Greater Orlando Organization Development Network Presidents' Message

GOOD Network Annual Report 2025

Carol Emmett — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 01:39:21 GMT

As we turn the page on 2025, we look back on a year marked by growth and innovation. We’re delighted to share this report which highlights key milestones, progress of our visioning journey, and the path ahead.

2025 Highlights

Events & Engagement:

We hosted over 45 events, including 6 bi-monthly workshops, 35 Community of Practice (CoP) meetings, 3 social gatherings, 1 GOOD doing GOOD events, and 2 author events in partnership with Authors 365. These experiences were designed to foster continuous learning, connection, and sharing of resources and best practices across our network.

Program Innovation:

This year saw the inaugural launch of the bi-monthly GOODx concept, providing members with a platform to showcase expertise and develop storytelling skills. We introduced a new CoP focused on Organizational Inclusion and retired the Project Management CoP to better align with member interest.

Mentorship and Membership:

We celebrated the graduation of another mentor cohort, continuing our tradition of supporting professional growth and development. Membership remained strong, with increased participation of committees guiding our direction.

Financial Stewardship:

GOOD is in an excellent financial position due to a continued focus on responsible financial management and ensuring we operate at or below budget. As a reminder all members can access our financial reports in the Members Only section of our website.

Visioning Update

In late 2024, we embarked on a visioning journey to reimagine a GOOD Network of the future. Member insights and ideas informed strategies to enhance engagements, inclusion, and curated experiences. Here are a few ways your ideas and insights translated into action, with more to come in 2026:

Showcasing Member Expertise:

The introduction of GOODx enabled members to share their knowledge and stories, supported by collaboration with a TEDx Coach and expanded outreach and visibility through LinkedIn.

Expanding Educational Opportunities:

We tailored bi-monthly meetings to deliver relevant, energetic content and explored alternative delivery methods tailored to the content. Improving virtual delivery and enhanced member interaction and connection opportunities remains a focus for us in 2026.

Strengthening Communications:

Our refreshed branding and increased social media activity, including vibrant photos featuring our speakers and members, boosted visibility and connection with the broader community.

Looking Ahead: Let’s Co-Create the Future Together

Our journey to imagine the future of the GOOD Network continues. As we welcome our new president, Kamaria Scott, in 2026, we invite every member to consider what you want to get and what you will give to advance the GOOD community overall – whether by offering suggestions, joining a committee, volunteering at events, or sharing your expertise at a Best Practices, GOODx, or CoP session. This is YOUR organization, and your talents and active participation are vital to our ongoing success.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the leaders and members who contributed their invaluable time and talents in 2025. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to making GOOD great.

It has been an honor to serve you. Together, we look forward to continuing to co-create the future of the GOOD Network.

Peggy and Vicki

December 25 - January 26 Co-Presidents' Message

Carol Emmett — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:26:44 GMT

We’ll soon be sharing a longer Annual Report to members but for now, we want to simply thank all of you for the many ways you’ve engaged with this community this year—curating the experience that serves you best, whether through communities of practice, socials, bi-monthly sessions, committee membership or other leadership roles, and submitting your applications for our annual Best Practices and upcoming GOODx session. We had so many applications this year – a testament to your generosity and willingness to share your wisdom. This is a hallmark of what makes GOOD great. Here’s to a strong finish to 2025!

Vicki and Peggy

October - November 2025 Co-Presidents Message

Carol Emmett — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:58:34 GMT

As we head toward the end of 2025, we’re reflecting on where we are now, how far we’ve come and what’s ahead. Three years ago, we were like a small but hardy shoot peeking out of the earth after a long winter, wondering if it was okay to come outside again. We explored old and new ways of being together, met meeting space challenges as opportunities and learned a lot along the way. Over the past year, we sought ways to bust silos, cultivate interest of potential new leaders and invite all members to imagine what the seasons ahead for GOOD might look like. Growth isn’t always obvious at first. As Hemingway put it, change happens “gradually, then suddenly.” It feels like our garden is beginning to bloom. We received triple the number of Best Practice session proposals this year versus recent years and roughly a third of our 2026 Board slate are first-time GOOD leaders. With a plethora of new faces in leadership and committees working hard to bring your future vision of GOOD to life, we’re excited to see what’s next.

Vicki and Peggy

August - September 2025 Co-Presidents Message

Carol Emmett — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:51:04 GMT

We are delighted to see the continued interest in being part of the team that makes this GOOD engine go. Our Committees have continued to grow, new COP leaders have stepped forward, and many of you have engaged as Visioneers. You are all bringing new growth to GOOD and making a difference. And, there is more room for all those who haven’t yet engaged but want to! We will soon enter our 2026 Election season. As the call goes out soon for nominations and committee interest, please consider how you would like to contribute to our success. Answer the call! Help make GOOD great in 2026!

Vicki and Peggy

Co-Presidents Message for June-July 2025

Carol Emmett — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:22:36 GMT

We’re already halfway through 2025! The past six months have been exciting, with our Bi-monthly Programs team keeping things dynamic. We’ve had one hybrid meeting, one all-virtual meeting, and our upcoming June meeting will be entirely in person --- with dogs! This momentum is a continuation of the Visioning work we started last year. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes, and we’re excited about what’s next. To read our recent update on the Visioning work, learn about upcoming plans, and find out how to get involved, Click HERE.

Vicki Bautista and Peggy Jackson, Co-Presidents

Co-Presidents Message for April-May, 2025

Carol Emmett — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:12:38 GMT

Your leadership team continues to focus relentlessly on integrating your ideas and preferences into plans for 2025 and beyond. We came together in January to collaborate and build this year’s game plan incorporating the themes of engagement, inclusion, and curated experiences as vital to GOOD Network’s success.

As we navigate the year ahead, you have a dedicated team with an unwavering commitment to building engagement and inclusiveness by offering an array of top-notch resources - enabling each of you to curate an experience to meet your needs. We invite you to take agency and choose how you will make the most of your membership.

We extend gratitude to all who are contributing their indispensable expertise, time, and value to keep GOOD great for many years to come, along with an open invitation to everyone in the community to get involved. Whether you can volunteer one time or make an ongoing commitment by joining a committee, YOU can make a positive impact!

Vicki Bautista and Peggy Jackson, Co-Presidents

Co-Presidents Message for January - February 2025

Carol Emmett — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:31:56 GMT

We begin 2025 with gratitude for this fantastic community of professionals. We have a robust leadership team and a full Board raring to carry out the work of serving you this year. We’re excited to build on the steps of our Visioning work in September and December, and to leverage your feedback on the Member Survey, taking insights forward into our annual strategic planning process. We look forward to sharing our commitments soon.

Vicki Bautista and Peggy Jackson

Annual Report 2024

Carol Emmett — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 22:32:31 GMT

As we near the end of another GOOD year, I’m reflecting on our wins and…lessons. Nearly 200 members across Central Florida (and beyond) are a part of this community, including many new members this year. We’re glad you’re here and find value in all GOOD has to offer. By year end, we’ll have held:

Nearly 30 Community of Practice virtual meetings
4 in person Social events, from morning coffee to evening wine-tasting
1 GOOD Doing Good food-raiser
5 Bi-monthly workshops including 4 hybrid, 1 virtual and our annual Best Practices session
2 Immersive Design Thinking experiences

That’s over 40 events—that’s a lot of wins! Thanks to all the volunteers who made these possible, providing many touchpoints for our members.

Our many COP offerings includes the return of the External Consultants COP and Project Management COP. Thanks to our COP leaders for bringing so much value to our members.

One of our biggest wins was kicking off our Strategic Visioning initiative, starting in September and continuing in our December bi-monthly meeting. And it’s thanks to the expertise and hours of dedicated effort that Damita Wright, Trevor Swanson, Dr. Stephnie Stern and Vicki Bautista have put in as well as all our Visioneers and facilitators.

As for lessons, we’ve learned that you can’t beat Mother Nature, or in this case, Hurricane Milton! We’re excited to reschedule the October workshop in early 2025. We’ve also learned the journey to being able to deliver high quality hybrid experiences isn’t always a smooth one. Thank you for your continued candid feedback as we assess each workshop. We are in search of a venue or venues in 2025 that will allow us to level up and provide an excellent member experience in our bi-monthlies, no matter where you sit. If you have a suggestion, please reach out to bimonthlyprogram@goodnetwork.us.

One final win is that as a result of our recent election and Leadership Team nomination process, we have the largest team of Officers, Directors, COP leaders, and Committee members since before 2020 lined up for next year. We’re beginning the transition process now. Thanks to all who have committed your time and energy to serving this community in 2025. It’s going to be a GOOD year!

Warmest regards,

Peggy

October - November 2024 President's Message from Peggy Jackson

Carol Emmett — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 14:30:09 GMT

We are in the beginning stages of an initiative that will have a crucial impact on the future of GOOD—asking who we will be, who we will serve and how—over the next five years and beyond. And you are a key part of it! Thanks to our members who participated in the Strategic Visioning session held on September 20th.What a powerful day! This is just the first step, with more activities to come in October and December. Watch for these opportunities to let your voice be heard. Together, we are co-creating an exciting future.

Peggy Jackson

August- September 2024 President's Message

Carol Emmett — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:37:55 GMT

As part of the Board’s commitment to open and timely communication, I want to share with you that regular Board meetings are held virtually on a bi-monthly basis and all dates are posted on our Events Registration page here. This is your organization and any member in good standing may attend and observe the proceedings. You must register in advance in order to receive the Zoom link. To speak on the agenda, please contact: secretary@goodnetwork.us.

Peggy Jackson, President

Next Board Meeting, Monday, September 30, 2024

June - July, 2024 President's Message from Peggy

Carol Emmett — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 18:57:37 GMT

We have two new volunteers to help take us from GOOD to Great! Amy Jennings has stepped in as Director of Community Programs and Events on the Board. Yanalee Tejera has volunteered to manage our social media Group LinkedIn account. It's not to late to find your niche on our extended leadership team. Let us know where your interests lie!

April - May President's Message from Peggy Jackson

Carol Emmett — Fri, 17 May 2024 00:05:40 GMT

We’re delighted at the fantastic response to our 2024 kickoff event at Second Harvest with speaker Jim Knight. It was great to see so many faces in the room and on Zoom. We'll be returning to this location in April. We’ve also had a great response to our first social of the year at BJ’s Brewhouse. So glad to see you all re-connecting—and welcoming new members! Your leadership team, including committee members, is working hard to make GOOD work for you and I want to say thanks to them all for getting us off to a great start in 2024.

Welcome to 2024! by Peggy Jackson, President

Carol Emmett — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:10:31 GMT

A new year, a new adventure! We had a fantastic year of re-connection and re-invention in 2023 and the changes aren't done yet. Our next challenge will be a new location and all that comes with it. We'll continue to adapt and learn, and your involvement is key from volunteering to assist with events to providing your feedback. Thank you in advance for being an active part of what makes GOOD so great!

Peggy Jackson, President

2023 Annual Report to the Membership by Peggy Jackson, President

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:44:38 GMT

2023 Annual Report to the Membership

It’s hard to believe we are looking at the finish line for 2023!

Back in January, the Board embraced a couple key themes for the year: reconnection and re-invention and made a commitment to focus on member experience and open, timely communication. We wanted to surprise and delight you, while also testing the waters in a return to in-person experiences. We hope we’ve done that.

Our biggest accomplishment in 2023 was shifting to a hybrid bi-monthly program to accommodate both in-person and remote attendees. We’re thrilled we were able to do this thanks to the magic of technology and the space provided by Goodwill Industries. We continue to work together to increase our skills in hybrid engagement.

We also saw a return to a full schedule of in-person social events and, now, end our year with an in-person GOOD Doing Good event on December 8th. In other words, we’re back, baby! Our Communities of Practice and Mentoring cohort continue online, at the preference of those involved, and on average have high engagement.

I’m thrilled to share that our membership grew in 2023 by nearly 50 members! I hope you’ve already renewed for 2024 so you can take advantage of:

6 bi-monthly learning sessions a year featuring thought leaders and practitioners in areas such as Org Development; Org Effectiveness; Change Management; Talent or Learning & Development, including an opportunity to present at our annual Best Practices session.
20+ meetings per year offered by our Communities of Practice, with content curated by members.
Mentoring program with opportunity to serve as a mentor, a protege or both.
Access to a network of over 200 professionals involved in Organization Development, as both internal leaders and external consultants, who are potential thought partners, strategic alliances, project or program resources.
Direct connection to job opportunities in the field or referrals to decision makers, through meeting announcements, job board and informal outreach.
Opportunities to develop leadership skills and give back to our profession through involvement on the Board, Leadership Team or committees.

I’ve always found GOOD to be an incredible value and I trust you do too. We appreciate your taking a few minutes to respond to our member survey, if you haven’t already. This feedback is crucial to our 2024 planning process. We were able to apply many of your suggestions this year and look forward to doing so again next year.

Many thanks to our Board, Leadership Team and many volunteers. As a member-run organization, none of this happens without you.

To all members, thank you for another year of growing and learning together. See you in 2024!

Warmest regards,

Peggy

President's Message from October-November Newsletter

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:52:49 GMT

It’s incredible to think we are already preparing for a successful 2024! We look forward to welcoming new Board members and I’m happy that the regrowth of our leadership team continues with more folks raising their hands for committee opportunities. Many hands make for light work, and diverse voices are key to meeting the needs of our membership. I’m excited to see what’s next as we all work together to make this member-led community a rich one for all.

Connection... What does it mean to you?

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 19:53:54 GMT

Connection. What does it mean to you? To me, it means taking a moment, inquiring, actively listening and sharing of yourself as well. One of our goals this year as an organization was to connect and (re)connect more. So, take a moment at our next bi-monthly meeting to talk with someone you haven’t met yet (in person or on virtual chat.) Schedule a follow-up 1:1 to learn more. You never know what commonality, opportunity or simply joy you’ll find!

Peggy Jackson

Staying Connected and Informed

Carol Emmett — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:02:36 GMT

Did you know? As a member, you can access the Board Minutes, Annual Budget and much more at any time through the Members Content section of our website. One of the Board’s areas of focus in 2023 is open and timely communication with you. And we’ll ask for the same from you. Let us know what you think and what else you want to know! Connect with us via the LinkedIn group or email us at: info@goodnetwork.us.

Peggy Jackson, 2023 President

President’s Message - April, 2023

Carol Emmett — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 12:30:32 GMT

Your voice matters!

Our April speaker came from a member suggestion in the year-end Member Survey and we’re thrilled to have him join us. We’ll also be continuing to experiment and refine our hybrid meeting design based on your feedback from our first session of 2023. Thank you, keep your recommendations coming and let's keep iterating!

What Role Will You Play?

No organization can sustain itself for long without a little re-invention. New leadership and new ideas are critical, so we’re thrilled to welcome three first time Board members and one new COP leader over the past six months. To get involved, check out the open opportunities on the GOOD Org Chart here (must login) and contact Margo Hamel, Nominating Committee Chair, at nominations@goodnetwork.us for more details.

Peggy Jackson, 2023 President

Kicking Off the New Year -- Peggy Jackson

Carol Emmett — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 20:43:44 GMT

Happy New Year!

Your 2023 Board members, both new and returning, are excited to get started in serving YOU as stewards of this unique community we call the GOOD Network. Our first step was listening to you—carefully reading your thoughtful feedback on the Member Survey—and basing our areas of focus for the year on themes that stood out, including:

Member Experience
Open & Timely Communication

To see the survey results for yourself, you’ll find the link along with some highlights in the Member Newsletter coming out this week.

I’m happy to share that those of you eager to return to in-person experiences will have that opportunity beginning with our February bi-monthly workshop. And for those who prefer to connect and learn virtually, we will continue welcoming attendance via Zoom. All dates are listed in the Member Newsletter and on the website. So, register and mark your calendar now! I expect there may be challenges as we navigate this new hybrid world, but I believe together we can co-create great member experiences for all.

Also, this year we are celebrating 20 amazing years of the GOOD Network! Looking ahead, what I see is a year of (re)connection and discovery. I look forward to connecting or re-connecting with all of you and discovering how we can best support each other professionally as we look forward to the next 20 years of GOOD.

Sincerely,

Peggy Jackson

2022 Annual Report & President's Message -- December, 2022

Carol Emmett — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 15:01:42 GMT

Can you believe that 2022 is ending? What a whirlwind year it has been!

As Co-Presidents, we paused to reflect on GOOD’s path this past year as we prepare to pass the torch on to Peggy Jackson, Incoming President, and the 2023 Board. We are truly honored and proud of the work this year’s GOOD Board, committees and Communities of Practices (CoP) have accomplished. We extend our heartfelt ‘THANK YOU!’ for your tireless efforts and continued support of GOOD NETWORK community.

We understand that volunteering time to sit on a Board and working on active committees can be challenging. This year, and the last two years, many of us were stretched thin with competing life-work demands and unprecedented societal changes due to the pandemic. It has also been a time of meaningful change for our GOOD community, which consists of a committed group of professionals that look to this network for networking, support, and development.

As in prior years, we came into 2022 reviewing the GOOD Membership Survey and refining our strategic plan based on feedback regarding the organization, programming, and other offerings. This has been a continued practice as the diverse perspectives, values, and needs of our members are not only valued, but are what takes GOOD to GREAT!

The 2021 Member Survey Results highlighted the following:

Members wanted to focus on key programming offering content offered bi-monthly meetings, while the annual best practice review had mixed reviews.

Members reported mixed reviews on in-person, virtual only, and hybrid meeting formats.

Member wanted more of a voice regarding the survey results and periodic updates regarding initiative implemented.

Overall, GOOD is pretty good! Members ranked the organization a Net Promoter Score (NPS) was 77. A NPS rating of 70+ is considered World Class. They expressed feeling welcomed, wanted more input in programming, and having a voice regarding how the survey results were incorporated

You spoke and we listened!

As such, the Board reviewed what was done in prior years’ strategy sessions, integrated this valuable 2021 membership feedback, and refined our focus with the intent of working on the following items this year:

Programming -- (led by Leon Jabrow, VP of Programming)

Members wanted to focus on key programming offering content offered bi-monthly meetings, while the annual best practice review had mixed reviews.

Member Survey Feedback: Our diverse and interactive GOOD community wanted to learn best practices, share ideas, and network with other professionals regarding topics such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), the Future of Work, the ‘New Normal’ in OD, large scale organizational change, among others.

Action Taken: Leon and the Programming committee broke the mold of the bi-monthly meetings, added networking time for members, a COP Corner, and brought a “mini best practice” into every meeting. Further, they delivered member requested content, best practices, and learning opportunities on the following topics:

“It’s All About Context! Optimizing Learning for and in the Workplace” by Dr. Jerome L. Rekart, Vice President at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
“Leading Change, Tomorrow: At the Intersection of OD and Change Management” by Tim Creasey, Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci.
"Design Thinking for Consultants: Tools & Methods to Promote Engagement, Creativity, & Productivity” by Hannah Benson, CEO & Founder of SALT Collaboratory.
"Connect ~ Inspire ~ Influence" by Cynthia Blackwell, published author of The Magical Power of 3 – Roadmap to Success, Wealth & Happiness
This innovative programming approach was not limited to the bimonthly but also included GOOD’s 17th Annual Best Practices, which was jammed packed of dynamic presentations from Suzan Hochstetler of CURIUM, Kevin W. McCarthy of On-Purpose Partners, and Isabella Johnston of The Intern Whisperer and Employer4Change.

Every time members met, they got the benefit of learning from OD subject matter experts as well as given time for them to discuss their needs, further providing a venue for member feedback and engagement.

Decision/Next Steps: We look forward to seeing how Leon and his committee brings programming innovation, meeting creativity, and member interactions to the next level in 2023.

Bi-monthly Meeting Format: In-person, virtual and/or hybrid meetings (led by Krystena Sterling)

Members had mixed reviews on in-person, virtual only, and hybrid meeting formats

Member Survey Feedback: To gain further clarity of members’ level of comfort to remain virtual (due to COVID numbers and vaccination rates), while balancing other members’ desires to reconnect in person, periodic check-ins and updates were provided via bi-monthly meetings, newsletters, and the website.

Action Taken: Various locations that were geographically convenient, with live streaming or remote IT capabilities, and within the feasibility of GOOD’s resources were explored.

Decision/Next Steps: After continuous conversations about the different meeting formats, the anticipated low in-person attendance and other logistical considerations, the overwhelming feedback is that the general membership was not ready to go in-person…so we paused. The Board finally decided to remain virtual and look forward to coming back to in person or a hybrid format in 2023.

Member Engagement

Members wanted more of a voice regarding the survey results and periodic updates regarding initiative implemented.

Member Survey Feedback: Members provide quarterly updates of actions taken based upon the survey.

Action Taken: The Board explored ways of obtaining member feedback on a continuous basis regarding a variety of avenues to ensure that members were asked intentional questions, the environment was conducive to having robust conversations and refine current process to increase member engagement is different offerings or Board committees. The Top 3 Member Engagement Initiatives were:

“Let’s Talk” or Member Community forum: We want to continue the dialogue with our members from the 2021 survey by creating a safe space to engage in meaningful conversations about topics that are of keen interest to our membership and moving GOOD forward together. As such, the Board explored having a venue on a quarterly basis to garner continued feedback from members on a variety of OD and GOOD related topics. The decision was made to fold “Let’s Talk” into the bimonthly meetings where most members were already attending.

GOOD Mentorship Program: After a hugely successful 2021-2022 program led by Clayton Alves and Susan Walker, the 2022-2023 Mentorship Committee added Jennifer Gonzalez to the team and enhanced this year’s program based on the feedback from previous Mentors and Mentees. The 2022-2023 Mentorship Program launched on October 11th.

Reduced Membership Fees: In celebration of 20 Year Anniversary, the Board approved the proposal from Tara Goodlander and Donna Hogan for reduced membership fees in 2023.

As we grow as individuals, a membership, and organization, we must continue to think local and reach global. As of 12/1/2022, GOOD had a total of 176 members, of which 114 are Individual Members, 62 are Corporate Members from 9 Corporate Groups.

We have a LinkedIn group of 800 members. While Florida and the US may have once been our first thought geographically, we are now part of an online global community that includes people from all over the world. This offers a unique opportunity as OD professionals to connect, engage, and network with professions from HR, coaching, consulting, L&D, and other disciplines, while sharing industry trends, best practices, and diverse perspectives.

Further, to continue to be ranked above a 70+ NPS by our members, we must not only state but live our GOOD DEI statement - “we are committed to listening, learning, and having courageous conversations, inclusive behaviors, and grace as we work together to intentionally create a culture of belonging that nurtures a GOOD community for all.” We do this by periodically assessing and refining our governance, Board and committee structures as well as other operational policies.

GOOD Governance & Board Structure (led by Kristin Chase, Advisory Board Member)

Member Feedback: As an OD community of professionals, are we ‘conducting our business’ within current best practices and emerging professional standards?

Action Taken: To answer that question, a Governance Committee was established to review the existing bylaws and to implement process improvement regarding governance and operations. Kristin and the Committee conducted an evaluation of not only the current bylaws, but also what best practices are incorporate in similar nonprofit organizations. Internal GOOD governing documents, including the organizational chart (board positions and job descriptions, committees, and CoPs), policies, guidelines, other operational documents, and member agreements were analyzed. Further, the ad hoc DE&I Committee was activated to support the integration of best practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion based on our current membership composition, social demographic changes and to create an inclusive environment where individuals can engage with the organization. With this robust assessment, the GOOD bylaws were modernized, and presented to the Board and full Membership for approval.

Decision/Next Steps: The updated GOOD Bylaws were approved by the Board and membership voted to adopt on August 15, 2022. Members have access to the Bylaws document on the Governance webpage in the Member Content section. (member login required)

Needless to say, the 2022 Board was busy! We also made a conscious effort to ‘stick to the basics’ because we were fully aware of the current burn-out that everyone was facing, and we did not want to stretch too much. Krystena, as the past President, was aware of how much the Board pushed the past 2 years, during the pandemic. As such, we tried to stay focused on the initiatives that would have the most meaningful impact for our members, our program offerings and at our core – the welcoming and heartfelt connection with our GOOD community.

As members, your unique perspectives are appreciated, and your voices are valued. As Co-Presidents working with the Board, we wanted to hear from you and encourage you to not only continue to share but get actively involved. We may not always get it right, but the Board committed to continuously improving to provide the best GOOD experience we can.

It is the only way we can continue to work together and make strides in making GOOD great!

In closing, it has been an incredible honor and privilege to lead this board. Krystena has led as President for the last three years and Xaulanda for this last year, with both having other Board positions prior. This Board has worked tirelessly to ensure that through all the internal changes, coupled with the dynamics of the external environment and social dynamics, that we remain focus on our mission - to create a diverse and interactive community that provides continuous learning by sharing ideas, resources and best practices.

Together, we want to thank the board members departing this year, including Kristin Chase, Tara Goodlander, Karen Agrait, Clayton Alves and Dr. Xaulanda Simmonds-Emmanuel for all the hard work and dedication they have given to GOOD. Krystena will remain as an Advisory Board member.

We look forward to 2023, the new board, and hopefully seeing all our members in person for the first time in almost 3 years. Thank you for being a part of this world class network.

We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season.

Krystena and Xaulanda

First Quarter 2022 is almost gone.... What's Next?

Carol Emmett — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:32:23 GMT

First Quarter 2022 is almost gone... What’s Next?

Is it March already?!!! In our January issue, we celebrated the new start to 2022, explored the emerging themes regarding the human side of work, and shared how GOOD was shifting mindsets. While it may feel like the year just started, we are quickly approaching the end of the first quarter. Can you believe it?

As a Board, we invested that time in planning and laying the groundwork to better understand our members, their perspectives, and areas we can strategically grow as an organization. This will involve continuously nurturing a culture of adaptability and accountability with which to take GOOD to great, starting with these three (3) overarching themes:

1. Celebrating the diversity in GOOD

In 2021, the GOOD Board established the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and issued a statement aimed at recognizing and celebrating “the diversity of our members, collaborators, partners, and the global community.”

As such, we would be remiss not to take a moment to acknowledge, honor and celebrate Black History Month, which was celebrated in February. The 2022 theme focused on “Black Health and Wellness,” which explored "the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing throughout the African Diaspora."^[i]

As OD Practitioners, we are always seeking “other ways of knowing,” learning, growing, and contributing to the organizations and communities we serve. Much of that “knowing” is based on both the social and behavioral sciences, psychology, and a wide range of disciplines that help us focus on organizational change and improvement. Within the healthcare industry, organizational development can be a matter of life and death. As such, we celebrate the contribution of the Black Community in preserving history, challenging present social norms, insisting on equity by dismantling systemic racism, and advancing health equity in the future. To learn more about psychologists of color, like Mana Ali Carter, PhD, who is working to eliminate health disparities and are making a difference in today’s society, check out the American Psychology Association’s issue of Moving Psychology Forward.

In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. According to the National Women’s History Alliance, this year’s theme is “Providing Healing, Providing Hope” as a “tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.” ^[ii]

According to the 2021 GOOD Membership Survey, 80.70% of respondents identified as female, which is also reflective of our membership. As such, we take a moment to celebrate and thank the women for their leadership, membership, and contributions to society and in making the GOOD community great, particularly during the last few years and as we navigate this ever-changing global pandemic.

Moving forward, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee of the Board will continue to explore ways to "ensure that everyone -- regardless of the dimension of diversity -- has equitable access to resources and feels a sense of belonging." It's all GOOD.

2. GOOD’s 2022 Strategic Focus

In January, the 2022 GOOD Board held a Strategy Meeting to reflect, recommit, reengage, rethink and reboot for the coming year. The strategic focus areas were founded on the 2021 Member Survey responses, incorporating our members' feedback and recommendations. As such, there are new Strategy Committees designed to address these three areas:

Connecting with People & Our GOOD Community: Programming (hybrid)

GOOD is entering a new ‘phygital’ world - virtual, in person, hybrid? No longer is our membership geographically located just in Florida. As such, virtual programming is a flexible and convenient option, yet many of our members are yearning for that in-person connection and networking. We hear you! A Programming Hybrid Committee has been established to explore all viable options to connecting, conversing, and continuing to build our GOOD community through valuable programming in this new ‘phygital’ (physical & digital) world.

Organizational Pathways and Succession Planning: Governance (org. structure & bylaw review, etc.)

GOOD has been growing up and growing! Established in 2003 by a small group of OD practitioner in Orlando, due to our 2020 pivot to online and social change, the way we conduct the business of GOOD has shifted and continuously changing. As such, a committee has also been established to reassess the governance and structure of the organization, review and update bylaws as well as explore the development of operational procedures.

Interested in helping shape the future of GOOD? We currently have Board positions such as the Director of Communications and Co-Director of Community Programs as well as opportunities to get involved in the Governance Committee. Please email Kristin Chase, Past President at nominations@goodnetwork.us to learn more. Join us in taking GOOD to great!

Member Engagement (including a Let’s Chat series)

The 2021 membership survey has revealed valuable insights regarding the perspectives, desires, and future goals of our members. We want to continue that dialogue by creating a safe space to engage in meaningful conversations about topics that are of keen interest to our membership and moving GOOD forward together. In the GOOD DEI statement, it shares that “we are committed to listening, learning, and having courageous conversations, inclusive behaviors, and grace as we work together to intentionally create a culture of belonging that nurtures a GOOD community for all.” This is a way to do just that and really engage with our members. So, let’s chat!

3. Think Local & Reach Global

As we grow as individuals, a membership, and organization, we must continue to think local and reach global. While Florida and the US may have once been our first thought geographically, we are now part of an online global community that includes people from all over the world. This offers a unique opportunity as OD professionals to connect, engage, and network with professions from HR, L&D, coaching, consulting and other disciplines, while sharing industry trends, best practices and diverse perspectives. Here are two ways you can think local & reach global:

Join our LinkedIn community today!

Start a conversation by sharing OD related articles, tools, tips, insights, etc. and help us build a GOOD global community.

What’s Next? We continue to be intentional.

As Co-Presidents, we entered this year with intention. We continue to keep the essence and sentiments of being deliberate and purposeful in how we strategically plan and work as a Board to continuously make GOOD great and communicate with you - our members.

If you would like to be a part of any of the GOOD Strategy Committees mentioned or just want to share, please feel free to email us directly at president@goodnetwork.us. We’d love to hear from you!

Xaulanda Simmons-Emmanual and Krystena Sterling, Co-Presidents

Footnote links:

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^{^[ii]} https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2022-theme/#:~:text=The%202022%20Women's%20History%20theme,healing%20and%20hope%20throughout%20history.

It's GOOD to Shift Mindsets: The Human Side of Work in 2022 -- Xaulanda Simmons-Emmanuel & Krystena Sterling

Carol Emmett — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:08:26 GMT

It’s GOOD to Shift Mindsets: The Human Side of Work in 2022

As a society, we emerged from 2020 still in shock, pivoting our lives and work due the global pandemic. In 2021, we spent much of the year adapting to the “new normal” and what that means for the future. Needless to say, the last two years have been a whirlwind and we are just emerging out of the fog. As we seek to gain clarity of the future of work and emerging trends in 2022, it is evident that there is a culture change and shifting mindset that requires an intentionality regarding the human side of work and injecting more humanity.

As Co-Presidents, we wanted to understand the industry trends and how that will affect GOOD as an organization. As such, we scoured the Internet to see what percolated to the top of 2022 projections for organizations. Essentially, what we synthesized were three (3) key considerations that as organizations, leaders, and employees are worthy of further exploration as we embark on the new year:

1. Organizations are made up of humans...Let's humanize it!

In the past where employees were considered a means to (“get work done”) an end (“increase the bottom line), 2020 taught us that organizations can’t truly thrive without their employees and employees typically can’t thrive in organizations that don’t consider them as humans. Not assets or human capital…but human beings!

As such, the pressure is on organizations to re-design and re-engineer how they will not only get the work done, but also engage their employees in a way that creates inclusive, high performing work environments. These work environments will entail rethinking the organizational culture that explores the “art of possible,” embraces a changing workforce, redefines how technology is used to create an “ecosystem of physical and virtual workplaces – and the expectations around how to collaborate, engage, and relate to each other” (Delloitte, 2021, para. 6). Therefore, the human experience needs to be at the center of organizations move forward, while also adapting the places and spaces they will work (i.e., hybrid workplaces) and emerging technology that support daily collaboration and productivity while considering the future that artificial intelligence (AI) will play. Essentially, organizations must be intentional in assessing their strategies to bring both the physical and digital worlds together “creating “a new phygital workplace for their workforce to optimally enable them to do their best work in the best place in the best way.”

As a professional organization, GOOD continues to explore how to strike the right balance between the best way (virtual?) and best place (in person?) to do our best work (come together to learn, grow, and network). In our recent membership survey, 36% of respondents were very comfortable meeting in-person, while 36.07% were somewhat comfortable, 6.56% didn’t have strong feelings either way and ~20% were somewhat uncomfortable. While we yearn for that human connection, many members also commented that “I LOVE the virtual meetings”, found that they were flexible and convenient allowing many members to attend more often vs. having to commute or travel to meetings. As an organization, now more than ever, GOOD is entering a new phygital world. As leaders, we will continue to focus on the human needs of our membership to figure out the best way forward in 2022.

2. If we are going to lead…Let’s lead Intentionally.

A recent Forbes article, discussing the Top 4 Leadership Trends which highlighted the following areas of focus for 2022: 1. connecting to people, 2. focus on employee experience, 3. career pathways and succession planning, and 4. creating a culture of adaptability and accountability. This aligns with GOOD leadership’s focus, and we will continue to intentionally lead with these in mind. As practitioners, we are “dedicated to encouraging innovation, promoting excellence, and increasing awareness of OD in organizations,” we will be intentional in creating “a diverse and interactive community that provides continuous learning by sharing ideas, resources and best practices.” Creating an inclusive and meaningful member experience, that supports the career growth and future aspirations is our continued commitment to our members. Our flagship programming, the Bi-Monthly meetings are an all-time favorite of our members, with membership survey respondents ranking the following aspects as very value and valuable: speakers (93.45%), presentation topics (95.08%), sharing best practices (91.81%), networking with other OD professionals (85.25%) and interactive activities (78.69%).

“We encouraged leaders to take five key actions—reflect, recommit, reengage, rethink, and reboot—to begin planning and strengthening their position in the market.” On December 13, 2021, there was a Board Transition Meeting where the 2021 leadership did an official handoff to the incoming 2022 Board. In January 2022, we will host a Strategy Meeting to reflect, recommit, reengage, rethink and reboot for the coming year. We intend to lead intentionally by incorporating our members' feedback and recommendations.

3. "Hey organizations! I'm evaluating you, like you evaluate me."

According to the recent Korn Ferry report, Future of Work Trends 2022: The Era of Humanity, it states that there has been a fundamental shift in the minds of employees. “Power has shifted. From organizations to people. From profit to mutual prosperity. From “me” to “we” (p. 2). Employees are confident in their skills, worth, and value alignment which is a contributing factor to the Great Resignation. In a recent survey of 700 professionals, 30% indicated that they were considering leaving their jobs even though they did not have something lined up and 74% believed turnover will continue to be high in 2022. Therefore, employees are expecting leaders and organizations to be intentional in understanding their individual needs and desires, including but not limited to, flexible work schedules including remote work, enhanced benefits (i.e., sign-on bonuses, childcare & caregiver accommodations, educational reimbursement, medical care, etc.) and opportunities for career development to upskill or reskill to be marketable for the new ways of working.

We would argue that our members are also feeling this shift in their work, in their life and in their role with GOOD. The 2021 Membership Survey was GOOD’s evaluation and in the spirit of full transparency, members have access to the results. While this is just the beginning, we want to continue to hear from you throughout 2022 and beyond. Please feel free to email Krystena and Xaulanda directly at president@goodnetwork.us. We’d love to hear from you!

"2022 is where it gets intentional."

In closing, while at times it may be uncomfortable, change is the only constant in life and work. “If 2020 and 2021 were years of unplanned reinvention, 2022 is where it gets intentional.” (Korn Ferry, 2021, p. 5). As a professional organization that values our GOOD members and community, we are excited about the emerging 2022 trends that are challenging us to focus more on the human side of work. It’s GOOD to shift mindsets.

Xaulanda Simmons-Emmanuel and Krystena Sterling, Co-Presidents

Change is the Only Constant — November /December President’s Message

Carol Emmett — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:33:29 GMT

Change is the only constant…

The idea of change tends to bring feelings of uncertainty and concern, especially when we don’t know what the outcome will be. In a 2015 online study, over 600 respondents reported that while 9 out of 10 people saw their lives differently in five (5) years, approximately 2/3 of them stated that the uncertainty of the future worried them. In 2020, many things changed, individually and collectively on a global scale, that only served to intensify the feelings of worry.

As we bring 2021 to a close and we approach 2022 with cautious optimism, there are a few things I have observed for myself, among my professional and personal networks, as well as within the GOOD community:

Change involves an end, a transition, and a new beginning - happening concurrently.

Most times, change is viewed as the end of a known situation, with the uncertainty of a new beginning and how will we bridge the gap as we work through that change. The process of change is not statistic or linear, it’s dynamic. While we like to perceive that life is remaining constant and that gives us some comfort, the fact is that we change every second, every minute, every hour of every day. Essentially, life begins with birth, ends with death and the transition is the life journey in between. For example, while the human body may replenish itself every 7 years, our muscles take about 24 hours to recover from a workout and adults take an average of 12 to 16 breathes per minute. Therefore, whether you are conscious of it or not, it’s a ‘24/7 ever changing gig’ that happens from the time we take our first breath to our last. Therefore, the only constant is change.

A positive change mindset makes the world of difference.

We may not be able to choose what changes may come our way, but we can choose a mindset that offers a more positive outlook to the experiences that change brings. Even during the difficult times, such as our collective experience of COVID, it is filled with opportunities to reset, reflect, learn, grow, explore diverse and sometimes polarizing perspectives, while determining our paths forward. Therefore, if we choose to focus on the negative, often we will see overwhelming more negativity. However, if we choose to have a positive mindset of curiosity, openness, and nimbleness - the fluidity of the change process may feel less restrictive and confining. Either way, we can choose to see the changes of life as the glass half full or the glass half empty…both will make the world of difference.

We are more resilient than we may think.

Change is often accompanied with fear of the unknown. Yet as things happen to and around us, we need to explore the unknown. We need to confront those things that scare us, and more times than not, it really is not as scary as we thought. Or we realize – we are more resilient than we may think! One of the things that makes experiencing change an adventure are the people that go through it with you. Those that are there to cheer you on, walk beside you along the way, or even the ‘haters’ provide the benefit of intensified motivation to prove them wrong. Either way, many times it is the changes, particularly those that we questioned whether or not we would survive, are the ones that stretch and teach us that we are truly more resilient than we think.

Change at GOOD

So, as the calendar year comes to an end, so does a chapter in the GOOD journey with our current Board of Directors and Leadership team. While some remain, others end their terms, and many have moved to other roles within the GOOD community, I want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank you for your Leadership & Service!” The last two years have truly been a journey of ever changing and challenging circumstances within and outside of GOOD.

However, your commitment and care for our community- like change - remained constant. With our Board Elections and membership renewal, GOOD will have a change of leadership and a possible shift in our community. For the remainder of 2021, we will be in a transition but look forward to welcoming in our new leaders and creating a more inclusive environment for all members in 2022 and beyond. Change is the only constant…and change can be GOOD.

Krystena Sterling

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-do-1-3-people-say-change-some-surprising-stats-jim-bright

President's Message -- How Can I Help? -- September 2021

Carol Emmett — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 15:45:17 GMT

Hello, my Colleagues! During a recent Board call, we discussed all the volunteer opportunities we have at GOOD for individuals. It made us question if our community is aware of the options or how to get involved. As I began to write the President’s message for our newsletter, it made me think of one of my favorite television shows, which is New Amsterdam. Why might you ask? I like the messages that the writers bring to the surface. I like the quirky characters. And I certainly like the lead who is always trying new things, failing miserably but finding new creative ways to make a difference in the community, and learning personal lessons along the way. However, what I like most of all is the resounding “How Can I Help?” which is how this show started and continues to carry through every episode. This leads me back to GOOD and myself; I am always asking, “How Can I Help?” If you are anything like me, I would like to offer you some ideas on how you can help with our fantastic community.

When it comes to volunteering, we all have these ideas in our heads. I have had them myself. I want to share some false assumptions we tell ourselves about volunteering that can hold us back.

#1 I am not qualified: I often said this to myself when I wanted to be on the Board. However, I started small and built my volunteering muscles, while learning along the way. What GOOD needs are people that are passionate and have new fresh ideas. It is about everyone supporting each other and the community. Passion first!

#2 I do not have enough time: There are so many opportunities to volunteer. Some opportunities are small, requiring only a few hours for one occasion or purpose. Other opportunities are longer-term commitments, such as being on the Board or a Committee. Depending on the level of involvement you want, there are opportunities for you.

#3 I am new and young in this profession: This is why many people volunteer in the first place, to gain skills and expertise that they cannot get in their jobs but can learn in other areas. This was one of the reasons I volunteered the first time at a different organization because I needed to learn a new skill, and it was the perfect opportunity for me to do so.

The beauty about volunteering is that it is a two-way exchange. You serve others, but volunteering is beneficial to you as well. Let’s face it, we all want the “What’s in it for me.” We are all motivated differently, some intrinsically and other extrinsically”. Why would you like to volunteer? Below are just three (3) benefits to volunteering:

#1 Networking: We all join professional organizations to meet other individuals in an industry or profession of interest to us and we can learn from them. When you volunteer, you do this on a much deeper level as everyone shows up to be in service. I can say I have lifelong friends from GOOD due to my volunteering that I would not have otherwise. I genuinely connect with and cherish people because of their hearts, passion, and talents.

#2 Knowledge building: We all think we are lending our expertise, but truthfully, we learn so much more along the way. Depending on what you volunteer for, there is always a learning aspect involved.

#3 It is rewarding: If you are anything like me, it is just plain fun and rewarding. You can work together and see things come together, you might not have thought possible—the conference, rate reductions, learning content pivot due to COVID as examples.

The community of GOOD and volunteering has been an important part of my life for many years. I have gained so many gifts from this incredible organization and learned so much. I will continue to volunteer and serve because of the amazing people we have here. There are so many opportunities. We are getting ready to start the nominations for the 2022 Board of Directors; there are Communities of Practice you can lead; we have committees you can be a member of from conference to strategic planning. We have mentoring. This organization has something for everyone to lend their voice, their expertise, and their time.

If you would like to join me with the question “How Can I Help?” GOOD has all types of volunteer opportunities for you to get involved. Don’t wait, act today! Visit https://goodnetwork.us/Nominating-committee/and/or email nominations@goodnetwork.us to set up a 15-minute call. Together, we will help you find the right role. I genuinely believe you will gain so much more than you can ever give.

Krystena Sterling

Thoughts on the "New Normal" -- Krystena Sterling, July 2021

Carol Emmett — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 20:12:31 GMT

As I sat down to write the President’s Message and consider all the essential communications with my colleagues during this time, the one thing that kept popping up in my inbox were articles and memos about returning to work. If you are anything like me, I look back at the last year with happiness and exhaustion because of how resilient and nimble our workforces and organizations have been throughout this pandemic. It has been a rough ride, which genuinely has changed so many lives. I cannot help but wonder what impact it will have on our future of work. This brings me back to focusing on today and the current issue, which is returning to work.

What does return to work look like in your organization? In many organizations, it means that people can flex their time and work part-time at home. Some individuals now have flex workstations and have given up their offices and cubicles. Some are going back to the office full-time, and yet for others, it means staying as a teleworker permanently. All of these options and changes cause yet again uncertainty, change, and many emotions for our workforce and ourselves.

Deloitte has offered some insight into how to look at re-entry into the workforce. Their recommendations are to build agility for the future: Learn from the lessons of ramping down and leverage these to manage future requirements, look at your operating plan, and especially look at your planning for employee experience. One of the biggest tips I have heard not just from them, but reading in numerous articles is that an effective return to work will be highly dependent on how the employees engage with their leaders. The level of transparency and communication which leaders are providing during these uncertain times will make a difference. This was a not-so-subtle reminder that how we handle uncertainty and change as leaders are critical to the outcome, a lesson that can be a good reminder.

This advice reminded me of the critical aspects we do well in OD, leadership development, coaching, and consulting. These aspects are assisting with change and growth. Once again, your skills and talents will be called upon to help build the workforce back to a “new normal". I have no doubt it will be answered with excellent results.

As an organization, GOOD is also exploring how we are going to handle going back to the "normal". We have heard your comments about in-person meetings and listened to the comments about the new format. We don’t know the answer quite yet, but we are committed to having some great conversations and doing some research on what will be the best options for our community as a whole.

As soon as we know more, we will share it with you. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them with us. We are always open to your feedback.

As you start to transition to your “post-pandemic new normal” work-life, I know you will do it with grace and skill. Remember, you can leverage your GOOD community for assistance and advice. This network is a wonderful community to share ideas and best practices.

Krystena Sterling

President's Message: The Power of Kindness -- Krystena Sterling, March 2021

Carol Emmett — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:10:02 GMT

By now, I hope you have all moved into your 2021 groove, that your work and family life have moved past the New Year’s Resolutions, and life is humming along. We are still facing unprecedented times with COVID-19, social divide, and job losses amongst other things. However, on another front, what this network makes me think about is the power of kindness.

We all come together in our bi-monthly meetings, in COP’s, in networking gatherings, and have even created lasting friendships through the power of this network. During these exceptionally hard times, the members of this network have demonstrated that we practice what we teach: leadership, values, and kindness to each other. I have been on the receiving end of this kindness when I was laid off, and our tribe of practitioners reached out to assist me in finding my next adventure. I have also been the one on the assisting end, helping colleagues chart their new course in life, coaching them through the process, or just being a friendly shoulder to support them.

The simple acts of kindness have made me cherish this network so much. Would it surprise you to hear that our network has expanded past Central Florida? People have found us that live in other states and even other countries! That speaks volumes about each and every one of you.

We all have our own stories, some seasons the stories are amazing, and some not so amazing. It is so wonderful to know that we have an amazing tribe of GOOD people that we can reach out to for assistance and guidance, even it is just for a good laugh to continue our journey. Kindness is the gift we can each give each other and our community, at no cost to us or anyone else. The repayment plan for this gift is very generous, we earn a great deal of joy and happiness in return.

Thank you for being the amazing network that you are, for providing the power of kindness, sharing this power with each other and our community regardless of our social, political, or personal views. I will always be here to offer you the same because the Power of Kindness will continue to make our network amazing and will build better communities around us.

Krystena Sterling

Alone is hard, Together is better - Krystena Sterling, November 2020

Carol Emmett — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 20:46:29 GMT

Just like that, our year is ending! Usually, this time of year, we are all getting ready to spend quality time with our families for Thanksgiving and then start the holiday rush filled with gratefulness, hope, and most of all, family. However, this year it is a little different. We might not be able to have those large family gatherings. Some people are struggling due to being out of work or furloughed. Others are essential workers and concerned about the virus, or even just exhausted because longer and harder working hours. Some are worried about having a job, or even being the one must reduce jobs. These concerns do not bring up what this season usually brings to mind: love, gratefulness, and family. What comes to mind is anxiety and fear.

As a coach, I know fear is a widespread phenomenon. It is the core of what keeps people and organizations stuck. It is genuine and hard to get past. It is like an invisible wall that you do not even realize is there, sometimes acting like a friend, trying to keep you safe. However, as professionals, we know that the one constant in life is change, and fear makes that hard to do. So, this year because of all the added pressure, along with the shopping madness, I propose we try something different. We are the experts. We can set the examples for our communities, individuals, and even ourselves and help get through this season and make it a little more joyful and less fearful.

We cannot control everything, but we can control how we act and respond. Marshall Goldsmith has a straightforward practice he does every day. Every day he asks himself active questions and grades himself (0), no action, (1), action. The “active questions” can be anything you want. Start simple. Here are some simple suggestions to build gratitude and reduce fear.

Did I do my best today to:

Be happy?
Find meaning?
Build positive relationships?
Be engaged?
Find something to be grateful for?

According to research, it is tough for your brain to engage this way and still be fearful. I do not know about you, but I think it worth a try. I have always had one straightforward goal for GOOD -- building connections and a community that cares about each. What is your goal? Would you like to join me in creating less fear? I would love to hear about the ways you reduce fear and build change. Feel free to drop me a note at president@goodnetwork.us.

Lastly, we will be sending out our annual survey shortly. Please take the time to let us know what you think. We serve to make this an organization for each of you to learn, grow, and network. We would love to hear how to improve. You can also email me directly with any thoughts.

Thank you for being part of the GOOD NETWORK this year on behalf of the entire leadership team. We are all thankful for each and everyone of you and we wish you all a safe, and joyful holiday season. Alone is Hard. Together is Better.

Warmest Wishes,

Krystena

Importance of Leadership -- Krystena Sterling, September 2020

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 20:04:48 GMT

With four months to go in 2020, I am watching our country still radically changing. I see division from social unrest in our cities. Covid-19 is wreaking havoc on our nation, causing health issues, job loss, and having financial impacts. Families are struggling to balance work, school, and life. I have heard from many of you who are working at home, managing working with the public, or who have changed jobs, are furloughed, or even laid off. There are still so many unknowns. Our world has shifted so much in the past six months. This all makes me think about leadership and the importance it plays in our lives.

When I was a young leader, one of my mentors told me, “they are always watching.” I took that to mean that I had to be perfect, and whatever decisions I made would be judged. What I have learned through the many years of leading from that time is that the statement is true to a certain extent. People are always watching those who lead them, and by the pure nature of being human, we judge. However, being a leader is so much more than that. Leadership in 2020 means being authentic, living your values, showing what I recently heard in one of our GOOD communities of practice, “radical kindness.” It means being vulnerable and admits you have flaws because we are all human, and as humans, we all have flaws. Leadership is about working together and allowing others to grow and flourish. Leadership is complex because it is about people.

As a coach, I have learned about judgment, assumptions, stories we tell ourselves, opinions, and unconscious bias. As an emotional scientist, I have also learned that our brains are potent and emotions have a powerful effect over our bodies. All of these mental processes can hold us hostage and prevent us from being our authentic selves and the best leaders we can be.

In a time where we need leadership more than ever before, I ask you: what type of leader you are? What mental processes do you allow to get in your way? Regardless of whether you own your own business, are an independent contributor, or lead a large team, you are a leader to someone. What values do you hold deeply, and demonstrate daily to those around you. Someone is always watching. What do you want them to see?

As we get ready to elect a new board, and start to prepare for 2021, I am honored to be part of this incredible network. I believe our network has outstanding leaders with shared values that we can all learn from. We continue to grow and learn from each other, which is a tribute to each one of you. You have incredible talents that together make this network unique. Thank you for your leadership. Leadership does make a difference.

Dealing with our Emotions during Change -- Krystena Sterling, June 2020

Carol Emmett — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 16:00:00 GMT

Dealing with our Emotions during Change

As I write this for you, I am thinking about all the changes that have occurred in our world as of late. Over the last few months, we have maneuvered through both fantastic moments in time and challenging moments, Covid-19, Space-X launch, the unnecessary death of George Floyd. All of these are causing us and our organizations to rethink how we manage our lives and our businesses. I don’t know about you, but my emotions have been like a rollercoaster. I have felt frustration, anger, scared, disappointed, and proud (Space X), just to name a few. These life events cause everyone to feel different emotions as we navigate the new world order. Emotions are not something new to any of us. Some of us are familiar with “leave your emotions at home,” “business is no place for emotions.” I would argue that emotions are just as important as logic, and you cannot have one without the other. Emotions are the energy that fuels the action. Point in case, what we see with protesting are emotions. Emotions have driven people to create better ways to handle Covid-19. Emotions are drivers.

As we start to come back to a new normal from Covid-19, and rethink how we demonstrate diversity and human rights the most important thing we can do is bring emotions to the forefront. Think about your own emotions. What are you feeling? Then look outward what do your friends, family, and coworkers feel? Don’t be afraid of emotions. Ask people, how are you feeling today? Each person has a story to tell; it is up to each of us to want to learn their story. I serve as your President for this reason. I have met remarkable people through GOOD that have memorable stories. Don’t be surprised if the next time I see you, I ask you- How are you feeling today? Until then, stay safe, healthy, and respectful of each other.

Krystena Sterling, President

A Message from 2020 Incoming President - Krystena Sterling

Carol Emmett — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:11:20 GMT

Letter from the President

I am honored to be serving as the incoming President of the GOOD Network for 2020. What I truly love about our network is the diverse community of practitioners and how we learn from each other and build relationships. Our organization has practitioners from a variety of disciplines and sizes of companies, which speaks to the diversity of how much OD has grown through the years. As our network continues to grow and evolve, our goals remain the same; to produce quality programming to help enhance the development of professionals in our field and to create a space for colleagues to network and share experiences.

This year we are bringing even more exciting experiences to you with our inaugural Good Network Conference, which will be held at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality & Management on Friday, February 28, 2020. Our conference committee has been working hard to create a fantastic day for everyone. If you are new to GOOD, we also have thriving communities of practices where smaller groups break out into specific themes allowing for more intimate learning and networking. There is something for everyone, and if something is missing, we can always create it!

I believe that our role as board members is to serve our members, and we genuinely take what you tell us and act on these suggestions and requests. We have an excellent board that works hard to deliver for our members. As your President, I want to hear from you. Please feel free to email me at President@Goodnetwork.us.

I look forward to meeting each of you at an upcoming meeting or event. Until then have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season, and we will see each other in 2020!

Krystena Sterling

The Future of Work -- a 2019 Message to Kick-off our Year, Isabella Johnston, January 2019

Carol Emmett — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 21:06:42 GMT

As the 2019 President for the GOOD Network, I am honored to work with the outstanding talented individuals on our Leadership Board, Communities of Practice, and our members in our OD profession. We recently celebrated our 15 year anniversary in December. Fifteen years, pretty awesome growth for our organization. I am so excited about the upcoming year initiatives and goals we set for our OD profession.

First, I want to give a shout out to the people that are serving our group. I encourage our members to reach out to our leaders. Who are these great people stepping up to do good for the GOOD Network? They come from all sizes of organizations and industries. Refer to the organizational chart for names of our leadership team and their roles in GOOD Network. Want to connect to with our GOOD Network Communities of Practice leaders, check out the groups and the respective leaders here.

Membership for the Greater Orlando OD Network continues to experience growth with over 200+ members. This is exciting because it demonstrates our growth is organic and reflects how word-of-mouth referrals is expanding our association. I am so proud of the people that make the GOOD Network shine, that is the message on the street. Members share with people in the grocery store line, when meeting others at events, and when attending other professional groups. If you are a new member, take a peek at the member page to see who else you might know in our membership.

The key topic for this year’s message is Future of Work. What I find exciting about this topic is its impact on our profession, the people we serve, and how we help solve and shape solutions. The questions we are faced with include: 1) How does this impact our profession? 2) How do we impact the people that we serve? 3) How does this impact us individually? The collective wisdom from our membership will shine and bring a diverse and rich knowledge base that benefits us professionally. Each one of us has something unique to bring to our profession.

My goals for 2019 during my tenure as President include:

Continuous improvements on our website to enhance engagement.
Continuing to unify and expand our communication outreach through multiple social channels that share the GOOD Network news and recognize individuals in our membership.
Creating more opportunities for members to contribute their time, talent, and gifts by joining or leading one of one of COP groups or assisting on an existing committee.
Saving our biggest goal for last. We have plans to host our own GOOD Network Conference in 2020. If this is of interest to you, feel free to connect with one of our leadership team members to find out how you can participate.

This year’s bi-monthly events continue to bring outstanding value to our members. This is due to the suggestions and feedback you provide us. February’s event is the beginning a great year with "The Culture Journey Learning Experience" -- Bi-monthly Meeting, February 8, 2019

Over the next year, your GOOD Network board will work to respond to the ever-changing needs of our field. We will enhance networking opportunities, strategic solutions, and continue to expand our member services. We will continue to advocate for our profession, increase our visibility in the community, and incorporate breakout sessions and panel discussions in our meetings. We will continue to recognize our membership for all they bring to GOOD Network through appreciation events and through social channels, along with other resources that enhance the GOOD Network’s benefit to its members.

I look forward to connecting with each person that is a member of the GOOD Network. Please feel free to chat with me at one of our regularly scheduled program meetings, communities of practice or networking events or reach out to me on my LinkedIn profile.

Sincerely,

Isabella Johnston, President

April, 2018 President’s Message -- Isabella Johnston, April 2018

Carol Emmett — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 18:24:42 GMT

Data, we love analytics -- qualitative, quantitative, and understanding how people learn. I started thinking about how we gather together at the GOOD Network to understand the who, why, and how we measure results in our profession. It made me curious as to how many statistics we have kept about our organization and membership. Thus, I went to the board and as a collective group I am sharing the results:

The GOOD Network started in 2003 with three people. Kristin Chase, Jerry Salsburg, and Wendy Grauer. Every business starts with humble beginnings, and it is amazing to see how much we have grown. By the end of 2003, there were approximately 20 paid members.

Number of members at conception & current membership to date:

April 1, 2018: 173 (64 corporate and 109 individual)

Membership highlights through the years:

August 2012: 93 (14 corporate and 79 individual)
November, 2013: 164 (39 corporate and 125 individual)
November 2014: 181 (37 corporate and 144 individual)
July 2015: 180
July 2017: 182

With my entrepreneur hat on, I really enjoyed reviewing the historical side of GOOD Network. As an OD consultant, I love there are gaps and now we get to improve our processes. The nonprofit management consulting side of me also appreciate the numbers and wanted to serve our members greater value. Collecting data is one of the most important aspects of our roles in OD. I thought I would encourage everyone to do an annual check on how you collect data at your respective organizations (corporate partners) and if individual consultants, how you help your clients collect data.

I wanted to close with talent facts that we as consultants in HR and OD that might prove useful when sitting down at the table with our respective audience and clients. The info also makes for a cool infographic if you are so inclined to create and play. Hope you enjoy!

Isabella Johnston, President of Good Network

15 vital HR and talent facts that you should know heading into 2018 so you and your business can put your best foot forward.

https://blog.capterra.com/talent-stats-you-need-to-know-for-2018/

1. Attracting high quality candidates is the top challenge for 76% of hiring managers (Glassdoor).

2. American employees are working harder than ever. Of those who receive paid time off, most used only 54% of their eligible vacation time in 2017(Glassdoor).

3. 53% of employees report wanting a stronger health and wellness focus(Mercer).

4. 79% of employees believe that employers should share responsibility for health and wellness with their staff, versus 11% who believe the responsibility is the employee’s alone (Westfield Health).

5. Employee opinion counts! 46% of employees say they’d be more engaged with wellness if their employer asked about their preferences (Westfield Health).

6. Moreover, 74% of employees reported feeling more satisfied, motivated, and loyal when they know an employer cares about their wellness (Westfield Health).

7. Replacing an employee costs employers 33% of that employee’s annual salary (Work Institute).

8. The average employee is 1.5% more likely to stay with a company when changing roles if offered a 10% raise on their base pay, even when controlling for job title, industry, business size, and location. (Glassdoor).

9. Everyone likes the ability to choose; 56% of employees want flexible work options (Mercer).

10. Employee turnover is 25% lower at companies that support remote work(OwlLabs).

11. There’s still something to be said for in-office work. Employees who spent 15 minutes socializing with coworkers during their workday exhibited a 20% performance boost (FastCompany).

12. If your staff does work remote, make sure you have the right video softwareto keep in touch, since video conferencing is 30% better for communication than audio alone (OwlLabs).

13. If you use talent software, make sure it’s in the cloud. Gartner predicts that by 2020, cloud revenue will account for over 62% of the global software market, up from 50% in 2017 (Gartner).

14. Diverse hiring is successful hiring. Gender and ethnic diversity are positively correlated with business performance by up to 15% and 35%, respectively (Gartner).

15. Just because you lose an employee, it doesn’t mean they hate you. 63% of employees rated their former employer “very good” or “excellent” after leaving the company (Work Institute).

From Isabella Johnston -- Welcome to 2018 GOOD Network

Carol Emmett — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 20:25:19 GMT

Dear Good Members,

As the 2018 incoming President for GOOD Network, I am truly honored to work with the outstanding talented individuals on our Leadership Board, Communities of Practice, and our members in our OD profession. I will work hard to enhance your dedication to promoting the OD profession and meet your expectations as an organization.

I cannot do this alone, and I am grateful for the team of talented, knowledgeable, and humble professionals I am privileged to work with. There are familiar names and new people that have joined on our Board and CoP and organization committees. Refer to the organizational chart for names of our leadership team and their roles in GOOD Network. I encourage you to meet someone new each time you attend a GOOD Network event.

Our Greater Orlando OD Network now has over 200 members and is comprised of corporate members and individual consultants.

When contemplating the message to share with you all, the key word I chose is innovation. To better understand the significance of the word, I thought a brief overview of the history of OD as a profession and background on our local chapter should be the starting place to embrace how technology and innovation are changing our profession. Some of you may not know about the history of our profession, my hope is you find this of interest and value. For more information about the OD Network, go to The Organization Development Network website.

Bill Gellermann and Mark Frankel spearheaded a global effort to develop and disseminate a statement of values and ethics in organization and human systems development. Their efforts brought together widespread support, over 600 people from 25 countries that referenced values and ethics in our profession that established a Statement of Values and Ethics and an Organization and Human Systems Development Credo that is the framework of OD.

A brief summary of the OD Network Credo is

Our purpose as professionals is to facilitate processes by which human beings and human systems live and work together for their mutual benefit and mutual well-being. Our practice is based on a widely shared learning and discovery process dedicated to a vision of people living meaningful, productive, good lives in ways that simultaneously serve them, their organizations, their communities, their societies, and the world.

We are an interdependent community of professionals whose practice is based on the applied behavioral sciences and other related sciences, a human systems perspective, and both human and organizational values. We serve people at all system levels, ranging from individuals and groups to organizations, communities, and ultimately the global community.

The expanded latest version of the Credo is found here and definitely worth a read that requires reflection. It is beautiful and should make you feel proud of what you do.

Moving to our own Greater Orlando OD Network, I was fortunate to have time with Vicki Lavendol, [previous GOOD Network President and current executive leadership member] who shared 2014 strategic plan as part of my orientation. This helped me have greater appreciation into the thought leadership behind our professional organization. There were three overarching themes established:

Enhance bi-monthly meeting value with quality standards
Expand value beyond bi-monthly meetings, thus communities of practice were born
Engage greater leadership and volunteer opportunities

The individuals that spent time and forethought in 2014 by creating GOOD Network best practice standards at that retreat made it possible for our chapter to be recognized as with an Outstanding Regional Network Award in 2015 from the national OD Network. When I interviewed for the position of President of GOOD Network, I knew I wanted to keep those standards in place and work to have our chapter recognized for that award again. I am so excited to work with the seasoned members of the leadership team and the new members that bring such rich experience and background to our organization. I look forward to meeting with the executive team in January 2018 to look at those guidelines with the goal of achieving that recognition again.

My goals for 2018 during my tenure as President include:

Apply and win recognition as an outstanding regional chapter organization
Unify and expand our communication outreach through multiple social channels that share the GOOD Network news and recognize individuals in our membership
Educate our members about trends and future innovation in our profession. The Organization Development Network Annual Conference (October 18-October 21, 2018) and will be held in Alexandria, Virginia. I encourage you all to attend the conference. I plan on attending and will share the latest in our profession with you through blog articles and updates via social channels. What a great way to network with others in our profession and expand your reach outside of Orlando. My hope is to bring awareness to other OD professionals attending and encourage them to connect with our membership and look for opportunities to bring awareness to our region that expands our reach.

We have new communities of practice you can attend from a monthly book club featuring the book we received in October (Radical Collaboration), to webinars about trends in technology, external AND internal consulting groups, a new training and learning group, coaching, and mentoring. We continue to push the boundaries and find ways to bring more value to our members based on feedback and the wonderful network of individuals that step up to volunteer.

I look forward to meeting each person that is a member of the GOOD Network. I encourage you to reach out to me at ijohnston@pivotbusinessconsulting.com or speak with me at one of our regularly scheduled program meetings, communities of practice or networking events.

Sincerely,

Isabella Johnston, President

From Rob Rogers -- Welcome to GOOD Network 2017!

Carol Emmett — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:21:32 GMT

Welcome to the GOOD Network 2017. Can you believe that we are entering our 14th year? Your Leadership Team is excited and looking forward in continuing to offer interactive, diverse, and dynamic learning opportunities that will make a positive impact on our members and the organizations our members serve.

In addition to the fabulous bi-monthly meetings we are working on, we are continuing this year in bringing added value to your membership through the multiple community of practice groups, the mentoring program, regular social events, and service projects through out the year.

Your Leadership Team also hopes to build a community where you feel like you belong. We are available to answer questions, take suggestions or help you in getting better connected. Just reach out to us. But don’t be surprised if we reach out to you first. We are here to make your GOOD Network experience great and we look forward to seeing you in 2017!

Sincerely,

Rob Rogers

Year End Message from Rob Rogers

Carol Emmett — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 16:32:42 GMT

We have a lot to celebrate. But first let me say as we close out the GOOD Network year for 2016, what a pleasure it has been to serve you. We have ended the year with a membership of over 180,we have multiple, active Community of Practice groups meeting often, and relationships being formed and developed through our regular socials and mentoring program. Our 2016 member survey told us that you are very satisfied with our bimonthly programs and that you continue to find this organization of great value. I want to say thank you to the entire group of leadership team members and volunteers who have made this a fantastic year for the GOOD Network. We recently voted for the 2017 Leadership Team and I have recently met with them. Let me say that they are fabulous and talented people who really love this organization. As I lead us again in 2017, please know that we are open to your suggestions and feedback and we hope that you will invite your friends and colleagues to visit a bimonthly meeting very soon.

Highlighting our Communities of Practice by Rob Rogers

Carol Emmett — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 18:16:08 GMT

GOOD Network is comprised of professionals who are performing OD, HR, training, consulting, coaching, mentoring, administration, management and more. Your GOOD Network is well respected in Central Florida and within the OD community at-large. There are many reasons for our success. One is that we have an amazing membership that has sustained and grown for over 11 years. You’re involvement continues to support the learning and development of one another and the organizations where we serve. If you have never attended one of the Community of Practice groups, schedule to attend one. They’re fantastic! And don’t worry if your job title doesn’t match the COP group name. You are welcome to attend any and all of them. Who knows, you may just be surprised at what your learn and who you’ll meet.

Rob Rogers, President

Benefits of your GOOD Network Membership by Rob Rogers

Carol Emmett — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 22:00:28 GMT

Dear GOOD Network members,

In this post, I want to highlight one of the benefits to being a GOOD Network member that you may not think about normally. The website! This resource not only allows you to register for all of our events but it offers so much more. Let me draw your attention to the Member Directory. Our network represents many organizations, in both forprofit and notforprofit sectors. Our members are professionals who want to support one another and they do it so well. Whether you are looking for that next position, need professional advice, or just want to get to know someone better over coffee or a meal, don’t forget to resource the Member Directory.

Rob Rogers

2016 GOOD Network President

Setting Personal “GOOD GOALS” for 2016 - by Rob Rogers

Carol Emmett — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 23:02:08 GMT

What can you do to make the most of your GOOD Network membership? Is improving your network important to you? Are you needing to build relationships with likeminded individuals or are you hoping to meet someone who can introduce you to your next position? Is it time to investigate open leadership positions? Is professional development most important to you? Whether you’re attending the bimonthly programs, a SIG or a social event, identify your expectation and determine what action you will need to take that will support your membership GOOD GOALS. Together we’ll make 2016 great!

Rob Rogers, President

2016 President's Welcome Letter by Rob Rogers

Carol Emmett — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:54:01 GMT

It is my honor and pleasure to serve as the 2016 President for GOOD Network.

Ever since I joined in April of 2011, the benefits of my membership have yet to cease, and I’m sure that you can relate. Our bi-monthly programs and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) meetings always leave me walking away with timely tools and best practices that I can apply to work, home, and play. The networking is rich here as well because our members are both knowledgable OD professionals, but are also willing to serve each other with their expertise, encouragement and support.

This year I, along with our GOOD Network Leadership Team, will continue to build on the strengths that have made this network so special, increase the value of membership and plan volunteering events that benefit the Central Florida community.

Please reach out to me with questions, suggestions or just to introduce yourself if we haven’t met yet. I look forward to seeing you in 2016!

Sincerely,

Rob Rogers

A Final Message from Outgoing President, Vicki Lavendol

Carol Emmett — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 01:47:01 GMT

The GOOD Network had a great 2015!

2015 successes to celebrate include these and more:

GOOD has 48 corporate/159 individual members.
About 550 attended the great programs at Goodwill.
2016 programs are scheduled for a year of growth.
GOOD financial position is strong; but membership renewals provide for our speakers and meals.
GOOD doing good debuted with 2 volunteer events.
We had a successful social event for members.
The highlight of the year was winning the Outstanding Regional Network Award at ODN (The Organization Development Network).

Thank you for making the GOOD Network great! Your active participation and support are highly valued. Together let’s welcome 2016 and the GOOD 2016 volunteer leadership team!

Happy Holidays,

Vicki

4th Quarter 2015 by president Vicki Lavendol

Carol Emmett — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 14:52:15 GMT

Are you as amazed as I am that 2015 is drawing to a close? What a GOOD year it has been so far, and more still to come!

Friday we completed our second GOOD doing good event supporting our amazing host and partner Goodwill. It is a wonderful program to encourage reading by young children.

Goodwill schedules volunteer readers in elementary classrooms, and then provides each child with their very own book from Goodwill!

Should you have books that your children or grandchildren have outgrown, please consider donating them by bringing them to the next GOOD meeting.

We will have a donation bin near registration for books or any personal or household items that you may bring to donate. What an easy way to serve our community and support the mission of Goodwill; providing jobs.

So far this year we have renewed our commitment to diversity in our presenters and in our workplaces. We have learned how to show the return on the investments that our clients make, ensuring our continued influence.

We once again marveled at the talents among our members at our annual best practice meeting. And we took a fresh look at meeting design to ensure meetings that we lead are highly effective and efficient.

Dr. Charlene Rousseau will lead us October 16 focusing on Coaching for Performance: Leader as Coach. We are looking forward to a very interactive learning experience, and we are counting on you to participate with us.

Another important event at our October meeting: we will be voting on the GOOD Leadership Team for 2016! We are delighted to begin the leadership transition process earlier to allow for an enhanced learning and communication process.

Your vote is important, and you will want to meet our new Leadership Team. We do still have openings for volunteers in 2016! Or start considering if perhaps 2017 will be your year to contribute to GOOD as a leader.

Thank you for your support and your feedback, which gives us direction to continue to craft GOOD to meet your professional development, service, and networking goals. Our members are the network that makes it GOOD!

We look forward to seeing you at GOOD on October 16^th.

Thank you for being a part of GOOD,

Vicki

Celebrate the USA and thank you to GOOD Leadership -- Vicki Lavendol

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 03:07:40 GMT

July 12, 2015

What an amazing presentation by GOOD Members at our Annual Best Practices program in June! Seven OD professionals taught us and inspired us with their areas of expertise in the profession we love. If you have not presented for GOOD members (previously or lately), please start now to consider speaking next June. The most challenging part of this meeting is selecting from so many terrific topics submitted!

Speaking of 2016, surely you realize that 2015 is now past the half way mark. Again in August members will have the opportunity to speak to current and past GOOD LT members about leadership roles in 2016. We will do our best to give you a ‘realistic job preview’; along with all we have gained from the privilege of guiding the GOOD Network to and through another amazing year of growth and success.

Chuck Mallue will guide our thinking about meetings at our August 14 GOOD meeting. Imagine the pressure on the leader of a meeting where meeting effectiveness is the topic! Since OD practitioners are known for focus on processes and continuous improvement, this meeting will meet our needs. Consider the return on investment for your client group when you lead more effective meetings!

Thank you to GOOD Network founders who had a vision for OD professionals in the Orlando area. Thanks to their vision and hard work, and the work of all the GOOD Leadership Team members since then, we have an incredibility opportunity to learn and teach, to mentor and to be mentored, to serve and to be served, to network and to build relationships. What a gift from former and current leaders!

See you in August,

Vicki Lavendol, SPHR

Annual Best Practices Meeting this Friday: you won't want to miss it! -- Vicki Lavendol

Sat, 06 Jun 2015 18:30:00 GMT

This annual program is a success each year as we GOOD members are share their best practices with us. The roster this year looks amazing again; keeping us all thinking OD!

We always leave this meeting truly impressed with the talents and expertise of our members. We look forward to seeing you there! It's not too late to register (hint, hint).

Friday will also be a chance for you to speak directly with our Leadership Team members about their roles and their teams. Please consider if you would like to step up to a leadership role in GOOD in 2016; roles come in all sizes.

Please let myself or any member of our Leadership Team know how we can best support you? Our team feels privileged to represent GOOD members in 2015.

See you Friday to learn from GOOD members,

Vicki

We had a GOOD Spring! By Vicki Lavendol, President

Carol Emmett — Mon, 11 May 2015 23:32:24 GMT

Dr. Jack Phillips was amazing April 24 as he gave a high level overview of the process to calculate ROI on OD initiatives in organizations. Reaction, Learning, Application, Impact, ROI are all valuable levels of evaluation addressed; ROI conservatively reports the value of OD in the language of CEOs and CFOs.

Because Jack literally wrote the book (actually many books) on ROI he supports any industry, sector, or non-profit organization with actual case studies where the methodology was successful applied.

Jack generously provided all attendees with a customized ROI workbook for GOOD and process maps of the ROI methodology. He even provided every attendee with a copy of his book written specifically for our profession: Measuring the Success of Organization Development. Several attendees received additional books from the library Jack brought to Orlando specifically to share with the GOOD Network.

The ROI Institute is offering the ROI Certification in Orlando May 18-22. For details, please click on Workshops and Conferences page on the GOOD website. GOOD members and guests receive a 30% discount on this 5 day certification that will change how you think about your work and your organization. You will successful articulate the value of OD interventions in dollars. Career enhancing!

May 2 our first ‘GOOD doing good’ event was a great success! 12 members and guests served 36 hours at A Gift for Teaching. What a great feeling to serve great non-profit organizations that need volunteer support! What a great way to build relationships with other GOOD members; doing good in Orlando!

June brings our annual Best Practice event. This is a member and guest favorite program each year as we learn what GOOD members are doing successfully, directly from them! These are snapshots of practices, initiatives, interventions, and data gathering. We always leave this meeting truly impressed with the talents and expertise of our members. We look forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes for the end of the school year, and the Memorial Day weekend to make summer official! Please let myself or any member of our Leadership Team know how we can best support you?

Our team feels privileged to represent GOOD members in 2015. We are already thinking about 2016! Please consider if you would like to step up to a leadership role in GOOD in 2016; roles come in all sizes.

See you in June,

Vicki

Looking forward to seeing you April 24! -- Vicki Lavendol

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:42:33 GMT

Our first GOOD meeting of 2015 with Stephon Williams was inspiring. Reflecting on diversity helped us realize how far we have come and how far we have to go in terms of personal, professional, and ethical responsibilities. Our GOOD Book Club is reviewing one of the books that Stephon recommended at their meeting on April 9.

Our first networking and social event in March was a good time. We enjoyed getting to know our gracious Goodwill partners, new and prospective GOOD members, and members of the 2015 leadership team; no program involved!

Plan to join us for the "GOOD doing Good'' Community Service project on May 2. We would like to be known for the GOOD we do in our community.

On April 24, GOOD Network is privileged to have Jack and Patti Phillips address us. They are renowned for their work on ROI. As OD professionals, proving the ROI of our work can be one of the most challenging aspects of our work. Register now; we expect to be at capacity for this practical event.

Reach out to your leadership team anytime you have GOOD ideas to share, and please consider sharing your best OD practices at our June 12 meeting. See you April 24. Thanks for being a part of the GOOD community!

Vicki

Message from 2015 President - Vicki Lavendol

Carol Emmett — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 20:32:00 GMT

2015 is here, and GOOD is ready! Thanks to the invaluable perspectives offered by our members in August 2014, we have clear direction for our future.

If you missed it, members led, facilitated, and offered insights on GOOD purpose, meetings, programs, offerings, and leadership. Some recommendations were implemented in 2014; with others ahead in 2015.

My primary responsibility is to keep us focused on your recommendations for future success. Our talented and enthused Leadership Team is fully committed to executing your great ideas.

I welcome your feedback at any time; directly to me or to any of our Leadership Team Board Members. Our goal this year is to serve you well in 2015.

You won't want to miss our February speaker who is everything our members requested! Plus meet our LT members. I look forward to seeing you there.

Vicki

Final Message from our 2014 Co-Presidents-- Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson

Carol Emmett — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 15:33:46 GMT

Closing out a great year!

Whew! That’s my final word on 2014. Almost 12 months ago we embarked on a new year full of possibilities for our organization, and indeed the year has not failed to deliver. In addition to a great lineup of speakers and programs, we hit the pause button to give you, our members, an opportunity to weigh in on the future of the GOOD Network. Your participation and insight has been invaluable to the leadership team and has given us the fuel we need to reshape our team and committees to support an expanded membership experience that is now poised for the future.

As I depart my position as co-president, I must say how grateful I am to have been afforded the opportunity to serve such a dynamic and engaged membership! Your professional commitment to the OD community is inspiring and your enthusiasm for the meaningful work we do embodies the spirit of our GOOD Network organization. I look forward to serving on the advisory board in 2015 and seeing you all in our bi-monthly meetings.

Laura

Yes, Laura, it was a “whew” year! I am so excited about the coming years for GOOD, based on all of the great ideas and palpable energy from the members. Many thanks to Pat Brown for stepping back into the VP Programs role this year, and providing us with a terrific lineup of programs. Thanks also to Bill Fowler for stepping back into the VP Membership role for 2014. And to Kathryn, Michelle, Steve Humphries and Goodwill – thank you for your hospitality at the bi-monthly meetings. Carol Emmett kept her dual hat as Treasurer and Website manager even while vacationing overseas – what a commitment. And Erica, Steve, and Jerry – a pleasure serving with you and learning from your wise insight. Kristin – you rock as a recruiter. You all have done a LOT of work and Laura and I are so grateful.

What excites me most are all of you who have expressed an interest in being part of the GOOD leadership for 2015. So many of you volunteered, and there is no doubt in my mind that great things are ahead for GOOD next year.

I so appreciate the opportunity to serve as a co-President with Laura, and to work with this exceptional leadership team. Working with Vicki and Laura on the Large Group Intervention process was great, and the whole year has been a wonderful learning experience for me. It’s been a lot of fun as well.

On to 2015!

Carol

It's All About You! By Carol Anderson and Laura Newcomer

(Past member) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:27:57 GMT

That’s right – the GOOD network is for you and needs you!

This is the season to begin thinking about the coming year leadership – who will step up to take GOOD to the next level.

This year, 2014, is turning out to be a year of reflection and research on the future role of the GOOD Network. The Network is 11 years old, and as fast as the world changes, we are executing on the vision that was launched over a decade ago. Is it still the right vision? Perhaps. But as OD practitioners know, leadership has to reflect and refresh in this time of constant change.

In August we will come together to ask and answer some fundamental questions about the GOOD Network – today and in the future. The Leadership Team will use that reflection to guide us in validating or refreshing our vision and mission.

One thing that is abundantly clear now, however, is the need for an engaged membership who actively participates in the work of the Network. In 2013, we restructured the Leadership Team using a Committee structure in order to involve more members in the programs and processes.

For the 2015 Leadership Team, we need organizational officers and committee members who will step up, share the work, and strengthen our infrastructure.

We need YOU!

Being part of a non-profit Board or Committee is a great learning experience. It puts you in the critical position of leading policy, finance and operations. In the field of OD, we don’t often get that vantage point but we need it to understand what our clients are experiencing.

Please consider volunteering for a leadership role in 2015.

Spring Greetings from the Co-Presidents --Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson

Sun, 06 Apr 2014 20:02:44 GMT

From Laura

What’s on my mind …

What a fabulous start to our year! I hope you are one of the fortunate ones who attended our first GOOD Network meeting in February. Ron Piccolo from Rollins provided an engaging and enlightening session on “Influencing without Authority”. If you missed it, first, we missed YOU, but I am glad to say that all members have access to Ron’s presentation, available on this website. I know I came away with a new interest in the subject and have started listening to choice of words to better understand other’s psychological needs. Well done, Ron! Well done, leadership team, for the work behind the scenes that resulted in a flawless event. My thanks to all!

March…hints of our Florida Spring (lovely); the Flower and Garden Show at Epcot (fun); and that (blasted) lost hour as we turn the clocks forward. So what is my level of engagement with the change of losing this hour every year? I am what I would term a “sulkier.” I do it, but I don’t like it much. I will debate against any value statement. I will dread it. I will be grumpy and need more coffee in the mornings. I will endure because I must, but I will never be a champion for the change because I see little benefit to me or anyone else. I might even actively campaign against it (…as evidenced by this message!)

If you’re in the midst of a stalled change effort in your organization, you might want to get a pulse on the level of support among the rank and file. Leaders can advocate or demand compliance, but it is definitely an uphill battle. In fact, emotional inertia around a change effort can kill it entirely. It’s our job in OD to ensure regular, periodic check-ins with stakeholders so that the “What’s in it for me” never gets lost in the inevitable shuffle of change. If we are really good at this, we may find fewer sulkers, and even convert a few to champions.

From Carol

What’s (not) on my mind…I have no mind right now – I think I packed it in a box. You see, my family is relocating to beautiful St. Augustine. Yes, I will stay active with GOOD, and am proud to do so. This is a great organization and I enjoy every aspect of being a member. And heck, it’s only a 2 hour drive.

What a terrific kickoff to 2014 we had, with Dr. Piccolo’s presentation and a huge group of attendees. It blew me away that we had to bring in a couple extra chairs, as the crowd was so big.

As I read Laura’s note, I thought, what a testament to complementary co-Presidents. I love….I really mean love….change. Put me in a process and by golly, I’ll change it. Put me in a process and tell me I can’t, and I will wander around looking for something else to change. But my change-resistant co-President is absolutely right. When change happens in an organization, every single person needs to have the opportunity to touch it, feel it, experience it, vent about it and ultimately make the choice to support it or not. Every single person, and yes, it is their choice (but sometimes we need to help them make it.) Let’s multiply that by the fact that, as you can tell from Laura and me, everyone’s tolerance for change is different. And that’s what keeps us OD folks in business. We are the eyes and ears of “what’s really happening,” with the tools and resources to intervene.

April promises, like these recent beautiful Spring days, to be an outstanding program. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

January Letter from the Co-Presidents -- Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 13:00:00 GMT

What's on my mind ... (Laura)

January – it really is here, isn’t it? Last year I alluded to the flip of a calendar page, and suddenly we are two weeks out from that event. Have you gotten used to writing (or typing or texting) “2014” yet? The start of a new year indicates fresh beginnings, and so as we roll out an exciting year of new speakers and events for our membership, I hope you will not have to miss a single one.

I’m currently working with a cohort of 35 mid-level leaders in a 12 month development program. It is immensely satisfying to watch these leaders responding to content and seeing them take on professional development as a serious commitment. One critical success factor for any development program inside an organization is that is must be aligned with the mission, culture, and work processes of the organization. You might have a fabulous leadership development program based on best practice, solid research, and organizational analysis, but if it is not reinforced by these organizational elements, it will fail. Alignment…respects the visible and the intangible frameworks within the organization.

So I’ve been thinking about alignment (can you tell?) I want these leaders to think more deeply as they mature in leading others, and so this term “internal alignment” has bubbled up. I must preface the next few statements with the disclaimer that this is surely not a new construct, but simply an articulation of some personal ideas about alignment.

My thought is that internal alignment is a state of meaningfulness that is achieved when one’s work and life is aligned with one’s personal mission and values. When you are satisfied down to your core through the work in which you are engaged, then you know you have internal alignment. Conversely, if what we are doing is not supporting our personal mission (which is founded on our personal beliefs and values), then we need to put a plan in place to move us to where this will be possible. Paraphrasing Steven Covey, no one wants to be the person who discovers late in life that they have spent years getting to the top of a ladder that turns out to be leaning against the wrong building.

I hope this New Year finds you solidly and completely internally aligned, and that this year will be one of great contribution for you. Dust off that personal mission statement, or get busy writing one – and ensure that your ladder is indeed leaning against the right building.

What's on my mind ... (Carol)

Alignment….I love it. While my focus has been, and will continue to be, on breaking down silos in organizations, that really is the essence of alignment. How can you have alignment if people are thinking in swim lanes without intentionally aligning ideas, projects, technology and focus?

I am very excited about this GOOD year, and our Leadership Team that is focused on bringing value to our members. We have taken your survey feedback to heart, and hope to have some new concepts in meetings and networking to unveil, along with the traditional outstanding guest speakers and relevant topics. Our first 2014 Leadership Team meeting was full of energy, and some great ideas. Should be a great year!

It is fun being co-President with Laura. So far, it’s been a great partnership, and with help and guidance from Pat and the Advisory Group, we should survive our co-Presidency for 2014.

As always, please let either of us know if there is anything you feel we could do to make certain that your membership adds the value to your professional development that we hope it does.

Happy New Year!!!

Dual Message from 2014 Co-Presidents, Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson

Carol Emmett — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:23:16 GMT

Musings from Laura...

Excited! Engaged! Wouldn’t you love to hear those words come out of your mouth when someone asks you about your work? It seems what I heard myself say as I dashed to the finish line of 2013 is a different “e” word...exhausted! While I am fully aware that the divide between 2013 and 2014 is just a flip of a calendar page, there is something satisfying about checking off the final tasks of a year, winding down over the holidays, and leaning into the promise of a new year.

To Pat and the 2013 leadership team, WELL DONE. Thank you for setting the stage for 2014 and all the hard work that made 2013 such a great year for our organization! Your commitment and dedication carries on in 2014, and I know Carol and I will be relying on your experience and expertise throughout 2014.

When it comes to GOOD and 2014, I AM excited and engaged! First, it will be the advent of the new leadership model for our organization with two of us sharing the role of president. I am a huge proponent of the model. In the lives of busy professionals, being able to share in the workload is definitely a win for GOOD and a win for the co-leaders, and hopefully will allow more people to step up in the future. As the first pair through, Carol and I will do our best to work out the kinks!

Second, it looks like we’re going to have a great year of programs in 2014. I can’t say a lot more until things are firmed up, but I believe the speakers and programs will be, well, exciting and engaging!

More Musings from Carol...

Laura said the THANK YOUs well to Pat and the 2013 Leadership Team, and I add my voice as well. Each of the 2013 programs was excellent, with relevant content and terrific speakers. We have a tough act to follow. But I applaud the efforts that went into designing the new leadership structure, and believe it is a perfect way to share the workload and the excitement as the organization continues to grow.

Our new VPs and their committees will be bringing new programs, communication and membership processes to make sure that the GOOD network continues to evolve and provide value to the members. Laura and I would like to thank these folks in advance for what we know will be great work!

It has been great getting to know Laura, and learning from Pat, and I think the concept of co-presidency is off to a great start. As Laura said, there will be kinks, so we ask your forgiveness now for any “kinkiness” you may experience.

GOOD is an amazing organization, with one of the more active and involved membership I’ve seen in a professional organization. Laura and I will do our best, along with the rest of the leadership team, to continue the fantastic heritage.

Here’s to 2014!

Final President's Message from Pat Brown

Carol Emmett — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 15:53:50 GMT

Where has the year gone? It seems like just a few minutes ago that I was introducing myself as the 2013 GOOD Network President.

Here we are, well into November. And what a year it has been! Record numbers in our membership. Large and energetic attendance at our meetings. Good, engaging, compelling speakers, including our very own at the June Best Practices session. More volunteering than ever to help in leadership roles with an eye on 2014. Classy, quality people throughout the GOOD Network.

It has been great to be along for the ride. Those of you who know me (and by now, I think that's most of you!) know that I have enjoyed being your President. In fact, it has been so much fun that I won't go away in 2014. I look forward to passing the baton to co-presidents Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson. They bring with them experience and insight that can only build upon what has already been done. And they will have a lot of help!

I can't avoid mentioning our wonderful hosts, those at Goodwill who make our meetings run so smoothly in the terrific facility they provide for us. I look forward to seeing all of you there for networking, fellowship, and Scott Tannenbaum on December 13.

Pat Brown

A Message from Pat Brown, President of the GOOD Network

Carol Emmett — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:32:53 GMT

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

As we near the end of the third quarter of 2013, it is a time to look forward.

We look forward to our October 11 meeting, which will feature Listening expert Rick Bommelje. Most of us are better talkers and additional insight there is not what we need. But listening? Most individuals, groups, and organizations are not where they should be in that arena. I know that I will gain insight from the meeting, and I believe many of you will as well.

We also look forward to hearing from Organizational Effectiveness expert Scott Tannenbaum at our December 13 meeting. And 2014 promises yet more top-flight speakers. All this, of course, is coupled with more networking with an ever-increasing number of GOOD Network members!

We look forward to distributing our annual Survey to make sure we are doing the right things and avoiding the wrong ones. The Survey's results also help us steer the GOOD Network toward topics, events, and ways of doing things that you tell us you want.

We look forward to revamping our Leadership Team structure and communication capabilities in order to better serve all network members. You will hear more about this soon.

Most of all, I look forward to seeing all of you again on October 11!

Pat Brown