Advancing Your Convening Skills

by Rachel Harris

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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Once you have gained and practiced the skills from the Art of Convening, the learnings and processes don't stop! Leadership is an ongoing learning process full of new information every day. Convening skills support engaged, effective leadership. In order to see the most improvements in your convenings, how do you continually advance your skills? It's always about intent; sometimes it takes a little extra courage. Below, we provide insight to an encounter with one of our clients and how we helped them further their convening skills.

A client contacted CPL for a consultation on developing and conducting a meeting for 300 people.

This client had previously taken the Art of Convening Training and heard about the concept of suspending certainty. He inquired about how to practice suspending certainty in an upcoming meeting for an international audience. 

Here is what he learned: Practicing suspending certainty is one of the subtle methods that greatly advances your convening skills in conversation. Within the Art of Convening training, we employ these techniques for suspending certainty.

1. Listen for the context and value of the conversation.
2. Be Inquisitive. Notice and utilize opportunities to ask for clarifying questions before responding with an answer.
3. Be patient. One of the ways to practice suspending certainty is to think about the times when you are asked a question and notice if you have any tendencies to respond quickly with an answer. Sometimes the person asking a question, in fact, wants to be listened to while they talk out loud and come to their own conclusion. 
4. Set the tone of the meeting withagreements. Create an open floor; invite attendees to notice judgments and speak for their self. Invite attendees to discuss and voice their opinions. 

Incorporating these practices will assist you in adopting suspending certainty in your meetings and conversations. These four steps will also help to improve the value of your meeting by creating an open environment where your attendees feel welcomed. A welcoming setting creates a platform more people to engage and discuss.

Are you looking to improve and advance you convening skills? Check out CPL's training programs here to get started today. 

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #Engagement

2017 Center for Purposeful LeadershipThe Art of Convening

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Crossing Paths with Margaret Wheatley

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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Purpose Fellow, Margaret Wheatley

by Craig Neal

On Tuesday, I attended an amazing gathering with Margaret Wheatley and Barbara McAfee. Meg is a catalyst of new thought and profound action; Barbara is a cross-pollinator and joy-bringer. 

Patricia and I created a traveling conversation with Meg back in 2002 and 2003 to support her newest book and its powerful premise that we are all change-makers. Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. On Tuesday, Meg spoke to her latest book: Who Do We Choose To Be? Facing Reality | Claiming Leadership | Restoring Sanity

Meg: “When Turning to One Anotherwas first published in 2002, I made a rash statement:

‘I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again.’ I still believe this. I still believe that if we turn to one another, if we begin talking with each other – especially with those we call stranger or enemy – then this world can reverse its darkening direction and change for the good. And I know with all my heart that the only way the world will change is if many more of us step forward, let go of our judgments, become curious about each other, and take the risk to begin a conversation.”

A poem by Meg that has been shared many times in our Art of Convening Training programs:

There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

Ask: “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?” Keep asking.

Notice what you care about.

Assume that many others share your dreams.

Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.

Talk to people you know.

Talk to people you don’t know.

Talk to people you never talk to.

Be intrigued by the differences you hear.

Expect to be surprised.

Treasure curiosity more than certainty.

Invite in everybody who cares to work on what’s possible.

Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something.

Know that creative solutions come from new connections.

Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know.

Real listening always brings people closer together.

Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world.

Rely on human goodness. Stay together.

Thank you, Meg and Barbara, for a great gathering and even better conversation. Conversation and engagement with one another creates a community of purpose and provides a way to grow with one another. Take advantage of this weekend and engage with those around you! 

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The Nature of Leadership, Engagement and The Art of Convening

photo credit: Daniel Scotton

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"Convening leaders create and manage the social space within which citizens get deeply engaged. Through this engagement, citizens discover that it is in their power to resolve something or at least move the action forward."

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A blog interview with Bob Nordquist demonstrated the impact of convening when one is willing to take a big risk based on being in touch with core purpose. In Bob's case, it was the courage to risk his credibility by introducing a new business meeting design based on collaborative principles.

CPL friend and mentor, Peter Block speaks eloquently about the courageous nature of leader as convener in the piece below:

Leadership is Convening

The following is an excerpt from Community: The Structure of Belonging, by Peter Block, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, May 2008. 

In communal transformation, leadership is about intention, convening, valuing relatedness, and presenting choices. It is not a personality characteristic or a matter of style, and therefore it requires nothing more than what all of us already have.

This means we can stop looking for leadership as though it were scarce or lost, or it had to be trained into us by experts. If our traditional form of leadership has been studied for so long, written about with such admiration, defined by so many, worshipped by so few, and the cause of so much disappointment, maybe doing more of all that is not productive. The search for great leadership is a prime example of how we too often take something that does not work and try harder at it. I have written elsewhere about reconstructing a leader as the social architect.

Not a leader as a special person, but a leader as a citizen willing to do those things that have the capacity to initiate something new in the world. In this way, leader belongs right up there with cook, carpenter, artist, and landscape designer. It is a capacity that can be learned by all of us, with a small amount of teaching and an agreement to practice. The ultimate do-it-yourself movement. 

 Community building requires a concept of the leader as one who creates experiences for others––experiences that in themselves are examples of our desired future. The experiences we create need to be designed in such a way that relatedness, accountability, and commitment are every moment available, experienced, and demonstrated. David Isaacs of the World Café calls this “relational leadership.”  

This concept of leadership means that in addition to embracing their own humanity, which is the work of every person, the core task of leaders is to create the conditions for civic or institutional engagement. They do this through the power they have to name the debate and design gatherings. We use the term gathering because the word has different associations from what we think of when we say “meeting.” Most people do not even like meetings, and for good reason. They are frequently designed to explain, defend, express opinions, persuade, set more goals, and define steps––the result of which is to produce more of what currently exists. These kinds of meetings either review the past or embody the belief that better planning, better managing, or more measurement and prediction can create an alternative future. So the word gathering is intended to distinguish what we are talking about here, something with more significance than the common sense of the meeting.  

Engagement Is the Point

Leadership begins with understanding that every gathering is an opportunity to deepen accountability and commitment through engagement. It doesn’t matter what the stated purpose of the gathering is. Each gathering serves two functions: to address its stated purpose, its business issues; and to be an occasion for each person to decide to become engaged as an owner. The leader’s task is to structure the place and experience of these occasions to move the culture toward shared ownership.  

Photo credit: pexels.com

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This is very different from the conventional belief that the task of leadership is to set a vision, enroll others in it, and hold people accountable through measurements and reward. Consider how most current leadership trainings assert the following:  

• Leader and top are essential. They are role models who need to possess a special set of personal skills.

• The task of the leader is to define the destination and the blueprint to get there.

• The leader’s work is to bring others on board. Enroll, align, inspire.

• Leaders provide the oversight, measurement, and training needed (as defined by leaders).

Each of these beliefs elevates leaders as an elite group, singularly worthy of special development, coaching, and incentives. All of these beliefs have face validity, and they have unintended consequences. When we are dissatisfied with a leader, we simply try harder to find a new one who will perform more perfectly in the very way that led to our last disappointment. This creates a level of isolation, entitlement, and passivity that our communities cannot afford to carry.  

The world does not need leaders to better define issues or to orchestrate better planning or project management. What it needs is for the issues and the plans to have more of an impact, and that comes from citizen accountability and commitment. Engagement is the means through which there can be a shift in caring for the well-being of the whole, and the task of a leader as convener is to produce that engagement.

The Art of Convening

The shift is to believe that the task of leadership is to provide context and produce engagement, to tend to our social fabric. It is to see the leader as one whose function is to engage groups of people in a way that creates accountability and commitment. In this way of thinking we hold leadership to three tasks:  

• Create a context that nurtures an alternative future, one based on gifts, generosity, accountability, and commitment.

• Initiate and convene conversations that shift people’s experience, which occurs through the way people are brought together and the nature of the questions used to engage them.

• Listen and pay attention.

Convening leaders create and manage the social space within which citizens get deeply engaged. Through this engagement, citizens discover that it is in their power to resolve something or at least move the action forward.  

Engagement and the accountability that grows out of it occurs when we ask people to be in charge of their own experience and act on the well-being of the whole. Leaders do this by naming a new context and convening people into new conversations through questions that demand personal investment. This is what triggers the choice to be accountable for those things over which we can have power, even though we may have no control.   

In addition to convening and naming the question, we add listening to the critical role of leadership. Listening may be the single most powerful action the leader can take. Leaders will always be under pressure to speak, but if building social fabric is important, and sustained transformation is the goal, then listening becomes the greater service.   

This kind of leadership––convening, naming the question, and listening––is restorative and produces energy rather than consumes it. It is leadership that creates accountability as it confronts people with their freedom. In this way, engagement-centered leaders bring kitchen table and street corner democracy into being.

 2017 Center for Purposeful LeadershipThe Art of Convening

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Report from the Field: Convening and Flushing Your Toilet

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"Over 30 years I have come to learn that we need to protect the environment WITH you, not FROM you."

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Welcome! This is the first in a new series on creating purpose in your life and work and how leaders convening with purpose create the outcomes you want. Let's get to it..

Bet you never thought about what happens when you flush the toilet or watch the water go down your sink. Bob Nordquist not only cares, but has created a unique workshop for customer engagement in a 3.5 million population system. Watch Bob tell his story about how he implemented a recent successful workshop using convening skills, focused on purpose.

In this segment, Craig Neal interviews Bob Nordquist, Industrial Waste and Pollution Prevention Manager at Environmental Services in the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities, and Art of Convening graduate.

Click here to watch video [6:39 minutes]

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement

StoryNotes

Craig: Tell me a bit about your position at MCES

Bob: I am the Industrial Waste & Pollution Prevention Manager. With a staff of 30 engineers, scientists, technicians and administrative staff, we issue and administer permits to over 850 Industrial Users of the sanitary sewer system, to protect the rivers of our region and our facilities, sewer workers and the public health. We do this by controlling the discharge of pollutants to the sanitary sewer.

Craig: Frame the IW workshop – purpose/intent/goals

Invitation? How did you frame? Why should they come and how many did come?

Bob: I opened the workshop by telling our Industrial Users that I came to this job 30 years ago, fresh out of college and eager to protect the waters of our region and that my attitude at the time was that I had to protect the environment from – you the Industrial Users. Over 30 years I have come to learn that we need to protect the environment WITH you, not FROM you. This shows our overall purpose – to invite the Industrial Users, our customers, to join us in collaboration to meet a common goal. The goal of the workshop was to show that this was an actual, tangible change and not just lofty words.

Craig: Tell me about the format and how it was different than the past workshops – what was unique?

How was the physical space different and how did you create the container?

Bob: It was a conversation rather than a lecture. 

The first change we made was to the name of the event.  For sixteen years we had held an annual Industrial Customer Forum. There was a lot of PowerPoint to present our rates for the next year and a few slides on what was new in Environmental Regulations. There was a short question and answer session, but the meeting was held late enough in the year, that it was unlikely anything would change, especially concerning the rates.  Our attendance had dwindled to the point where only 12 people had shown up in the previous year.

This year we changed this to an Industrial Workshop and we held it in April. We had an idea what next year’s rates were going to be and we knew what was driving them, but they were not ready to propose yet. We set this up so that after a short introduction to tell people what to expect about the format, and to stress our commitment to action, we pulled the dividers in the meeting room and broke into two small groups – one for financial issues and one for regulatory issues. We sat in a circle with a facilitator and introduced topics, then encouraged our customers to share their thoughts. We had a staff member recording the notes on large easels.

Another change is that prior to the actual workshop we hosted an open house, with informational tables with staff to answer questions and promote conversations.

Craig: Tell me about the outcomes/learnings for you personally and for ES.

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Bob: We learned we have willing partners. I learned to take a risk. I learned a lot about my staff and how professional they are.

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I'm interested in the “listening session.” Why was that important and how did you create the comfort?

Bob: We had specific comments in several areas that we are working on addressing. These areas included financial topics and showed that there was interest in looking at evening out some of our fees and making them more transparent.  There are teams working on these now and stakeholders that we need buy-in from before I can get more specific.

We did learn that our customers appreciated the honesty and commitment to action that we demonstrated in this process. They were also pleasantly surprised with the format, in that they were expecting to be lectured to again, but instead, we sat back and listened. Not that education isn’t important and there are important things they need to know about us, but we’ve done that for years. It was time for us to listen to them.

The other thing we learned is that we need a bigger room or more of these sessions. Instead of 12 people we had over 50. That tested the limits of our facilities and staff, but it probably added to the energy and enthusiasm with which staff and attendees approached this.

Craig: Tell me about how the Art of Convening may have played a part in the success of the workshop.

Bob: I think Art of Convening played two important roles in our success. First, it gave us a wider range of tools to consider as far as creating the container and hearing all of the voices. And second, it gave us a structure to follow to make sure that with this radical change, we weren’t forgetting a vital step.

Art of Convening gave us gave us a checklist to follow using the Convening Wheel. The Invitation, understand what's At the Heart of the Matter, what is a real Commitment to Action. During the planning stage of this meeting, you and I talked about a commitment to action as the most important takeaway. 

If we go through this whole process and get the comments we were seeking, it was going to come back and bite us if our customers feel it was a waste of their time.  We committed to presenting the results to the Executive Team, but that ended up being unnecessary.  Most of the Executive Team, including the General Manager was at the workshop and actively participating and listening.

Thank you, Bob, for your time and commitment to organizational excellence at the Met Council! Stay tuned for future vlogs in this series! 

 2017 Center for Purposeful LeadershipThe Art of Convening

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Get to know the CPL Team!

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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Recently we announced our growing team of consultants, coaches and trainers. We are excited to be working with these wonderful and experienced leaders to improve purposeful leadership in every organization. Get to know these individuals below and see how they may be of assistance to you in growing yourself personally and professionally.  

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Rachel Harris: With over 15 years of leading teams for impact, Rachel consults for organizations in transition and trains people on collaboration methods. She also leads strategy and communications at CPL...Read More

Claudia Eisinger: As a qualitative research specialist and group facilitator, Claudia Eisinger has 25 years of qualitative research experience in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Specializing in complex, cutting-edge advertising and branding research, ...Read More

Vivian Jenkins Nelsen: Jenkins Nelsen is a nationally and internationally recognized and highly sought-after diversity consultant, trainer, planner, researcher and lecturer, who speaks to thousands of people...Read More

Barbara Shipka: Barbara has 30 years experience in executive coaching, leadership development, and organization effectiveness. Most of those years have been devoted to working in large US corporations including American Express, Cargill, General Mills, and Medtronic...Read More

Kim Kristenson-Lee: Over twenty-five years’ experience in increasingly challenging roles at a Fortune Five energy company have honed my ability to work with teams and individuals during times of transition and renewal. I am a service-oriented developer of team capability...Read More

Lynn Nelson: LIN PR Principal Lynn Ingrid Nelson has over 20 years of experience in public relations, public affairs and communications. She has extensive experience in virtually all facets of organizational...Read More

Sarah Flores: Sarah is currently a Senior in the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, majoring in Marketing Management with an interest in green marketing and sustainability. Sarah has been working with CPL for almost a year to increase and improve CPL's...Read More

Eric Todd: As the in-house photographer for CPL/Heartland, Eric has thousands of photos showcasing a vast array of thought leaders. His background in photojournalism, videography and media production is crucial support for CPL events...Read More

Cindy Wold: As co-author, with Craig and Patricia, of The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Cindy is a core collaborator and consultant to CPL. In addition to working with the CPL team...Read More

Mark Fawcett: As a core partner, Mac Men powers CPL with indispensable IT service. Mac Men is a professional computer repair, tech consulting, and training company based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota...Read More

To read more about our team leaders check out our CPL Team Bio page here.

We are so lucky to have such a strong and skilled set of professionals on our team. CPL is committed to creating purposeful leadership and effective convening within your organization. If you would like to learn more about our programs or receive insightful tips, follow us on our social media, subscribe to our blog or give us a call at 612.920.3029

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Leading into Culture Change

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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"The key to creating purposeful and lasting relationships is to design the conditions for authentic engagement and trusted connections."

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21 years ago CPL (Center for Purposeful Leadership), formerly Heartland, embarked on an experiment to create convening communities and professional leadership environments to consider what was needed to deal with a rapidly changing world. We came to learn that leadership is always an inside game, so each session or meeting integrated personal and professional growth, centered on the power of essential conversation.

The power of essential conversation. With the rise of social media and events around the world, people are making their voices heard. Whether that is through yelling or peaceful conversations, situations can take a wrong turn. However, there are simple practical ways to create environments that support empathy and understanding in even the most toxic situations. CPL harnessed the wisdom of years of listening and learning about how to create safe and generative spaces for the sake of authentic engagement and the highest possible outcome of the group. We developed The Art of Convening methodology as the recipe for these engagements.

Harnessing the wisdom of the group. For 18 years we convened leadership events with their sole purpose being the creation of a powerful conversation in support of leaders navigating an unknown future. We learned about the purpose of a format built around leadership stories that invoked principles, ethics, and new ideas. We combined these stories with convening practices such as principles of conversation, in-depth Inquiry, active listening and reflection to create an environment to harness the wisdom of the group.

Purposeful and lasting relationships with accountability and trust. The key to creating purposeful and lasting relationships is to design the conditions for authentic engagement and trusted connections. This can occur when the container is set for essential conversation.

The words below reflect the power of purposeful relationships:

"Our organization needed a rapid culture shift and reached out to CPL to help. Twelve of our global leaders engaged in the Art of Convening virtual training enabling them to participate from locations around the world. The seven sessions of teaching, collaborating, and presenting case studies were powerfully engaging, with full and enthusiastic participation. Outcomes include meetings that became more inclusive and collaborative, leading to efficiencies in delivering stated meeting outcomes, cross-functional relationships and renewed alignment to the organization's vision."

-President, Global service organization

At CPL, we are here to help you pave the way towards productive collaboration and purposeful leadership in yourself and organization. Follow us on our LinkedIn page and subscribe to our blog to receive more information on transforming your organization. 

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At The Heart of the Matter

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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"Our undertaking to connect with other human beings in a genuine, meaningful way is what authentic engagement is all about."

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At the Heart of the Matter

Who I am in relationship with others

By Craig Neal, lead Author of The Art of Convening book

Chapter 1

The place to start when we convene meetings, gatherings, and conversations, is with ourselves. If we are to lead into authentic engagement, it is important to be genuine. Knowing who we are as human beings assists us in bringing this genuineness forward. Additionally, our ability to frame, embody and model authentic engagement is improved when we explore how we will be in relationship with others.

We call this first, central Aspect of the Convening Wheel, At the Heart of the Matter.

The purpose of At the Heart of the Matter is to increase our clarity, confidence and sense of belonging so that, come what may, we are able to “hold” others in the safest, most generative container possible. Although personal and internal, this aspect is a powerful touchstone, and precursor, for thoughtful intention and design of our meetings. Some of the exercises in this book will help us get started, or continue to reveal to ourselves who we are, which increases our ability to stay connected and open to our relationships with others.

Principle:Knowing who I am allows me to be in authentic engagement.

Our undertaking to connect with other human beings in a genuine, meaningful way is what authentic engagement is all about. But unless we are willing to reflect on who we are, we don’t give others something real to connect to. Expecting to authentically engage with others when we don’t know ourselves is like believing we can physically grasp a hologram or lean on the mist; it seems as if there’s something there, but when we try it out, we learn differently.

The journey of self-reflection that we begin or continue with this Aspect of the Convening Wheel provides something solid for us and others to connect to.

Essential Questions:

Who am I as a human being?

How will I be in relationship with others?

When we have thoroughly explored these questions, the connection of ourselves in relationship to others makes more sense and tends to flow more naturally. When we practice mindful reminders through reflective practices, whatever they may be, we bring ourselves back to our basic humanity.

These are internal reflections. Whether or not we share our discovery with others is not as important as truthfully addressing these questions for ourselves. Our discovery will be At the Heart of the Matter. The Journaling questions and exercises at the end of the chapter will help focus our internal vision in order to explore these questions.

Through this internal inquiry we have the opportunity to experience the core of who we are and how we will be in relationship with others. When we understand the nature of why we desire to be in relationship with others, our gatherings tend to have an integrity that goes beyond the sole reliance on form and technique. This quality allows for the possibility of authentic connection.

Challenge: Staying Connected

Do we choose to open ourselves to relationships or do we choose to close?

In times of high stress, we can be distracted from our connection to who we are. Convening is the art of gathering and “holding” people, in a safe and generative space, for the sake of an authentic engagement that works for all. We consider each gathering an entry into a relationship with others. Staying authentically connected to others is, ultimately, all about being connected to ourselves. If we are not in touch with ourselves and the core of our intent, how can we maintain a genuine connection to other people?

For more on the Art of Convening book go to http://tinyurl.com/y88b8gft

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3M’s Cindy Kent on whole person leadership, growth and inclusion in medtech

Edited by Patricia Neal

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...and on her Masters in Divinity and meeting Oprah. Truly inspirational.

Cindy was the opening Conversation Starter for Heartland (now CPL's) 20th Anniversary Celebration last October. She continues to amaze us. She spoke with MassDevice.comPublisher Brian Johnson at the DeviceTalks event in Minnesota recently about her skills as a leader, how she ended up as an ordained minister and the importance of inclusion and mentorship in the workplace. And, how she met Oprah!

Here is an example of amazing mentorship: “Cindy, we see a lot of potential in you, so you take the next five years on us, and you go play, and you go work in as many disciplines and fields as you like, and in five years we’re going to come ask you what you want to do for this company, and we expect an answer.” 

Let me know your thoughts. -Patricia

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Millennials and Leadership Development

photo credit: Todd photography

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By Sarah Flores

Entering a new company or organization can be intimidating and invigorating all at the same time. As more and more millennials enter their careers, the workforce will begin to change its usual ways. Employer’s and mentors must progressively welcome and encourage new ideas from the newcomers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is predicted that by 2030 millennials will make up 75% of our workforce.  Although millennials may have a different approach to operations, it is important that we all learn from each other. Millennials bring fresh new ideas, but also seek guidance from leaders to eventually turn themselves into the leaders of an organization or company.

A study conducted by Deloitte, a professional services firm, found that 71% of Millennials that leave within the first 2 years felt their leadership skills were not being fully developed. However, that percentage decreases to 54% for those who stay more than 5 years. This shows not only does supporting leadership development help to retain employees longer but also helps to increase their satisfaction in leadership development. As we look at these numbers, 54% feeling their leadership skills are being underdeveloped is still a concerning number. We as current leaders and mentors must take it upon ourselves to guide the leaders of tomorrow.

The Center For Purposeful Leadership works to help leaders become leaders that listen and make a positive impact on their employees. The workplace is always changing; we are here to help guide and adapt. Check out more insight to Millennials values in the workplace to see how you can incorporate a leadership development plan to grow your employees professional and personal life here: The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey.

Follow us on our LinkedIn account and subscribe to our blog to see how CPL is laying the way for leaders of today and tomorrow.

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Interview with President of CPL, Patricia Neal, on Leadership

photo credit: AtomikPhotography

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"I am fascinated by inflection points that are the beginning of a new trend. Looking into the future, what are some trends on the horizon?"

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Interviewing Patricia Neal on Leadership

Edited by Rachel Harris and Sarah Flores

CPL had an opportunity to sit down with Patricia Neal, President of the woman-owned Center for Purposeful Leadership (CPL), formerly Heartland Group. Patricia has been coaching and training executives and thought leaders into transformational outcomes for 12 years. She guides leaders in uncovering their authentic leadership and becoming powerfully vulnerable in presenting their transformational journey in a public forum. Leaders who work with Patricia boost their capacity to relate to others, enhance effectiveness for team management and wow audiences with newfound presentation skills. Currently, Patricia is updating her skills via a Conversational Intelligence® for Coaches and Coaching for ROI trainings. Insight into her extensive network and thought leadership can be found at http://centerfpl.blogs.com/

Check out our interview with President of CPL, Patricia Neal, below:

CPL: I understand CPL celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a conference last year. Reflecting on your own business success, who has inspired your leadership?

PN: My husband and partner, of course! Rachel Harris, really runs the place, as she steps forward in her leadership. Our CPL team--fantastic leaders to work with and be inspired by. Then there is Kiki the wonder cat…

I am inspired by leaders who pay attention to whole systems and whole people. Meaning, they hire for the person as a contributor to the whole picture, not just a set of skills. They are contributors to those around them and their communities outside of work. You can tell they are values-driven, inspired-by-life people.

I won't try to list names specifically, because the list numbers in the thousands. I am constantly inspired by the people whose lives intersect with mine.

CPL: As President of a woman-owned business, your to-do list and inboxes are often overflowing. When you have moments to read, what captures your attention these days?

PN: I have a large network of friends and colleagues whom I track because I consider them to be leading-edge thinkers. I watch what they watch. Forbes and HBR regularly catch my eye, but leadership shows up in many non-business settings, so I subscribe to a breadth of online news sources to broaden my perspective. I am fascinated by inflection points that are the beginning of a new trend.

CPL: After 12 years of coaching leaders into their authentic voice, you have worked with some of the brightest minds in the Twin Cities and Bay Area. You have developed a thought leadership following. Looking into the future, what are some trends on the horizon?

PN: Whole-brain, whole-heart leadership: leading to new ways to engage and collaborate for satisfaction and success. Purposeful leadership: Recent research shows that a sense of purpose, not a specific set of characteristics, is the key to successful leadership. Creating thriving cultures: Culture is how people express and define themselves within an organization. Culture defines what is measured. What is measured, matters, but the measurements will change by demand from employees. More than ever, culture will trump strategy. Sustainability: not just of systems and externalities, but of humans inside the systems.

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CPL: You are an incredible networker with over 4,000+ connections on LinkedIn. For people starting out in the workplace, what are some of your expert networking tips?

PN: I am voraciously curious about many things. In person, as an introvert, I’ve learned how to take that curiosity and start a conversation. I ask questions. Then, I try to listen, which is crucial.

Online, I follow and connect with people that interest me in their leadership styles and explorations, and I let them know they interest me.

CPL: You recently began running and competing in triathlons. That takes courage! How has courage played a role in your position as company President?

PN:Choosing a big goal does take courage! Acting on it takes even more courage and self-initiative, but I am always looking for ways to challenge myself and grow. It’s easy to do intellectually, but then, 4 years ago I decided to challenge myself physically and entered the YWCA Women’s Sprint Triathlon with 1200 other aspiring women and girls. It creates an annual stretch goal and benchmark. I created my own training plan of little steps that became longer strides. A 1-minute run turned into 5 minutes, then 20, then 3 miles. I grew my biking and swimming skills the same way. Some days I am tired and facing a wall of resistance, but I know I’m not doing it alone. Then the big day comes, the goal is met, the joy is palpable.

Choosing to co-found CPL (then Heartland) 20 years ago took courage. Choosing to step forward as President six years ago took courage. I then realized that learning to run a business is much the same way as training for the triathlon. The big goals get chunked into incremental, doable pieces. But, just like the triathlon, I’m never doing it alone. Collaborating with a great team is key. The team keeps me inspired and on track. We choose to be mutually accountable, which takes courage and perseverance, but brings great joy when we find and rediscover our groove together.  

To see more of Patricia’s leadership work, follow us on our LinkedIn and subscribe to our blog.

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Share the News: Heartland is now CPL

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Hello, we have some news! Heartland is now the Center for Purposeful Leadership (CPL).

Though our name has changed, our values remain the same. At the heart of the matter is purpose. We invite you to join us on this journey into new beginnings.

As we celebrated our 20th year in business, it felt like an auspicious time to evolve to something that calls forth where we began - at the inner life of business. We'd love for you to preview our

new CPL website and read about our solutions

We particularly love our photos and this new blog. While here, feel free to download our new Owning Successes and Setbacks as A Team thought piece. 

On this blog, we will continue sharing current news, case studies and tips to finding shared purpose in leadership. First time visitor? Please subscribe. 

Know this: the deepest satisfaction of our professional lives is to be of service to people like you. Let's be powerful on purpose together.

~ The CPL Team

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Meet Our CPL Blog Writer: Rachel Harris

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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 Meet Our Writer

Rachel Harris, MA, CSM

An organizational development consultant focusing on change management, business processes and engagement, Rachel empowers leaders to stretch in their capacities. A left- and right-brain thinker, she’s motivated to resolve problems creatively.

A builder by nature, Rachel brings diverse and often disparate groups together with ease. Clients rely on her welcoming nature, steady presence and visionary strengths to realize big picture dreams and maintain the confidence to reach realistic goals. Together, they move from the seemingly impossible to the probable and practical.

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Are You Owning Successes and Setbacks as a Team?

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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"Notice what you are aware of and open to. Be authentic, vulnerable and courageous. This meaningful exchange creates a connected and interdependent team. Enhanced trust and commitment to one another are a result of essential conversation."

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By Rachel Harris

In a global enterprise, owning successes and setbacks as a team are imperative to long-term thriving. But, what if you are operating in the silo mindset? 

One such company, a global media production enterprise, contacted CPL and requested consultation on moving from "Point A: disenfranchised, siloed work groups" to "Point B: connected, trusted and empowered staff" in three months. Sounds impossible, right? 

After mapping out a game plan with a couple courses of action, our client selected a communications and team building virtual Art of Convening training. The training delivered methods to Connect - Engage - Collaborate over seven sessions, with homework and partner pair work. Here's what happened:

In fourteen weeks together, training participants courageously acknowledged patterns of resentment that had perpetuated their inter-continental meetings and media productions. By design, each participant relearned techniques for authentic conversation. The safe space created within the communications training afforded participants holistic access to learning the 9 Steps to Collaboration. Week by week, they renewed their respect and appreciation for each other. The foundation of trust and respect that developed in the training led to collaboration capacities and confidence to align across silos. 

The training was a resounding success and made even more so by the commitment of the CEO, who participated in each of the training sessions. Staff left the training feeling empowered and seeing the collaboration possibilities for their own divisions! Now, two more divisions will launch the Art of Convening communications and team building training in May 2017.

For a peek at one of the communications and team building training secrets to success, we share the following 3 tips for establishing a collaborative team of your own. 

1. Clarify Purpose: Assess current conditions and notice what problem you need to solve.
2. Create Invitation: Who are the key players needed for solving the problem? Choose a timeframe for people to partake in guided conversations. Set clear expectations.
3. Engage in Essential Conversation: Notice what you are aware of and open to. Be authentic, vulnerable and courageous. This meaningful exchange creates a connected and interdependent team. Enhanced trust and commitment to one another are a result of essential conversation.

Finally, the newfound interdependency leads to collaboration. We hope these tips on establishing a collaborative team are helpful. If you would like more information, we are happy to talk with you. Get in touch with Center for Purposeful Leadership, call us at 612-920-3039 or email Rachel Harris.

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Why Uncertain Times Need Certainty of Purpose

Photo credit: Daniel Scotton

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In a new series, Center for Purposeful Leadership provides guest blog posts from our Purpose Fellows. We are pleased to present the first post from renowned purpose coach Richard Leider.

Originally posted on 02/23/2017 at richardleider.com

What are we to do to survive and thrive in this volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous environment? (VUCA) The mere fact that we have to ask that question is unsettling. Many of us did not anticipate that we’d be living in that question, daily, at this point in our lives.

We prepared hard for a future we expected. And, yet, when it comes to our work lives today, we find that it’s the end of work as we know it.  Laid off?  Under-employed? Feeling stuck in your current position?  Working worried? This is not how we envisioned that it was going to be.

Growing up, I envisioned that the future was predictable enough. If I studied hard I could obtain the work I wanted in an environment I understood. I would live a successful “good life.”

Our careers today rarely are that certain.

Why the disconnect between what we hoped would happen, and what is actually happening? The answer is simple – a VUCA world requiring new life skills to navigate it.

The way I was taught to think and act works well when the future is predictable. But, not so much in the VUCA world as it is now.

In transition times, we tend to knock any abstract thinking about our work lives as a luxury we cannot afford. The emphasis is to stay employed no matter the personal toll it’s taking on us. It’s pretty scary when you cannot plan and control your destiny, let alone the work you want.

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"In a world where we can no longer be secure or certain, how can we find some sense of certainty? If we want to play in the new work game, as it is now, we have to change our mindset."

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Freedom “to” not “from”

This simple phrase has changed the way I relate to uncertainty.

Freedom is born of awareness. Freedom “to” means awakening to the reality that we can choose for ourselves how we want to interact with the new work world (and the daily VUCA news!)

Freedom “to” means awakening to the truth of what’s happening in both our inner and outer worlds and then acting on what is happening with our own deeper wisdom or our guide.

While everything outside seems to be shifting, what remains unchanging is what we know inside – our core purpose, values, and beliefs.

Freedom “to” means staying fiercely aware and protective of that which is most important to lead a life of substance.

Freedom “to” is about taking back the steering wheel of our lives and refusing to become VUCA’s passenger limping along aimlessly as we hear the daily sirens signaling bad news.

So, how do we wake up from being asleep at the wheel?

Creating Certainty Amid the Uncertainty

Purpose provides the bones for the body of life – the human story. What I observe in my coaching practice is that many people, today, feel increasingly disconnected from a sense of context, meaning, and the greatest human narrative. They speak of being too busy, hurrying too much, and not knowing what their lives are supposed to be about. They are desperate to feel connected to some purposeful certainty, something more lasting than their momentary dramas and distractions. The ceaseless activity creates a feeling of shallowness. Instant and trivial is how it is – the opposite of grounded purposefulness. They hope their real lives will one day have the certainty that real life is supposed to carry, yet, is slipping away.

It’s critical to take hold of the steering wheel. To reflect on life. To consider where we fit into the larger human story and what purpose our individual and shared journeys holds.

The VUCA world can change radically in a short span of time. But what is 100% certain is what’s valuable and important to you. Who are you?  What matters to you? What is “calling” you to be your best self?

So, how do you grab the steering wheel and get started on concrete actions that are consistent with your desires? How do you find core certainty in uncertain times?

The process for planning your future when you can’t really plan looks like this:

Does This Overwhelm You?

How do I know this approach will work?  Because it already has.  The process works “if” you work the process.  After reading this, you probably feel a bit overwhelmed because it seems like a lot of work.

Want to know why you feel this way?  Because it is a lot of work.

Creating your life the way you want so that you feel a sense of certainty from it requires a commitment to yourself to take actions every day.  There are no magic buttons or pills that will get you there.

So my question to you is this…

“Are you willing to do what it takes to create a certain life you love?”

You have two choices…

Choice #1:  You can continue on the path you are on right now.  There is nothing wrong with going this route.  However, this path is very uncertain.

Or…

Choice #2:  You can grab the steering wheel and begin the What Works practices which will help you speed up the process so you can get where you want to go much faster.

Which do you prefer?

Whatever choices you make today will affect where you will be in your life one year from now because it takes that long for you to see the results of your practices!

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Richard, known to his 1 million readers as “The Purpose Coach”, has written ten books, including three bestsellers – THE POWER OF PURPOSE, REPACKING YOUR BAGS, and LIFE REIMAGINED.  He writes about unlocking the power of purpose at richardleider.com.

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How Are Internal Stakeholders and Team Performance Connected?

Photo credit: todd photography

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by Rachel Harris

In a periodic series, we share reports from the field about our work with clients. Recently, a client contacted us for strategy to retain top talent and enhance workplace dynamics. Here is the challenge our client was facing:

For the past few months, a group of senior managers, mostly women, have been meeting to re-organize an internal group of stakeholders. The quandary they were facing was retention of top female talent in a male-dominated workplace. By re-energizing the workforce through a special interest group (SIG) they hoped to curb the exit of female staff. 

This SIG hired Center for Purposeful Leadership (formerly Heartland) to re-focus the mission and vision, design a kick-off meeting and provide convening training. Over a period of five months, the design team met monthly. The SIG leadership team, along with key HR staff, took the Art of Convening workshop to learn effective communications and staff engagement techniques.

After the training, the SIG leadership team applied the meeting design principles to the re-launch kick-off with great effect. The SIG relaunched in March with over 70 people in attendance - double the expected turnout! With the SIG firmly in place and staff reengaged - both men and women - employees are seeing one another in a new light, taking time to collaborate and supporting one another professionally.

The internal stakeholders in the SIG have acted as champions for the organization and teams have transformed.

Looking back on these past months with the client, they benefited from executive coaching and training on more effective meetings, and exceeded their goals and expectations. Now that the SIG is up and running, they have requested a quarterly tune-up. 

You may think of tuning up cars on a periodic basis, but how about teams? Consider tuning up your team or a special interest group. Quarterly trainings and monthly coaching enable staff to embody positive business practice adaptations - for the long term. 

If you would like more information, we are happy to talk with you. Call Center for Purposeful Leadership at 612-920-3039 or email

Rachel Harris

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Reexamine Purpose and Organizational Culture

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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By Rachel Harris

Periodically, we publish articles and case studies on importance of organizational culture in strategy conversations. Read on for another installment.

Reflecting on your strategic initiative, can you recall a time you were at a cross-roads? You are not alone!

Whether the new strategic initiative is hampered by lack of clarity on company purpose or not, gaining insight into a company's culture has lasting benefits. This is true for any sort of change management initiative - and is often the difference between success and failure. 

Time and time again we've experienced clients frequently mistaking strategy as the underlying problem, when in fact, matching a company's culture to any change initiative is the key to success. We're often called in when there is a pain point, such as when a new program launch is in trouble or a strategic initiative has lost steam. 

When you cannot take the pain of the status quo anymore, give us a jingle at 612-920-3039. Until then, please read these testimonials from our clients for inspiration.

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Art of Convening Ch.1: Lessons for Leadership

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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By Sarah Flores, Marketing Intern

In a world of ever-changing times, it is important for leaders to adapt but stay true to who they are. In CPL's book The Art of Convening, chapter 1 focuses on the importance of the Heart of the Matter for leadership: Genuineness and Authenticity. The first chapter explores this central aspect of CPL's convening wheel highlighting being genuine, staying connected to oneself and others, and the practices that help us to attain these goals. 

As genuineness creates authenticity, and vice versa, this becomes a key aspect of knowing oneself. In leadership, "knowing oneself is the foundational premise of leadership". Not only does this contribute to strong leadership and connectivity, but it is the stabilizer and calibrator through the journey of convening practice. 

The purpose of the heart of the convening wheel is to provide clarity, confidence and a sense of belonging so that we are able to support and hold others safe. A challenge that many come across during their journey is staying connected within and among others. In order to overcome these challenges, remember practices include but are not limited to mindfulness, journal keeping and immersing yourself in nature. Practices of remembering, help us find who we are and what we have forgotten we hold true. 

In an article talking about leading in an era of change, author Tanmay Vora recommends these top 5 pieces of leading sustainable change:

1. Inspire through purpose
2. Go all in
3. Enable capabilities to succeed during transformation
4. Instill a culture of continuous learning
5. Inclusive leadership

CPL believes The Art of Convening begins with authenticity. We invite you and your organization to explore and begin your journey to mastering The Art of Convening. If you are interested in furthering a discussion on authentic leadership and convening, call us at 612.920.3039. For weekly updates and tips, follow CPL on our LinkedIn page. 

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Embracing Change: A Client Success Story

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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by Rachel Harris

While the times around us are changing, business models are changing with them. Many organizations big and small are transitioning to a focus on the long-term visions and goals of their business. Though short-term visions are extremely important, CPL has seen and researched this trend. As short-term visions provide faster results, long-term visions provide the longevity for your business in this competitive world. Many of these long- and short-term visions begin with one of the most important aspects: setting goals. Have you ever looked toward an end goal and wondered how to reach it? CPL recently had a client reaching toward a new beginning.

The culmination of a two-month training, convening, and development project resulted in a tremendous transformation for this client heavily engaged in public input on hotly contested topics. In late January, our clients rolled out a new public engagement format, based on the Art of Convening methodology. They had taken an introductory Art of Convening training in Fall 2016 and considered how best to incorporate purpose, invitation and hearing all the voices within their business culture. Their intent was to be mindful of the organizational culture, with a new CEO onboard, while boldly taking a leap in a new direction.

With the consultation between Heartland and our client, they began renaming the evening meetings from "Public Input" to "Listening Session". Stakeholders then took notice that the meetings would be delivered anew. Great care was put into each element of the structured conversation in the 90-minute meeting.By courageously adapting Art of Convening methodologies, our client reached a dramatically different outcome with increased attendance and engagement.

Previously, stakeholders had noted they didn't feel heard. At the retooled Listening Session people openly observed staff was compassionate and residents felt listened to. The client's excellent outcome indicates a profound shift in how they relate - to and are received by - their customers and stakeholders.

If your organization's goals include breakthrough relations with your stakeholders and customers or conducting effective meetings to reach those goals, give CPL a jingle at 612-281-1192. In the meantime, be sure to check out other CPL blogs and our LinkedIn page for weekly updates and tips on The Art of Convening. 

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Transformational highlights from the 12/2 Transformational Leaders Circle (TLC)

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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by Patricia Neal

Innovation and Transformation to be on the Right Side of History: Purpose, Profit, Planet

Session Archives

Did you miss the TLC in December? Here are some highlights:

Minnesota’s largest energy co-op, Great River Energy, brought a story of courage and transformation to the December TLC. The story involved a rough patch in 2013 regarding the movement from dependence on coal to a more renewable energy approach in electricity. GRE executives took a potentially huge risk to include their stakeholders - customers and regulators - by reaching out and asking for their engagement and advice on the next steps to come out stronger and more successful in the future.

Hearing all the voices* to gather a variety of perspectives allowed Great River Energy (GRE) to take initiative in crafting a strategy to grow their leadership and their business.

Conversation Starters Kandace Olsen - Vice President and Chief Culture Officer of GRE, Michael Noble - Executive Director of Fresh Energy, and Mike Thorson - Board Chairman of GRE Energy brought and modeled vulnerability, wisdom, courage and excitement for a positive future to benefit all GRE stakeholders.

The Big Q*:  We were impressed with the quality and depth of the questions asked by each participant. Conversation Cafe Thought Leaders and Reports from the Field from area leaders added further perspective to the morning. Some of our highlighted questions included:

“How do you encourage and embrace differences – of opinion, practice, foundation?”

“How do we build trust in relationships? …When we feel like it has broken down?”

“How can we leverage our leaders to be at the cusp of change so we shape it to serve many, rather than a few?”

Closing remarks:

Kandace: this is not my story; it’s our story. No individual hero; many people who created this transformation. Press the SEND button.

Michael: I learned from Kandace to use vulnerability as power. It is more important to have vulnerability than to have power.

Mike: Remembering that basically we all have much more in common than we realize, is important. The power of bringing people together and doing something simple like sharing a meal, helps me remember that.

 * a strategy core to all Heartland programs

A special thank you to all of our speakers and those who have spoken with us in the past. Thank you as well to all who were in attendance and who have graced us with their presence at our past TLC’s. It has been a joy to convene with you all. Though we may no longer be hosting TLC’s we are always a phone call away at 612.920.3029 to schedule your next consultation. Follow our LinkedIn page for updates and tips on the Art of Convening.

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Leadership is Convening

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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Leadership is Convening

Excerpt from Community: The Structure of Belonging, by Peter Block

Berrett-Koehler Publishers, May 2008

In communal transformation, leadership is about intention, convening, valuing relatedness, and presenting choices. It is not a personality characteristic or a matter of style, and therefore it requires nothing more than what all of us already have. 

This means we can stop looking for leadership as though it were scarce or lost, or it had to be trained into us by experts. If our traditional form of leadership has been studied for so long, written about with such admiration, defined by so many, worshipped by so few, and the cause of so much disappointment, maybe doing more of all that is not productive. The search for great leadership is a prime example of how we too often take something that does not work and try harder at it. I have written elsewhere about reconstructing leader as social architect.

The Art of Convening

The shift is to believe that the task of leadership is to provide context and produce engagement, to tend to our social fabric. It is to see the leader as one whose function is to engage groups of people in a way that creates accountability and commitment. In this way of thinking we hold leadership to three tasks: 

• Create a context that nurtures an alternative future, one based on gifts, generosity, accountability, and commitment.
• Initiate and convene conversations that shift people’s experience, which occurs through the way people are brought together and the nature of the questions used to engage them.
• Listen and pay attention. 

Convening leaders create and manage the social space within which citizens get deeply engaged. Through this engagement, citizens discover that it is in their power to resolve something or at least move the action forward. 

Engagement, and the accountability that grows out of it, occurs when we ask people to be in charge of their own experience and act on the well-being of the whole. Leaders do this by naming a new context and convening people into new conversations through questions that demand personal investment. This is what triggers the choice to be accountable for those things over which we can have power, even though we may have no control.

In addition to convening and naming the question, we add listening to the critical role of leadership. Listening may be the single most powerful action the leader can take. Leaders will always be under pressure to speak, but if building social fabric is important, and sustained transformation is the goal, then listening becomes the greater service. 

This kind of leadership––convening, naming the question, and listening––is restorative and produces energy rather than consumes it. It is leadership that creates accountability as it confronts people with their freedom. In this way, engagement-centered leaders bring kitchen table and street corner democracy into being.

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