It's okay to take a lunch break, I promise.
It's okay to take a lunch break, I promise.

I am on the old edge of Millennial. That edge people like Pete Buttigieg hang on to in order to keep their street cred with young people, but still be old enough to run for president. Sometimes I shy away from being labeled “Millennial,” but I am finding that I am actually proud of some of the traits other generations hold against us. One of those traits is demanding a better work-life balance. Millennials aren’t the only ones looking for a work-life balance. In fact, a study by LinkedIn showed that nearly half of American workers would pass up a better job for more work-life balance. That sure isn’t the message I hear from the field.

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Stacy Van GorpComment
The Power of Lived Experience in Design Creation
The Power of Lived Experience in Design Creation

When approaching new solutions, many of the organizations we work with are eager to create innovative solutions. They put in countless hours building new solutions from the ground up. Unfortunately, all too often they watch these programs and solutions slowly fizzle out as they fail to gain traction in their community and target populations. All of the surveying and data collection in the world cannot change the fact that many organizations are designing solutions that are not guided by the people with lived experience in the matter. We see this across industries and areas of focus. From food banks to health clinics and private schools to local governance; solutions that are not led by people with lived experience fail to consider the full needs, wants and cultural realities of the groups they are targeting.

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Stacy Van GorpComment
Feeling stuck? Tips to Stay Productive
Feeling stuck? Tips to Stay Productive

It’s that time of year when the “new year new me” momentum is fading. We begin to forget our resolutions, move slower, and our productivity almost feels nonexistent. Whether it's our personal goals or work tasks, maintaining productivity can be difficult. In our See What I Mean team meeting, we took the time to share tips, tricks, or moments that have helped us stay productive and energized at work.

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Jenna HooverComment
Hybrid Meeting Checklist
Hybrid Meeting Checklist

As the new year approaches, we and many others are beginning to embrace a new meeting style, hybrid meetings. For those of us who have been craving in-person interaction, hybrid meetings offer an opportunity for us to come together. They are an inclusive option demonstrating flexibility and often more attendance. Hybrid meetings are hard… in theory, they are great; but without the right tools, preparation and strategies they can be a recipe for disaster.

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Jenna HooverComment
Closing the Feedback Loop
Closing the Feedback Loop

Engaging voices from the field is a critical piece of any network leader’s work. At See What I Mean, we advocate establishing a clear feedback loop. The earlier in the process, the better. Too often, network leaders think of a feedback loop as following three steps: Ask → Analyze → Demonstrate. This approach misses a critical step in a transparent feedback loop: Ask → Analyze → Share back → Demonstrate.

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Stacy Van GorpComment
Network Series: One Size Does NOT Fit All
Network Series: One Size Does NOT Fit All

It will come as no big surprise that complex networks of various sizes, demographics, purposes and needs do not fit a one-sized approach. You’ve heard this advice throughout your career and as a network leader, you’ve seen it in play. While we inherently know that one-size-fits-all solutions do not work, we struggle to understand the best ways to segment our networks.

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Meghan WaltersComment
You’re Not the Boss of Me! 5 Secrets of Leading Networks Without Authority
You’re Not the Boss of Me! 5 Secrets of Leading Networks Without Authority

Sometimes network structures are mistaken for associations or federations. Some shrug off the confusion, “What’s the difference...and who cares!” they might say. Isn’t “network” just another word for “organization”? Networks are hugely different from traditional organizations and the differences are enormously important to how well and powerfully we can work with others to accelerate and magnify important work. In my experience there are 5 “secrets” for how to enjoy a network experience and optimize the power of a great network while also taking pleasure in nobody “being the boss of me.”

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Leadership, Trust, Co-CreationStephanie Clohesynetworks, leadershipComment
Network Series: Introduction
Network Series: Introduction

Week-by-week, the See What I Mean team will be sharing all there is to know about networks; including the many lessons we’ve learned to build stronger and more connected groups. Watch SWIM Partners, Stacy Van Gorp and Jordan Vernoy discuss the Six Practices of Effective Network Leadership — what is it and why you need it.

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Stacy Van GorpComment
Virtual Onboarding Made Easy
Virtual Onboarding Made Easy

As a fully remote employee and as the newest member of the SWIM team, I have experienced virtual interviews, onboarding and the strange feeling of starting a job without ever having stepped foot in the office or shaking my bosses hand. In March of 2020, companies were forced to adapt and for the last year and a half millions of people have gone through virtual orientations and onboarding sessions. As we all continue to adjust to new realities and as the workforce experiences a great resignation, now is the time for your organization to evaluate and improve your virtual onboarding.

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Trust, Leadership, MeetingsMeghan WaltersRemote Work, Culture, Onboarding, OrientationComment
I Don’t like Icebreakers and Neither Should You
I Don’t like Icebreakers and Neither Should You

I don’t like Icebreakers. You know, the “fun” activity at the beginning of a meeting when someone throws me a beach ball and I answer a random question about myself. No thank you. While I appreciate the energy and creativity that often go into these well-intentioned activities, I hope the meeting’s purpose is strong and important enough that spending 30 minutes hearing what animal people think is most like them is not really worth the time. If the meeting’s purpose is not that important, maybe it could have been an email.

However, and this is a big however, I do believe in the importance of a relational opener to a meeting. A relational opener is something to place us in the room, or the zoom, that centers us on our work together….

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Meetings, Design, SWIM ContentStacy Van GorpIcebreaker, Effective Meetings, Meeting DesignComment
Climbing the Curve of Complexity
Climbing the Curve of Complexity

The planning process rarely begins with a clear path. We aim for simplicity, and yet the complexity builds as we consider the culture and context of our organizations and stakeholder needs. It’s helpful to have a consultant team as a guide on this journey, to bring you to the other side of complexity.

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Stacy Van GorpComment