organizational effectiveness Archives - Seeing Things Whole

Seeing Things Whole Announces New Continuing Education Series

Posted on September 21, 2024September 25, 2024

We are excited to introduce our new continuing education series, which expands on the Seeing Things Whole framework by empowering you with the tools and insights needed to tackle challenges, make informed decisions, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change. Join us as you become a more mindful and effective leader!

Overview

The series consists of five interactive workshops, each aimed at enhancing your ability to lead mindfully through change for more holistic outcomes. The workshops cover the following over five weeks:

Date	Topic
Tuesday, Oct 22	Articulating Your Challenge
Tuesday, Oct 29	Types of Knowledge: Accessing Your Inner Wisdom
Tuesday, Nov 12	The Coin Flip Model of Responsible Decision-Making
Tuesday, Nov 19	Communication, Clarity, and Collaboration
Tuesday, Nov 26th	Mindful Implementation and Change

*** All Sessions are Online, last 90 minutes, and start at 12:00 pm CST

You Will Learn

Throughout these workshops, you will work both individually and collectively to make progress on a leadership opportunity. Here’s what you can expect to gain:

Articulate Your Challenge: Identify the core of an organizational opportunity through structured inquiry while analyzing your beliefs to determine your core values.
Understand Types of Knowledge: Differentiate between distinct ways of knowing and practice tapping into your inner wisdom through guided visualization.
Take a New Approach to Decision-Making: Utilize the coin-flip model to honor the emotional aspects of decisions while analyzing and comparing potential outcomes.
Plan Your Communication to Maximize Engagement: Define effective communication and recognize the importance of engaging team members by seeking clarity.
Create Mindful Implementation for Change: Evaluate and propose implementation plans for organizational opportunities based on your decisions.

Workshops are Facilitated by Elaine Eschenbacher

Elaine is a writer, researcher, facilitator, and coach. Formerly Augsburg’s Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning and Meaningful Work, she launched Unleashed Azalea in 2024 where she offers coaching on leadership and creativity, and works with organizations on workshop design, facilitation, research and writing. She teaches Community Engaged Leadership courses with the Masters of Leadership program at Augsburg University and holds an MA in Organizational Leadership.

Reell Office hosts first Public Event: Human-Centered Leadership for Meaningful Work

Posted on November 2, 2023February 6, 2024

Kyle E. Smith speaking at Human-Centered Leadership for Meaningful Work It was a gift to host the Reell Office of Seeing Things Whole’s first public event – Human-Centered Leadership for Meaningful Work. The lively panel conversation sparked curiosity for considering how to bring greater wholeness and meaning to organizations. Panelists included Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University, Jun-Li Wang, associate director of Springboard for the Arts, and Kyle E. Smith, co-CEO of Reell Precision Manufacturing. Tom Henry, former CEO of Landry’s Bicycles, served as moderator.

While the panelists discussed many topics, they focused on issues of honoring individuals as whole people within organizations. Panelists discussed how employees can be engaged in ways that allow them to see how they are contributing to the larger whole which can provide them with both personal satisfaction and support the growth of the organization. Attendees heard how artist can be innovators within organizations by using iterative processes to solve big challenges for communities. Jun-Li stated that, “If we’re not thrilled and daunted at the same time, we’re not doing the work” to bring the organization and its people forward. None of this work is easy, but by bringing forward our individual gifts in the workplace, organizations can begin to thrive.

Jun-Li Wang speaking at Human-Centered Leadership for Meaningful Work Those who attended the roundtable dialogue which featured a presentation from MNCEO’s Executive Director Kirsten Kennedy, began a conversation on what it means to build a more holistic business system. While there were no concrete answers, participants were curious about how to shift workplace cultures to ones that are more collaborative while also acknowledging the roles business can play in the larger community.

The long-term work of Seeing Things Whole takes commitment by leaders to aligning actions with values while also acknowledging the tensions of organizational life may create imbalance at times. By building this intentional community of practitioners, the work of the Reell Office can support leaders to:

See better what is and what could be.
See the practical things facing organizations.
See things in the larger context that organizations are a part.

This conversation was the first hosted by the Reell Office that sought to lift up the voices of leaders working to bring greater wholeness and meaning to organizations. Stay tuned for future opportunities to engage in this important and meaningful work.