river. She showed me how to wash my clothes in the village’s natural water system and make the best three bean salad and natural papaya shake! They welcomed me into their home and treated me like family. They shared their food, their home and their stories. Stories? Ahaaa, so many!

However, with all of this, my favorite times were the evenings I spent sitting outside with Marisol and Fabian and sometimes the children after a long day simply talking and sipping warm tea and passionately discussing a variety of subjects such as, politics, history, education, culture, economics, Spanish and English vocabulary and just every day matters. They helped me better understand the complexities of Ecuadorian history and culture and gave me an awareness and perspective I could only know from actually living and experiencing their world. They told stories about their families and how they met, and they shared their hopes and dreams. We laughed, I cried, we exchanged pictures and we vowed to somehow stay in touch.

You may have questions, like, “How are you different now as a result of this journey?” Or, perhaps, “What would you recommend to people who may want to do something like this?” How am I different: I returned to the United States one year ago and since then, I’ve heard family, colleagues and friends say, “You seem different” and, when I ask for more clarity, I typically hear “You seem calm,” or “You seem at peace.” Their observations are accurate. I feel changed at the core of who I am, and, I believe this change within me is still happening! This difference is most prevalent during times of uncertainty and resistance. Who I am today feels one with what I believe and what I do.

When I was in grad school, I learned about “the gift of presence” and how you can only acquire it when you “become whole and in access to and the courage to become more and more of who you are as a unique person – to change and grow from within.” It was then when I also heard for the first time the term “use of self” and the notion of “use of self as an instrument.” I believe the long term impact to what I experienced during my Latin American Journey is in how I embrace myself, and how I use myself to impact others. And, yet, I wonder, “How do I continue to use what I’ve learned and experienced to further my own development and how do I share what I’ve learned to enhance the development of others?” As practitioners who facilitate change, we have to be willing to continuously explore and challenge our own boundaries. My intent to immerse myself in this journey to self discovery was to stretch myself in a way I’ve never experienced before. The outcome taught me to pay close attention to the emotional reactions, biases and perceptions for myself and of others.

I enjoy doing organization development work because I get satisfaction from helping organizations learn how to change their environments in a way that sustains improved impact. If as the consultant practitioner, I am the primary instrument of the OD work, then my self-directed cultural immersion project was a great success. I came away with a deeper understanding of my emotional, perceptual, and cognitive processes. My journey to self discovery was a very special gift and, yes, I’d do it again when the time is right. So, stay tuned because my journey continues as I further embrace self and willingly explore my Spanish European ancestry during my next trip – Spain, 2009.

(Donna Alonso is an independent organization development consultant working with not for profit and for profit organizations. She facilitates small and large group sessions in a way that supports inclusion, identifies emergent themes and allows respectful and appropriate space for difference. Clients appreciate Donna’s ability to connect strategic goals to performance, champion diversity initiatives, and build authentic relationships. Donna received her advanced degree in Organization Development from The American University in Washington, DC. and National Training Laboratories (NTL) Institute, Alexandria, Virginia. She’s lived and worked in Latin America and volunteered for projects designed to promote social justice and preserve the culture of indigenous communities. Donna can be reached at donnaalonso at hotmail dot com )

FROM Scarcity TO Abundance

Posted by Judith Katz on December 14, 2007 None comments

katz_judith.jpgIs there a limit to how many ideas you can have in one day? To dreaming new dreams? How many ideas have you had today? In the last five minutes? Ideas are infinite – leading to innovation, greater creativity and new ways of doing things. The challenge, of course, is how do we create an environment in which people feel safe enough to “think” not just alone but together? How do we create organizational environments that can really capitalize on the intellectual genius of their workforce? That is the challenge for the 21st century; and we are still very much in the infancy of this major revolution.

In previous posts we talked about the shift from the Industrial Revolution—an age in which mechanization ruled and people were seen as little more than hands and feet. Organizations are now struggling to make the transition to this new age where a person’s value is measured by their intellectual contributions, of which there are no restrictions or boundaries.

We are transitioning from a model of scarcity—of old mindsets of limitations, production and control to a new mindset of abundance in which competitive advantage comes from individuals’ and teams’ ability to outthink their competitors if given the right supports, systems and processes. We are moving to an age in which our capacity to innovate, and the need for speed of knowledge transfer and application will determine the ability to succeed which means we must trust one another and successfully share ideas and thinking more rapidly. Clearly if there are no limitations to our ability to think then there is no limitation on our ability to be innovative and creative.

The challenge, however, is that while we‘re moving towards a place where our best asset is our intellectual capital, organizations haven’t figured out the many ways to capture and capitalize on it. Mass collaboration and Global Co-Creation enabled by social networking platforms and Web 2.0 technology are a start, but they need to become a way of life inside organizations to make a difference. Most of the performance management and reward systems, promotion systems and structures are not yet designed to embrace and support our ability to think and ideate in organizations. When was the last time you actually had thinking time in your day-to-day work schedule? When was a meeting structured in such a way that people were able to bring their best thinking and not just top-of-mind answers as they hurry through their day?

Ask yourself again, “Is there a limit to what I can think?” If the response is “no,” then in that answer exists the crux of this revolution of ideas and intellectual capital

There are many things that need to change within organizations to make sure it is safe enough for people to share their thinking, and to capture and best leverage this intellectual capital.

Where would you start?