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Purpose Podcast 018 – Diana Larsen: Creating Healthy Workplaces

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DianaLarsenDiana Larsen’s purpose is to create healthy workplaces.  She says FutureWorks Consulting works with organizational leaders so that everyone at every level can say, “I love my work…this is the best job ever!”

FutureWorks also uses what they call Simple Rules (what I tend to think of as Core Values, but I’m considering changing my terminology).  http://futureworksconsulting.com/who-we-are

  • Interpret others generously
  • Seek clarity and personal connection
  • Give and get reciprocal respect and mutual value
  • Create and support healthy workplaces at every opportunity
  • Discern the innovative and pragmatic to fit emergent work

Diana says that simple rules allow everyone to make decisions they know are aligned, without needing to check it out with a partner or the boss.  These rules enhance organizational efficiency, they remove waste.

Links:

Purpose Podcast 017 – John Fish: Alumni Networks Making an Impact in Communities

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John FishJohn Fish was instrumental in setting up the Princeton Project 55 (now Princeton Alumni Corps) Public Interest Project in 1989.  Recent graduates were (and are) placed in one year fellowships in public interest organizations where they could not only do some good for people and communities that year, but where those experiences would have the potential to change the lives of those young people themselves.

I was a PP55 Fellow in 1993 in Chicago, and was greatly impacted by the experience.

John says (paraphrased): If we can interrupt the typical process for college graduates where they enter the corporate world immediately and get locked in to that system and career path, if we give them a chance to explore another world, some of them get excited about the people they’re working with and the impact they’re making and ultimately the meaning it gives to their lives.

“I wasn’t about just giving a young person a job.  I wanted to get inside their heads.”

Some links to learn more:

Purpose Podcast 016 – Jeff Hall: Empowering Companies to Deliver Consistent, Intentional and Authentic Customer Experiences

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Jeff-Hall-Purpose-Podcast-QuoteJeff Hall worked at a restaurant in college.  Unbeknownst to him, he was mystery shopped.  He was so impressed with the detail and quality of the report that after graduation he started a company dedicated to helping companies improve their customer experience.  That company, Second to None, has a purpose of “Empowering Companies to Deliver Consistent, Intentional and Authentic Customer Experiences.”

How authentic is your company?  What changes could you make to be more aligned than you are today?

Links:

Purpose Podcast 015: Jean Russell: Thrivability

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ThrivabilityBeyond scarcity, there is sufficiency.  Beyond sufficiency there is sustainability.  Beyond sustainability there is thrivability.

In this episode of the Purpose Podcast I interview Jean Russell about her work promoting the idea of thrivability, as well as her deeper purpose of touching people’s lives, making people’s lives better.

The big ah-ha for me from this conversation is this idea that the stories we tell about our lives and our purpose create the map upon which we act in the world.  If our stories aren’t inspiring us, our actions aren’t going to make the difference we’re committed to making.

Some contact information:

Thrive on and go live your purpose!

Purpose Podcast 014 – Laura Mansfield: Brave Authentic Stories Shifting the Consciousness of the World

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Laura-Mansfield-Purpose-Podcast-Quote.001Laura Mansfield’s PAGATIM is “Brave Authentic Stories Shifting the Consciousness of the World.”  Brave Authentic Stories is written on the outside of their building, it appears in their presentations, shows up in every conversation about the work itself, and is core to why a lot of the people are working at PAGATIM.

PAGATIM’s purpose is only one example of Laura’s deeper purpose: “Transforming Spaces.”  While PAGATIM is transforming the audio space, she’s also working on other transformations, such as the world of financing entrepreneurs.

Here are Laura’s last words in the interview (paraphrased):

We as CEOs have the opportunity to make the world a better place.  When we lose sight of that, that’s a huge mistake because we are in positions that can make a real impact.  Whether small, middle size or large business, we can change the world. I hope that we each hold that as we go through our day to day.  It’s easy to lose track in all the noise.

PAGATIM podcasts mentioned in this episode:

I’m also inspired by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and creator of Downtown Project, which I’ll write and talk more about at another time.  For more about me, please see TedSarvata.com

Purpose Podcast 013: Purpose of … #1

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One Page Strategic PlanThis week we think about purpose differently.  What is the purpose of a one page strategic plan?  What is the purpose of core values?  What is the purpose of quarterly rocks (priorities)?  What is the purpose of your weekly executive team meeting?  What is the purpose of a dashboard?

For a full day with your executive team, come to a Mastering the Rockefeller Habits workshop in Portland, OR or Detroit, MI.  Find out more at TedSarvata.com

Purpose Podcast 012 – Savannah Mayfield is Being Savannah

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Savannah MayfieldSavannah Mayfield’s purpose is “Being Savannah,” expressing the most true version of Savannah in the world.  In her work as a life coach, she has a perspective that purpose is more about being than doing, and that each of us has an innate purpose, to be our most authentic, gifted, loving self.  Our “right vocation” is then where we can show up as our most authentic self and get paid for it.

When she’s truly being Savannah, she experiences a particular state in her body, a sense of expansiveness, a sense of lovingness, access to compassion, access to positivity, the ability to see opportunity, etc.  When she’s in a less Savannah state, she might find herself more contracted, with fear inside, more limited, making decisions based on outside expectations or obligations, etc.

She has practices that support being in this most purposeful state, including mindfulness, being a conscious, aware person.  She tells us that listening to our inner wisdom can be very practical.  How can you see yourself tapping into more of who you are?

Contact info for Savannah:

Savannah’s Upcoming Event: Evolve Your Lifestyle Nov 7, 2013, Portland OR 6-9pm

You can also email me Ted@PurposePodcast.com or find out more about me here: TedSarvata.com

Purpose Podcast 011 – Kent Lewis: To Educate, Entertain & Connect

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Kent LewisKent Lewis’s core tenets are to Educate, Entertain and Connect.  He’s started numerous organizations, all fitting in to at least one of these 3 core ideas.  At Anvil Media, his social media marketing agency, this means he’s organized around moving his customers’ businesses forward.  His goal is to delight and elevate (either without the other is insufficient).

We also talked about his volunteer work with SMART Start Making a Reader Today, helping kids with pre-literacy skills.

Kent also shared these great resources and events:

What is your purpose?  Not sure?  Drop me a line Ted@PurposePodcast.com

Purpose Podcast 010: Doug Wick: To Discover, Inspire and Ignite Purpose and Passion

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Doug-Wick-Purpose-Podcast-Quote.jpgDoug Wick’s purpose is “to discover, inspire and ignite purpose and passion.”  His company, Positioning Systems works with companies in a growth mode or wanting to move into a growth mode.  His purpose used to be longer, but while facing a life-threatening health challenge, he used the the business principles he teaches to get over that challenge, to the point of having daily huddles with his health care team.

Key takeaways from our interview:

  • Discipline matters.
  • Pay attention to key relationships in the good times.  Those are the people that will support you when you need it.
  • When you’ve nailed your purpose, you can use it as an affirmation, reading it daily to keep yourself on track, even on those days when the reading is rote and not inspiring.

Doug’s blog is StrategicDiscipline.PositioningSystems.com.  He’s also hosting the Cedar Rapids Mastering the Rockefeller Habits Workshop in Cedar Rapids, IA on November 12th.

If you’re in Portland and would like to schedule yourself for a coffee with me email Ted@PurposePodcast.com