Our Time To Act

Dear Friends of Equal Opportunity-

Today the Lincoln Journal Star editorial board published a strong statement urging Nebraska voters to VOTE NO on Initiative 424 this November.

Please take a moment to forward this message to others in your address book. We have been outspent 2-1 by our opponents thus far and we need your help to spread our positive message.

Highlights:

"Initiative Measure 424 on the Nov. 4 ballot would strip away important tools for preserving equal opportunity in Nebraska. The Journal Star editorial board recommends a vote against the proposal....The crux of the debate is whether giving "preferential treatment" is justified in order to meet goals such as giving an equal chance to ethnic groups that are underrepresented in universities and in some workplaces, or to create a more stimulating academic environment and a more effective work force....A wiser course of action is to protect the ability of employers and university officials to make fair decisions on hiring and admissions. A wide variety of Nebraska organizations, ranging from the Lincoln and Omaha Chambers of Commerce to the Nebraska State Education Association to University of Nebraska Board of Regents, opposes the measure. The Journal Star editorial board stands with them. So should you."

Full Text

Thank you for your support!

Take care,
Danielle Nantkes (402) 432-3394
Field Director-Nebraskans United Campaign
1141 H Street Lincoln NE 68508
Nebraskans United

Register Today!!!  Working with Humans - October 15th

Working with Humans is truly becoming the workshop that everyone is talking about.  Over the past year, I have delivered it to audiences in Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island, Nebraska - Des Moines, Ames and Sioux City, Iowa.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota - Kansas City, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois.  The more that I do it, the more demand there is for it.

Working with Humans is not like any other diversity workshop that you have been to.  This one is relevant.  This one is actionable.  This one will change how you view diversity and related issues.  It is a good, valuable workshop and it is a great value.  It is packed full of information and tools that you can use.  In today's world, whether you are in the for-profit or non-profit sector, healthcare, education or government, Diversity and Inclusion are increasingly becoming critical ingredients for success...here are some reasons why.

The next one is scheduled in Omaha for Wednesday, October 15th and this will be one of the last times I do this workshop this year.  So sign up.  Sign your co-workers up.  Sign your boss up.  Just sign up.  You will be happy that you did. 

Not sure?  Here are 10 reasons why you should find a way to be at this workshop:

1. Diversity, Inclusion and Collaboration are now more important than they every have been.  They are, to a large degree, the new competitive advantage.
2. The demographics of the workforce are changing...the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by the end of this calendar year 70% of new entrants into the workforce will be women and People of Color.  If you are not good at attracting, engaging and retaining women and People of Color you are going to be competing for relatively small portion of the talent available.
3. We are on the front end of an unprecedented generational transition, that could mess a lot of things up and at the very least is going to drive an increase in leadership and cultural volatility.
   
4. You have been misinformed about what diversity really is and what it really means for our work and our organizations.
5. I will make you laugh...at least once.
6. The price is right.
7. You will leave with multiple tools that you can both use and easily share with others.
8. You and your organization need this information.  You need it to be successful.  You need it to survive.  This stuff is no longer optional.
9. You will get out of the office for an afternoon.
10. You will get to see how down right charming I am in person.

What more do you need?!  Register today and bring a co-worker!

 

Had the privilege to spend Thursday and Friday of last week in Muscatine and to be a part of the 5th Annual YPIowa Conference.  I think that there are a lot of good people involved in a lot of good YP efforts and groups across the country, but there really seems to be something special going on in Iowa.  YPIowa, which is driven to “help young professionals in Iowa take responsibility for the growth of their communities to ensure the long term advancement of the State of Iowa,” seems to be a very strong organization and works with over 100 active YP groups across the state of Iowa!  Can your state claim 100 active YP groups?  Probably not.  YPIowa put on a really good conference and will be hosting the 6th Annual YPIowa Conference in Des Moines.  They also work with Generation Iowa, which is driven to spread the message "friends don't let friends leave Iowa."  There just seems to be a very strong movement with some strong leadership in Iowa.  If the YP efforts in your community or your state seem to be struggling to get to that next level, I would suggest that you look to YPIowa for guidance.

The conference was wonderful, the YPIowa folks we spoke to were wonderful and Muscatine was wonderful.  It was also wonderful to get to spend a little time with Cy Wakeman.  Cy gave an outstanding keynote on Friday (entertaining, engaging, inspiring...outstanding) and I was able to have dinner with her Thursday night and catch up.  She is really blowing up right now, traveling all over the place and was just selected to be an expert blogger for Fast Company!  So keep an eye out for her there.

Be inspired and have a great week!

Friends don't let friends leave Iowa.Friends don't let friends leave Iowa.

I have a string of "things" coming up in the next few weeks and just thought I would try and summarize them with registration information in one place.

• Very excited to be speaking at the 5th Annual Young Professionals Conference on Friday - I will be speaking about the importance of ou personal and professional networks and how to be intentional about building powerful networks.
• Working with Humans will be offered next Wednesday (Oct. 15th) - great value for anyone looking to improve their leadership, collaboration or communication skills.  Here are 10 solid reasons why you should find a way to get your tail to this workshop.
  
• I will be one of the presenters for the new series of development workshops being offered by the Young Professionals Council: Get Connected, Get Ahead (Oct. 16),  Step Up, Take Charge of Your Future (Oct 30), Making it Happen: Leading Through Influence (Nov 12) - all good workshops and the entire series is a great value.
  

I am a painfully untalented amateur painter, and I am working on my first painting of our one year old.  I obviously have the hardest part still to do, but I feel okay about where things are at so far:

And of course, here is the real deal:

Talent Anarchy is excited to be partnering with the Young Professional Council (YPC) of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce to present our individual empowerment workshops as the "Young Professionals Training Series.”  Details can be found below or at our website.
 
Young Professionals Training Series

Get Connected, Get Ahead - Thursday, Oct. 16
This seminar explores the amazing power of relationships and provides practical tools and approaches that will enable individuals to unlock the power of relationships in their personal and professional lives.
Reservations are due by Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Step Up: Taking Charge of Your Future - Thursday, Oct. 30
Step Up provides individuals with both the understanding of how to take control of their careers and the tools to do it. This seminar will illustrate that the path to success travels through authenticity, intentionality and accountability.
Reservations are due by Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Make It Happen: Leading Through Influence - Wednesday, Nov. 12
The Make It Happen seminar teaches participants that influence involves understanding the perceptions, desires and motivations of others. Make It Happen will give attendees the skills of influence they need to become empowered to lead in any situation.
Reservations are due by Monday, Nov. 10.

Sessions will be at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, 1301 Harney St. from 3 - 4:30 p.m.

Sessions are $25 each or you can attend the series for $60. To take advantage of the special price for the series, register for all three sessions no later than Tuesday, Oct. 14. Space is limited.

If you are interested in providing these impact sessions to the young professionals and emerging leaders in your community or organization, e-mail info@talentanarchy.com

Why is diversity important?

There are a lot of reasons why diversity and inclusion are important.  There are social justice reasons, there are theological reasons, there are physical and mental health reasons and compliance reasons.  There are a number of very strong business case reasons, but I want to briefly touch on some of the key reasons why diversity and inclusion are now more important for organizations and communities than they ever have been before.

1. There is a New Competitive Advantage:  In the past, most organizations in most industries were able to pursue competitive advantage through internal productivity and efficiency.  Productivity and efficiency are still very important, but they offer little opportunity for real advantage.  Because of technology, changing cost structures and other factors, there are very few things you can do regarding productivity and efficiency that your competitor cannot duplicate.  Today, the real opportunity for competitive advantage (for organizations, industries and communities) is found in the area of creativity, creative problem solving, design and innovation.  The research on innovation tells us that diversity and inclusion are critical ingredients.  Some good reading on this point:  A Whole New Mind | Daniel Pink, The Rise of the Creative Class | Richard Florida, The Difference | Scott Page, The Myths of Innovation | Scott Berkun, The Medici Effect | Frans Johansson
   
2. There is a BIG WAVE Coming:  We are approaching an unprecedented generational transition.  There are a lot of people starting to talk about generational diversity and the looming transition, but we probably do not understand all of its implications.  The baby boomers, which are the largest generation are getting ready to start leaving the workforce and they will be taking a lot of experience, knowledge and expertise with them.  At the very least this means a significant amount of volatility in leadership as some organizations are expecting to lose 50% of their senior leaders in the next 5 years.  This makes diversity and inclusion more important because it is greatly increasing the need to understand and leverage generational differences, but also because the next generation of leaders is going to be much different (demographically, cognitively, philosophy of leadership, etc.).  Some valuable reading on this point: Leveraging the New Human Capital | Sandra Burud, Workforce Crisis | Dychtwald & Erickson, Motivating the Whats In It For Me Workforce | Cam Marston.
3. There is a Whole New Workforce Coming to Work...Tomorrow:  In addition to other large demographic changes, The Bureau for Labor Statistics now estimates that by the end of this calendar year, 70% of new entrants into the workforce will be women and People of Color.  So...if you are not good (as a team, organization, industry or community) at attracting, engaging and retaining women and People of Color...you are going to be competing for an shrinking portion of the available talent.  So, it will not longer be enough for organizations to talk about how much they appreciate / embrace / value / live / love / leverage diversity...they are going to have to actually do stuff.  These changes in the demographics of the workforce are also attached to important changes in buying power and who it starting new businesses.  Since most companies do not provide diversity and inclusion training, support diversity councils or affinity groups, or have an actual plan...it is easy to find a place to start making and demonstrating a real commitment to diversity.  Some valuable resources:  Diversity Inc., Building on the Promise of Diversity | Roosevelt Thomas, Competency for Diversity and Inclusion Practitioners | The Conference Board, Diversity Executive
   
4. There is a New Contract:  There has been a shift in the balance of power, with employees (current and potential) now having more power than they had in the past and employers having less.  This is because of layoffs and right-sizing, it is because of corporate scandals, it is because of the war for talent and other factors.  This is making diversity and inclusion more important because it means that employers are (if they want to be competitive in the war for talent) needing to do more to meet the unique needs of employees (current and potential) and groups of employees, whether that be Gen Y, working parents, African American or GLBT employees.  Good reading on this: Leveraging the New Human Capital | Sandra Burud, Why Work Sucks | Ressler & Thompson, The No Asshole Rule | Robert Sutton, Leadership and Self-Deception | The Arbinger Institute
   
5. We Are Not Blind:  We are not blind to race, gender, age, title, etc. and we should stop trying to convince ourselves and each other of this.  Our communications and interactions with other people are heavily influenced by our social identity and their social identity as we perceive it.  Rather than denying this we should appreciate the fact that it is more about human nature than about good or bad intentions and realize that will a little bit of awareness and intentionality, we can counteract much of this.  Some suggested reading and resources for this point:  Race in the Workplace, Blink | Malcolm Gladwell, Social Cognition | Ziva Kunda, The Heart of Whiteness | Robert Jensen, Privilege, Power and Difference | Allan Johnson, Social Intelligence | Daniel Goleman,
   
6. We Need Better Decisions:  In addition to driving innovation and breakthrough solutions, the research also shows that diversity generally (people have to be able to get along and communicate with each other) leads to better decision making and keeps groupthink in check.  If you take a look around at the world of busines, education, politics, healthcare and elsewhere...I think that you can agree with me that we need better decisions.  And we kind of need them now.  Our decisions, our lack of transparency, our process for selecting and supporting decision makers, are all failing horribly to meet our needs.  We need better decisions and one of the things that will help us move in that direction is more diversity and inclusion.  Good reading on this:  The Difference | Scott Page, The Wisdom of Crowds | James Surowiecki, Mavericks at Work | Taylor & Labarre, Wickinomics | Don & Williams, Group Genius | Keith Sawyer
   

This is why.  This is why (among other reasons) diversity and inclusion are so important to the continued success and evolution of our organizations and communities.  This is why it is our time to act.  We have to act, because we know.  We know that diversity and inclusion are critical components for success and we know that it is time for a new approach to human potential and a new kind of leadership.  It is Our Time To Act. Act or be left behind.  How will you act?  What will you do?

What will you do?  Will you do something to remove the barriers to diversity in your organization or your community?  Will you shatter stereotypes, challenge assumptions, ask big questions?  Will you seek out more diversity in your personal or professional life?  Will you begin asking potential employers, potential employees, potential vendors, potential partners what their commitment to diversity is?  Will you go to work today and ask about pay equity, or what the plan is regarding diversity?  Will you ask why there is so little racial, ethnic, gender diversity at the level of senior leadership, when we say that we love and embrace diversity?  What will you do?

Working with Humans is truly becoming the workshop that everyone is talking about.  Over the past year, I have delivered it to audiences in Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island, Nebraska - Des Moines, Ames and Sioux City, Iowa.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota - Kansas City, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois.  The more that I do it, the more demand there is for it.

Working with Humans is not like any other diversity workshop that you have been to.  This one is relevant.  This one is actionable.  This one will change how you view diversity and related issues.  It is a good, valuable workshop and it is a great value.  It is packed full of information and tools that you can use. 

The next one is scheduled in Omaha for Wednesday, October 15th and this will be one of the last times I do this workshop this year.  So sign up.  Sign your co-workers up.  Sign your boss up.  Just sign up.  You will be happy that you did. 

Not sure?  Here are 10 reasons why you should find a way to be at this workshop:

1. Diversity, Inclusion and Collaboration are now more important than they every have been.  They are, to a large degree, the new competitive advantage.
2. The demographics of the workforce are changing...the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by the end of this calendar year 70% of new entrants into the workforce will be women and People of Color.  If you are not good at attracting, engaging and retaining women and People of Color you are going to be competing for relatively small portion of the talent available.
3. We are on the front end of an unprecedented generational transition, that could mess a lot of things up and at the very least is going to drive an increase in leadership and cultural volatility.
   
4. You have been misinformed about what diversity really is and what it really means for our work and our organizations.
5. I will make you laugh...at least once.
6. The price is right.
7. You will leave with multiple tools that you can both use and easily share with others.
8. You and your organization need this information.  You need it to be successful.  You need it to survive.  This stuff is no longer optional.
9. You will get out of the office for an afternoon.
10. You will get to see how down right charming I am in person.

What more do you need?!  Register today and bring a co-worker!

I am not a good blogger.  I think I can be, I think there have been brief periods where I have been good, but overall...not so good.  It is important to take stock.  It is important to evaluate your situation, to take a look around and get clear on where you are, where you have come from and where you are going.  I have been doing a bit of that recently as I start planning for "taking it to the next level."

I have been operating on my own for a year now.  It is working.  I continue to build new business and am very excited about what the future holds.  I am doing work that I love and believe in.  I am blessed and believe that the sky is the limit for my message and for the tools that I have to share.  That is the good news.

I have had this blog up for about 18 months.  I think that I have had a number of wonderful intentions with it, but I have not stayed true to any of them and I have not made this space enough of a priority.  As a result this has been of little value to anybody.  I want this to be more than a place where people can find me online...I want this to be more than that, and I believe that it can be more than that.

Because the universe conspires the way that it does (when we allow our selves to see it), I had a couple of people come into my life last week that both inspired me and challenged me.

I am going to work at making this space more valuable for you and I in the coming weeks by talking about my work, by talking about what I do, how I do it and why I do it.

I hope that you will come back to check it out over the next couple of weeks and I hope that you will find it to be of value on a personal or professional basis.