KnolShare with Dr. Dave

EAFH35: Tracy and Sabrina Shares Social Justice Experiences in an Interracial Family

Dr. Dave:

Tracy Trace and her daughter Sabrina. Welcome to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast. How are you guys doing today?

Tracy:

You go first Bri.

Dr. Dave:

She's like ...

Sabrina:

I'm good. How are you all?

Dr. Dave:

You good? We're amazing. We're amazing. How about you, Tray, what's going on with you?

Tracy:

I'm doing all right.

Dr. Dave:

All right. I'm happy to hear that. How's my friend, Steve? My bro-in-law.

Tracy:

Oh, he's fine.

Dr. Dave:

I just want to let you know that I have a bromance with your dad, so it's just a thing. So let's just start, and perhaps you guys could do an elevator pitch to introduce yourselves. I know lots about you, but I'd rather let the audience hear it in your own voice.

Tracy:

I am Tracy Treacy and I have known Dr. Dave for a long time.

Dr. Dave:

Good, good.

Tracy:

I have no idea how long. All of my adulthood I have known Dr. Dave, how's that?

Dr. Dave:

That's true.

Tracy:

Yes.

Dr. Dave:

Yes.

Tracy:

All of my adulthood. And for profession, I am a psychotherapist.

Dr. Dave:

Okay.

Tracy:

And for my identity, I am a mom and I enjoy being a mom. And I, I call myself a, I don't know, self-care guru, something like that, holistic healer. Been doing it for about 20 some years. And I enjoy what I do, work does not feel like work, so I'm never dreading doing what I'm doing. It always feels like I'm walking in my light and in where I'm supposed to be and life is good.

Dr. Dave:

Good. So Sabrina, can I get an elevator pitch from you?

Sabrina:

So, I'm Sabrina. I guess if my mom introduces herself as a mother, I'm a daughter. I live in Brooklyn and I first and foremost am a nerd. It dictates the way that I approach my work and my personal life. I just want to get to know everything about everything all the time, but specifically as it relates to slavery and race. And so, right now, I work for a digital media lab called Accelerate Change and we support digital organizers across the country in a new organizing fashion called blended organizing, which we will start building January 1st. And our support for organizers basically turned out marginal votes for the November 3rd general election. And so, now we're working really hard to get it together for the Georgia runoff. So that's what I do in my day job, without the day job I would just be reading and writing about slavery.

Dr. Dave:

Man, I am so glad I'm getting to know you, I really am. Hey, so it's really awesome that mom and daughter living in a mixed family. So how has that shaped your thinking and experiences with social justice?

Tracy:

Hm. Why don't you take that one Sabrina?

Sabrina:

Well, I mean we were just talking about this.

Tracy:

We were.

Sabrina:

What was that two hours ago? Literally it was a mistake, but serendipitous, I guess at this point. I woke up this morning thinking about how oftentimes growing up, I would see my mom's race getting called into question. And it was really strange for me because I always thought that she was excited about it, that's the way I perceived it as a young individual. And then on top of the constant questioning that I was going through, so people would be like, "What are you?" Every day of my life since K5. And no one can make sense of my race, but I knew that I was Black, I knew that I was a Black girl, but I didn't know that these questions were traumatizing,

EAFH34: Michael Spayd talks Systemic Consciousness and Systemic Racism

Dr. Dave:

So, welcome to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave Podcast, Michael. I'm just so excited to have you today for our conversation about The Social Justice Center's impact, especially in the Agile community.

Michael Spayd:

Thank you for having me, Dave.

Dr. Dave:

Yeah, I'm just really glad that you were able to connect. So let's just kick off and begin by you doing a quick elevator pitch about who is Michael Spayd and make sure our audience knows who you are and the good work that you're doing, if there is good work. Just kidding.

Michael Spayd:

I hope so.

Dr. Dave:

Yeah.

Michael Spayd:

Well, I've been in the Agile World about 20 years actually and have done a lot of large-scale transformations and started the Agile Coaching Institute with Lyssa Adkins in 2010. And more recently started a company called The Collective Edge with Lyssa and Michael Hamman and Kat Conner. And the time I've spent in the Agile community has been around bringing disciplines, methodologies, techniques in from other disciplines outside of technical ones or Agile software development like facilitation, professional coaching, organizational change and culture, leadership development, things that are really important that are needed in the Agile community but that the Agile community doesn't necessarily know a whole lot about or is not native to them. And I just finished a book with Michele Madore called Agile Transformation: Using the Integral Agile Transformation Framework To Think And Lead Differently. And that's about a big picture view of how transformations go and when we can expect them to happen and when we can't.

Dr. Dave:

Excellent.

Michael Spayd:

And that's a little about me.

Dr. Dave:

That's wonderful. So let's talk about the emotions that systemic racism bring to the surface for you, and really how do you deal with those feelings? Because those are heavy things for people like myself, but what of for you?

Michael Spayd:

Yeah, sure.

Dr. Dave:

What is that experience and the emotion that comes with that?

Michael Spayd:

Well, so I would say that before this year of 2020, my awareness of systemic racism was fleeting, to be honest. It was in patches or in moments and not sustained more as it is now. As I've been reflecting on just the killings this year, the clear record of police violence and oppression and how that extends into all kinds of other places, has really sobered me about that and made me... There's some guilt for me. I wasn't paying attention to this in a way that I wish I would've before. So there's some regret that way. And there's also just some deep compassion.

I remember going to... I live in Richmond, Virginia right now, and going down Monument Avenue where there's all these Confederate monuments and seeing the Robert E. Lee one, which has been taken over by Black Lives Matter and all these pictures on little stakes of black people that have been killed. And just feeling into that in a much deeper way than I have before. And just seeing the pattern and the picture and just raising my empathy for what that's like. It's sort of horrifying to me. So just trying to increase my awareness of systemic racism, the racism in me.

Dr. Dave:

Yeah. So do you sense there are challenges with social justice in the Agile community and where there is little empathy for black, indigenous and people of color lives in this space?

Michael Spayd:

Sure, in the same way that it is in most of our society.

E79: Finding Your Engagement Sweet Spot During COVID-19

By: Dr. Dave Cornelius

Finding your engagement sweet spot in this turbulent, uncertain, novel, and ambiguous (TUNA) environment is ”wicked-hard”.  I have inserted the Bostonian ”wicked-hard” colloquialism as I reflect on a previous weekly commute from the West to the East Coast for a customer engagement.  People in the office would often use ”wicked-hard” to describe some of the technological and people collaboration challenges.  I view people engagement in two categories that include 1) social engagement and 2) execution engagement.  It is estimated that the lack of engagement cost organizations approximately $550B in productivity loss each year.  That is a lot of productivity loss.

One question that I pose to agile, business, and executive coaches is what people and teams are missing because they are remote.  Recently, I spoke with a few agile coaches and they agree that social (casual) conversation is a key experience that is limited.  The ability to walk over to your colleague for a casual talk about sports, the kids, politics (no, not that!), and advice is now harder than ever.  A few of the experiences shared by the coaches to compensate for our distance were 1) teams are leaving open Slack channels to signal impromptu virtual meetups, 2) book clubs, and 3) virtual social events for happy hour and parties.  I would invite us to also practice the core protocol of “freedom” and allow our team members to “Check out” without judgement, explanation, or drama.  Each individual should be able to say , “I’m checking out”.  The benefit of creating social engagement while we are virtual will continue to help us build community and develop beneficial cultural experiences.

Beyond the social interaction between team members, we should not lose sight of the execution engagement that produces value for the organization.  In my coaching practice, I use a qualitative survey to help team members understand the level of engagement by probing the following:

* Understands the customer requests

* Takes initiative to lead without being asked

* Recommends solutions to problems and provide innovative ideas

* Contributes to technical and other conversations

* Meets Say – Do (Stories planned vs Stories done)

* Supports Dependent Team(s)

 

We apply the 360-feedback model that help team members use a blind selection practice to randomly provide feedback to each other.  Team members receive confidential and anonymous feedback from peers and others on cross functional teams who may also contribute.  The survey responses are measured using the following value ranges:

* 80%-100% - support the team’s focus to excel

* 60%-79% - monitor the patterns observed, influence to grow

* 59% and below – seek to understand and coach toward improvement

This model helps to build trust between the team members.  The frequency of this event usually take place every two or three months.  High-performing people contribute to high-performing teams and the work of leaders will be to create transparent methods that influence aspiration and engagement in this global pandemic.

Learn more by visiting www.knolshare.org

Music by: Kayanna Brow-Hendrikson

Copyright 2020 KnolShare and Dr. Dave Cornelius

Until next time, Be well, stay safe, and connect soon.

By: Dr. Dave Cornelius

You are the co-creator of Agile Retrospective with Esther Derby and now co-founder of the Agile Fluency Model, what are a few fun-facts that you would like to share about yourself?

Fun Facts? Perhaps some folks don’t know that I call myself @DianaOfPortland on Twitter for a few reasons. Though I grew up in Indiana and spent a few of my young adult years on the east coast and in California, I have always been drawn to Portland Oregon. After several false starts and visits as a teen and young adult, I finally moved to my “hometown” in the mid-1980’s and have lived here ever since. It feels like where I belong.

 

Q1: How are you feeling about the social unrest taking place in Portland and the you United States?

It is such a mix of emotions. I feel chagrin that my privilege has supported my inattention to the reasons for the unrest for years. Though my intentions have been to support fully equality, equity, and inclusion, the impact of my actions has been focused elsewhere and inadequate. I feel anxious for the young people who are in the forefront of the protests and for the future of the city and our communities. I feel proud of the young Black leaders of this movement and of their persistence. They represent the spirit of Portland well…though historically and up until the present they have not been full recipients of its bounty. I feel unfocused, frustrated anger that our systems have been created such that they leave so many of our community behind and give others a jump off the starting line. I feel hope for a better future.

 

Q2: According to historical reports, Oregon was founded on principles of white supremacy, it banned blacks from entering, living, or owning property in the state of Oregon.  How do you explain the support for the Black Lives Movement in Portland?

I can’t explain it. I’m not a sociologist.

The TV show Portlandia may have hinted at one answer. When the character says, “Portland is where young people come to retire,” he was only half right. Young white Millenials and GenZ’s have been drawn here. Decades ago, older activist hippie/yuppie-minded folks from the Boomer & X generations were drawn here. Perhaps for the natural beauty. Perhaps for the “Keep Portland Weird” slogan. People forget that Oregon has bucked the trends before. It was the only state where Eugene McCarthy (the anti-Vietnam War presidential candidate in 1969) won the Democratic primary by a landslide. Oregon is a state where people have stood up for their beliefs. For LGBTQA++ equality as well.

Those younger generation folks who have grown up with different, more inclusive media and community influences are finding their voices. Our Black young adult citizens have developed the skills and willingness to take leadership roles building on the role models of the Black Panther community leaders here in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Also, protests are not new in Portland. We have them as a regular response to what different groups see as events heading in the wrong direction. Wars. Economic conditions. Injustice of all kinds.

Those are some of my guesses. It’s highly complex, and it’s wonderful to see.

 

Q3: Have you ever had a conversation with a black person living in Portland about their experiences and agile community participation and engagement?

Yes, a few. Though not with as many as I’d like and not often enough. Because my work has largely focused outside of Oregon, most of my conversations with Black colleagues about agile have focused more broadly on agile practice and practitioners across geographies.

 

Q4: Imagine that we could use the five (5) stages of Agile Retrospective practices to understand the social injustice in Portland and Oregon as a whole,...

Rise of Emergent Leaders

Author: Dr. Dave Cornelius

 

Throughout my experience coaching product development teams I have witnessed individuals who risked being denied by others to lead when there was an opportunity.  These individuals are referred to as emergent leaders.  Emergent leaders are individuals who assume a leadership role without being assigned by their manager.  These informal leaders help to bring the best ideas directly from their lived experiences and work contexts.  When a situation presents itself, the emergent leader is open to serving in that moment.  My observation of the emergent leader is the demonstrated attributes that include: 1) servant leadership, 2) courage and 3) pursuit of craft mastery.  These three attributes help the informal leaders to serve without seeking reward, take on tough activities, and build their craft mastery.

In the season of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are leading in their community without assigned roles. You observe leadership in the social justice movement, parents becoming organizers for community learning for the neighborhood children, and athletes representing a cause with conviction.  You may wonder, how are distributed knowledge workers demonstrating emergent leadership. The reality is they will need help and partnership with assigned leaders (managers, directors, etc.) to bring their whole self to work.

Assigned leaders have an incredible opportunity to create nurturing environments that enable innovation freedom and emotional safety to give birth to people willing to walk into the uncomfortable emergent leadership role.  The leaders with assigned authority must cultivate a space where these informal leaders can emerge, bring energy, and actionable outcomes throughout the organization.

People celebrate high performing teams and they are often given the best assignments and admired for the outcomes achieved. High performing teams are known for being self-organizing, collaborative, and domain masters.  Emergent leaders are the cornerstone of high performing teams, which are the desired team dynamics of any leader in the organization.

This is the moment to practice the emergent leader behaviors in your organization.  As we are dispersed and sequestered in our homes, there are opportunities to find ways lean into serving team members.  There is no need to strive for perfection, but you can be helpful in leading team members toward becoming a high performing team by practicing emergent leadership.

 

Sponsors & Summary

We would like to thank our sponsor KnolShare for the continued support for this podcast.  Visit KnolShare.org to achieve your awesomeness through agile coaching and training, digital transformation strategy, agile organization development, lean business startup, and diversity and inclusion training.

We support lean thinking and agile life skills education through the 5 Saturdays program.  Visit 5Saturdays.org to donate your time, money, and knowledge.

Checkout Dr. Dave’s latest book Elastic Minds: What are you thinking? On Amazon.com.  You will also find his book Transforming your leadership Character: The lean thinking and agility way on Amazon.com.

Deepti Jain Social Justice Champion in India

Deepti is an Agile practitioner, experienced in creating, leading, and managing Agile teams in a distributed setup. She is an active Agile community builder in India and loves to connect and interact with people and prefers to call herself a Social Scientist. Always feel herself where technology meets people.

Based out of Gurgaon, she is very Agile to work with International and National Clients. To get access and share Agile abundance she founded “AgileVirgin” in 2015. In addition to Consulting, Coaching, and Training, AgileVirgin also runs a not-for-profit countrywide Communities of Practices. It’s flagship initiatives are AgilityToday, Agile-A-Thon, Funconf, and Change Agents Summit. Being first woman in India to start meetups, conferences/unconferences in Agile Space, she found a network of women was missing, she had nobody to support or mentor and so she started a forum the development and growth of women with name Women-in-Agile-and-Tech. Today W.A.T as 16 officers who run multiple initiatives and Programs (Visuellect, Gamify It, Agility A2Z, Unleash Yourself, Mentorship Program, and many more) globally.

Watch the Video Interview

Sponsors & Summary

We would like to thank our sponsor KnolShare for the continued support for this podcast.  Visit KnolShare.org to achieve your awesomeness through agile coaching and training, digital transformation strategy, agile organization development, lean business startup, and diversity and inclusion training.

We support lean thinking and agile life skills education through the 5 Saturdays program.  Visit 5Saturdays.org to donate your time, money, and knowledge.

Checkout Dr. Dave’s latest book Elastic Minds: What are you thinking? On Amazon.com.  You will also find his book Transforming your leadership Character: The lean thinking and agility way on Amazon.com.

Look for the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.

The KnolShare with Dr. Dave Podcast is Streamed on GrokShare.com and KnolSharewithDrDave.com.

If you have any questions for Dr. Dave reach out on twitter @DrCorneliusInfo or @KnolShare.

This podcast and interview produced by Dr. Dave Cornelius

Music by: Kayanna Brow-Hendrikson

Until next time, find your awesomeness.

Copyright 2020 KnolShare and Dr. Dave Cornelius.

E77: Social Injustice, Agile Practices, and The Workplace

Author: Dave Cornelius, DM

We are living in a time of great societal change. Every aspect of everyday life is under scrutiny, from our consumer habits to the way we treat each other. As society becomes more diverse (and as more progressive generations like Gen Z approach adulthood), more people are embracing inclusivity and social justice – and nowhere is this more apparent than in the workplace.

Today’s young people aren’t just looking for steady pay and health insurance coverage; according to a survey from Glassdoor, nearly two-thirds of job seekers say that diversity is a key factor in the jobs they apply for and the offers they accept. This new generation of professionals wants to work in a diverse and inclusive environment, where everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the bottom line.

If workplaces want to stay relevant in today’s market, they need to invest in their corporate culture. The companies who support their employees, foster a collaborative atmosphere, and actively work to eliminate social injustices will be the companies who attract the best young job seekers – and ultimately, the companies who deliver the best work.

Luckily, it isn’t hard to create this thriving work environment. All you need to do is start using agile practices with your employees.

What is Social Injustice?

Before a business can mitigate the effects of social injustice, they must understand what those effects are – and how they might be (unintentionally) causing them. Social injustices vary from one industry to the next, from microaggressions and a lack of support from managers to a simple lack of diversity throughout the organization. Whatever they may be, these injustices are a common problem throughout many offices.

Perhaps your workplace only hires people of a certain identity – only white people or cisgender people, for example. This decision may be unintentional, but it is an example of social injustice. Even if a company does hire a diverse workforce, the environment can still be unjust towards minority groups. They may not feel that their work or their ideas are valued within the organization, and as a result may not feel comfortable contributing to projects.

If businesses want to thrive in today’s marketplace, they need to avoid social injustice as much as possible – after all, these injustices can have dire ramifications for your business.

How Injustice Affects the Workplace

Companies that have one-sided workforces (all white, all male, etc.) will likely have a limited perception of the world. This can limit the way a workforce views a problem, keeping them from true innovation that disrupts their industries.

Of course, there are many other ways that social injustice impacts a company. These include:

Damaging Workers’ Psychological Safety

The term “psychological safety” was first coined by Amy Edmondson in 1999. Her Harvard University paper, “Psychological Safety and Learning Behaviors in Work Teams,” posited that successful work teams must hold “[a] shared belief…that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”

Companies plagued by social injustice can feel like unsafe environments for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, and other groups. These individuals may not feel like their ideas are valued (or even heard), which can put a strain on their mental health each day.

Stifling Contributions and Creativity

If a worker doesn’t feel psychologically safe among their co-workers, they are often less willing to share their ideas and collaborate with their team. This lack of contribution is doubly detrimental; it hurts the employee, causing her mental strife and a decreased sense of value within...

Growing Racial Equity Team Conversation

Hello and welcome to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast.  I am Dr. Dave Cornelius, your host.  

Sometimes you are afforded the opportunity to have conversations with passionate people that are relevant in the moment and into the future. These men and women are willing to give of themselves to create a space to hear and gather stories of voices ignored for a long time.  The agile community is not perfect but is anchored on values that make individuals important.  The first sentence of the first value is individuals and interactions, which gives an opportunity to intentionally acknowledge our common global humanity to give grace toward each other.

Let’s begin and listen to the stories shared by April, Jessica, Angie, Anthony, and Trisha.

 

Dr. Dave:                      So hello and welcome to Knolshare with Dr. Dave podcast. I'm Dr. Dave Cornelius, your host. Sometimes you are forwarded the opportunity to have conversations with passionate people that are relevant in the moment and into the future. These men and women are willing to give of themselves, to create a space to hear, and gather stories of voices ignored for a long time. The agile community is not perfect but is anchored in values that make individuals important. The first sentence of the first value is individuals and interactions, which gives an opportunity to intentionally acknowledge our common global humanity, to give grace toward each other. Let's begin and listen to the story shared by April, Jessica, Angie, Antony, and Tricia.

Tricia Broderic...:           Hi, my name is  Tricia Broderick. I know we're all going to be like super  everybody. My name is Tricia Broderick, I am tired some because I'm not sleeping, but mostly because I get my energy from really large groups of people and I don't have that right now. So I am here. I'm in.

Dr. Dave:                      Welcome.

Antony Marcano:          Welcome.

Angie Doyle:                 Welcome.

Jessica Small:                Welcome.

April Jefferson:             Welcome.

Jessica Small:                I will go next. I am Jessica Small and I am so glad to be here to talk about and to have been part of such an important conversation. I'm in.

Dr. Dave:                      Welcome.

April Jefferson:             Welcome.

Angie Doyle:                 SO my name is Angie Doyle and I am spirited because this is a topic I'm really passionate and excited to speak about, and I'm in.

Dr. Dave:                      Welcome.

Antony Marcano:          Welcome.

April Jefferson:             Welcome. I'm April Jefferson. I feel passionate so it's sort of a, "Yes and," on Angie. I'm passionate because hey, what we're talking about today, I am one of the ones in that group. Not only if I wasn't, I would care as well for all people that struggle from just walking in this world. So I'm in.

Jessica Small:                Welcome.

Antony Marcano:          Welcome.

Angie Doyle:                 Welcome.

Antony Marcano:          I guess it's my turn.

Dr. Dave:                      Yeah.

Antony Marcano:          Hi, I'm Antony Marcano. I'm feeling hopeful because there are lots of things that we couldn't talk about before for fear of being told we'd be playing the race card. But now being taken seriously and being heard. Not by everyone, but by more people than before. Therefore, I'm hopeful that we can grow the number of people willing to hear so that we can start the process of reach an understanding, and I'm in.

Angie Doyle:                 Welcome.

Dr. Dave:                      Welcome.

April Jefferson:             Welcome.

Dr.

E76: Social Justice - Business Disruptor or Hype Cycle?

We are currently living through a period of intense social upheaval. People are taking to the streets in every major city across the country, protesting injustice towards BIPOC, women, and the LGBT+ community – committed by their own federal and local governments.

It’s the kind of upheaval that can change a society forever, and in some places the protests are seeing results; 13 U.S. cities have cut funding from their police departments in light of the protests, and the Supreme Court just ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers protection to LGBT+ individuals, marking a new era in trans rights.

Things appear to be moving in an inclusive and progressive direction, but there’s just one problem: we’ve seen and heard all this before. What will make this time different?

I am both hopeful and skeptical that the Black Lives Matter movement and other protests will change the hearts and minds of business leaders to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their culture. I believe that DEI is essential for every business, simple because of what I learned in business school: maximize the value for shareholders.

 

Companies that have one-sided workforces (all white, all male, etc.) will likely have a limited perception of the world. This can limit the way a workforce views a problem, keeping them from true innovation that disrupts their industries. If existing business leaders truly want to maximize the value of their business for their stakeholders, they will need to shift their culture and embrace DEI.

If business leaders approach social justice with an innovation lens, perhaps we can take an innovative view of this season of disruption. The leaders would fit into one of the following groups:

* Innovators: These individuals seek out novelty; it’s like a hobby for them. They are limited in numbers. Other people see them use new things and feel braver themselves about trying them.

* Early Adopters (visionaries): Early adopters look for breakthrough opportunities, and they are willing to pay well to be first with the new approaches. This group relies on its own intuition and vision to make buying decisions.

* Early Majority: These are practical minded consumers. If an opportunity seems useful, this group will try it. The early majority are cautious of fads.

* Late Early Majority: These people wait for something to become well established. They don’t feel confident in their ability to deal with change and often buy from big companies.

* Laggards: For personal and/or economic reasons, laggards are not looking to buy into new change.

As businesses embrace DEI, their worldview will expand, and innovation will become easier. However, this doesn’t mean that growth will be a constant upward slope. As workforces become more diverse and innovation increases, the five innovation hype cycles may influence the behaviors of business leaders.

The Innovation Hype Cycles are:

* Innovation Trigger:A potential humanity breakthrough that kicks things off. Early proof-of-concept stories and media interest trigger significant publicity. Often no real outcomes exist, and viability is unproven.

* Trough of Disillusionment: Interest wanes as experiments and implementations fail to deliver.

COVID-19, You Ruined My 2020 Plans

By Dave “Dr. Dave” Cornelius, DM

On Wednesday, March 3, 2020, I drove from meeting with a client in Phoenix to my home in Tucson. I had planned to attend an entrepreneur event at the University of Arizona, but I did not feel well so I decided not to attend. That night I got the chills, body aches, fever, the works: the flu.

This can’t be the flu, I thought. I took the flu shot. When I take the flu shot, I never get the flu.

I called my client the next day. I let them know that I would be out for the rest of the week and would return to work on Monday. By Sunday the chills and body aches had gone away, but I had a cough that took my breath away. My client kindly offered to have me to work remotely for the rest of the week…

The following week, they told me that everyone would be working remotely. The Phoenix office would be temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

I had big plans for 2020. I was going to pay off some debt and experience financial freedom, all while launching a startup company. I know this may sound like an oxymoron – how does someone get out of debt AND launch a startup? But it was possible for me; I was about to sign a contract with my client that would have kept revenue flowing through Q1 of 2021. But now? That contract, along with just about everything else in the world, is in uncertain territory. Perhaps you can relate!

We are currently in a Turbulent, Uncertain, Novel, and Ambiguous (TUNA) season. I’m sure most of us are feeling some emotional distress during these times – I certainly am (I enjoy fresh tuna, but not when it is turning my world upside down)!

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event in our lifetime, and it has created turbulence, uncertainty, and ambiguity for our lives and businesses. We have a health crisis, social justice challenges, financial crisis, and political chaos in the United States and around the world. As the chaos has persisted this past 5 months, I have found myself asking one big question:

“How will I survive this TUNA mess and get back to my 2020 plans?”

I am sure many others are having the same conversations and worries.

Lately, I’ve been researching ways to navigate this TUNA dilemma, as my plans prior to COVID-19 have now been nuked. In my research, I found a few articles on scenario-based planning that may help, and I’ve turned to the agile concept and practice of Design Thinking Strategy to help me visualize my choices in this new world. How does Design Thinking Strategy work? There are seven main steps:

* Identify the strategic problem (what is blocking us from achieving our aspirations?)

* Frame a question (turn the problem into a question; “How might we…”)

* Generate strategic possibilities

* Ask, what would have to be true to make these possibilities a reality?

* Identify barriers (what is the greatest challenge?)

* Test to learn (research, create prototypes, run design tests)

* Make a choice

Use the strategic choice cascade:

* Winning aspiration

* Where to play?

* How to win?

* What are the capabilities?

* Management systems

*

If I use the Design Thinking Strategy framework, I can define a path forward for my current situation. Let’s break it down:

My Strategic Problem: COVID-19 disrupted economic flow for trainers and coaches

My Question: How can I train and coach clients virtually and retain a competitive rate?

Possibilities: Use Zoom meeting with PowerPoint; Create on-demand, stand-alone courses

What would have to be true: Clients are open to virtual training and coaching.