Conference Calls: Eliminate Your Biggest Challenges This is Part Three of a three-part series designed to help you master the right tools to make your calls more meaningful, engaging, and participative.

Workforce shifts present challenges to continuous organizational learning, and demand close attention and smart, rapid solutions.

We are at a new stage of development in human consciousness. Organizations are striving to reinvent themselves to keep pace with our evolving need for a different, fresh, successful human organizational structure.

No issue facing business today has a greater need for a collaborative approach than the issue of Women in Leadership.  The business case is irrefutable and the gender dividend is well documented.  Companies with more women in senior leadership roles and on boards perform better. 

Listening to viewpoints that differ from our own can be tough going. Luckily, you only need to be "good enough" at listening to get remarkable results.

I asked my eighteen-year-old daughter if she understood what the image to the right represented.  She had no idea.

It’s not good enough to be smart and know your job at Atmos Energy, one of the largest natural gas-only distributors in the U.S.  If you can’t build solid working relationships, you simply won’t be successful at Atmos Energy. 

Interaction Associates CEO Barry Rosen explores the people side of collaboration in this article, published in Training Industry Magazine’s 2015 Perspectives on Leadership Special Edition.

Self-directed work teams (SDWTs) are enjoying a surge of popularity these days. These teams are made up of employees who bring their different skills and talents to work together, without typical managerial supervision, toward a common purpose or goal.

Interaction Associates has wide experience working with global companies on strategies to advance women into top leadership ranks. In an effort to gather more data about challenges and obstacles, we recently conducted a Pulse Survey of 420 businesspeople.

Interaction Associates has wide experience working with global companies on strategies to advance women into top leadership ranks. In an effort to gather more data about challenges and obstacles, we recently conducted a Pulse Survey of 420 businesspeople.

At Interaction Associates, we often say that "meetings are a microcosm of an organization’s culture." That’s because the way people collaborate in meetings is a snapshot of the way they accomplish the mission of the organization.

For many leaders, developing self-awareness is one of their toughest challenges. We all have blind spots, so the question is: How can we identify them and become more self-aware around them? At IA, we point to The Model of the Facilitative Leader™ (see below).

The Beginning Eighteen years ago today, I packed up my things at my beloved desk at Barclays Global Investors, on the 29th floor of a large building on Fremont Street in San Francisco. I walked out the door with great memories. I had a wonderful ride as Director of Training and Development. I met smart, interesting colleagues, was forever turned on to the field of training and development, and experienced the best managers I have had before or since, Barbara Sanner and Kris Billeter. I was about to turn 30. I had pneumonia. I had worked a "side hustle" in the evenings for over eight years as the volunteer executive director of a non-profit martial arts organization, in addition to working a demanding day job. I was tired, and ready for a change. I had no idea what was next in my career. Working on the human side of business was not the question — I loved that field. I just wanted to find the best place and work mode to be challenged and grow creatively. I interviewed at a bunch of places and got some job offers. But nothing sounded interesting. That is when I got the idea to freelance for a short while for my former manager Kris, who had moved to Hewlett-Packard. I started on a big project to redesign HP’s worldwide management education curriculum, and became instantly hooked on consulting. The next 10 years were an amazing adventure that brought me into hundreds of different companies, where I worked with thousands of smart people who wanted to become better managers and leaders, improve team communications, design their jobs and organizations in a smart way, and communicate effectively with their employees. The Next Chapter After ten years of that work, I was ready for a new adventure. I had spoken to many people over the decade who were interested in working for themselves, or starting up interesting entrepreneurial ventures on the side of their day job. That led to starting the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog, which turned into a thriving coaching business, book and community. Helping people design and launch businesses, while growing their  leadership and business skills, was tremendously exciting. Building partnerships with large organizations that served the small business market was extremely rewarding. And then, after nine years (notice the general pattern?), I began to itch for a new challenge. The New Idea Having worked in just about every work mode possible (employee, entrepreneur, stay at home mom, freelancer, non-profit volunteer), I wanted to help the broader market see the unique new skills required to thrive in this wild ride of the new world of work. This led to writing Body of Work and launching this new site. This led to partnering with Susan Cain and Quiet Revolution to undertake a big, audacious project (The Quiet Leadership Institute, more about that soon!) that will empower introverts to use their natural strengths in the workplace, for the benefit of us all. We have so much more in common than we think- people in every work mode want to know that the work they do matters, they want to enjoy what they do, and they want to know that they will remain highly employable, no matter the economic climate. My heart sings when I get to help individuals, organizations and communities work together to create positive, productive and sustainable economic growth. So that is my next challenge! The Vision for This Space My vision for this next phase of my body of work, housed here at pamelaslim.com,  is that I will share: Tips and tools for identifying your unique talents, your ideal work projects and your value in an ever-changing marketplace Stories of individuals and companies who are doing a great job of communicating the thread that ties their brand story together Interviews with creative thinkers, makers, doers and be-ers (is that a word?) The broadest representation of who we are in the working world, including professions, people and communities that don’t get as much mainstream exposure as they should Best practices for leading organizations in the new world of work Stories about communities (like Fargo, North Dakota) who are working to improve their economies and social fabric by encouraging industry, academia, government, creatives and entrepreneurs to work together on mutually beneficial initiatives I look forward to you joining me on this next stage of my body of work adventure! If it is anything like the last few, we are in for a very fun and wild ride! 18 years old in my country means you are legally an adult. So it is time to get serious about this mission! Now a question for you: What’s next in your body of work? I want to know! Please share below in the comments.  

Photo by Eugene Chan, in the Port Costa School I have spent a lot of time this year speaking about your individual body of work — that unique bundle of actions, behaviors, choices, emotion, output and art you create throughout the course of your life that defines your legacy. In this discussion and discovery, I have also been thinking about body of work on a bigger scale. The other day on Facebook, my friend Deb Brown, who is the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Webster City, Iowa, posted on my page "What about a community body of work?" Deb knows a lot about that, since she spends her days bringing together business owners, farmers, artists, officials, academics and entrepreneurs for the good of Webster City. While her efforts directly affect the merchants, they also affect the broader community, which benefits from a better economy, fun events, lower unemployment and more retail options. We are all part of a larger community, whether we choose to engage with it or not. Often, we stay in our isolated groups. Families stay locked up in their houses, unaware of their neighbors. Business people stay locked away in their conference rooms, unaware of the artists or unemployed workers in their cities. Coaches stay locked away in their Facebook groups, unaware of the accountants or military veterans who need help in their midst. Brick and mortar businesses stay focused on their buildings, unaware of the wild Internet world, and all the ideas and connections available there. What would happen if we determined that our body of work included our community’s body of work? What if we measured our success at the end of the year not just by our own well-being, achievements and bank accounts, but also by the well-being, achievements and bank accounts of those around us? What if we could take pride in knowing that we helped our local businesses increase earnings by 20%? Or that we used our connections to help bring a large employer to the area? Or that we got a favorite client in a national newspaper? Or that we helped raise awareness for a charity or cause that we may or may not be affected by? Or that we helped single moms figure out a way to get affordable child care so that they could get better jobs? Photo by Eugene Chan On August 2, a group of us gathered in the Port Costa School to ponder these questions. We were part of a day-long workshop, Build a Movement, Change the World, that was a fundraiser for the Port Costa School, and an incubator for a wide range of people who were interested in making the world a better place. During the day, we reflected on what we need to do to make our communities more healthy, creative, just, active and flourishing places. The speakers Lewis Stewart (my Dad), Ridge Green, Greg Hartle, Desiree Adaway and Abe Cajudo gave tons of ideas and insight into how we can be strong, effective leaders and community builders. (I promise to share lessons in upcoming blog posts) Lewis Stewart, aka Pops. Photo by Eugene Chan A big message that my Dad shared from his many decades as a community volunteer is that helping others in your community is not only important, but it is fun! A dedicated group of volunteers in Port Costa has been working for 30 years to restore the Port Costa School so that it can be used for community events, art classes and training programs. They didn’t receive funding or direction from an outside entity to do the work, they just saw the potential in the space and decided to do something about it. Each of us has what it takes to be a leader in our community. And by leader, I mean someone who cares about something in addition to our personal gain and well-being. My friend Scott Meyer, CEO of 9 Clouds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, just wrote a great post about the idea of Civic Headhunters — people who could actively recruit community members who have a lot to contribute to a region. This is an idea that I would love to see take root in our communities. But until formal structures appear, there is a lot you can do as an individual. Here are some ideas for building your community’s body of work: If you have a marketing or social media background, ask your favorite local businesses if they have a Facebook page. If they don’t, spend an hour or so creating one for them, then training them on ways they could use it to promote their business If you have kids in school, ask their teachers what they need help with this year. Is it school supplies? Snacks? Professional development? Ideas for lesson plans? Educational activities or entertainment? Instead of complaining about what is not happening in your school (admittedly one of my biggest pet peeves), do something to make it better. If you have influence, help dog owners get permission to open a dog park in your community. Even if you are not particularly fond of dogs. If you have influence, help parents get new playground equipment for your neighborhood park. Even if you are not particularly fond of kids. If you are a well-connected professional and know your neighbor’s recent college graduate son is out of work, volunteer to sit down and  help him map out a job search strategy. If you know local artists, share their work on your social media channels, and invite your friends to attend their gallery openings If you love to cook, prepare a meal for the stressed out bachelor next door who always arrives home at 9pm with a fast food bag. If you are an artist with entrepreneurial friends, offer your artist space for a business gathering. Help them to create a unique and fun environment for colleagues or prospective clients. If you know active elders that love to help kids, see if you can match them with students in need of tutors, like this awesome English tutoring initiative in Brazil. If you are a business networking group, invite a different kind of speaker to your monthly event. Like a youth leader from the Boys and Girls Club, or a local farmer, or a stay at home mom. If you have a co-working space or local library that hosts community events, volunteer to offer your expertise by speaking, mentoring, or reading books to children. If you are sitting on a bus and a lonely elder strikes up conversation with you, take time to listen. Grieve the loss of their spouse. Revel in the cuteness of their grandchildren. Lament the fact that everyone is so busy on their phones these days that they don’t have time to talk with each other. Each individual action may not raise the GDP or reduce the national debt. But it will send a gentle ripple through the heart of the person you are helping. Who will feel inspired to help others. And the ripple will get bigger, and the impact will grow. And before you know it, you will start to feel the pulse of the body of work of your community. And you will find that when you have a need — to get a job, build your business, heal from illness or build a fence — your community will be there for you. What are ways your community is aware of and building a collective body of work? I want to hear your stories! Please share them below. Blog post links welcome!  

One of the first rules of self defense I learned from my mixed martial arts teacher Kelly Fiori was the importance of training and repetition. "If someone attacks you in the street, you will not have time to think about how to respond. It must be absolute instinct. You must continually train so that self defense becomes second nature." This led to many hours of drills, and more times that I can count feeling the discomfort of closing my eyes as a fellow student grabbed me from behind, or put his hands around my neck while I desperately tried to get away. It freaked me out each time. But I kept at it, because I learned that I got slightly less freaked out the more that I practiced. Then I started to feel more powerful, even with my eyes closed. I almost clocked my teacher once when he jokingly grabbed my arms from behind when I was in line at Starbucks. I like to think he was proud of my reflexes. He was glad I didn’t have my coffee yet This mantra of training for the worst, so you can enjoy the best, became a key part of my philosophy in career development. How safe is your career? In today’s world, we need to take a proactive stance toward career security. Markets are unstable. Organizations change. Businesses go through booms and busts. It is dangerous to think that if you just close your eyes and get through your day, that things will just work out. They may not. You cannot control the stability of your career. But you can train yourself to be as safe and prepared as possible. Here are 5 ways you can practice career self defense: 1. Always have a backup plan. Know at least one way you could earn an income if your current situation changed. If you work for yourself and your business goes through difficulty, do you know how to interview for a job? If you work for a company and you get laid off, do you know how to freelance for awhile until you find another position? Spend some time thinking about a backup plan, and you will rest easier. 2. Know your deliverables. Whether you work for yourself or someone else, you receive money to deliver specific results. Revisit these priorities and expectations. Get clarity on any part that is murky. Then deliver what you promised. 3. Build your network now. The worst time to reach out to someone new and influential for the first time is when you need something. The best time is when you are simply interested in connecting with smart, interesting and hard working people. Build your connections before you need them. Help others before you ask for help. Then when you need help, they will be there for you. 4. Have proactive conversations about your role. Don’t wait for your annual performance review to find out how you are doing in your job. Check in with your boss, or your client, at least on a quarterly basis. Ask how things are going. Ask if there is anything you can be doing better to solve their problems. Ask what things are keeping them up at night, so you can understand the challenges they are facing. Most people avoid conflict, and will be thrilled if you initiate a safe way for them to let you know how you can improve your performance. 5. Check your current online profiles. How current is your "About" page on your website? Has your LinkedIn profile been updated since 2011? When was the last time you took a new headshot? What do you find online if you google your name? Take some time to update and refresh your online profiles so that you tell an updated and coherent story about who you are, what you specialize in, and why people would want to connect with you. Stay safe out there!  

  Whenever we set out to make things better in our lives — improve our career, grow our business, get in shape, make a bigger impact in the world — fear and doubt creep in. In her work coaching women and in her own personal life, Tara Mohr saw a pattern emerge, a problem she describes as women "playing small." Women are sitting on their big ideas rather than sharing them, holding back their most provocative questions instead of asking them. They are having a collective hallucination that they aren’t "ready" for that bigger role or next step. She made it the focus of her work to help women start playing bigger — pursuing their dreams for their lives and careers, and sharing their voices more boldly. Join me and Tara in this conversation where we explore these themes, and discuss ways to help women (and men) overcome barriers to playing bigger in the world. Here is the link to download directly: http://traffic.libsyn.com/escapefromcubiclenation/Tara_Mohr_Playing_Big.mp3 Or you can listen online here: To purchase her amazing book, Playing Big, out new this week, go here: http://www.taramohr.com/book/

If there is one thing that I have heard my dear friend Tim Berry (founder of Palo Alto Software and my personal Obi Wan Kenobi of business planning) say over and over through the years, it is: "All plans are wrong by definition. But the act of planning is essential to business success."   One of the main reasons I wrote Body of Work was to energize my network around the idea of consciously choosing what you create, contribute, affect and impact throughout the course of your life. And when "throughout the course of your life" becomes too overwhelming of a timeframe, I like to go with "what are you going to create in the next 12 months?" We are on the first day of December, 2014. You have 30 days left to spend some time thinking about your goals and strategic priorities for next year. I will be sharing tools and ideas this month to help you with this planning process. Here are three questions I ask you to ponder as you decide what to create next year: If 2015 were to be the last year I could create and contribute something uniquely meaningful to the world, what would that something be? Who do I care about serving next year? What do they need? What brings me great joy to create, and leverages my strengths? Brainstorm a list of ideas, whittle your list down to three, then have some fun with one of the simplest planning tools I know: a flip chart and a stack of post-it notes. I made a short video to help illustrate this tool. (Link to see it on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/K6g33Fw3dSg  ) Stay tuned for more tips on planning and crafting your body of work in the month of December. The world needs what you have to offer!

Ah, young love! Photo by my Pops, Lewis Stewart I remember the date that proved without a doubt that my husband Darryl was the man for me. We were in Northern California, and we started the day with strong Peet’s Coffee in Oakland. We drove to Phoenix Lake in Ross, where I used to go as a little girl, and hiked around the lake, drinking in the quiet beauty together. After lunch in my hometown of San Anselmo, we drove to Berkeley for a Pow Wow, where we enjoyed beautiful music and dancing all afternoon. That evening, we had a quiet dinner by the fire back at my flat in Oakland, looking at the twinkling lights around Lake Merritt. Both of us called it "the longest day in the world," because it seemed to stretch on forever, the slow pace allowing us to experience beauty all around us. Now, after having been married for a decade, we still recall that day with affection, since it captures the spirit of our relationship, and the nature of our love for each other. In the every day life of these past 10+ years, there have been struggles and arguments, sleepless nights carrying crying babies around, hard work, prayers, hugs, endless dish and towel washing (seriously, it is about a 10 towels to kid ratio each week), tender conversations, economic crashes and calamities, huge professional victories and celebrations, vacations, lots of grocery shopping and good and bad parenting days. In short, the life of marriage. The vision of marriage is a beautiful, powerful, tender thing that makes your heart swell. Yet that vision will not be realized unless you breathe life into it each day through your daily actions. Some actions are pleasurable and easy, others test your very will to live (thinking of my friend Emily Han who is currently in her last days of writing and editing her first cookbook. Keep going Em, your will to live will return once the book is done!)  Your work life is no different. The "perfect date" equivalent of your work is a gorgeous, shiny plan for 2015. Your plan may include: Fresh New Year resolutions A colorful vision board A squeaky clean business plan, with revenue projections that will solve your earthly problems and impress your parents These plans are necessary and inspiring. However, you must breathe life into them by articulating the plan details, and breaking them down into feasible, clear steps. How to breathe life into your plans for 2015 Articulate your vision: What do you want to create? Why do you want to create it? Who is it for? Why now? Why you? Define your plan: What are the individual components? What resources do you need to accomplish them? Which systems do you need to support them? When does each part need to be accomplished? Zero in on your immediate future: What do you need to get done this month? What do you need to get done this week? What critical task do you need to complete today? (In the spirit of full disclosure, this post is my immediate action item. I wanted to send it Wednesday. Then yesterday. Now it is Friday afternoon, and for the love of everything, you will get it today, even if I have to be here until midnight.) To give you a living example of how this works, here is how these questions break down for me: Example: What am I up to this year?  In 2015, I will work with individuals, organizations and brands who want to operate from their strengths, create meaningful and sustainable work, communicate openly and authentically, build their communities and live joyfully while doing it.  Why do I want to do this work? Because in this uncertain, unstable world, we need individuals, organizations and brands that have the skills to grow, change and adapt. We need to build our economy and get people back to work. We need to feel better about our lives and careers, and not waste our precious time doing work that is not meaningful. We need to solve serious social problems, and create a just and fair society for all. We need to get rid of the notion that in order to scale an organization, you have to make it a horrible place to work. We need to build open connections with our favorite brands so that they hear what we need and we share our love for them openly, and frequently (Did I mention how much I love Peet’s Coffee? They have never paid me to say that) Who do I want to work with? People who care about our future. People who care about each other. People who love to create. People who get me and want to work with me. Why me?  This is my work. I have deep experience working with organizations, I have deep experience working with individuals. I have deep joy bringing great brands to life. I have one of the best communities of diverse people on the planet, and I owe it to them. Why now? Have you read the news lately? Now, more than ever, we need a capable, engaged, collaborative community of people who will not let instability and fear run their lives. There are big problems to be solved, huge opportunities to be reaped, and beautiful things to create. What are the parts of my plan? Indispensable Course for Individuals (coming soon! Sign up for the wait list here) Indispensable Manager Workshop for Organizations (can’t wait to share more about this soon!) Indispensable Brand consulting work for select corporate partners like Citrix Indispensable Community Building through keynotes, great content and conversations  What is in my immediate future: Launch the first Indispensable program of the year in early February. Solidify my team for the year (I am currently hiring a marketing/communications assistant) Help my current clients reach their goals (which includes things like finishing a book proposal, closing a big sales deal, launching a new website, and marketing a new course) Begin Phase 1 of my marketing plan for organizations Kick my keynote speaking into high gear How it feels Exciting? Heck yes. This is the Year of Shipping Seriously. My heart is beating quickly as I am writing this. Will it be easy? Heck no. The living of this work is going to include ups and downs, twists and turns, heartache, exhilaration and hard work. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I can think of no other way I would rather spend my time and energy. Let’s do this You have great things to create this year. Whatever you wished you had done last year is gone. Focus on breathing life into your plans today, and watch your life bloom. — What are your big plans for 2015? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear!

Pat Cadam (far right) and his crew from Pat’s Garage, leaning into the sunny side of life I am fascinated by the way that brands show up in the world. If any of you read my first book, Escape from Cubicle Nation, you may remember Pat Cadam, founder of Pat’s Garage. I wrote: "Nestled in the technology and industry heavy South of Market neighborhood was Honda shop called Pat’s Garage. On the outside, it looked like any other auto shop, with the requisite big sign and grease spots in the driveway. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew it was a special place. I didn’t feel my instinctive reaction which was "I will wrestle you to the ground if you leer, demean my lack of car knowledge or try to trick me into getting service I don’t need." Pat and his staff were welcoming, open and non-threatening. Their office walls were filled with art pieces and postcards from happy customers. The closest thing to a blond in a bikini on the wall was a picture of Hilary Clinton in S&M garb. I don’t remember exact message behind the parody, but it was in good taste and not disparaging of either Hilary or women in general. And the best part? Really, really great coffee. Not the watered down Folgers crap that you find at most shops, but jet fuel grade, organic and flavorful coffee. Served in real mugs. The more I got to know Pat, the more I was fascinated by his story of creating a totally unique and valuable business in a crowded niche. He once told me "My business is not really about cars, it is about people. When I focus on my customers and their needs and concerns, my business thrives." He chose to service Hondas because "I like the kind of people that drive Hondas. In general, they are nice, funny, down to earth and environmentally aware." Pat started his career as a schoolteacher and quickly learned that a traditional academic environment was not for him. So he carefully researched a business to open, based on his interests and skills. He seems to have picked the right one, as he always seems to be enjoying himself, and his customers have followed him loyally for over twenty years as if he were the Pied Piper." Indispensable Brand Pat embodies exactly what I mean by an indispensable brand: He offers something real and valuable to a market that needs it He works with a specific, defined niche His personality clearly shows up in every part of his business, from the message on his answering machine to his website to the quality of his work to his physical location He inspires trust, enthusiasm and evangelism in every one of his customers. You walk away after working with Pat and not only feel great having given him money, but want to tell twelve of your friends about his auto shop. I actually held on to my Honda longer than planned since I was so sad about leaving him. He attracts a great team. He values and supports his employees better than most leaders I met in entrepreneurial and corporate settings. He once told me, after explaining how he was paying for his mechanic to take a day off a week to take an art class, "When you learn what is important to people who work for you and support that, no matter if it is related to the work they do for you, they will be happier. That translates into better work and natural loyalty. Pat’s success was not a fluke. Pat’s Garage has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, averaged from 497 ratings! And they were voted the Guardian’s Best Car Mechanic of the San Francisco Bay Area for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and….2014! I think the same things that make a company brand great also makes a personal brand great. I am on a mission to collect a list of diverse and interesting brands that people love, so that I can dissect what makes them tick and share the lessons. What are your favorite brands and why? I would LOVE to hear your examples. Share them in the comments below!

Chris Lee, me, Susan Baier and Brian Shea, plotting to revolutionize how small businesses grow  This week, I got to hang out with my dear friend and long-time client Brian Shea. We have known each other since Brian was working full-time as a corporate employee. With hard work and good planning (and a decent coach!), he quit his job and began a successful consulting business, working with large companies doing process improvements and software implementations. As he eased into working for himself, he began to build relationships with other small business owners, and learned about the overwhelm they feel when they balance running a business with marketing for future growth. So he has expanded his practice to include small business consulting, where he helps small business owners put the processes, people and technology in place so they can scale their business while having a great quality of life. (check him out here: http://sheaconsulting.biz/ ) In our animated discussions about the small business market, we talked about the kinds of projects that would be ideal to pursue in the future. Certain things were immediately ruled out. Get rich quick schemes? Not a chance. Solutions in a box that don’t take into account unique business needs? Out. Sales schemes that pressure buyers? Never. Rosie, Brian and Josh, horsing around at Saguaro Lake Ranch The reason these decisions were so clear is that Brian knows who he is and what he values. Here is what I know about him: He is passionate about process. He is always looking for a way to streamline and improve things. He is adamant about ethics. He refuses to force a wrong solution on a customer, even if it means it would make him lots of money. He is hilarious. He finds humor, and creates joy, wherever he goes. He believes that everyone has the right to meaningful work. He believes that companies can be healthy and vibrant, when they have the right people, processes and technology in place. These passionate beliefs have guided Brian through every step in his successful career, and they will continue to guide him as he grows new products, services and customer segments. What do you want? What career decisions are you wrestling with? Are you trying to decide what job to choose, what book to write, who to partner with or what business to start? Your decision criteria should be built around the core principles of who you are. What do you believe? What do you value? What piques your curiosity? What problems do you love to solve? Who do you want to serve? What gets you riled up? In Body of Work, I call these your roots, and they are the building blocks of great decisions. When you filter your opportunities through these criteria, it becomes easier to make better choices. Who you are amplifies and deepens what you do. Trust yourself.

Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Source: myswitzerland.com When I was 16, I left my home in San Anselmo, California and flew to Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where I was an exchange student for one year. I had taken French through junior high and high school, and knew enough to make small talk, but I was quite unprepared for the intense and immersive experience. I lived with a host family who was (thankfully) committed to speaking only French with me, even though they knew English. I remember having a headache at the end of each day, as I struggled to understand 11 subjects, including history, philosophy, chemistry and Italian, all taught in French at my high school. (Just try to learn Italian when you are trying to learn French. It didn’t work for me either). This was 1983, before the Internet. Phone calls home were very expensive. So I wrote letters, and checked my mailbox (the physical kind, this was before email) every day, desperate for a note from home. My Swiss classmates were pleasant, but a bit distant. I don’t think they knew what to make of a hippy teen from California, who did not have an organized pencil box, and had no idea how to take notes in class (the Swiss are the best in the world at taking perfect notes. They whip out their rulers, use different colors for emphasis, and have handwriting that would make Miss Manners proud). About two months into my immersion, my exchange organization, Youth for Understanding, hosted a weekend orientation for all the exchange students in the country. We met in Interlaken, and spent three days laughing hysterically, playing games and connecting with one another. I met my first Australians and learned that they "tick" a box while I "check" it. It felt amazing to be with people who deeply understood my unique situation. They were as perplexed as I was about ironing dishtowels, and shopping for food every day, instead of going for weekly groceries. I was understood, no longer the awkward, bumbling American that strained to follow a conversation and get jokes. After the weekend, I returned to my host family renewed and in good humor. I was more patient with myself in school, and began to develop some great relationships with my Swiss classmates, including two exchange students who were from Ghana and Venezuela. Because I knew I was not alone, I had the strength to embrace the challenge of learning French. After a few months, I was much more comfortable in class. By the end of my year, I was dreaming in French, and extremely fluent. In the years following, I lived in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. It became easier to immerse myself in different cultures when I knew that I was part of a larger community of students committed to learning about the globe. Many years later, when I began to design learning experiences, both in person and online, I built in community elements to the class structure. At the Lift Off retreats that I led with my business partners Charlie Gilkey and Angela Wheeler for 3 years, a big part of the design was harnessing the perspectives, skills, energy and resources of the entire group. Even though we stopped leading those retreats two years ago, many of the 75 people that participated in Lift Off are still deeply connected with each other (I featured one such example in the Collaborate chapter in Body of Work, where a group of Lift Off’ers collaborated with Kyle Durand on the prototype for ourdeal.com). In our Western popular culture, we have a romanticized view of what it means to be a creative, and celebrate the idea of lone geniuses. We see writers alone at the keyboard, pouring their amazing words into a bestselling book. We see scientists tinkering in their laboratory, making life-changing medical breakthroughs. What we don’t see are the writing groups who offer critique and support to fellow authors, the research assistants and graduate students who support scientists, or the friends and family members on the other side of the phone who talk those creative geniuses down from a bout of self-loathing. The creative process can be intense and lonely. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you need others around you to offer suggestions and alternative perspectives, and provide support. It is a rare person who can undertake a major endeavor like changing careers, writing a book, inventing a new product or creating a social revolution alone. In order to build a powerful body of work, you do need a clear point of view, personal responsibility, creativity and endurance. No one can create for you. But your experience will be so much richer if you select a posse of people to surround you who are as committed to your success as you are committed to theirs. We all need each other.

I have long been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Tipping Point, in particular, the "Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen" chapter where he talks about different personality types that impact social change. So imagine my delight when I met Erica Dhawan the author of Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence, with co-author Saj-nicole A. Joni. They have spent years delving into research about what they term "connectional intelligence" — arguably the most important skill currency of the 21st century. In this conversation, Erica and I discuss: 3 types of connectors — Thinkers, Enablers and Connection Executors How people are using connectional intelligence to solve complex problems and start movements How organizations can develop connectional intelligence Excerpts from our conversation: "A lot has changed since Gladwell his book came out in 2006. When he framed that term (connector), he framed that there were three personality traits: Connector, Maven and Salesman that play a central role in the creation of social epidemics. From my research, to be successful, to get noticed, to start a movement, we ALL are entering the category of Connector. The question is not if we are connectors, but which type of connectors are we?" You can connect with Erica Dhawan here: http://ericadhawan.com or Twitter @EDhawan Buy the book on Amazon: Get Big Things Done Download the podcast from this http://traffic.libsyn.com/escapefromcubiclenation/Pam__Erica_-take_2.mp3 Or play it here:

  These last few months, I have had the opportunity to travel the country and speak to a wide variety of groups. All the people I spoke with were united around a powerful thread: How to define, create and spread great work, individually and as part of an organization.   Fran Davis, President of the South Jersey chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, (NAWBO) fired me up with her mission to build the leadership capacity and impact of women business owners in New Jersey. I was honored to keynote their annual gala.     Tech leaders Sarah Evans, Kat Manalac from YCombinator, Marlo Rencher from SnapSure, Kimberly Bryant from Black Girls Code and Alyssa Martina inspired me to do more to support young women leaders in tech when I spoke at Brand Camp in Detroit, organized by Hajj Flemings.   I was super energized at my mentoring session with Bizdom Detroit, where I spoke with startups that are helping to revitalize the huge and powerful heart of Detroit.    I was honored to keynote to a group of 250 talented artists at the Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) meeting on the Navajo Nation. We discussed creating a powerful artistic body of work and solid business while honoring your values and teachings.   I spent time with marketing students at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, helping to prepare them to enter the new world of work. My friend Bret Giles, a digital marketing agency founder and professor at ASU, had assembled a panel of his business colleagues who were "pitched" by the students, who explained why they would make great hires. This mix of business and academia was a great thing to witness.   My awesome panel mates at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW), Nailah Blades, André Blackman and Abe Cajudo, educated brands how to connect with diverse communities in a respectful way that builds sustainable businesses.  (This panel will be published as a podcast by SXSW in a few weeks - I will be sure to share the link as sure as it is available.) Great people are everywhere! Working with these diverse groups all over the country affirms what I have always believed: awesome, hard-working, passionate and inspiring people are everywhere. Working alone, isolated in our offices, sometimes it feels like an uphill battle to create great work, and build our organizations. But every single time I leave home to travel to the country, I meet amazing people doing amazing things. It is my job to energize my network, and connect all of you together. A key part of what will make you (and your company or organization) indispensable in the new world of work is to meet with, support and celebrate your network. It does not have to be huge. You don’t have to travel far from home, unless you want to. Here are 5 things I have done to build and activate my network that you can use to build yours. 5 ways to make your network a vibrant glitter ball of awesome 1. Learn about their strategic priorities and see how you can help  Every time I visit a new place or organization, I ask them "What are your top 3 priorities this year, and what kind of help do you need to complete  them?" Gathering this information will help you know exactly the kinds of ideas, resources and people you might share with organizations and groups in your network. 2. Look for natural allies and connect them Related to point #1, if you learn that a person or group in your network has a particular priority, and someone else in your network shares that same priority (or has resources or funds to support it!), make a connection. A simple email will do, like "Tim, I know you are working on increasing the diversity of your tech workforce this year. I just met Kimberly in New York, who runs a job board for African American and Latino engineers. You two should connect!" 3. Share photos and stories from your network on social media. I cannot tall you how many times I have received emails from people in my social communities who tell me "Thank you for sharing the world of XYZ organization, I had no idea they were in my area!" or "I first learned about X person through a post you shared on Twitter. We met in person, and we are now doing a project together!"  When you share the images and stories of those in your network, you open up all kinds of unexpected connections and opportunities. (You now know one ulterior motive for sharing the names and URLs of the groups that I visited these past few months in this article. Maybe you didn’t know about them, and maybe there are some mutual opportunities for you to explore!) 4. Mind the gap As a longtime training and development nerd, I was always trained to look for the gap between current and desired behavior, then to build a solution to close the gap. Use this lens to look for business opportunities, events, products, solutions and people to aid your networks. Here in Phoenix, after the economic crash in 2008, we had a huge gap for people who had been laid off, and the skills, connections and personal branding they needed to get new jobs. So our local community, spearheaded by Susan Baier, organized Laid Off Camp AZ, where we gathered volunteers from across our business community to spend a day helping our laid off friends rework their résumés, update LinkedIn profiles, hone interviewing skills and learn about freelancing and small business. 5. Make things happen for your friends. While at South by Southwest, hanging out in the PayPal Social Media Lounge, I saw my friend Ramon Ray, founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and Business Development manager for Infusionsoft. I was not there for 10 minutes before Ramon motioned over for me to meet his friend who was doing a video series for Cox Communications. "You should interview Pam!" Ramon said, and before I knew it, I was in the hallway, being interviewed for a Cox Business feature for their blog. I was so appreciative of that opportunity, and it made me want to reciprocate right away for Ramon. Amplifying and connecting your networks has so many benefits. Personally, it will help you solve problems faster, get things done, receive many opportunities and feel strong and supported.  On a bigger scale, it is the thing that will fuel our economy, create jobs, increase innovation, solve big social challenges and feed our collective spirits. Thank you so much for being part of my community. I cannot wait to get to know yours better!