RIC/RVA Session One Goes Off Without a Hitch and Lots of Fun

If the first event was any indication, the RIC/RVA series is going to be quite an experience!

Welcomed by the warm embrace of The Library of Virginia, last night's inaugural event was a healthy collision of historical education, creative engagement, fermented fruit, and inspired ideas. John got the party started with an invitation to begin thinking differently about Richmond's history.  Asking participants to relinquish the common story that our biggest achievements took place in the 1860s, we were encouraged to widen our view to see a picture of Richmond that honors our rich diversity. Gregg Kimbel of The Library, and Christy Coleman from The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, continued the conversation with an engaging exercise. Each of the six tables of participants were armed with a stack of 50 cards describing important events in Richmond's past. The attendees then picked nine events they thought most important, and one that was not included in the stack. In sharing their choices, each group displayed their unique opinions on what mattered most in our history. From the overly political to the inspired and creative, each group shared a different story of their version of Richmond; stories that converged to tell our collective tale.

As Bill Martin of the Valentine Richmond History Center refueled us with wine, the night shifted towards a creative exploration. Aided by six of the city's best designers, attendees brainstormed provocative posters to begin mapping out how their version of Richmond's history could be captured. The variety of the results spoke to an excitement in the room that was truly inspired. You could see on the faces of everyone in attendance that something different was being considered, and a new story beginning to be told.

With the additional support of Fraser Design Associates, and some help from the i.e.* initiative, this first event was a great kick start to getting a new conversation started. As the night wound down, there was a palpable buzz among the crowd, the kind of buzz that results from 60 people getting activated both creatively and intellectually; the kind of buzz that marks those higher moments in our day to day lives.

As this series moves on I believe we can expect that feeling to recur time and time again.

Richmond Magazine Previews Floricane’s RIC/RVA Series

Richmond Magazine's historically savvy editor, Harry Kollatz Jr., spends some virtual ink putting a comprehensive spin on the new "RIC/RVA: 400 Years of Revolution, Innovation and Change" series that Floricane is launching tomorrow with the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, i.e.*, the Library of Virginia, Peter Fraser and the Valentine Richmond History Center. The first free event in the four-part series is SOLD OUT but the whole run promises to be a real blast for participants. Here's how Harry sets the piece up:

The name of the four-week program helmed by John Sarvay and his Floricane consulting group possesses an epic sweep — RIC/RVA: 400 Years of Revolution, Innovation & Change — like a book with an accompanying documentary on DVD. And that's probably fitting, as this aims to be a public re-understanding of What Richmond Is and Why.

“The purpose is to say, ‘Let’s do something that tilts our narrative a little so that it isn’t wholly fixated on four years in the 1860s,' " Sarvay says. "Other fascinating parts of the fabric have lain fallow because of our preoccupation with that period. And we’ll have fun doing it, and take that content and create something along the way.”

Go devour the entire story at Richmond Magazine.

Top 7 Strategic Planning Lessons from the Library of Virginia

Everything I needed to know about strategic planning I learned from the Library of Virginia.

Okay, not really.

Each plan we complete for a client is such an amazing gift – and I mean that. Learning as much as possible about a client in a short period of time is always achallenge. Some of the learning might be a bit dry – audits, bylaws, code mandates – but each engagement offers unprecedented opportunities to dig into something really awesome about our region, or an industry, or a group of people. I've learned more about Central Virginia from strat egic planning than any number of sessions, readings or research.

Here are seven important lessons I’ve learned from my work with the Library this year.

1. The Library of Virginia is the amazing place you have never visited. You might have seen the building on East Broad Stree t, but have you ever been in? Have you ever seen the exhibits - the most recent was the Hatch Show. Have you ever been upstairs to look at what they have to offer? Over the years I had visited the Library several times but never the actual library portion. Go explore.

2. Writing for people who work in a library is like writing for your college English professor. I have spent more time googling grammar questions and looking up the definitions of words. Librarians and those who make a living helping people research information are very intentional about their words. This is a good reminder to reduce language down to its most essential. Adjectives and adverbs can be helpful but make sure they are not distracting.

3. Order is important. My three year old daughter is in the thick of understanding that she must turn four before she can turn five despite what she wants. But the order in which things are portrayed, even in draft form is important. If you have four outcomes that are even, then spending the time to make a graphical representation is worth your time. The lesson: Write with the most intention.

4. Self-awareness makes work easier. Floricane has worked with the Library of Virginia over the past 18 months on leadership development and organizational change. Part of that work has been around InSights, a self-discovery tool that helps individuals understand their leadership personality. Working with a group that has high self-awareness and others awareness is great! There are times when my concentration on getting things done could get in the way, but knowing that and deffering to others who are happy to let a group wrestle with an issue until they are ready to move on is the true leadership skill. Group process is outrageously hard but amazingly rewarding if it is well managed and has the right tools.

5. First-hand exposure pays dividends. Part of my work in discovery was to take a six-hour tour of the Library spending time in each of its parts including areas not typically open to the general public. There is by far no better way to understand an institution and its nuances than to take a staff guided tour. This lesson also applies to boards and staff – engaging your key stakeholders in the tangible ways you fulfill your mission will be time well spent. I heard this idea at a work session a few weeks ago and it directly applies, cancel your next board meeting and take them for a bus ride, or a tour of your building. Let those who you wish to engage internally and externally touch and feel your services. You are sure to create ambassadors faster this way than by giving them statistics and data.

6. Find your passion. At the Library of Virginia collecting, managing, and providing access to information is the very most important thing they do – and they love it. Keeping this at the forefront of the discussion helps ground the key parts of their plan. Aspirational dreams and true organizational stretches live beneath your hedgehog - or the thing that you do best. Focus your time and energy on what you are great doing.

7. A great plan gives equal footing to clarity, focus, and boldness.  Within the next week as we move from a framework to a meaty plan the Project Team will tire from me saying those three words, but they are absolutely true and essential to keep in mind.

Letter from John: March 2012

My new favorite slice of wisdom was tweeted recently by the brilliant and talented Gretchen Pisano from a conference; the words weren’t hers, but I’m awfully glad she shared them.

“What if we don’t train them, and they stay?” it read.

My first corporate job was for a Fortune 500 company that treated its people as expendable; it no longer exists. I stayed there 11 months. I stuck out my second, and last corporate, gig for 12 years – primarily because my employer supported growth opportunities for every employee.

For five years, I’ve watched businesses and nonprofits around the Richmond region tighten the reins – trimming staff, cutting budgets, eliminating training and development budgets. Those moves made sense early in the recession, but smart organizations have realized that investing in their remaining people is an investment that’s been deferred far too long.

I work hard to think of ways to help the Floricane team grow and develop. Their personal and professional growth is important for Floricane, for our clients and for each person on my small team.

Some of it is free or inexpensive – we cross-train and collaborate together on projects; we attend workshops offered by HYPE and Leadership Metro Richmond; we organize “dates” with businesses we admire and meet for breakfast to talk shop.

Other developmental opportunities are major investments of time or money. This year, Sarah is participating in the Greater Richmond Chamber’s seven-month Leadership Lab program. I’m registered for a twelve-week Technology Entrepreneurship online class through Stanford University later this spring.

Our new Insights Discovery offering – self-awareness and team development – is geared specifically for individuals and organizations who truly believe that professional training and personal growth are differentiators.

I’m tired of talking to leaders who wonder aloud, “What if we train our people, and they leave us?” If you’re still asking that question, you deserve to be left.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in asking us out for a date, we appreciate good coffee.

Playground Perspectives: March 2012

My daughter lost a button to her princess dress this morning.

By “lost” I mean she woke up at 5:30 in the morning, put on her dress, walked into our bedroomand woke us up, and burst into a cataclysm of tears. “Daddy, I have lost a button to my special princess dress!” By “lost” I also mean she completely lost it emotionally.

Whatever did I do before drama became part of my daily life? Oh, right. I worked with peo ple – and their everyday drama.

We like to pretend that drama comes in one flavor, and socially we tend to push it off as a negative. Yet, sometimes Thea’s drama surfaces real goose bumps for me – and deep, positive memories of my own childhood. Last month’s snow, for instance.

Thea was so excited about the snow that started falling Sunday afternoon, she was about to bust wide open. Which made the slow evisceration of her snow dreams by a too-mild Sunday a bit heart breaking.

I took her out sledding on a quarter inch of slush at the end of the day, and she was convinced that it was the most AWESOME THING EVER. And it sort of actually was.

The snow was just starting to seriously stick when we tucked her into bed. Imagine her delight early Monday morning.

She ran from window to window to take in the splendor of a fully snow-covered world. For a half hour before work, we sledded around the yard – I pulled, she sledded – and crunched about in the snow.

She spent the day with Nikole sledding, building snow women and eating snow cream. By the time she woke Tuesday morning the snow was gone.

Her day in the snow was, for her, the most magical day.

Broken mornings, magical days – and sometimes entirely the other way around. These are the consequences of childhood, and of living more fully into our lives.

In organizations I sometimes talk about the Language of NBC (Nagging, Bitching and Complaining). It is, so often, the language of drama, and so we are prone to dismiss it. Sometimes, we just want “those people” to stop the griping and suck it up like the rest of us.

But the power of the Language of NBC is recognizing that we only complain about (and get excited about) things that matter to us. Beneath every complaint is something we value.

Employees complaining about being excluded value inclusion. Terrible leadership? Perhaps you value clarity, vision and direction. I wish you’d help out more? I probably value teamwork – or perhaps I value you and your ability to contribute.

Thea’s values are, hopefully, still being formed. But this morning she placed a high value on a button, which likely represented something bigger to her than the actual lost object. I could have ignored her, yelled at her for waking us up over something so absurd, told her to find it herself – each of those ideas passed quickly through my head in the moment.

Each of those ideas would have represented a self-betrayal on my part. (Go read “Leadership and Self-Deception” if you’re ready to wrestle with that. Seriously. Here’s the link.)

My first impulse, simply enough, was to roll out of bed, turn on the light and help my daughter. Two weeks earlier, my first impulse was to help make the first real snowy day of her childhood magical – even though my stodgy adult self was not really keen on getting cold and wet.

This morning, found button clutched in her small hand, drama quickly evaporated. Two weeks ago, tumbling and laughing together in our snowy yard, dreams were made.

Ignoring the drama – the good or the bad kind – is no solution. Discover what lies beneath it, and help give voice to what matters in the lives of those you love.

Revolution, Innovation & Change: Experience 400 Years of Richmond’s History

We at Floricane have been brimming with excitement to announce this event series for weeks! And now that all the t's are crossed and all the i's dotted, we present to you RIC/RVA: 400 Years of Revolution, Innovation and Change. Working with i.e.* and some of Richmond's premier cultural institutions like the Library of Virginia, Valenti ne Richmond History Center and American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, we're bringing a different type of event series to you starting March 14. This is our unique, creative admiration letter to this city we all know and love. And like all the b est things in life, all four of these events are FREE. Make sure you're registered for each event here. Below you'll find more about details about the cool activities planned to expand participants' persepctives on Richmond's layered history.

03.14 RIC/RVA SESSION ONE:  SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Hosted by the Library of Virginia, participants will be led through an exploration of the varied and oft untouched parts of Richmond's 400 year history; from the well known to the never heard of.  Attendees will then divide into groups, and with the help of nine local creative advertising gurus will develop visual propaganda celebrating moments of transformation and change in #RVA. Register for Session One.

03.28 RIC/RVA SESSION TWO:  BUILT SPACES: RE-MAPPING OUR PAST

Come join us March 28th at the Valentine Richmond History Center another evening of historic engagement! Begin your night by exploring the current map of Richmond and make your own mark on the city you call home. Then, learn a bit about the buildings and spaces you're un-familiar with, and discover the telling history of things un-built, and dreams un-realized, in this de-construction of RVA. Take a tour through the Valentine's own collection of sculpted history, and re-map our town to exhibit the modern heart and soul of Richmond, Virginia. Just like every event in the RIC/RVA History Series, this event is completely free, with wine and light fare available.  Register for Session Two.

04.11 RIC/RVA SESSION THREE:  RVA B-ROLL

Who needs an award winning film when you have Richmond's long history of tourism videos! Come along for the ride April 11th at the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar for a historically entertaining evening. Grab yourself a glass and get ready to be delighted by a montage of tourism films that have been driving folks to Richmond for 70 years. Some of these things are so bad they're good! Then, let's chat about the story that isn't be told about Richmond, and lets put our heads together to re-tell it. We'll mock up the storyboard while you give us the content. End the evening by chatting about our new story, and get ready to personally have a hand in the new tale. This event is free of charge, with wine and snacks available.  Register for Session Three.

04.25 RIC/RVA SESSION FOUR:  A NEW STORY

Welcome to the screening of the new Richmond story! Once again we'll enjoy the warm embrace of the Library of Virginia, as we'll watch the film you help create. With the crowd-sourced video content you provided after our 3rd session, and the storyboard we crafted, your handy work will be the feature of the night. Join us for the screening of this 'new story,' then take a moment to chat about what it means to recraft what it is we say about our town, and how we can influence what's said about us in turn. Cap your evening properly with a little networking and a lot of inspiration. This event, like those before, is free of charge with light fare and drinks provided.  Register for Session Four.

See you all at Session One!

Nonprofits and Pinterest: A Tactical Guide

Two weeks ago, Pinterest became the fastest growing website…ever.  I consult with and teach social media for nonprofits and before each semester I try to find a new thing to add to the curriculum.

This semester, Pinterest.

First, what is Pinterest?  I like to say it is the Internet, but curated.  It is essentially a visual bookmarking tool with a social media angle. (WikiHow has a general overview of Pinterest).

It started out to be fairly female dominated but over the last six months men, brands, and a few nonprofits have started migrating over.  So in the mix of everything you need to do as a nonprofit, is pinterest worth your time?  The easy answer is probably yes.

Why?

It really depends on your organization’s ability and need to tell your story.  Pinterest would be perfect for a museum, garden, a humane society.  If you are already using a visual storytelling engine like Tumblr or Flickr, pinterest would be a great and easy tie in.

How?

For detailed examples and a list of 7 ways you can use Pinterest, download the Tactical Guide for Nonprofits, posted on Milston Consulting.

A Global Perspective

Three weeks ago, half of our team was holed up for an international affair. John, Debra, Cara and Tina all put their heads together to provide strategy and facilitation solutions for ChildFund International.

Over the course of a week, they worked with dozens of ChildFund representatives from all around the globe. Sponsorship managers from Germany, Zambia, East Timor and India – 23 countries in all – all touched down in Richmond for a week of strateg ic facilitation.

In 1938, Dr. J. Calvitt Clark originally founded ChildFund as China’s Children’s Fund right here in Richmond. Fast forward to 2012, and the organization has expanded to providing a voice for impoverished children around the world.

Esther James from ChildFund India said the week helped her learn more  about the importance of meshing together with representatives from other ChildFund teams in different countries.

“[ChildFund] is truly a unified global sponsorship team. Cross-learning from the various methods each country functions though keeping the vision/goal as the focus,” she said.

Although ChildFund is an international organization, Floricane's Debra Saneda found that many of the core problems were similar to organizations that Floricane previously worked with.

However, one of the unique challenges for ChildFund International lies in the global make-up of their organization.

“One key takeaway was that the Sponsorship Division is now a global team, with their own vision and their own leader for the first time.  This is a big departure from seeing themselves as a group of dedicated individuals in separate countries doing their own thing,” said Debra.

Davies Chisunka from Zambia noticed the extra planning effort made by the Floricane team, and remarked on the detail and care that our team put into working with ChildFund and how smoothly the entire operation ran as a result of that.

Both our team and ChildFund walked away with new lessons on bettering organizations and working with people from different cultures. More importantly, eyes were opened! Minds were refreshed! And a global perspective was born!

“I've traveled all over Europe, and parts of North Africa and the Middle East, so it was just wonderful spending time with this diverse group. Being able to spend time learning with professionals from such a mix of cultural backgrounds was eye-opening,” said John.

It was evident at the end of the week where we at Floricane really clicked with the ChildFund folks: we both just want to change the world.