An Insightful Morning with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Previously on the Floricane blog, I’ve joked about being like this guy.  Seriously, my Insights profile says, “when communicating with Kathy, do not get too emotional,” and do “gently remind her of the human dimension.” Unsurprisingly, I don’t think I am often (ever) described as acting “warm and fuzzy.” But, I sure felt like this warm and fuzzy guy last Monday, after meeting the team at the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).

It’s not just that LCLD’s mission to “creat[e] a truly diverse U.S. legal profession” is tailor made for my heart-strings (I used to work in the legal field, as a women’s rights project director). Beyond that shared passion, the people that do the hard work of making LCLD’s mission a reality touched me with their camaraderie and thoughtfulness as we spent the morning delving into Insights. Many of us know how inspiring it feels to be on a team that’s relational and supportive, and I could tell the LCLD team “clicks” like that. Watching (and helping) a team dive even deeper into figuring out who they are and how to relate even better to each other is incredibly inspiring, too.

Even before we started the session, a whole bunch of human dimension emotions flooded the room. A number of people nervously anticipated their Insights results. My favorite quote was, “I’m afraid the results will show I’m too bossy – or another b-word.” Two thoughts came to mind as I listened in:  One, I am someone who routinely sends brag texts to my friends after I check tasks off my to-do list – texts of endlessly repeating queen emojis. Needless to say, I hadn’t thought to worry about being seen as “bossy.” Two, Insights uses an online evaluator, testing word pairs to describe your style, and honestly, it hadn’t occurred to me that the word pairs alone – before even getting results -- would trigger worry.

The LCLD team’s warmth and harmonious dynamic helped to lift the worries in the room though, as teammates dug deep in to what makes their varying styles valuable. Personally, I am thankful that the LCLD team gave me the chance to step back from my usual style, put myself in their shoes, and practice how to more relationally convey one of the key take-aways of an Insights session: there is no right or wrong style, but an awareness of your preferences will help you become more adaptable.

Getting to Know the Team: Molly

We've got a little spider action in the office this summer! Richmond Spiders, that is. Our new Intern, Molly, comes to us from the Bonner Scholar Program at the University of Richmond by way of Massachusetts. We're excited to have Molly on the team to support the multitude of projects we've got coming up this summer, and to give her an inside peek into the world of Richmond non-profits and strategic planning! Read on to get to know her a little better, and keep an eye on the blog for more from her this summer!

Floricane Q&A

1.     Do you want to rock n’ roll all night or party everyday?

Can I say both?

2.     Which President would you most like to have a drink with, past or present?

I once read that Andrew Jackson once threw a party with a 1,500 lb wheel of cheese as the centerpiece, so I feel like drinks with him could be pretty great. Lincoln is my #1, though.

3.     If you were not doing this job you’re doing now, what job would you be working?

I would probably be waiting tables in my hometown (Barnstable, Massachusetts) and doing other odd jobs to add to my currently empty travel fund.

4.     Pie or Cake or Neither?

Cake. But if we are counting pizza as a pie, pizza over everything.

5.     Do you have a favorite Sharpie color?

I am partial to Cerulean.

6.     Your favorite place for dinner?

I have a long list of places to try, but my favorite so far is Stella’s.

7.     What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty, laughter, compassion, dependability, a sense of adventure. More than anything, I love people who are unapologetically kind.

8.     What is your idea of happiness?

Cape Cod summers. A tough hike to a beautiful lunch spot. A long flight to somewhere exciting. Anything involving family (including my dogs), friends, and/or the outdoors.

9.     Excluding your work a Floricane, who was your best boss, and why?

The summer after my sophomore year in high school I worked as a hostess at a local restaurant. My boss was an Ecuadorian immigrant, Cesar, who worked his way up from ‘bus-boy’ to manager of a successful Italian restaurant in a few short years. Cesar showed me the value of hard work. More importantly, he showed me the value of a positive attitude and a friendly smile.

10.  What is your go-to book, relative to the work you do with Floricane, and why?

Adam Grant’s Give and Take suggests that there is much more to success than passion, hard work, talent, and luck. Grant’s book illustrates the profound impact that positive personal interaction and ‘paying it forward’ can have on an individual’s success. While I have not yet had much work experience, I hope to carry this message with me as I find my place in the professional world.

11.  What are three things you love about Richmond?

Although I have gone to school in Richmond for the past three years, I have just begun exploring all that the city has to offer. While I have only scratched the surface, I love Richmond’s vibrant art community, its focus on outdoor living/activities, and of course, the food!

12.   What’s next for you?

Senior year baby!

13.   And lastly, what are the things that excite you most about Floricane, its clients and the community in 2015?

Though I have only been with Floricane for a week, it is clear that this experience will connect me with creative, passionate, and remarkable people from all walks of life. I am excited to learn more about the city of Richmond itself as well as those who call it home. 

Mismatched Boots, Buttercups and Generations at Work

Floricane's May newsletter has hit the streets, and has already gotten traction around John's monthly letter. This month's Letter from John is focused on the generational transfer of power currently taking place in our organizations -- as Boomers accelerate their way out of the workforce, and the Millennial generation (for the first time) makes up the majority of the labor force. Acknowledging the significant of the change, John has a simple message for managers and leaders:

“If you’re managing Boomer workers, sit down with them, one-on-one, and understand their skills, their passions, their motivations. If you’re managing Gen X workers, same thing. Millennials? Ditto. (And get ready for the post-Millennial generation. They’re already serving ice cream at Gelati Celesti.)

If you understand the personality and work style of each employee, and adapt your leadership style to their competence and commitment, you’re well in your way to creating a work environment that works for any generation.

The truth of the matter, you’re not managing generations. You’re managing individuals.”

Also in the May newsletter:

• Insights Explorations returns in May with a focus on creating a personal vision
• Strategic planning with Housing Opportunities Made Equal
• Our May $10 Toolkit is on building a strong organizational climate
• The Fall 2016 Leadership Circle is open for applications
• Cowork Discovery Day returns to our collaborative workspace in the RTD Building. Join us on May 18...
• The Playground Perspective has an adorable picture

Sensing New Knowledge with Insights Explorations

Please welcome to the Floricane blog; Rick Jarvis of One South Realty! He blogs constantly about Richmond here, here, and here. He's been a big Insights® fan from the beginning, so we thought we'd ask him what he learned at our first Insights® Explorations workshop. Turns out there are still things left to learn even after three public workshops!

I don't know what I don't know.

And I would like to thank Floricane and Insights® Discovery for reminding of me of that, AGAIN.

Background — I am kind of an Insights junkie. Last year, I was told (jokingly, I hope) by one of the Floricane team that I might not be allowed back to another Insights workshop since I had been to so many of them. Since I became a part of the cult … errr … program, back in early days, I figure that I had been to at least 4 or 5 workshops and had, on multiple occasions, brought several of the Floricane folks to our office to help train our agents. I was also lucky enough to be involved in all three of the Tilted small business un-conferences, where Insights was an integral part.

Needless to say, I had been exposed to the material quite a few times.

Now, while I was in no danger of being able to teach a class on Insights, I did feel that I knew the subject matter pretty well (at least well enough to write this) and would argue that I consciously used the Insights framework in my day-to-day dealings with colleagues, friends and family. So when Kathy Greenier, one of the newer folks to call Floricane home, called me to personally invite me to the next iteration of Insights, I was more than happy to accept as, in full candor, I love this stuff.

But what would make this version – Floricane’s new Insights Explorations program –  different than the last 8 times I went through the material, you ask? I wondered, too. I knew my colors and I knew my (many) blinds spots. I even knew how to recognize stress-based behaviors and what to do (or not to do) when things were going off the rail. Again, I thought I was pretty well versed.

Well, you don't know what you don't know.

The concepts of intuition and sensation – how we process and take in information – was introduced to the group. I think, to a person, we were all immediately crinkling our brow and trying to sort through another one of the subtleties of Insights. You know that moment in Insights where you have the ‘a ha’ moment? Yeah, that happened again … except times about 50.

In a nutshell, besides the tendencies we all have towards introversion or extroversion as well as the data or gut feel that drives our decisions, people also tend to fall into two basic camps when it comes to taking in and dealing with information. Are you more of a ‘what if?’ person or a ‘what now?’ type? Do you focus on what is coming or on what just happened? Is it known or is it possible?

The introduction of two new thought constructs that live on the wheel we are so familiar with just seems so obvious now. I get it. It makes so much sense. I can see it everywhere and in everyone. But again, it took Insights to make me realize how little I really know.

I can’t wait for the next one.

Rick Jarvis is the founder of One South Realty, and an official Insights aficionado. Check out Floricane’s new Insights Explorations series here!

Not Sure What Millennials Are All About? Just Ask One.

Millennials. Everybody talks about them, but nobody can agree on what they’re all about. They are lambasted as a lazy, entitled, and narcissistic generation, or praised for being diverse, open to change, and connected. Given the intense debate around positive versus negative generational differences, we should not be surprised that millennials themselves actually reject the label in large numbers. Generations are just like people in that they have personalities, and negatively stereotyping a generation can feel just as off putting as boxing a person in to an inflexible personality type.

I am an old millennial. There, I confessed. Lately, I am increasingly appreciating the need to stand up and own my generational label, for better or worse.

Take, for instance, an example from two weeks ago when I participated in an IQ Charrette at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “IQ Charrette” is a clever term for “brainstorming session,” and we took on no small task:  brainstorming to help shape the future of the garden. Over the course of two thought-provoking days, participants spoke a lot about what the garden means to us personally and as a city. We talked about how to ensure that the garden stands the test of time, yet appeals to all kinds of people, in a way that contributes to a diverse, inclusive, community.

At the start of day one, I shared with the group that Lewis Ginter holds a special place in my heart because it’s one of the first places in my adopted city that made me feel less nervous about the scary, life-changing decision I made to move here. When I first arrived in Richmond, I had trouble identifying with the city’s cultural touchstones because they felt so different from up North. Lewis Ginter reminded me of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, helped ease my homesickness, and made me feel open to everything else Richmond has to offer.

I shared that story with the charrette participants hoping to convey what Lewis Ginter means to a transplant, but upon reflection, the story is also one with which other millennials can identify. I graduated law school in 2010 – a peak year of the recent economic crisis that has affected millennials like no other age cohort. I did not want to leave New York City, but I would have moved anywhere for a good job in my field (soul-crushing student debt, another feature of millennials’ lives, will certainly give you motivation). I was incredibly lucky to get my dream job, but watching the career paths of the generations before me scared me. I worried that I might not like my new city and would be stuck in one place, forever. (Sidebar:  in case you’re wondering, it seems like a myth that millennials change jobs more often than prior generations.)

By the end of the second day, I took the opportunity to vocally identify with the label “millennial.” The charrette facilitators assigned participants a cast of different “characters,” and asked us to plot out on a paper map how those people might spend a day at the gardens. My small group took on a day in the life of what can only be described as a #squad of young hipsters. As my team and I talked about what new features we would build in the gardens for makers and vinyl records collectors, the words “I would love that!” leapt out of my mouth. I told the group, “Well… um… I am a millennial. An old one.” I waited for them to think of me as self-absorbed and addicted to my iPhone.

Of course, my teammates had a fantastic response:  they didn’t engage in silencing, negative stereotyping. They, most older, took the time to engage and listen to my personal perspective. While nobody can speak for all of their demographic, I felt empowered and included to speak up for what I personally enjoy about the gardens as a young(er) person. I felt even more welcomed in to the Lewis Ginter community that the charrette participants so rightly strive to grow.

My take away is this:  if you are not sure what millennials are all about, just ask one. Asking someone else’s perspective turns on your creative thoughts and helps shape the future in ways we can never accomplish when we in-authentically label. Lewis Ginter knows this lesson, and I am so appreciative that they invited me back to join a small group of millennials for lunch, where we will continue discussing the garden’s master planning process. I am so happy to be included and feel honored to be asked.

In other words, I am so excited I can’t even. Stay tuned for more, after next week

In Case of Emergency, Put on Your Own Mask First.

We recently kicked off our 5-day Manager Development Program. (MDP) During the first morning, we asked the group to think about a great manager in their life and to list what made them great. Collectively, this is the list they generated.

The MDP participants from 12 organizations varying in size and complexity, will explore numerous models, approaches and techniques to figuring out what their best management looks like and how it impacts others. Our hope is that each workplace is also a bit transformed by each manager’s experience. 

The Manager Development Program specifically addresses what each manager can influence. We aren’t trying to change organizations, bosses or teammates. Our focus during the program is to guide each participant to answer the question, “What is my best management style?” 

Just like the list above, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the “many”, but choosing to narrow our scope to the “few” can be freeing. 

At Floricane, our work is guided by the strongly held belief that we can change the world by providing space for folks, to breathe and explore their own path. It’s like the adage, in an emergency put on your own oxygen mask, before you help anyone else put on their mask. MDP, as we affectionately call it does just that, making it okay for managers to put on their own mask first.  

Innovation = Brain On Fire

There are questions that all of us – individually, and within our organizations – ask every day: How do you do your best brainstorming? You probably know at least a little bit about how you work best, but how do you grow? How do you learn new ways to think and solve problems?

Perhaps you’re like me – you want to focus on facts and details, follow a consistent procedure, reason logically first and consider emotions second, and persistently question. Picture this guy. If you’re like me (and Spock), it can be challenging to work on unstructured projects, think “outside the box,” and be open to unconventional solutions.

Luckily, last week offered an amazing opportunity to learn new ways of thinking when Floricane joined our friends at Child Fund International for a rapid innovation lab. Child Fund strengthens communities and families by supporting the resources children in poverty need to succeed, from education to health to nutrition and more. Unfortunately, across the international philanthropy sector, charitable gifts are stagnant. International nonprofits, like Child Fund, must innovate and attract new, sustainable donors.

Enter the rapid innovation lab as a creative, “outside the box” problem solver! Rapid innovation labs are an active, fast-paced method for building capacity, designing solutions, and creating and testing products. Lab facilitators help participants through a series of exercises that lead people from thinking big picture to thinking about concrete plans. Participants work in small groups and as a whole to generate ideas, design prototypes that bring their ideas to life, and receive feedback.

During last week’s session, three members of Floricane gathered with community stakeholders and Child Fund employees at the James River Winery.  The variety roles represented in the group all but guaranteed a solid foundation for productive brainstorming: from new college graduates to folks with a lifetime of experience in their careers, across disciplines.

The Child Fund lab focused on identifying new types of donors and developing new ways to capture them. First, we talked about products we love, and why (everything from mascara brands to favorite airlines). We then developed a list of ideas for donor engagement that tapped in to the themes associated with why we love the products we love. When coming up with ideas, we always said, “yes, and…” so as not to stifle the brainstorming process. Then we played with pipe cleaners! I never consider myself creative, but working with your hands to draw or model an idea truly stimulates your brain in new ways. By the end of the day, participants had generated a list of dynamic donor engagement programs, and the start of action plans that the Child Fund innovation team will take back to further develop.

Honestly, at first I was nervous. I wondered if I would be able to contribute effectively to a creative process that starts by focusing on the big picture. I worried about whether we would come up with the “right” answers for Child Fund. Needless to say, it’s hard to step outside of your comfort zone! In the end, the group was swimming in fabulous ideas. You could feel the energy in the room as action plans poured out of us. I left feeling like my brain was on fire – in an amazing way – reveling in the excitement of learning something new.

I am so glad I went “outside the box” and learned how important it is for me and the organizations we serve to shake things up, adapt, and take time out to innovate and dream! 

Can I Get An Amen (for new experiences)?

Last week, I spent the better part of two days volunteering my consulting and facilitation time with the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. I didn't suddenly "catch" religion, and the folks at the Virginia Conference certainly weren't calling on me for my deep theological expertise. No, I was part of a small team helping the Virginia Conference UMC "accelerate" seven church-based programs.

I blame Todd Nuckols of Lighthouse Labs RVA for all of this.

Lighthouse has helped to accelerate some 20 start-up companies in Richmond in recent years -- taking groups of entrepreneurs through 12-16 weeks of intensive work to shape and refine their business ideas. I've had the pleasure of being on the periphery of Lighthouse's work. The co-located one of their acceleration rounds in the 1E collaborative workspace we've built with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I've also been in the room with Todd and others in recent years discussing Richmond's own start-up ecosystem.

Late last year, Todd connected me with Chris Bennett, the pastor at St. Matthew's UMC in semi-rural Goochland County, Virginia. The three of us met, and Chris talked about his idea to accelerate a group of church-based ministries, or community programs. Chris had the programs, which received some funding from the Virginia Conference, and a date on the calendar. Todd had connections to mentors who could help them focus on and refine their efforts. I had a few ideas on designing the session and was tasked with facilitating slices of the day, but mostly spent my time trying not to use any bad language.

Fast forward to last week, as 20 UMC parishioners joined together with 15 entrepreneurs to take a business approach to their community-centered ministries. There was a community garden, several food banks and meal programs, a preschool, and a home repair ministry. In no time, the teams were engaged in energetic discussions about the focus of and opportunities for their programs.

By the end of the second day, each UMC team had a six-month plan to take back to their church and implement. Each plan was built around a single idea -- such as, develop a younger volunteer base, build more community partnerships, raise money, increase services. The Virginia Conference plans to bring them back together in August to see how they've done.

It was, admittedly, a fast, imperfect acceleration. We knew going in that the process would tap Todd's acceleration expertise and my consulting skills in finite ways. But for a pilot program, we moved each group in the right direction.

Having opportunities to engage with different communities, groups of people whose life trajectory is uniquely different than my own, is what continues to make my life with Floricane so special. Whether I'm with a group of older Methodists talking about broadly familiar concepts of God, faith and ministry (with my checkered Catholic, Episcopalian and Quaker pedigree), engaged in strategic planning with a group of adoption attorneys, or helping academicians redefine the concept of leadership in higher education, the journey always challenges my perceptions, deepens my learning and is hella fun. (As the kids say, when they're not watching their language.)

We're already talking about ideas for a second acceleration with the Virginia Conference. I've cast my vote for a multi-demoninational approach that would bring together faith communities of all stripes from specific towns or cities to work collectively on an idea -- because that would be challenging and fun both. In the meantime, I'm off in search of another opportunity to engage a new community in some creative exploration. (Oh, hello there, Beautiful RVA. See you in a few weeks.)