My Work in the World

What’s Emerging?

In the first quarter of 2020, it’s not entirely clear to me what might be emerging.  One thing that has shifted is that the Leadership Studies program at St. Mary’s has had less success in recruiting new students in the last year. Full time faculty are carrying the teaching load, which means that adjunct faculty are on stand-by for the moment. At the same time I was invited to teach a systems thinking course in the Professional Development Program at the University of Washington, which I presented for the first time in August 2019 and again in February 2020. It feels like this will be a regular twice-per-year engagement.

I’m working with a colleague to develop system maps related to food systems in Washington state, with particular emphasis on reducing food waste. We are using the Kumu platform, which means I have motivation to develop skill with that technology. As I develop confidence (and skill), I will offer systems mapping on this platform as part of my consulting work. I already map systems using pencil and lots of paper!

Another colleague and I are developing a team skills and communication workshop that incorporates “exit puzzles” as a way to illuminate team behaviors. We’re collaborating with Exit Puzzles of Olympia as well as with two independent puzzle creators to design two approaches to a workshop. We intend to begin advertising these offerings in late September 2019.

In June 2020 I’ll travel to Boston for the Immunity to Change facilitators training with the Minds at Work folks. I’m very excited about this investment and am looking forward to adding this capacity to my consulting practice. I was registered for the March 2020 training, which was cancelled due to concerns about Covid-19.

Finally, I find myself involved with two human systems actively engaged in self-organization via Holacracy. One of these is GRuB, where I’m now more of an observer (having left the Board) and the other is The Athena Group where I am energizing a number of roles. More to learn!


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Lifelong Learning >