Recent Happenings!

Memorial Day I spent Memorial Day fishing with my family (see my video below to get a glimpse of all the fun from the last few weeks—including coaching soccer!)

EVERY FRIDAY: Strategic Doing Talks, 8:45a.m.

Open to everyone who’s curious! Join me each week to explore the world of Strategic Doing with Ed Morrison , Joost Visser , Jane Rogan and more!

Follow CONNECTS for the latest updates on the Strategic Doing movement.

COMING UP SOON:

June: Pride?Month! Follow me on social media to learn the different events I'll be attending for Pride Month.

June 11: Attend WBOM Women?Business?Organizations?Michiana for our June?gathering with me! Facilitated Networking, Downtown Marriott I'm hosting, AND I'm officially the new president.

Register here:?https://wbom.org/product-category/events/

June 20: REF Afternoon Leadership Retreat, hosted by Clifford Clarke? An afternoon of food, fun, and exciting discussions between leaders in Ft. Wayne, IN CIO Forum group - if you're interested and qualified reply to this email and I'll connect you with the right people to get you signed up!

June 23: ?? My birthday! Time to celebrate with family and friends.

APA/SCP Update:

I attended a discussion with Dr. Wendi Williams on The Promises and Perils of Consulting.

Dr. Williams asked insightful questions which sparked a thought-provoking discussion breakout discussion and group takeaways. The breakout session centered around the question, "What is a challenge for you in a DEI or change role, and how can this group help?" This led to an engaging conversation with a peer about improving the quality of discussions on our professional Listserv. We explored the tension between creating a bunch of rules and allowing freedom of expression, highlighting the challenges of fostering human connection on digital platforms. This conversation underscored a key takeaway: building #relationships is essential for effective #change.

What is your experience—how have you forged new relationships in order to effect change (in your organization, or in the world)?

Catching Up:

On May 23,?I went to the Engaging Women Conference at Four Winds Resort & Casino, sponsored by St. Mary's College

What Was it Like?

I recently attended the Engaging Women Conference, and it was an inspiring experience. While the keynote speakers provided solid insights, the true highlight was the vibrant energy and camaraderie among the attendees. The room was filled with kindness, support, and a genuine sense of community. The food was excellent (kudos to Four Winds Resort and Casino), adding to the overall positive atmosphere. The happy hour afterward was a fantastic opportunity to chat and connect with many wonderful women, making the event truly memorable.?

It was really hard to choose which breakout sessions to attend as they all had interesting topics, but my WBOM pals and I split up to bring back as much knowledge as possible.? I chose the CEO Roundtable breakout with Diane Winn because y’all know I love peer learning! It was exciting to see the room full of other curious leaders. ?

In the afternoon I attended the Beyond Hustling Hard for Boss Ladies session led by Jess Koscher of Write Connections | strategy + design where I was reintroduced to the BOSI assessment and we had a wonderful conversation about our Entrepreneurial DNA topped off by a review of the Business Model Canvas as a tool to help all DNA types get their business model down on one succinct page. Considering my BOSI red-lights it was “Lack of a formal business development engine generating predictable lead flow” and “founder cannot describe the company's value proposition in 1 sentence” it was perfect timing for me as I tend to avoid business development for myself having a much better time helping my clients with theirs! Cobblers kids without shoes anyone??

TESTIMONIAL:

Dr. Shannon Jennings was a featured speaker at the REF CIO Forum retreat. She led us in experimental learning exercises. The group enjoyed the exercises while learning a bit more about themselves. Dr. Shannon Jennings skillfully facilitated the group of professionals who are not generally excited about experimental exercises. I would recommend Business Psychologist Dr. Shannon Jennings for your corporate group or team." - Clifford Clarke REF Indiana, Facilitator Leaders - CIO Forum

MY LATEST PODCAST?RECOMMENDATION:

It's just so fresh! Pink Grapefruit is a great podcast hosted by Kathy Opp . Kathy and I?had a conversation that was really helpful in applying Strategic Doing as part of?process implementation, so that leaders don't have to just keep pushing.? You've probably heard, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." (Peter Drucker) That wildly popular?quote shows up in all kinds of conversations to highlight the importance of culture, while sometimes minimizing the need for a clear vision and strategic direction. But when it comes to the reality of Culture vs. Strategy, you really cannot separate the two.? It's like the phrase work-life balance, when you are at work its still your life (and too often when your at "life" work invades that space!). Culture is how people act and how they do things within. Strategy is all about directing people's behavior so that you can get to where you actually want to go. One without the other is never ideal. You need both. You need a great strategy that's synched up with your culture (hence...the name of my business: SYNCOVATE!?Synch up + Innovate) All that to say I finally have the perfect follow-up response to that famous quote thanks to Kathy Opp and her friend and colleague?Rich Raimondi, who said, "Culture and Strategy should get together for lunch! They'd have a beautiful conversation." Thank you Rich! It's an amazing illustration of applying Scarcity vs Abundance models to the way you implement your business. Personally, I'll always vote to go for an #abundance mindset—bringing things together no one has ever tried before and seeing what's possible to create that's never been done before!

Have a great week!

Dr. J