Bright Spots Prashant Goel

For the first time ever on the Bright Spots podcast, I welcome multiple guests. Nita Baum of b*free and David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory join me in this episode. We are all passionate about how to continue evolving the ways we work. That was front and center in this episode, while the conversation drew in many references beyond that.

This was a fascinating 4-way conversation in which we didn't shy away from some of the uncomfortable shadows that have shaped where we are today. And we also didn't shy away from positive visions that attract our imaginations towards what might be possible. We tried through the diversity and unity of our perspectives to grasp the reality driving the way we currently do things in organizations, which includes considerations of individuals and society. And throughout the conversation, we consider and highlight new pathways.

I apologize that the sound quality could have been better, though it is more than passable. I did my best in the edits.

Themes are wide-spanning and include:

Co-Creation and the power of dialog especially when trying to charter into unknown territory
Relevance of Diversity
Organizations as a great lever for change, as a meeting point between individuals and the collective
How do we accept all of us in all of our humanity in work? How might holistic approaches which consider the human spirit create better realities?
A Human Symphony and the human body as metaphors for a New Economy
The collective grief which still exists and shaped many choices we made coming out of two world wars
Common flaws in ways of thinking about hiring
Growth and deficit-based mindsets and outcomes when applied to specific situations
How both job-seekers and companies sometimes set a very low bar for what they want
Understanding situational context and drawing on a wide repertoire of responses in approaching challenges
Fear
The magic of connection
And of course much more.

I hope it's as much a pleasure to listen to as it was for us to experience. All the best.

(Please note this is the 2nd in a 3 part series. I highly recommend starting with episode 12.)

David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory bring clear, cohesive, constructive insight to how we can evolve and revolutionize hiring. Their numbers speak for themselves. High quality fit of candidates with teams leaps from 20 to 80% where they get involved.

When you listen to them, you'll see why they realize such impressive results. Their approach is both systematic and artful. Their clients have said things like, "You guys were able to bring this objective process to the entire equation. At the end of the day we felt so good. We’ve never felt so good about a decision."

The stakes are high. Effectiveness at hiring considerably contributes to our effectiveness as teams. And our fulfillment has a ton to do with who we surround ourselves with. As Michael says, it's ultimately about forging unforgettable relationships. What a beautiful, high aspiration to attribute to hiring.

As they remind us, what they do is not rocket science. But this belies how much expertise and insight they have developed. When you talk with them, you see they understand with refined nuance the essence of what hiring simply IS and can be. It starts with a clear grasp for the fundamentals which are more overlooked than you might think.

It deepens from there.

Too many teams and orgs rely on the status quo of hiring. They don't have references for how they could be transforming their teams.

I spoke to Michael and David of Team Theory independently for two different episodes of the Bright Spots podcast, episode 12 and episode 13. My feeling after re-listening to both conversations is that they are peanut butter and jelly conversations. The individual conversations complement each other.

I recommend starting with episode, #12, with Michael Weyandt. I reference elements from the conversation with David occasionally (which happened first chronologically), but it doesn't present an obstacle.

Michael helps us get a clear understanding with concrete examples the types of changes they recommend and why. It becomes startlingly clear.

We start with elements of his own journey. Getting a feel for his relevant references helps us as we go into hiring from there, about 10 minutes in.

After we gain this clarity with Michael, David helps us understand how they conceptualize: (1) the challenges teams are facing, (2) the common fallacies in the hiring process; and (3) 360 fit in their Beyond Recruiting methodology.

If hiring is relevant to your professional life, start with the 50 minute conversation with Michael and continue with the conversation with David. I promise it will open a pathway to revolutionizing your hiring process. I don't say that lightly. I believe in their work.

Michael and David will be back with Nita Baum of b*free for a 4 way conversation in early January.

David Osborne and Michael Weyandt of Team Theory bring clear, cohesive, constructive insight to how we can evolve and revolutionize hiring. Their numbers speak for themselves. High quality fit of candidates with teams leaps from 20 to 80% where they get involved.

When you listen to them, you'll see why they realize such impressive results. Their approach is both systematic and artful. Their clients have said things like, "You guys were able to bring this objective process to the entire equation. At the end of the day we felt so good. We’ve never felt so good about a decision."

The stakes are high. Effectiveness at hiring considerably contributes to our effectiveness as teams. And our fulfillment has a ton to do with who we surround ourselves with. As Michael says, it's ultimately about forging unforgettable relationships. What a beautiful, high aspiration to attribute to hiring.

As they remind us, what they do is not rocket science. But this belies how much expertise and insight they have developed. When you talk with them, you see they understand with refined nuance the essence of what hiring simply IS and can be. It starts with a clear grasp for the fundamentals which are more overlooked than you might think.

It deepens from there.

Too many teams and orgs rely on the status quo of hiring. They don't have references for how they could be transforming their teams.

I spoke to Michael and David of Team Theory independently for two different episodes of the Bright Spots podcast, episode 12 and episode 13. My feeling after re-listening to both conversations is that they are peanut butter and jelly conversations. The individual conversations complement each other.

I recommend starting with episode, #12, with Michael Weyandt. I reference elements from the conversation with David occasionally (which happened first chronologically), but it doesn't present an obstacle.

Michael helps us get a clear understanding with concrete examples the types of changes they recommend and why. It becomes startlingly clear.

We start with elements of his own journey. Getting a feel for his relevant references helps us as we go into hiring from there, about 10 minutes in.

After we gain this clarity with Michael, David helps us understand how they conceptualize: (1) the challenges teams are facing, (2) the common fallacies in the hiring process; and (3) 360 fit in their Beyond Recruiting methodology.

If hiring is relevant to your professional life, start with the 50 minute conversation with Michael and continue with the conversation with David. I promise it will open a pathway to revolutionizing your hiring process. I don't say that lightly. I believe in their work.

Michael and David will be back with Nita Baum of b*free for a 4 way conversation in early January.

In response to an article on LinkedIn about major "ubertrends" shaping societal movements, Jody had posted a comment which described succinctly, clearly, and convincingly that the most important trend of all was not mentioned--the massive growth in numbers of people wanting to connect to a deeper dimension of human life.

I was impressed and decided to reach out to Jody and see if she would be interested in joining me for a conversation. Fortunately she was happy to share her wisdom with us.

I see Jody as an elder who has deepened into the ways of living by the heart, beyond the prevailing norms of rationality and intellectualism. She has understood something about the human experience and that for which we truly long. As a Spiritual Educator, she practices what she shares with others. She has practiced authenticity and courage for a long time now and bears many insights to show for it.

She helps us by placing her observations in an informative historical, evolutionary context. Our conversation touches on the following themes:

How society corrodes without the rudder of the human heart
How each person awakening, one by one, step by step is the key to remaking the fabric of our culture
How the inner life came to be overlooked historically
What makes this time so remarkable, so exciting
How we can create a new consciousness and a new way of being in the world
How religion and spiritual paths can be used for bad purposes—but having faith that each person is exactly where they should be.
How a sense of expansiveness is the big test for whatever spirituality you are exploring
How chaos can be creative and good, even if it’s challenging
How it can be a good thing when the collective shadows are more obviously out in the world
Scientific findings and research findings of rising levels of spirituality while lowering sense of religion
And further research from the Heartmath institute about the high intuitive guidance of the heart
Finding people for support and community as a spiritual person in the prevailing culture
Unlearning rules of how we are supposed to do it
Classic relationship challenges in western culture based on assigned gender roles
Practical advice from Jody for moving into the heart
and much more

I hope you enjoy it.

As always, thanks for listening. All the best.

And so, the special 5 part series with the ever-talented, insightful, and generous Nita Baum concludes here. We go out on a high note, while feeling very grounded in the earth. This conversation in my humble opinion carries groundedness within its essence. Nita and I found such a nice flow in our conversations and used our own shared community/friendship as the basis for this 5 part series. In this conversation, I express the value I hold for her friendship and how much it has meant to me.

We go deep into the interconnectictivity between healthy practices, fear, self-acceptance, community, and vulnerability. We touch on the following topics:

Nita gets us started with a lovely experiential grounding practice
Why might everybody be meditating in a century and what does that have to do with dentists?
The right and importance of each person discovering and integrating healthy practices for themselves
How the healthcare system in the US has its strengths but is also largely reactive
How we learn how to systematically dismantle and gain power over fear
Accessibility and simplicity of practices which support our well-being and growth
Connection of groundedness to community, home, family, connection, relationship
The challenge and universality of feeling separated, isolated, different than, otherness
How community opens our eyes to the richness of our shared experience and humanness
Personal story about how the community I share with Nita as a friend helped me to overcome the feeling of cognitive dissonance and challenge for stepping out onto a road less traveled
Roots of other are in our fear, uncertainty, vulnerability, highlights the power of turning towards that fear—our kinship in realizing shared experience of fear
What do you turn to when you feel afraid? What grounds you?
Reference to M Scott Peck’s 4 stage sequence for community building
Intimate relation with being truthful, protecting against the feeling of being not good enough and pretending we’re not dealing with that on some level
Practice, fear, self-acceptance, community, vulnerability and all comes together in groundedness

As always, thanks for listening and all the best.

"To be powerful is a possibility to create because nothing can be created without power. It is only when power becomes a means to dominate that power becomes ugly. Unfortunately, as most human beings have not found any sense of deep fulfillment within themselves, they are constantly hankering for dominance.

We need to understand that power is not just political or economic power – there are various ways to be powerful. There is the power of love, the power of compassion, the power of meditation, the power of self-absorption, the power of surrender, the power of selflessness, and above all, the power of being human. " ~ Sadhguru

The 4th part in the special 5 part series with Nita Baum on the 5 values of b*free continues. This time we speak about being in power. We both have enjoyed this series immensely.

The conversation touches on the following themes:

How power begins with self-responsibility and the vast difference between responsiveness and reactivity
The theme of practice and flexing the muscle of self-responsibility
Power vs Force and the support we receive, and the flow we experience, when we align and harmonize our work with the best in ourselves and in service of the common good
A couple of worthwhile mindset experiments to conduct in social or networking situations
Cycle of giving and receiving and how the consciousness of having something to give, even the generosity of fully listening can be supportive
How self-trust connects you to the power within you and around you
How our fears related to money keep us from our power and what is true in our hearts
How status and ego may reflect power but have little to do with that motivation
Transition from old paradigm to new paradigm
Radical experiment of considering the positive possibilities of what would happen if our financial systems collapsed?
How we use crisis to find our power and turn towards each other—discover our own power anew, see the lens of possibility
What is the role of humility in being powerful and is it about owning or denying our strengths?
How money itself is not the villain but our mindsets connected to money create problems
"At what point does the shift from survival to thriving happen and how much is money related to that?"
Nita’s encapsulation in the last 5 minutes really stands out.