Q&A Interviews

Sparking WONDER
Sparking WONDER 1529 1071 SageRiver Consulting LLC

Does positive social change start with wonder? Denise McHugh, executive director of the Spark Community Foundation, suggests that it may. For the past 16 years, Denise has facilitated a large-scale collective impact initiative focused on reducing and preventing youth homelessness across rural Colorado. During SageRiver’s latest conversation about how wonder can inspire strategy and innovation, Denise shares the WONDERFUL tools and frameworks that are helping communities to spark change.

SageRiver (SR): Thank you for being part of our exploration of wonder. One of the topics that’s been very interesting to us—part of our wonderings—is  the concept of collective impact. So, could we start by asking you to explain what collective impact is?

Denise McHugh (DM): Collective impact is a structured way for organizations across sectors, such as government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based groups and others, to achieve equitable large-scale social change. The framework involves specific elements, such as a common agenda, ongoing communication, measurement and evaluation, and mutually reinforcing activities of the participating organizations. It also includes a shared management system, which I often referred to as the “backbone,” to support the overall efforts of the initiative.

SR: You’ve been involved in one collective impact initiative for more than a decade. Can you tell us about it?

DH:  Yes, it’s called the Colorado Rural Collaborative for Runaway and Homeless Youth. We started with about 13 communities and have grown to 40. Our common agenda is to prevent and reduce youth homelessness in rural Colorado. The project started with a grant through the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). They had noticed that many rural youths became homeless when they left foster care. To get services, many runaway and homeless youth had to go to urban areas, which meant leaving behind whatever support networks they had. CDHS wanted to develop a system where rural youth could receive support, resources and housing within their home communities.

 

SR: So, you’ve found collective impact to be a dynamic, flexible model—and that’s our experience at SageRiver, too. What changes has your collective impact initiative adapted to over the years?

DH: With so many communities involved, we’ve learned to support different stages of readiness within each community. For example, a new or emerging community may start with prevention services, while a more established community may already have those services in place and be focused instead on expanding housing and aftercare options. When we look across all 40 communities, we can now say we have a full continuum of care in place for rural runaway and homeless youth.

More recently, we’ve added another component that I find inspirational. It’s a youth action board—called Youth MOVE Colorado—comprising youth from across rural Colorado. They provide insights and perspectives that we use to adapt our efforts to the lived experiences of youth in these communities.

SR:  As you look back, what lessons have you learned?

DH: I’d say one of the first is to have clear messaging. Collective impact as a concept is often hard for people to understand. In the beginning, we would look at people’s faces, and you could tell they didn’t understand what we were talking about. So, we’ve learned to translate the terminology of collective impact into everyday language and use graphics to paint the picture.

We also learned that it’s important to build on what already exists in the community. Every rural community has a human services department and school district, for example. It’s essential to understand what strengths the community already has and which organizations or people are most trusted by those you ultimately want to serve. Those organizations may be the best direct service providers or faces of the initiative, while others play behind-the-scenes roles.

Another big lesson is the importance of a common agenda. Everyone will say, “Oh, yes, we want to prevent and reduce youth homelessness.” But what does that really mean? And how does it play out in a community? We’ve learned to invest time up front to articulate a common goal and agenda. It’s the glue that holds everything together. Each community can tailor its efforts, but we have values and principles that are common across every community.

SR: You spoke earlier about a supporting management structure—or backbone—for the collective impact initiative. What does the backbone do?

 DH: One of the key functions is to help secure funding. In working with rural communities, for example, we’ve found that agencies rarely have grant writers on staff. So, we do a lot of fundraising support, as well as coordinate the distribution and reporting of monies in compliance with different funders’ requirements.

Our backbone organization also established key indicators and a shared measurement system to support ongoing learning and continuous improvement. We have an evaluator on staff who collects and synthesizes data and produces a monthly snapshot, as well as more in-depth quarterly reports. The data are gathered across the collaborative and shared at our monthly meetings. We also meet with individual sites to identify what they are doing well and where they might want to focus their efforts next.

Additionally, we provide much of the training and technical assistance, as well as pair sites so they can learn from each other. One site might be doing well at engaging youth living on the street, while another has successfully reunified families. Our sites serve as teachers for each other, which further strengthens relationships across the collaborative.

 

SR: That’s exciting! There’s so much to explore with this topic, but let me close with a question related to our theme for the year. How does wonder factor into collective impact?

DH: To be effective, you must ground the work in powerful questions and deep curiosity—or wondering—about the lived experiences and perspectives of others. What is it like to spend the winter living in an abandoned horse trailer because you don’t have any other shelter, for example? Who would you trust to offer help? What would you want—and what would really make a difference?

This is where our experience with the youth action board expanded our perspective. Youth are incredible, out-of-the-box thinkers, and they’ll share their ideas if they really believe someone is interested and willing to listen. But that collaboration starts with wonder—with a sense of humility and openness to other people and new ways of thinking. If we can help people and communities nurture their wonder, there’s no limit to what we can do.

***

If you’d like to learn more about how to map existing resources and connections for a collective impact initiative, take a look at the example below. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Activating WONDER
Activating WONDER 2068 1438 SageRiver Consulting LLC

As part of SageRiver’s study of how wonder can inspire strategy, SageRiver’s founder, Susan Heinzeroth, sat down with author and management consultant Judy Goldberg. Following a cancer diagnosis in 2017, Judy realized that skills she spent a lifetime developing were helping her effect positive changes despite the health challenges she faced.  Wanting to share those tools with others, she developed a newly published resource, titled “Wake Up and Wondershift: Five Themes and 50 Exercises Designed to Activate Wonder and Create Lasting Shifts.”

SageRiver (SR): Thank you for being with us, Judy. Let me start with a basic question. What do you mean by wonder?

Judy Goldberg (JG): When I speak of wonder, I’m referring primarily to the wonder within our own control or influence. My focus is on the wonder that runs through our bodies and gives us hints at what we should pay attention to next, or the wonder that challenges us to leave our comfort zones or bring new ideas to life.

SR: So, your book is about the personal shifts and personal wonder we can cultivate in ourselves?

JG: Yes, it’s about waking up to the wonder that’s within us. Because I believe it’s within all of us. We all have a voice that whispers, “I wonder if I…” or “I wonder when I can?” I want to help people wake up to that wonder and do something about it.

SR: The subtitle of your book suggests that activating wonder is essential to making lasting shifts. Why do you think we need to activate wonder?

JG: Because it’s linked to our goals and objectives and what we want out of life. At the same time, activating wonder requires intentionality. It means that we’re actively engaging in our experiences, situations and ideas in new ways. And if we’re not activating wonder, then we might be closing ourselves off to possibilities and going after the wrong goals and objectives.

SR: I couldn’t agree more. In fact, SageRiver’s tagline is Illuminating Possibility. Igniting Change. We chose that tagline because we want to help our clients see the larger landscape and imagine a broader range of capability. Do you find that it’s difficult for some people or teams to do that?

JG: Yes, and there are myriad reasons why. One is people will say there’s no time, right? Other people have a cognitive bias that relies on familiar patterns and experiences. I think people also have a fear of the unknown, or fixed mindsets or simply limited exposure to diverse experiences that enable them to imagine possibilities.

SR: So how do you help them break through those barriers?

JG: It needs to be intentional and incremental because there’s been so much research that shows that throwing people in a room and asking them to brainstorm on the spot is probably the worst thing you can do.

Instead, we need to help people practice creative thinking and expose them to new experiences. For example, I ask people to read different reviews on a topic and bring people together to then engage in a debate. That helps them shift their thinking into seeing two sides of a question. Another strategy I’ve tried is to take people on a field trip to somewhere they’ve never been. Little things like field trips can be eye-opening and help people imagine possibilities.

SR: Those are great suggestions. Within our own firm, we make it a practice to inspire and invest in the curiosity and wonder of our staff. Even if the connection to our work isn’t immediately obvious, we find that by following our wonder, we bring back new ways of thinking that infuse our strategy work.

JG: Exactly!

SR: You included the word “shift” in the title of your book. Can you briefly describe the five themes in your book that help us wake up to wonder and make positive shifts in our lives?

JG: I use S.H.I.F.T. as an acronym as well as an outcome. Each letter stands for a different theme that I explore in a section of the book.

  • S is for Shape, which is about the power of mindset in forming our lives.
  • H is for Harmony, which is about achieving inner harmony as well as harmony with others.
  • I is for Imagine. This is where we let loose and let our imaginations run wild.
  • F is for Focus, which is where we cut through the world of distractions and zoom in on what’s important to each of us.
  • T is for Team, which helps us curate the team we need to make the shifts we desire.

SR: That’s a wonderful blueprint, and I highly recommend the exercises within your book and the creative thinking they spark. Before we close, is there one thing you’d like people to take away from our conversation about the value of wonder?

JG: I’ll share one of my favorite quotes: “A year from now, you will wish you had started today. So cross that threshold because your wonder awaits.”

Seeing WONDER
Seeing WONDER 2000 1333 SageRiver Consulting LLC

As part of SageRiver’s study of how wonder can inspire strategy, we sat down with photographer Tom Riggs. He has built his career around exploring landscapes with wonder to find the story, emotion and meaning in the world around him. His insights can help leaders understand how to open their eyes more fully to see possibilities that would otherwise stay hidden.

Trillium Lake. Published by permission of Tom Riggs Photography.

SageRiver (SR): You’re known for your astounding landscape photography, and it’s often difficult to get to the locations you photograph. Why do you do it? Are these images for you? Or, are you taking them as a gift to others, in the hope the pictures will resonate with them?

Tom Riggs (TR): I take the photographs for myself and process them how I remember the scene. And if that resonates or strikes a chord or an emotion or a memory in someone else, then that’s just the joy of connecting with your audience through your work.

SR: How do you decide what you’re going to photograph?

TR: If I’m out in nature, I’ll have something already in mind that I want to use as my main subject. That will anchor the picture and be what draws you or me to that specific scene. As I look at that, I try to satisfy my need for why I was there in the first place. I make sure I satisfy that curiosity first, and then I’ll look for other things that you can’t see. I’ll look around and explore other angles or a different subject matter or perspective. I may get down on the ground or get an overhead view to capture an idea I was wondering about while I was traveling to that location.

SR: When you look at a scene, how do you compose the photos you take?

TR: Usually, when I come upon a scene, I’m immediately looking for some sort of composition. I don’t know if that’s something inherent or something that is trained, but it seems to come relatively easy to me. I just notice how the eye reaches and flows and focuses around a certain landscape item. I notice the scene itself, as well as how my eye responds to it.

SR: I’ve heard you speak about drawing attention to or eliminating information from the picture. Those feel like strategic choices, and I’m wondering if you can describe the process.

Sol Duc Forest, Olympic National Park. Published by permission.

TR: If I have a subject or an anchor for the photo, I want to decide where to put it in the picture. And it’s usually not smack dab in the middle. It’s usually best to begin with some of the general rules of photography, such as the rule of thirds. That means dividing your frame into horizontal and vertical thirds to create four points where those lines intersect. Typically, it’s a good idea to put your main subject in one of those four intersections. It doesn’t mean you’re locked into that. It just means that’s a good place to start.

Then, I consider how my eye moves around that frame. Do I need to crop out details that pull the eye away from my anchor? Or if I’m walking on a trail, for example, and it leads up to a mountain peak, my eye will naturally follow the trail. If I’m aware of that and use that detail in my composition, it will help give the photograph some depth that leads the viewer into the picture toward my main subject.

SR: Are you conscious about evoking emotion in your composition process?

TR: I think that’s the deepest part of a photograph for me. And the emotion might come from the entire experience I’ve had in capturing the photo. That might mean how I got to that location. It might mean that I waited out a storm for the clouds to clear, and then, miraculously, a beautiful scene reveals itself. Emotion to me is the very essence of a photograph.

SR: Can you tell me about an experience you’ve had like that?

TR: There was a time in Oregon when I wanted to photograph a remote mountain lake at sunrise (see the picture of Trillium Lake, pictured at top). So, I drove there and tried to sleep in my car overnight. I was rewarded with one of the most incredible sunrises—a crystal clear lake with a mirror image of the mountain in the background. It was pitch dark when I got there. I had no idea what the morning would bring. But I made the effort, and it was incredible.

There was only one other photographer there, and we just looked at each other with wonder. It was almost as if we were saying to each other, “I can’t believe we’re visualizing this incredible sunrise and nobody else is around.” The emotion comes out of the whole process. It doesn’t always work out the way I hope, but I have to be open to the possibility. The voice in my head always tells me, “Well, if you don’t go, you’ll probably miss the best sunrise that’s ever been made.”

SR: So, the lesson is to embrace all aspects of the experience as part of the wonder that you’re creating in your life through photography.

TR: Yes. I’d also say that you join a community through those experiences. Most photographers are happy to help with instructions and tidbits about what they’ve learned. Rarely do you find someone who is not forthcoming with helpful information.

SR: And the experience doesn’t stop after you snapped the picture, does it? You also have the opportunity to edit the photo to bring out the wonder of what you saw when you were in nature.

TR: Yes, and the individual expression you can bring to it. It’s interesting that you can have two people who are side by side taking the same photograph, but they will come up with completely different final images. That’s what makes it so exciting.

Meet Addison Bouck
Meet Addison Bouck 1707 2560 SageRiver Consulting LLC

Addison (Addie) Bouck has joined SageRiver this summer as an intern. A true Renaissance woman, Addie is studying history, philosophy and management consulting at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. She also enjoys art, volunteering, sports and sailing—and recently returned from a semester in Italy, where she spent some of her time learning about traditional printmaking methods. We sat down with Addie this month to talk about what she’s learned at SageRiver thus far and what drew her to an internship with the firm.

SageRiver (SR): What prompted you to pursue an internship with SageRiver?

Addie Bouck (AB): I’ve always been interested in consulting. The project-based structure and the problem-solving focus really pulled me into the industry. SageRiver’s size—coupled with its clear focus on strategy—gives me a perfect opportunity to explore the industry while getting hands-on experience. I was also excited to work with this amazing team within a company culture that I find inspiring and enjoyable. The SageRiver culture is one I will look for in future jobs.

SR: What will you be focusing on this summer?

AB: As I mentioned, I was really excited about the variety of work that I get to do at SageRiver. Thus far, I have been focusing on marketing strategy and graphic design, researching emerging industry trends (e.g., artificial intelligence and collective impact), supporting client projects and interviewing other industry members to expand my understanding of the range and scope of consulting practices. I’m looking forward to putting together a final presentation summarizing my work from the summer, as well as compiling and synthesizing the research I’ve completed into a final deliverable.

SR: How does this internship relate to what you’re studying in college?

AB: I’m a history major with minors in management consulting and philosophy. Originally, I added consulting to my degree as a sort of “practical application” of the skills I’m gaining in my liberal arts core studies. However, the more I learn about consulting, and the business world in general, the more direct correlations I’m able to find between these fields. For example, storytelling is a fundamental part of historiography, as well as understanding the developments and rationality of many philosophical trends. It is also foundational to developing an actionable strategy for an organization that speaks to the organizational values and mission, while also taking into account its culture and day-to-day operations. I’m really enjoying discovering these similarities, and I’m looking forward to uncovering other connections as I learn more about the industry.

SR: What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?

AB: I spent a month backpacking in the Talkeetna Mountains in Alaska two summers ago with the National Outdoor Leadership School. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had the opportunity to do.

I also spent this past May in Barga, Italy, a small town just north of Lucca. with the wonderful artist Swietlan Nicholas (Nick) Kraczyna (pictured at left). He was my drawing professor during my semester abroad in Florence and is staging an exhibition commemorating the 50 summers he has spent creating art in Barga. He is a printmaker known for his multiplate color etchings, and he needed help producing the etchings for his show. I was lucky enough to learn from him and work in his print shop. It was a dream.

SR: What is your biggest learning at SageRiver so far?

AB: I have come to understand that team dynamics and company culture are even more important than I initially thought. Getting to work with the SageRiver team has been educational, interesting, insightful and straight up fun. I can’t wait to apply all that I have learned, not only to my future career but also to how I orient myself in future teams and communities.

Beyond Open Offices: The Workspace of the Future Is Here
Beyond Open Offices: The Workspace of the Future Is Here 622 622 SageRiver Consulting LLC

A conversation with Layer 10 Consulting

In our latest interview with business thought leaders, SageRiver sits down with Ken Wilkinson, chief enablement officer of Layer 10 Consulting. His firm has pioneered a new service called digital workspace enablement, which looks holistically at how technology can be leveraged to foster more collaborative, creative workplaces that lift team performance. We asked him how leaders should think about workspace technologies, how technology can support culture change and what the workplace of the future may hold.

SageRiver (SR): Your company has created a new service. How would you describe digital workspace enablement?

Ken Wilkinson (KW): We help clients to design technology into their workspace, so they can foster the culture they want and lift team performance.

We’re at the table before a new build or renovation begins to provide a holistic overview. We help clients define what they want to achieve, identify opportunities for technology to enhance their space and then select the right partners to support those technologies based on their goals and budget. Once those decisions are made, we collaborate with architects, engineers, IT staff and interior designers to produce the results our clients want.

SR: What’s driving the need for digital workspace enablement?

KW: The drivers are different for every client, but we see some overarching trends.

First, technology is no longer an add-on to the way we work. In the past, businesses designed their workspaces and then retrofitted them with technology. That approach cost more, and their employees were less productive because the technology didn’t work well. Organizations simply can’t afford to operate that way anymore.

Second, we have an extraordinarily tight labor market, and organizations are fighting to attract and retain talent. Millennials, in particular, want flexible, collaborative and fun workplaces. Having the right technologies in place helps companies create attractive cultures.

“The best solution is to encourage people to come to the office by creating an experience they can’t duplicate from home.”

And, third, many companies have a love-hate relationship with the work-from-home trend. On the one hand, it may help them shrink their office footprint and cut real-estate costs. They also know that many employees want—or need—to work at home at least some of the time. On the other hand, companies know that collaboration and creativity happen when people are together in a space. The best solution is to encourage people to come to the office by creating an experience they can’t duplicate at home. If companies do that while also making it possible for employees to work at home successfully when appropriate, then everyone wins.

SR: You mentioned that employees want flexible, collaborative and fun workplaces. What does that look like?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The design depends on who you are, how you work and who you want to be in the future.”

KW: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Every organization wants a “wow” space or a fun space, but there’s a balance to be struck. Some companies attract employees through open offices with spectacular amenities and recreational areas. If you’re a publicly traded company, you also want to show that you’re spending money wisely on what makes employees productive. The design depends on who you are, how you work and who you want to be in the future.

SR: What are the most important questions for leaders to ask before making workspace technology investments?

KW: We ask our clients to think big and then smart.

“Thinking big” starts with asking who they are today and who they want to be. What kind of work do they do, and how do they work together now? Are they all on site, or do some work from home? Once we know that, we ask how they’d like their culture to evolve and what they’d like to be able to do that they can’t do now.

Once we know their aspirations, we “think smart.” That involves prioritizing goals and options to fit their budget and looking at both technology solutions and other approaches that might fit the need at a lower cost.

SR: How do you design a workspace technology solution for a client?

KW: We take a multilayered approach (see diagram) to designing the right solution for each client, and we always begin with the end in mind.

Our goal is to help our clients achieve their vision in a way that optimizes the experience of individual employees and teams. For example, we often use technology to create privacy in largely open office environments through sound masking, glass masking overlays or other strategies. We’re also incorporating more sophisticated collaborative tools into conference areas to support geographically dispersed teams, or boosting wireless capabilities inside and outside buildings so employees can work anywhere.

Another goal is to help our clients get the best long-term return on their investment. Technology changes by the minute, and no one can guarantee what the future holds. We can be sure of what will stay the same, however: There will be more people with more devices needing more connectivity and mobility. We prioritize those capabilities for our clients to support their future growth and productivity.

SR: Based on your experience, do you believe technology drives culture change?

KW: We’re technology enthusiasts, and we firmly believe that people, partnered with the right technology, can work more effectively and productively. That being said, we think technology can “nudge” an organization towards culture change, but it can’t shove a workforce in a particular direction.

For example, if you have a geographically dispersed team, you may want to use videoconferencing to strengthen team relationships and improve collaboration. To get value from the investment, however, people must use the tools. You have to set expectations about how you work together, and leaders must model that behavior.

Organizations also need to acknowledge that people have different preferences and decide how much variation they’ll allow within their team. When it comes to technology, we tend to think about generational differences. We also find that where people fall on the introversion / extroversion spectrum can make a difference. Not everyone is comfortable being on view or in open spaces all the time, and those employees will be more productive if they can occasionally work in quieter, more private settings.

At the end of the day, technology is a tool that supports culture change. Leaders will get the best results if they model the behaviors they want to see and work with their teams to define group norms while respecting individual differences.

SR: As you look into the future, what are the most important trends or developments you’re noticing in workspace technologies?

KW: Near term, there are four we’re seeing.

First, companies overall are taking advantage of the reliability, functionality and ease of use of cloud-based services and storage. That means they’re spending less for IT infrastructure.

Second, organizations are investing significantly more in wireless capabilities and connection points throughout their buildings and grounds. The investments make it easier for employees to move and work in different areas throughout the day. Even more importantly, companies can now capture real-time information about where people are located and what devices they’re using. The data can help them improve security or quickly evacuate buildings during an emergency. Organizations can also see how work areas are being used and adjust to ensure they’re getting the best return on their real-estate dollars.

Third, companies are increasingly offering personalization, flexibility and choice to employees and teams. For example, in many companies, an employee will check in for a work area assignment for the day. The employee’s badge indicates the employee’s preferences about location, type of work area, temperature, desk height and more. From a team perspective, companies are using structural approaches, such as architectural walls, that enable teams to reconfigure their space as needed to fit their needs.

And, finally, there’s a trend toward detaching from things and spaces. Rather than sit in the same space every day, people are more willing to get up, move to different work areas to collaborate and shift to open or private workspaces as needed. There’s a wellness component to this as well, as many employers are thinking about how to create workspaces that promote walking, standing, interacting and other healthy behaviors.

SR: And what about trends that are further out on the horizon?

KW: Many technologies that once seemed on the distant horizon are already here in some form. Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are already being incorporated into our projects, and their role will continue to increase. Robotics are here as well, although many of the applications are too costly to be practical for most companies.

The technology that’s available today is extraordinary. Who knows what the workplace will look like in 10 to 20 years?

SageRiver Welcomes Research Consultant
SageRiver Welcomes Research Consultant 622 415 SageRiver Consulting LLC

Alexandra (Ally) Williams joined SageRiver this summer as a research consultant. Her passion for mining data, evaluating industry trends and best practices and synthesizing findings into actionable insights make her a great fit for SageRiver’s clients. We sat down with Ally this month to talk about her professional journey and what a great day looks like, both on and off the job.

SageRiver (SR): Why did you decide to join the SageRiver team?

Ally Williams (AW): I met with Susan this summer to learn more about SageRiver. I majored in psychology in college with an emphasis in research, and I’ve been looking for a way to apply those skills in a business setting. When Susan and I talked, it just clicked. The opportunity to do strategic work for different companies and clients appealed to me. It’s right up my alley. I love doing background research, sifting through data and digging into companies and finding out what’s working and what isn’t. I was inspired to jump into the opportunity and get more into the business world.

SR: What is your role at SageRiver?

AW: My title is research consultant, and I help Susan in all facets of our client work. She’s been a great mentor who shares the overall strategy so I understand how my work connects to the bigger picture. I focus primarily on research, which includes conducting background research for proposals and environmental scans and assessing business strategies, trends and best practices. For example, I’ve been researching different aspects of e-commerce strategies and reviewing studies and statistics to determine what companies are doing well and what isn’t working. That assessment will be used to help a SageRiver client develop an effective e-commerce approach. I also manage the new SageRiver Facebook page.

SR: Describe your work experiences prior to joining SageRiver.

AW: As I mentioned, I have a degree in psychology with an emphasis in research. I didn’t intend to build a career in clinical psychology, but I worked for the Mental Health Center of Denver in an administrative role. I took phone calls, set appointments and interacted with clients at the front desk. It was a good experience because it gave me insight into the actual practice of psychology.

My other work experience has been in fashion retail, at a retail boutique in the Denver Pavilions called Francesca’s and at a designer resale boutique in Denver named Styletribe Underground. That second experience was especially fun because we started a mobile fashion bus during my time there. The bus included clothing racks as well as a dressing room in the back. We had very high-end customers who expected quality customer service. I had primary responsibility for that part of the business, and I enjoyed it.

Working in retail is an experience everyone should have. It teaches you how to talk to anyone, listen well and adapt to each person you serve.  I’ve learned to be patient, get outside my comfort zone and go with the flow. Each customer is unique.

 SR: What does a great day at work look like to you?

AW: An exciting day involves qualitative or quantitative research, meeting with clients and interacting with Susan’s graduate students. I attend her Business Strategy class at the University of Colorado at Denver Business School to support a project they’re completing for Similasan Corp. We’re doing a deep dive into mobile commerce, e-commerce, spending via those channels and overall trends in consumer behavior. I’m learning so much, and I love it.

SR: Why does research interest you so much?

AW: I do both quantitative and qualitative research, but quantitative research appeals to me most. It’s always come naturally to me. I understand statistical language and methodologies, and find it exciting to dive into the data and determine what they mean. I love finding new insights and avenues to explore.

SR: You studied art history in Florence as well. How has that shaped the way you view work and the world in general?

AW: That was a terrific experience. Florence is beautiful. I studied art history and Florentine architecture. I think that experience broadened my view of the world. Seeing different countries and cultures and traveling on my own also taught me to be more independent and confident in my ability to adapt, learn new systems and solve problems.

 SR: What’s a favorite way to spend free time?

AW: I’m a very outgoing person, and I love playing tennis and hanging out with friends and family. I just enjoy being in the company of others.

I’ve also been very involved with my sorority, Delta Delta Delta, in hosting events to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Collectively, we’ve raised so much money that we’ve had a wing of the hospital named after our sorority.

And I also enjoy reading. I’ve enjoyed all the works of Gillian Flynn, which are dark but have intricate plots that pull you quickly from beginning to end.

 

Building Authentic, Whole-Life Leaders the ICAN Way
Building Authentic, Whole-Life Leaders the ICAN Way 622 415 SageRiver Consulting LLC

The Institute for Career Advancement Needs (ICAN) has been building authentic, whole-life leaders for more than 35 years. SageRiver sat down with Julie Burrell Lillig, director of strategic partnerships at ICAN, to learn about ICAN’s unique philosophy and approach to supporting leaders at each stage of the development journey.

SageRiver (SR): How did ICAN get started? What need was it intended to fill?

Julie Burrell Lillig (JBL): It started in 1981 with several female friends having a conversation in their backyard. They were all successful, but they weren’t seeing many leadership development programs open to women in those days. They decided to do something about it, and that’s how ICAN began. It was a grassroots effort to create more opportunities for women leaders and advance women in business. Interestingly, because they took a unique approach, men started asking for similar leadership experiences.

SR: For those who aren’t familiar with ICAN programs, how are they unique?

JBL: What underlies all our work is a focus on developing authentic and intentional leaders. We take a holistic approach that engages the heart and mind of a leader. We want leaders to know their values, be comfortable in their own skin and, perhaps, lead in a different way than they have been led because it reflects who they are and their maximized potential. Each program is distinct and innovative, but those core principles flow through all our work.

SR: Today ICAN offers programs for women and men, both separately and together. Why do you sponsor both gender-specific and co-mingled programs?

JBL: When the focus is on the individual leader’s self-learning and development, we’ve found that many leaders are more comfortable in same-gendered peer mentoring groups. They are less self-conscious and less likely to filter their comments, which creates an open and unique relationship-building experience. That openness and honesty are essential for growth. When we focus on team building and organizational development, it’s important to involve both genders.

SR: If I wanted to get a sense of whether ICAN’s approach works for me, where would you recommend I start?

JBL: We offer one of the largest annual leadership conferences for women in the world, and that’s frequently how people first become involved with ICAN. We’re actually celebrating our 25th anniversary conference in 2018!

We also offer Women’s Leadership Circles. These are five-week programs that engage women at different stages of the leadership journey. This program gives leaders time to reflect and share within the circles, which is where much of the learning takes place. It’s a shorter time commitment than our full Defining Leadership program, and it gives participants a good feel for our unique approach.

Lastly, we offer a program targeted for individuals who lead teams called IMPACT – which is tailored to leaders at a mid-senior level who want to grow their influence and strategic impact for their team.

SR: Let’s talk about the Defining Leadership program, since Susan Heinzeroth is co-leading two sessions this fall. What makes Defining Leadership unique?

We call it our flagship program because it’s become so well-known and respected. We offer gender-specific programs for men and women and concentrate on three content themes: Stepping into Your Power, Creating Vision and Achieving Vibrancy. The program builds self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communications skills, whole-brain thinking and leadership agility for participants and is designed to be truly transformational.

Although the program achieves a number of learning objectives, our primary purpose is to help participants dig deep to better understand their own values, passions and personal strengths and weaknesses. We believe in helping leaders develop a vision and approach to leadership that is authentic to who they are and what they believe.

We integrate a number of tools and learning experiences to help participants achieve that goal. The program includes peer-to-peer learning, one-on-one coaching, individual assessments, experiential learning, self-reflection and journaling and more.

SR: Right now, ICAN programs are hosted at your headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Do you plan to offer programs in Colorado at some point?

JBL: We’re exploring that possibility, yes. Our programs and conferences have been very popular with Colorado leaders, and we may offer local programming in your state in the next few years.

SR: Can people register for ICAN programs now?

JBL: Absolutely! You can register online at www.icanglobal.net.

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