Advertise on podcast: Practicing Connection

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re answering listener questions about personal growth, listening, and building trust with collaborators. You can send us your questions at [email protected], we love to hear from you!  Links and resources from this episode: Practicing Connection episode: End of Day ReflectionPracticing Connection series on Trust and CollaborationPracticing Connection episode: Boost Your Productivity With Co-WorkingConnect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterSend us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Long-term projects can feel like nothing's moving - until you know where to look. This episode is about training your eye to spot the small shifts that mean things are working.  It's easy to lose steam on a long-term project when progress feels invisible. In this episode, Jessica and Erin talk about why momentum is often hard to see in the moment - and why noticing it matters, not just for morale, but for spotting what's actually working so you can build on it. This practice helps you find momentum in your own community or project: what's moving forward, what's growing, and what conversations are happening now that weren't six months ago.  Erin also shares what to do when you can't see any momentum at all - including a simple way to check in with others and revisit the question down the road. Links and resources from this episode: Practicing Connection episode, "Putting Your Icebreakers to Work"Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail It's easy to talk about 'the system' like it's something happening to us. But what if you're already standing inside it - and holding one of the levers? We often talk about "the system" as something distant - a force acting on us rather than something we're part of. In this episode, Erin and Jessica offer a practice for stepping onto the balcony to see your place inside a system you're frustrated with or curious about, whether that's at work, in your community, or even in your own evening routine. Building on ideas from a past episode on network mapping and borrowing from Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey's Immunity to Change framework, this practice walks through mapping your actual points of contact within a system, identifying where you might have real leverage, and naming the hidden commitment that may be keeping things exactly as they are.  It's less about assigning blame and more about finding your specific foothold for change. Links and resources from this episode: Immunity to Change framework: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/hgse100/story/changing-betterPracticing Connection episode, "Who's Missing From Your Network?"Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Whether you're planning a single meeting or inviting people into a long-term community change effort, the invitation is where it succeeds or fails. Here are five principles to get it right. Invitations aren't just logistics - they're where a gathering succeeds or falls apart before it even starts.  In this episode, Jessica and Erin dig into why a well-crafted invitation saves time, keeps efforts on track, and empowers people to actually participate, whether you're inviting someone to a single event or into a long-term community change effort.  Drawing on Priya Parker's The Art of Gathering, they walk through five principles for better invitations: letting your purpose act as both bouncer and recruiter, removing (or naming) barriers to full participation, matching your invitation to the participation you actually want, being clear about what's in it for the invitee, and never skipping the practical details.  Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail What does collective impact work actually look like?  In this interview episode, we hear from a statewide “backbone” organization and a local coalition working in tandem to make changes on early childhood education and child care access.  We dig into how it works on the ground, what it takes to sustain it over time, and what other communities might learn from it. Today’s guests are Eric Hale from Early Matters Texas and Tessa Harlin from Early Matters San Antonio.  Eric serves as the Director of Business Partnerships and Strategy for Early Matters Texas, where he leads business engagement strategy and helps regional coalitions grow support for their work from the business sector.  Tessa is focused on improving educational outcomes and ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning for all children in San Antonio and Bexar County. Links and resources from this episode: Early Matters Texas: https://earlymatterstx.org/Early Matters San Antonio: https://earlymatterssa.org/ Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail How do you get to the important conversations faster? Sometimes getting to know a new collaborator can take more time that you have to spare. In this episode Erin and Jessica discuss how a cheat sheet can jumpstart the conversations that build understanding.  Then Erin walks you through how to write your own.  Links and resources from this episode: Create Your Own Cheat Sheet handout: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1si32FVO0z-upqBhwJOelTi40G4kDcxdAqIBhnskRWrU/edit?usp=sharing Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail What if the person frustrating you isn't missing a strength - just misusing one?  In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica and Erin walk through a practical, evidence-based way to find the strength that's showing up in the wrong dose, instead of landing on judgment. Drawing on positive psychology researcher Ryan Niemiec's concept of the "golden mean," they use a shared pet peeve as a live test case - generating multiple strengths-based stories for a moment that would normally just cause frustration. The goal isn't to excuse bad behavior or talk yourself out of a boundary - it's to see people more completely, stay collaborative, and keep working with them instead of writing them off. Useful for anyone who works with people day to day - supporting military families, leading a team, or building community - especially in the moments someone shows up with negative energy, or you're already bracing for it. Links and resources from this episode: viacharacter.orgList of all 24 strengths with descriptions: https://www.viacharacter.org/resources/activities/the-via-classification-of-twenty-four-character-strengthsConnect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail What do you do after you listen to understand someone else? It can be a real challenge to figure out how to collaborate with someone who only complains. Listening to understand is a great first step, but what do you do next? How do you move the conversation forwards?  Join us for this episode of Practicing Connection, where Erin and Jessica dive into a new way to respond when faced with negativity. Then Erin will introduce a fast and fun activity called Positive Rants that teaches you how to positively reframe negativity so you can talk about what comes next.  Links and resources from this episode: Finger Exercises for Poets: https://www.doriannelaux.net/finger-exercises-for-poetsYou Are Not So Smart Podcast: https://youarenotsosmart.com/ YANSS Episode 341 - Positive Rants- Heather Barnes: https://podscan.fm/podcasts/you-are-not-so-smart/episodes/341-positive-rants-heather-barnes Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Many professionals want to help military families. Few understand the invisible barriers they're navigating. When service members and military families transition to civilian life, they're often told to expect "culture shock." But according to counselor and researcher Dr. Seth Hayden, that phrase doesn't fully capture what's actually happening. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf and guest co-host Kim Smith explore the military-civilian divide with Dr. Hayden, whose work focuses on the intersection of career development and mental health for service members, veterans, and military families. Together, they discuss: Why military transition is about more than employmentWhat civilian providers often misunderstand about military cultureThe hidden challenges veterans face when translating military experience into civilian opportunitiesHow spouses experience transition differently than service membersWhy career struggles and mental health concerns are often part of the same storyPractical ways professionals can better support military-connected familiesWhether you work with military families or simply want to better understand the transition experience, this conversation offers valuable insights into what it takes to bridge the divide. Dr. Seth Hayden is a professor of counseling and coordinator of the clinical mental health program at Wake Forest University.  His research sits right at the intersection of career development and mental health, with a particular focus on the career and personal development needs of military service members, veterans, and their families, including some recent work specifically on military spouses navigating the transition to civilian life. Links and resources from this episode: SpouseWorks:  https://spouseworks.militaryonesource.mil/portal/Dr. Seth Hayden:  https://counseling.wfu.edu/faculty-staff/dr-seth-hayden/https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-hayden-wfu/Clinical Military Counseling: Guidelines for Practice: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119783527?__cf_chl_tk=KzKEp3QotoNpCKT8u789ZOz.7I__Ea9bfxdNhM3pztc-1787167104-1.0.1.1-bpa3CFcvdvBE1WDaUs_QgQGyUNbLWa6QWC6waQibXUg https://www.counseling.org/publications/aca-books/view/clinical-military-counseling--guidelines-for-practiceCognitive Information Processing: Career Theory, Research, and Practice: https://publishing.lib.fsu.edu/books-textbooks/cognitive-information-processing-career-theory-research-and-practice/ Integrating Career Development and Mental Health in Counseling: https://www.counseling.org/publications/aca-books/view/integrating-career-development-and-mental-health-in-counseling Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation with Tom Mosgaller, we unpack a flexible Change Framework designed for communities of any size or location. Tom explains why relationships and taking action together are central, and how aligning desire, vision, power, and action can help us all overcome resistance and move toward a brighter future. Tom Mosgaller is an experienced community builder, teacher, and leader who believes that relationships are the cornerstone of strong, vibrant communities.  Tom has led, taught, and coached community builders in places both big and small, urban and rural, locally and internationally. He’s also co-author of Pulling Together: A Handbook for Community Change and Bending Granite: 30+ True Stories of Leading Change. Links and resources from this episode: Tom on LinkedInhttps://www.pulling-together.com/ On the Importance of Being Unprincipled: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41206444Reveille For a New Generation https://actapublications.com/reveille-for-a-new-generation/ Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail When child care is hard to find and harder to afford, some communities aren't waiting for a fix.  Kristin Forde Hurckes of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Center for Cooperative explains how cooperative models are helping - and where they hit their limits.  Kristin Forde Hurckes is part of the team of Cooperative Development Specialists at the UW Center who supports worker cooperatives in rural community, with an emphasis on worker cooperative conversions.  She emphasizes the importance of both individual and collective commitment to the significant cultural and organizational change that is required to shift toward democratic and participatory decision making.  Kristin enjoys learning about the many creative ways cooperatives organize and structure themselves; and developing effective formats for group processes. Links and resources from this episode: UW Madison Center for Cooperatives Childcare Cooperative Resources Cooperative Development ServicesICA Group Childcare ResourcesEnergy Capital Cooperative ChildcareNestling HouseConnect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Many military families don't live near a large installation.  Jennifer Holliday, Alabama's first Military Family Liaison shares what it takes to coordinate support for geographically dispersed families and what any service provider can do to build that connective tissue in their own community. Jennifer Holliday serves as the first Military Family Liaison for the State of Alabama. She is a military spouse with over 21 years of military life experience with her Army husband Doc Holliday, including 7 wartime deployments and 9 PCS moves while raising their three Army BRATS. They now live on the “retiree side,” in Huntsville. Her past military spouse leadership roles centered around Family Readiness Group Leader and Advisor positions, including the 3d SFG(A) Headquarters and 3ID Headquarters. Jennifer was also the Vice President of the Stan the Man Foundation from 2006-2010, helping the organization continue and expand its mission to support military families in need at Fort Bragg. Since moving to Alabama in 2016 for Doc to serve as the Redstone Arsenal Garrison Commander, Jennifer has cultivated an expansive network across the local military spouse, civilian, Federal, and Veteran communities. She has volunteered in a variety of roles across the community and continues to serve as the Communications Director for the Semper Fi Community Task Force. Links and resources from this episode: The Heroes Welcome Initiative websiteHeroes Welcome LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alabama-heroes-welcome-initiativeHeroes Welcome on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaHeroesWelcomeInitiativeJennifer on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferholliday1Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Belonging isn’t just a warm feeling - it’s something people build together over time.  In this episode, we’re talking about how communities learn to do that in ways that are genuinely caring, how they keep it going, and what that means for people who have to rebuild their sense of community again and again, including many military-connected families. Jessica and Erin talk with Julika von Stackelberg, a Family and Community Resilience Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, whose work sits at the intersection of parenting education, community development, and systems change. Through programs like the Orange County Resilience Project, Julika brings people together to build communities rooted in care, connection, and shared responsibility. Together, they unpack what “belonging” looks like in practice, why the feeling of being cared for can matter even more than visible acts of support, and how communities can sustain that care over time—even when people are constantly coming and going. Whether you work with military families or are simply interested in how stronger, more resilient communities are built, this conversation offers practical insights and thoughtful questions to carry into your own work. Links and resources from this episode: Julika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julikavstackelberg/Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Community engagement, co-creation and collaboration depend on meaningful conversations.  Asking the right question is the most effective way of expanding a conversation, keeping it engaging and making it meaningful. In this replay episode from 2024, Jessica and Bob share a practice to help us engage people in the meaningful conversations we need to have, in order to plan and do our work together. Connect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Getting to a shared purpose as a group often requires digging a little deeper than usual.  In this replay episode from 2024, Jessica and Bob talked about the "chaordic stepping stones," a helpful tool for going below the surface with a group, and share four questions that can help groups work toward a clear statement of purpose together. Links and resources from this episode: "You don't have to be local" by Derek Sivers"Keep Going" by Austin KleonConnect with us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: [email protected]