Designing Schools: Recent Episodes
Dr. Sabba Quidwai
Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. As you navigate today’s changing world the question remains how do you create these cultures? How do you scale them? And how do you help people develop the mindset and skills to thrive within them? These are the questions people ask Dr. Sabba Quidwai, researcher, educator and storyteller. Each week we’ll explore the answers with stories and strategies from researchers, education leaders and today’s young people as we explore how might we design schools.
Both personal and professional development can be improved through social media. There are many tools that can be used to share stories, ideas, and build relationships.
Social media is the perfect medium for boosting creativity and encouraging innovation since it is not restricted by any physical or geographic boundaries. It's a powerful platform for those with innovative ideas to express their thoughts and share experiences. There are a number of strategies one can use on social media that can help to create deeper connections with their followers, create greater awareness of their creative endeavors, achieve objectives relating to a product launch, and also motivate people working collaboratively on projects.
Please welcome the Building Services crew from the Santa Ana Unified School District to this episode. JJ, Gabriel, Lisette, and Emanuel are all wonderful people. They all agreed that having a voice was the most important aspect of leading through social influence. We'll discuss how the SAUSD team moved from being no one to becoming someone people talked about.
0:00 Introduction
1:24 Intrroducing the Building Services team
3:43 What inspired the team to create a social media presence
8:21 How did the team amplify their voice through their online presence
11:34 Some fears and proud achievements from the team during the pandemic
22:04 Some surprises met by the team on their journey with social influence
31:42 Discussing the power of relationships between support staff and students
34:36 Some stories from the team about relationships between students and staff
43:48 Messages from the team members to transformational leaders
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with SAUSD
Website: https://www.sausd.us/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santaanausd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SantaAnaUSD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sausd/
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
In the digital age, it’s important to teach students how to use technology as a tool in order to learn and not be left behind. When applied in tandem with design thinking, we can start to teach students how to solve problems in a new and innovative way. Jon Corippo co-founded and developed a series of instructional lesson frames called EduProtocols that are designed to engage students in learning through the 4 C's:
- Critical thinking
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
EduProtocols were created to address the need for students to engage in deeper learning using technology as a tool instead of an automation device. Since then, hundreds of classrooms have been converted to Four Cs centered instruction.
Jon is the brains behind the extremely popular Eduprotocols. He has been recognised as a County Teacher of the Year, a National School Boards Association 20 to Watch Educator, an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google Certified Innovator, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator. Jon has a decade of experience in K-8 education, including building a 1-1 project-based high school and serving in two county offices as Assistant Superintendent and IT Director. Jon is very pleased with his work as CUE's Chief Learning Officer and Executive Director. Jon has trained over 60,000 educators through CUE professional learning.
0:00 Introduction
0:51 Introducing Jon Corippo
3:55 Jon's experience travelling around the world as an educator
5:51 The problem with the idea of " real teaching"
12:40 The innovation gap analysis model
15:02 Jon's career as an educator and what changes he implemented over the years
26:35 How Jon's experience as a student motivated him as an educator
29:43 Discussing the relationship between assessment and mental health
35:52 What are some short term changes schools should adopt in assessment?
40:59 Jon's advice for educators who want to transition to a new system
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Jon Corippo:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncorippo/
Website: https://www.eduprotocols.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcorippo
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
The four pillars of leadership and social influence are:
- Building trust
- Encouraging creativity
- Recognizing accomplishments
- Inspiring a collective vision.
In order to be a successful leader and have social influence, one must be able to demonstrate these qualities. For example, someone who is creative can come up with new ideas that will help those around them grow; someone who has accomplished a lot can show others what they can do if they work hard enough; someone who inspires others to work together on a common goal is an excellent leader with social influence.
For leaders to have social influence in their community, it is important for them to be trustworthy so that people are willing to follow their lead. Creativity is also important because it can help the community grow their skills, explore new ideas and develop new technologies.
This week I’m sharing reflections from leaders on their journey with leadership and social influence. You'll hear from Superintendent Jerry Almendarez, Zandra Jo Galvan, Superintendent of Greenfield Union School District, Tony Richardson, Vice Principal of the MLK Steam Academy, Associate Professor and Online Accessibility Mentor Denise Maduli-Williams, Jeff Prickett, who was named 2021 Illinois High School Principal of the Year, and Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools.
0:00 Introduction
0:55 Sabba's discovery of the possibilities of online learning and teaching
4:31 Jerry's take on the relationship betwenn leadership and social influence
6:14 The importance of online presence for professional development
8:01 Zandra's take on the importance of being part of an online circle for support
10:12 The four pillars of the relationship between leadership and social influence
10:49 Jerry's experience using social influence as a leader and how it created opportunities for those around him
13:41 How leadership and social influence can also be important for people without formal titles
16:41 Tony's experience using social media to restore trust and heal teacher trauma
18:42 Denise's experience using social influence to nurture the relationship with her students
22:51 Jeff's take on how relationships (both online and offline) can work as foundations to building trust
24:26 Zandra's framework to balacing time between work, family and social media
29:39 Tom's take on how leaders can inspire a collective vision toward change through humility and vulnerability
34:17 Sabba's workshop announcement
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Jerry Almendarez:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-almendarez-916437b1/
Connect with Zandra Jo Galvan:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zandra-jo-galvan-99b95172/
Connect with Tony Richardson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyrchrdsn
Connect with Denise Maduli-Williams:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmaduliwilliams/
Connect with Jeff Prickett:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffryprickett/
Connect with Tom Murray:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascmurray/
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
The best way to get learners to see the space in between as an opportunity is to create a culture of innovation. This can be done through leadership and design thinking. When it comes to innovation, leaders should be able to take a step back and see the big picture, whereas design thinkers should be able to understand the needs of the student and create solutions that are both innovative and practical.
Leadership is key when it comes to creating a culture of innovation. Leaders should be able to step back from their day-to-day work and see the bigger picture in terms of innovation.
The future of education is not about the end result, but about the process. The process of learning is what matters most, and this is where design thinking can be applied. Design thinking is a process that helps learners see obstacles as opportunities and know how to navigate the space in between. It teaches them to be resilient and persistent in their pursuits, which are skills that will serve them well in any field they pursue.
Tony Richardson, Vice Principal, leads the MLK Steam and Design Campus in California. He joins us today to discuss how he's assisting his primary school community in becoming "life-ready innovators, rethinking the world."
0:00 Introduction
1:49 Importance of design thinking for overcoming obstacles and unlocking your creativity
3:24 How Tony designed his vision for MLK Steam
8:22 Creating a growth mindset culture
10:07 Tony's journey and two inflection points that shaped him into a leader
13:35 How Tony first came to learn about design thinking and how has it impacted his work
15:52 Some strategies that Tony used to create a culture of trust
19:46 Knowledge, motivation and organization influence performance
21:12 Tony's views on motivation influences and how to balance them against toxic positivity
23:06 Examples of changes made by Tony through design thinking in classroom
27:28 Transitioning to integrated learning
30:11 What is 'teacher trauma' and how can one create an enviroment of psychological safety
35:36 Tony's current area and students he is working with
37:27 Presenting a study on how design thinking can help low achieving students
39:16 Using portfolios as assessment
42:21 Tony's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
43:46 Some strategies and advice on creating a culture of trust and safety
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop:
https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Tony Richardson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyrchrdsn
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
The future of schools is changing. The current education system is in need of change more than ever. Schools should focus on what students want to learn, and not what teachers want to teach them. Students should have the opportunity to explore their interests and passions in a safe environment.
The nation's schools are under more pressure than ever to educate kids for an information-rich, high-tech, entrepreneurial, global economy that demands a highly trained, informed, adaptable, and competent workforce. Today, postsecondary education is required for 80% of well-paying occupations.
A school that embraces design thinking will be able to create a more innovative environment for students by encouraging them to experiment with new ideas, engage in teamwork, take risks, and develop relationships with other students who have different skillsets from them. The design process is one that starts with a problem and works through the steps of finding the solution.
Today's guest, Thomas Murray works with Future Ready Schools as the director of innovation. He's testified in front of the United States Congress and appeared on a variety of television and radio shows. Murray is a frequent conference keynote speaker who was named one of the NSBA's "20 to Watch" in 2018, the "national/global edtech leader of the year" in 2017, and the academy of arts and sciences' "education policy person of the year" in 2015. Both Learning Transformed and Personal and Authentic Learning have become best-sellers.
0:00 Introduction
1:49 What is Future Ready and what does it's framework look like?
6:20 How Future Ready answered the challenges posed by the pandemic
10:35 How to use design thinking to design studying practices with (and not for) students
11:50 The importance of the design thinking mindset and challenges when shifting mindset
17:21 Two inflection points that made Tom a great leader
22:01 Some strategies to help people develop empathy
24:45 Tom's views on leaders building social trust and influence
29:49 How can leaders build personal and authentic relationships with their teams
Download: How Do I Learn Best: A Design Thinking Experience
https://designingschools.org/2022/03/22/part-two-how-do-i-learn-best-a-design-thinking-experience/
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Thomas Murray:
Website: https://www.thomascmurray.com
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
In both Virginia and Pennsylvania, Shane Hotchkiss has over 23 years of combined educational and managerial experience. He's worked as a fourth grade teacher, an elementary reading specialist, an elementary assistant principal, an elementary principal, and an assistant superintendent. Dr. Hotchkiss has also taught at Wilkes University, Cabrini College, and Wilson College as an adjunct professor.
Shane graduated from Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, with a doctorate in educational leadership. He got his Master's Degree in Education from Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA, along with a Reading Specialist certification. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Mansfield University.
Often, discussions on the future of employment focus on how we prepare kids. We seldom take a step back and consider what work may look like today for the grownups in the company. We now have the chance to explore the best of both worlds and what options exist for how we spend our time and resources, especially now that we've seen what working remotely may look like.
Shane joins me today to discuss his daring vision for his district, as well as how he models and leads an innovative culture through cultivating empathy. We also address how to stay creative as an adult and educator, how to recognize your talents and personality, and so much more.
0:00 Introduction
1:24 Introducing Shane Hotchkiss and his journey as a leader over a decade
6:42 How to keep being creative as an adult and educator?
9:50 Assessments for identifying your strengths and personality
10:55 How to encourage creativity among a team as a leader?
16:22 Preparing for the future today: what's the meaning of this statement in practice
23:45 Shane's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
29:24 What did Shane have to learn and relearn during his experience as a leader
34:33 Shane's take on what we should do to improve education in the future: more teachers and more leaders
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Shane Hotchkiss:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-hotchkiss-29004037/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shane_hotchkiss
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
A good superintendent should have a deep understanding of the district’s needs and be able to build relationships with parents, teachers, students and other stakeholders. They should also be able to lead design thinking in order to develop innovative solutions for problems in the education system. Some duties of the superintendent include directing planning and scheduling, budgeting, student assessment and determining appropriate resources for schools.
Josh Van Norman took over as Superintendent of the San Antonio Union School District on July 2nd, 2019. He is looking forward to starting his new job in the picturesque Monterey County, California. Mr. Van Norman was the Assistant Principal at Del Sur Elementary in the Poway Unified School District before to joining SAUSD. The school launched the first-ever TedEd Club, which focused on public speaking for students, a student-led broadcast club, and Sanford Harmony, a Social and Emotional Learning program, under his guidance. Mr. Van Norman was recognized at the District level for the importance of these programs, which focused on developing the complete child and equipping children with future skills.
Josh joins Designing Schools to discuss how he built trust within his community, some valuable leadership lessons that he's learned with regards to relationships, listening, slowing down and his views on the relationship between leadership and social influence.
0:00 Introduction
0:31 Introducing Josh Van Norman
1:43 Discussing the power of relationships and how Josh dealt with it during the pandemic
5:26 Some valuable leadership lessons that Josh learned: relationships, listening, slowing down
9:04 What Josh did to build trust within his community
14:50 From built trust, how did Josh accelerate inovation within his district
20:48 Some things that Josh did to improve his school district
25:51 Josh's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
29:41 Using social media presence to make career transitions
31:55 Did becoming a parent influence Josh's practice?
Connect with Josh Van Norman:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-van-norman-03a983138/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanNormanJosh
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
The capacity to personalize the interaction with remote learners is critical in all kinds of distance education. It is important for teachers to understand that it's not about them, but about the learners. They need to focus on designing an engaging learning experience for their students.
You want to generate great online videos, but you also want to make your online discussion boards more interesting, while also bringing equity and diversity into your online classrooms through synchronous and asynchronous activities. Meanwhile, you're attempting to maximize your time and manage your online office hours while also assisting students who are having difficulty navigating the online world. And you're doing it all while a pandemic is raging. Does this ring a bell?
Denise has spent over two decades teaching English to native and non-native speakers in a variety of contexts. She has worked in a California jail, a Botswana hamlet as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and New York City public high schools before settling at community colleges.
She is currently an Associate Professor and Online Accessibility Mentor at San Diego Miramar College, where she teaches online, hybrid, and in-person courses. She is also a professor at the University of San Diego, where she teaches graduate students. She's also a PhD student who's looking into the role of social presence in online learning achievement.
Denise feels that equitable, humanized online experiences help students succeed.
0:00 Introduction
0:38 Meet Denise
2:06 Using videos to build rapport with online learners
6:51 How Denise creates her videos and posting them on social media
9:30 Discussing the challenges and opportunities of online teaching
14:56 The importance of listening to faculty for decision making in education
17:32 How was the online learning experience for students and what do they want from now on
23:38 Benefits of introducing portfolios to online students
28:07 Denise's students experience with portfolios
29:30 Why Denise decided to go back to school and her current research
33:28 Denise's thoughts about higher education today and moving forward
Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Denise Maduli-Williams:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmaduliwilliams/
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
One of the most crucial parts of leadership is relationships. You must be able to build a connection with those around you and earn their trust in order to be an effective leader. Frameworks that facilitate effective conversations build solid relationships, and in turn, everyone can better solve issues, improve decision-making, and promote trust and safety in any environment.
Relationships also serve as a foundation for how people feel about themselves. A relationship that is built on trust will make the individual more willing to follow your lead and take your advice.
Building a relationship of trust with someone requires a balance to be struck, such that you are able to have flare and finesse, while being present and available, as well as being consistent in your communication with them.
This week on the show, I'm joined by Zandra Jo Galvan, the superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District. She is enthusiastic about socially and intellectually preparing students for college and professions, and she makes sure that every member of her community understands that they are part of an elite team devoted to breaking the cycle of poverty.
0:00 Introduction
0:34 Introducing Zandra Jo Galvan
1:48 Zandra's background and secret to her energy and enthusiasm
5:13 The importance of discovering purpose at a young age
6:46 What lead Zandra to become a superintendent
10:05 Education should inform students about change and opportunitites
13:03 Relationships as a key element for transformational leaders
16:05 Some strategies from Zandra to build relationships with faculty and staff
20:52 Discussing Leadership and Social influence
23:49 How Zandra manages her social media
25:57 Talking about Zandra's doctorate and research interests
28:42 Zandra's experience of being a learner in today's world
32:51 Some challenges experienced by Zandra and advices on how to deal with them
Better Digital Tools for Education Leaders Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops
Connect with Zandra Jo Galvan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zjgalvan
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zandra-jo-galvan-99b95172/
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
Leadership is not something that you are born with. It is something that needs to be taught and nurtured. Leaders are made, they don't just happen. Leadership is a skill that needs to be practiced and learned.
The first step to becoming a leader is learning how to think like one. This means understanding what leadership really means and how it can be applied in different situations. Leadership skills are developed through observing others, practicing leadership in various situations, and being mentored by someone who has already mastered the skill.
Leaders are the people who drive change and innovation. They are the ones who make sure that their team is aligned towards a common goal. Leaders are not managers, they possess skills that distinguish them from managers.
My guest in this episode, Dr. Jeff Prickett, is one of the most compassionate leaders I've met. He is a professional educator who has worked as the principal of elementary, middle, and high schools. He has worked as an assistant administrator, dean of students, and classroom teacher throughout his 25 years of public school career.
In this episode, we talk about the five skills that distinguish leaders from managers: associating, questioning, observing, empathy and education.
0:00 Introduction
3:30 Introducing Dr. Jeff Prickett and his journey of becoming a leader
8:59 The importance of empathy and asking questions as a leader
13:52 Jeff figuring out what it means to look and act like a leader
16:38 How values can help make a better leader and create trust among a community
22:55 Childhood and youth moments that shaped Jeff's core values
27:09 Two shaping moments from Jeff's first years as a high school principal
29:41 Strategies to help kids navigate through adversities today
36:05 Strategies to nurture creativity and innovation in high school
39:56 Jeff's thought on the relationship between leadership and social influence
43:58 The importance of bringing parents into the conversation about education
45:15 Jeff's advice for leaders
Connect with Dr. Jeff Prickett:
March 10 Workshop Invitation: Better Digital Tools for Education Leaders
Connect with Jeff
- Jeff Prickett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdprickett
Jeff Prickett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdprickett/
The Principal Leadership Lab podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-principal-leadership-lab/id1519710842
"Becoming Principal" on Amazon
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
How can we move away from a one-size-fits-all paradigm and toward one in which learners have the agency to design their own learning experiences? Today I visit the Davis School District to meet Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson.
Amy has been a teacher for the past 18 years. Amy was formally recognised as a "Exemplary Teacher" in the Salt Lake City School District based on student progress and competency outcomes while teaching in the Salt Lake City School District. She has also worked as a teacher's aide and an assistant principal. Amy is presently teaching coding and digital skills to upper elementary pupils.
During Robert's five-year time as principal of a Title 1 school in Clearfield, Utah, he worked with teachers to change the atmosphere and improve academic achievements, virtually doubling student competence rates on end-of-level state testing.
The section of Amy and Rob's book, Out of the Dugout, that has stayed with me the most is when they discuss how they foster a mentality in learners based on growth, belonging, and agency. It's one of the things that, as adults, many of us did not have exposure to in school, and as a result, it's one of the reasons why so many of us struggle with change.
0:00 Introduction
1:29 Introducing Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson and how they came together to publish their book
10:53 What should leaders focus on to build trust across an educational team
13:12 Tools for identifying someone's strengths and the level of psychological safety
14:54 Rob and Amy's take on what 'personalized learning' means
19:40 Challenges faced when desigining experiences of agency and autonomy for learners
24:49 Talking about 'Out of the Dugout' and its proposed framework
32:45 How to approach teachers when implementing changes in schools
35:33 How to help teachers develop a sense of self-efficacy
40:51 Talking about teacher collaboration and how it looks like in Rob and Amy's framework
43:47 Some hurdles that Rob and Amy faced while implementing their framework
48:09 Rob and Amy's views on design thinking for creating change in schools
52:02 Defining motivation and how to develop it while implementing changes
Connect with Rob and Amy:
Website: https://outofthedugout.com/
Rob's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rwkinghorn
Amy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyT_555
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
This week on the show I’m taking you to Georgia Tech. From diversity, to innovation to academic excellence it’s one of the top ranking universities with a vision to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Today I’m speaking with Wayne Li and Michael Flanigan about how they use design thinking to carry out the vision of the university.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why design thinking is a lifestyle
- Why the traditional model of school leads to children feeling shame and insecurity
- The goal of the Design Bloc program at Georgia Tech and how they use design thinking practices
- Why students and faculty engage in community projects using design thinking
- The influence Design Bloc projects have had on empowering the community with design thinking practices
- The mindset shifts they see in students who are in the Design Bloc
- How students in K12 can leverage a portfolio to stand out in the admissions process
Part one of my conversation with Adam and Larissa, co-founders of MakeTeamWork, discusses why a culture of trust and psychological safety is critical for creating successful teams. A talk regarding masculine and feminine cultures was one of the most intriguing aspects of our chat.
In a feminine society, the emphasis is on the quality of life and the people. While in a male society, competitiveness, accomplishment, and success are valued. A culture that pervades all institutions, especially schools. It's the difference between working to live and living to work.
The only way to ensure that everyone can contribute to uncovering and addressing issues, as well as seizing opportunities, is to ensure that everyone has access to a high-quality, equal education.
0:00 Introduction
1:33 Talking about Finland as an example of ' feminine' education
4:40 What is the Quirky Owl program?
9:40 Why is it so hard to be authentic as a leader?
16:48. How does the ' Start-Stop-Continue' strategy works?
20:06 Adam and Larissa's case studies
25:25 Neema's experience with the project Imagine September
28:44 Importance of technology for education, when paired with a focus on relationships
30:24 Neema's advice for designing human-centered environments
32:52 What changed for Neema as a teacher after the pandemics?
35:41 How 'the great resignation' will impact educators in the future?
39:52 Adam and Larissa's tips for design teams and schools that meet students today's needs
Reserve Your Free Ticket for the Launch of the Documentary- https://designingschools.org/documentary
Connect with Larissa / Adam / Neema:
Website: maketeamwork.com
Larissa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissamenocci/
Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamambrozy/
MakeTeamWork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maketeamwork/
Neema: Twitter - @AvashiaNeema
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
Trust is the most important factor in culture activation. It’s the cornerstone of education, and it’s what makes people want to do something. It’s how you get people to take that one step. Trust is the foundation if anything else is to thrive. Larissa and Adam co-founded MakeTeamWork.com, a global company specialising in team development, culture change, and visual collaboration. MakeTeamWork, founded in 2020 and located in Amsterdam, has created a relevant array of services and an impressive client list by developing and facilitating unique learning experiences that help teams build trust and accomplish amazing outcomes.
They are thought leaders in applying agility, creativity, and the science of Team & Organisational Development into workplaces around the globe, in person and remotely. Their Quirky Owl program, discussed in the podcast, aims to equip leaders to be authentic while having the tools to develop their high-performing teams.
0:00 Introduction
2:41 Introducing Larissa and Adam
4:27 How MakeTeamWork began just prior to the pandemic
6:39 The growth in the need for team design after the pandemic
9:00 The importance of psychological safety for making great teams
11:45 Defining Trust and Psychological safety
14:27 Introducing Neema and her views on education
15:48 How the pandemic affected Neema's educational practices
22:04 Why is it so hard to build a culture of trust within education?
25:41 How can design thinking help education?
26:41 Where to begin when accessing an organization's culture?
31:01 What leaders can do to improve trust and psychological safety on their teams?
Reserve Your Free Ticket for the Launch of the Documentary- https://designingschools.org/documentary
Connect with Larissa / Adam / Neema:
Website: maketeamwork.com
Larissa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissamenocci/
Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamambrozy/
MakeTeamWork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maketeamwork/
Neema: Twitter - @AvashiaNeema
Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:
Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/
In This Episode We Discuss:
- The challenges that arise when you don't take ownership of telling your story
- How leadership and social influence help build trust, encourage creativity, recognize accomplishments, and inspire a collective vision
- How leaders can nurture and grow talent within an organization
- How districts can leverage brand ambassador programs
- How different departments from construction, to site principals can leverage social media
- Why leaders should embrace an infinite mindset
Connect with Jerry on LinkedIn and Twitter
Connect with Lynette
For more episodes and information visit Designing Schools.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Jerry uses his weekly Friday meetings with his leadership team of over 180 people
- How creating a culture of vulnerability influenced the conversations that were taking place at the different sites across the district
- Significant inflection points, both personal and professional, that have shaped Jerry into he leader he is today
In This Episode We Discuss:
- How Jerry defines innovation
- The framework Jerry uses to develop strategic foresight
- How being vulnerable led to deep and meaningful relationships with his leadership team
- The strategies Jerry uses to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world
- How he overcomes the fear of being vulnerable in public spaces, such as social media platforms
Connect with Jerry on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Connect with Sabba on Twitter and Instagram.
Today's episode is a reminder of how much potential today's young people have to create, collaborate and design solutions to areas they are interested in.
In this episode we discuss:
- The mindset and skills Seth believes young people need to have to thrive in today's world
- How he uncovered a need for creating LinkJoin
- The value of LinkedIn as a platform for young people
- Strategies for how students can get started with LinkedIn and how to use it
- The changes he'd like to see in school as a learner.
To learn more about LinkJoin click here. To connect with Seth on LinkedIn click here.
You may have noticed that people kind of say the same thing over and over. They have one message with different versions for different audiences, and that consistency is a big part of their influence. But being consistent on social media doesn’t have to mean coming up with brand new content every day. It could mean showing up consistently with repurposed content or going deeper into old content. In this episode, I give you some tips to tell your story online and increase your influence.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Just about everyone believes that the way we do education needs to change. We know the why, so I’m focusing on the how. In this episode, I talk about two different frameworks that can help educators get through the first step.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
“The future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed.“ This quote by William Gibson resonates with me so much. Most of the time when we talk about the future, we talk about things that are going to happen. But if you look around the world you may find that these things are already happening. There is so much opportunity in the world today but how do we empower others to fully take advantage of it? In this episode, I rift on this quote and talk about the humble beginnings of my dissertation.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
The struggle never ends. You solve one problem, just to find a different one later one. But finding the right problem is a huge part of finding the right solution. So no matter what struggle I’m facing, I always remember that cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. And I combat it by focusing on people’s fears and motivations. In this episode, I talk about this concept further. I also bring up the importance of listening.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you probably know that it started off as an extension of my dissertation, which was a deep dive into the work of Design39Campus. Design39Campus is a collaborative community focused on changing the way we do school. In this episode, I talk about how this idea started and why I chose podcasting as my medium.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
In this follow-up episode, Luke tells us where the idea for his curriculum came from. He also talks about his three steps to solving a problem: 1. Finding the problem, 2. Solving the problem, and 3. Creating a prototype.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
We can’t teach students how to solve every problem. We just can’t. We don’t even know what the major problems in the future will be. So instead, we need to teach students methods to solve problems by breaking them down! That is why today’s guest Luke Harris created the Design Engineering Curriculum for Young Adults, to help students learn empathy and other skills in a greater worldly context.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Let’s face it. The American Education System could definitely use a makeover. We don’t teach students how to be leaders and problem-solve and think for themselves. Instead, they learn how to be a part of a whole, how to get hired by a corporation, how to fit in. In this episode, Nancy talks about how different skills like leadership and entrepreneurship can better benefit students.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Nancy Bosnoian is a sleep activist and the founder and executive director of End No Sleep, Inc., a youth-led, nonprofit committed to providing sleep resources to vulnerable communities through education, awareness, and direct service. In this episode, she talks about why she recommends gap years and/or taking semesters off to help students find their passions and figure out what they want to pursue. She encourages taking risks and being okay with failing.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
In this follow-up episode, Diana and Kandis share some advice with new graduates. They talk about finding opportunities to practice your passion, connecting with people from all over the world, building your network, and being creative.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” This Japanese proverb explains that before you can act, you must plan, and before you can plan, you must have a vision. Diana Ying Liu and Kandis O'Brien agree. Diana and Kandis are co-founders of The Six, a consulting company working with leaders and their teams to help design better business operating models, processes, and product experiences. In this episode, they talk about the elements of design thinking and how they can benefit you.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
One thing that isn’t talked about enough is the importance of collaboration in an organization. The leaders, staff, interns, volunteers, must be able to talk, debate ideas, and share their hearts in a safe way, or they won’t share at all. And when the different parts of a company aren’t communicating, the issues just get bigger, and harder to deal with. In this follow-up episode, Bob gives us an example of how better communication led a company to be more successful.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Alex Jamieson and Bob Gower have been helping leaders align their teams for the past two decades. They founded The Alignment Company and have worked with clients like Zoom, GE, and Foot Locker. One thing they see often in this line of work is imposter syndrome. And in this episode, Alex and Bob give us tips on how to manage it.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
One of the biggest problems with our education system today is that it takes a very narrow approach to learning. We should be measuring students’ progress in typical subjects like math and language, but we should also be taking the time to pause and reflect on things like students’ mental health and relationship building. In this episode, I go further into this and talk about the possible benefits of taking a “yes, and” approach to learning.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
What does the future look like? The truth is no one knows. So, how do we prepare for the future, if we have no idea what it will be? The answer isn’t simple or easy, but it has to do with having the right mindset to thrive in the unknown. In this episode, I talk about how design thinking can develop and nurture that growth mindset.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Today’s guest is Dan Faill, speaker, facilitator, and expert in failure and impostor syndrome. If there is one thing he would want everyone to take from his message, it would be to unlearn negative self-talk and comparison and to acknowledge our power! In this episode, Dan talks about the time he finally realized that he was standing in his own way, and what he did to move forward.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
This follow-up episode is all about Clubhouse, an audio-only social experience where communities from all over the world can come together to share ideas, experiences, and education. It is an inclusive space that allows everyone to have a voice and gives us accessibility to influential people. Listen now to learn more.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
I’ve been having a lot of conversions with people lately, and I’m discovering how many adults struggle with confidence, how many adults don’t think they’re good enough. And, I can’t help but wonder how much that has to do with our current grading system. If you’ve spent your whole life being told you’re not good at certain things, and you’re only good at other things, what does that do to our psyche? In this episode, I imagine a world without this traditional grading system, where everyone had the creative confidence to solve any and every problem that comes up.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
When we hear the term “personal branding,” we tend to think it’s all about you, the person building the brand, right? But, it’s so much more than that. Good personal branding has a balance between the brand (who you are and the strengths that you possess) and the audience (who you are servicing). And those two things are always evolving. In this episode, Brittany Krystle talks about the 2 paths to clarity and how you can begin branding yourself.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
It is 2021 and social media apps like clubhouse are leveling the playing field in terms of who you can have access to. Brittany Krystle, the personal branding and growth expert, has some great ideas about how you can use these tools to build relationships and attain success. In this episode, she shares some tips to create content and brand yourself and your business.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
What is your passion? Whether it’s music, or working with children, or organizing the chaos in other people’s lives, Jeremy and Angie’s advice would be to find your passion and live in it. Don’t be afraid to try new things and draw close to what inspires you. In this episode the duo shares more tips to help you live the life you want to live.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Jeremy Austin and Angie Villa are luxury travel content creators with over a million followers across their social media platforms. They get paid to travel all over the world and stay in the most luxurious hotels and resorts. They are influencers on social media and in real life. Jeremy and Angie truly believe in providing inspiration, love, and motivation to their peers, family, and friends. In this episode, they talk more about what they do and how their lives have affected and been affected by others.
Click here for the full episode!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
In this follow-up episode, Brant shares a powerful story about a time where he had to rely on emotion because he hadn’t yet defined his Black Sheep Values, explaining why these non-negotiables are so important.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
What does authentic change look like? According to Brant Menswar, it looks like Pittsburgh, the “City of Bridges.” Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is home to over 400 bridges that play a huge role in the city’s transportation system, connecting a series of valleys, hillsides, and river plains, and connecting city residents to each other. In the same way, authentic change looks to connect values, building bridges from what matters most to us to what matters most to others. In this episode, Brant explains this concept further in-depth. We also talk about the history of the term “winging it,” and the number one shared value amongst humans.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
Brian’s mantra “Press the damn button!” is a call to action for everyone who is doing great things in the world. Yes, social media can be overwhelming, but it can also be a tool to let your audience in and give them access to you, your story, and the amazing things you’re doing! Brian tells us to stop waiting for the right time. “Perfection is a fairytale and control is an illusion… the time is now!” In this follow-up episode, Brian shares the story behind this powerful concept.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
According to his website, Brian Fanzo is a digital futurist keynote speaker who translates the trends of tomorrow to inspire change today. He created his own luck by being active in school, sports, fraternities, and talking to people. He loves bringing people together to question and explore everything. And if you take anything away from this episode, it should be to remain curious about the world we live in.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
I’m sure you knew that prehistoric humans used rocks to carve and paint pictures on stone to communicate, right? Well, did you know that humans living today still use rocks (yes chalk is a sedimentary rock) to educate? I’m not ashamed to say, our education system could definitely use a tune-up. So in this episode, my guest Erik Brynjolfsson and I talk about experimentation in education and seeing how students learn the best. We also talk about nurturing our empathy, teamwork, and other human skills instead of pushing the monotonous intelligence that machines can do.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
Artificial intelligence (AI), simply put, is the simulation of intelligence in machines, and in the year 2021, AI is everywhere, from social media monitoring to self-driving cars. It is one of the most powerful tools we can use today. So how do you use it? In this episode, my guest Erik Brynjolfsson and I talk about AI’s role in this second machine age and our responsibility to use technology in the best way to benefit everyone.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Listen to the full episode here.
In this follow-up episode, I talk about how to get over the fear of failure, and it starts with your mindset. We’re so used to immediate feedback. We turn in an assignment, we get a grade. We turn on the tv and watch a show. But crafting something different takes time. That’s why patience is so important. Never underestimate who’s watching and listening.
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Link to full episode
We hear this all the time… “the fear of failure holds us back,” or “don’t be afraid to fail,” but it’s usually coming from people who can afford to fail, right? So instead I want to focus on how we can give people strategies for success. And what that comes down to is doing small things, taking small steps. Sometimes failure is a part of the process. So in this episode, I share three ways you can create a safe space to fail, to succeed!
To complement the summer series I’ve created a free guide for you to master how to develop the clarity and confidence to showcase your strengths, skills, and ideas in an online portfolio. You can download it here.
Link to full episode
This summer instead of new episodes I’m sharing highlights from previous guests. Their insights and ideas will challenge your thinking and help you explore new opportunities and overcome challenges you may be experiencing. You have the power to design your life, to pursue your passion and there is a world of people who will serve as mentors, advocates, and bridges to opportunities. But first, you have to put yourself out there and showcase your story, skills and strengths.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why language matters and the difference between designing change and managing change
- The difference between designing change in corporate vs education environments
- Why designing change extends beyond the IT department
- The importance of creating shared definitions within your organization
- The value of creating shared purpose and why humans want to be part of something bigger than themselves
In This Episode We Discuss:
- How Jen discovered her passion for social entrepreneurship and how she turned her passion into a thriving business model
- How Jen developed and nurtures her creative confidence
- The role of self-awareness in developing the clarity to define and set goals
- Three questions to develop and nurture your self-awarness
- The difference between entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial mindset
- The evolution of learning and how we can personalize our experiences
In This Episode We Discuss:
- How Nancy's personal experiences with sleep led her to found End No Sleep
- How her experiences as an entrepreneur led to a a realization of what was missing from her education experience
- How she hires high school interns and the questions she asks them
- Her experience fleeing war, being an immigrant to the United States and what she thinks about college and the American dream
- Advice to those who are considering a gap year and how to plan for it
- What she hopes to see evolve in the future of education
Today I'm delighted to welcome Dan Faill to the podcast for a conversation where he shares insights, with a unique mix of humor and vulnerability, that we all need to hear right now. Dan Faill is an accomplished storyteller and international speaker. Having worked for over a decade on college campuses, advocating for safe and positive student experiences, Dan now travels the country as a full-time speaker, coach and consultant, engaging audiences in hard but needed conversations. Dan shares personal stories that engage and inspire others to be their authentic selves and be brave enough to have the conversations that matter.
In This Episode
- How and why Dan took the leap and launched his side hustle into a full time business
- How to identify if you are throwing away conversations
- How to change the way you start sentences to design conversations that matter
- How the dynamic of a conversation changes when working with a facilitator to provide the group with a myriad of solutions
- How he facilitates conversations about social justice, race, equity and inclusion that allow us to think like scientists
- How vulnerability fosters a culture of trust and creativity
- Why "Google it" is bad advice and what to do instead
Connect with Dan
Dan's unique ability to design conversations that matter through vulnerability and humor eases the audience into taking the leap to having conversations that matter. You can learn more from Dan by visiting his website and following him across social media @danfaill.
In This Episode We Discuss:
- What we need to consider before we "start with why"
- How to identify your non-negotiable black sheep values, and why we don't always actually know what they are
- How a personal tragedy led Brant to discover the importance of understanding your core values and motivated him to help others become more self aware about what drive who we are and what we do.
- How to build bridges within your organization to reach the highest level of performance
- Gut check: are you winging it 😬 and the story behind the origin of that phrase
- How to show up as your authentic self in a cancel culture world
- The consequences on not creating healthy spaces where people can connect, collaborate and be heard
- The advice, strategies, and questions Brant shares with leaders to strengthen teams so that they can work better together
To Learn More
To learn more from Brant you can visit his website. Black Sheep is a book that I reference time and time again and you can find it here. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast. Tag me (@AskMsQ) and Brant () online and let us know what your favorite part was, what resonated and what questions you might have.
In today’s world the easy part is having access to all the information we need to address challenges, start new businesses or explore opportunities. The hard part however is how to make sense of that information, how to curate, organize and make sense of it so that we can use it to ultimately enhance our lives, our communities and our world.
In This Episode:
- How the design sprint process transitions Sabrina to move from designing for the client to designing with the client
- How she inspires teams to enhance their self-efficacy in their creative skills and abilities
- The conditions that need to be in place to implement a successful design sprint, from the team to the structures that are needed
- How Sabrina defines community and why she believes this is important in a rapidly changing world
- Advice about community building that Sabrina does not agree with
- The skills and mindsets Sabrina believes are important for young people to learn and how she is creating spaces to bring them together to enhance and develop them
Connect with Sabrina
Sabrina is one of the most dynamic people you will follow online. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious and every day she inspires me to be a better leader and community builder. You can follow Sabrina on LinkedIn. To join her Beyond Design Sprint community click here.
My favorite definition of leadership comes from David Notgrass. He says, "Transformational leaders are those who encourage creativity, recognize accomplishments, build trust and inspire a collective vision. They are role models for the beliefs and values they want to see others adopt and they believe that their audience is able to rise to the occasion."
Today I’m delighted to introduce you to the leader who comes to mind when I think of what it means to be transformational - Dr. Kevin Lohenry. From integrating digital technologies to advancing diversity and equity initiatives, Dr. Lohenry has been at the forefront of leading innovation in higher education. Dr. Lohenry currently serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs and Director for the Division of Physician Assistant Studies at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
In this episode we discuss:
- The history and evolution of the Physician Assistant profession
- The relationship between leadership and advocacy and how the PA Program at USC prepares students for taking on this role
- How to advance diversity and equity initiatives
- The role of digital technologies to keep higher education relevant
- The importance of leading with empathy and how that can lead to the development of strong teams
- Strategies and practices for being a transformational leader
- How to stay optimistic during uncertainty and navigate change
- What Dr. Lohenry is thinking about for the next five years
To connect with Kevin you can follow him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.
A few weeks ago I came across this article in my feed, "Revolutionizing the public school system: A Design sprint case study." I knew this was a person I wanted to interview and this week I'm delighted to have Daniel Andor on the podcast. Daniel is the founder and lead product designer at Durran. He helps startups go from idea to validation with real users in just a few days and design awesome digital products faster by running Design Sprint workshops.
In This Episode:
- The design sprint process and how it can be used to frame and solve problems
- How Daniel used the design sprint process to make a career transition during the pandemic and how you can use it as well
- The case study with an edtech company serving 650 schools and 100,000+ users
- The difference between trying to do a sprint in house vs bringing in a facilitator to design the experience
- How the problem framing process enriches the sprint experience and the gap Daniels team discovered during their research phase
- The benefits of engaging in a sprint when we are feeling overwhelmed by change, yet would like to make an impact
- The role of design sprints in education
To learn more visit askmsq.com
This week you'll hear from me as I share an interview I did with Jason Reagin on his podcast Design Cast.
In this episode I share:
- Why pursuing a doctoral degree was an empathy experiment
- The research study I did at Design39 Campus on how design thinking can be used to prepare learners with the knowledge, skills and mindsets to thrive in future workplaces and as global citizens
- How to break the silos in education and design teams that work well together
- The value of having an. online presence while being a student
- What I learned students really need from their professors
- Why cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy
To learn more about the research study visit askmsq.com
I first came across today's guest when I read, "I'm a high school sophomore. Here's how schools can teach kids to solve real world problems." I was intrigued and impressed and knew this was a conversation I wanted to share with all of you.
Luke Harris is a New York City high school sophomore at Horace MannSchool. He enjoys taking things apart and not quite getting them back together, building computers, and being a varsity wrestler. He works part-time for Avid games, helping with the design of their award-winning game Cards, the Universe and Everything. For the past year, he has been developing a design engineering curriculum for kids, created to teach real-world entrepreneurial and engineering skills.
- What Luke felt was missing from his high school engineering course
- What Luke designed to solve for the gap that he saw
- Why Luke believes the culture of collaboration and brainstorming is broken and what we can do to fix it
- The difference between creating for yourself and creating for others
- What students can learn from the engineering curriculum he designed
- Advice for education leaders and students as we think about reinventing education.
To learn more about Luke's curriculum you can visit his website and reach out to him for more details. He is truly an inspiration that we are all creative and we can all design solutions to the challenges we see around us.
Today's guest believes we can democratize more access and exposure to opportunities through the development of a personal brand. Regardless of where you are in your personal branding journey, today’s guest, entrepreneur, personal branding and growth expert Brittany Krystle joins us to share the endless possibilities to what we can create for ourselves through strategically positioning ourselves online so that we can create a more equal distribution where everyone has access to opportunities the world has to offer.
In This Episode We Discuss:
- Why the traditional narrative of the school to career pathway is broken and how Brittany went from being a lawyer to an entrepreneur
- The relationship and cycle between creation and clarity
- Strategies students can use to leverage LinkedIn as a portfolio to showcase your work and build a professional network
- The skills and mindsets that GenZ should enhance and develop during their academic career during the pandemic and beyond
- Why clarity is a journey and not a goal
- The relationship between social influence and trust
- How a personal brand can create more broadly shared prosperity
To learn more you can connect with Brittany across her social channels on Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Pinterest | and of course on Clubhouse: @brittanykrystle.
When I think of individuals who have leveraged technology to reinvent work, shape their destiny, create their own path, and empower others to do so as well, the first people who came to mind are entrepreneurs and luxury travel content creators Jeremy Austin and Angie Villa who founded, "The Visionary Media Group." They specialize in creating unrivaled photography, video production and social media campaigns for the World’s leading luxury hotels, resorts and exclusive villa rental properties. Their clients include Four Seasons, the Aman hotels, St Regis and many others.
They take us behind the scenes to discuss:
- Their transition from school to the real world
- Understanding your unique superpower and how to leverage it
- The value of showcasing your work online and creating a portfolio
- How to develop relationships with brands and the importance of overdelivering
- Why everyone should have a life resume
- The power of spirituality and manifesting your goals and dreams through a grounding vision
- How to learn new skills and how to stay relevant in a world that is rapidly changing
- Why they created, "The Creator Retreat" how you can attend and why this isn't just for travel creators
- The future of travel and why they are optimistic
Resources
- Learn more about The Visionary Media Group
- Discover their presets to take your photos to the next level
This past year we all experienced the rapid acceleration of change in just about every area of our lives. From remote work to the news, our intimate relationship with technology raised more questions than answers. Today I’m delighted to be joined by Erik Brynjolfsson as he helps us contextualize the changes we are experiencing and to explore in depth how might we shape our destiny, reinventing industries and creating new opportunities that bring everyone shared prosperity.
Erik Brynjolfsson is the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) He’ also the Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
In this episode we discuss:
- Erik's move from MIT to Stanford
- A comparison between productivity gains in the First Machine Age compared to the Second Machine Age
- Why he's a mindful optimist when thinking about the future relationship between humans and machines
- The skills humans need to focus in on to be successful in The Second Machine Age
- Why it's not enough to invest and why we must reinvent education
- His experience teaching during Covid and ideas education can adapt
- A research study that allows companies to assess what skills machines do well vs humans and how they can best prepare their employees
- Policies that governments should consider so that everyone can share in the prosperity of the opportunities today's world offers.
Resources
- Learn more about Erik's research here.
- Read, "The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies."
- Connect with Erik on Twitter here.
- Learn more about Dr. Quidwai's research study here.
With every social media platform now integrating stories I published a post about why leaders should leverage this medium to build deeper relationships their community. This week on the podcast I'm on the other side of the table, sharing an interview I did on this topic with Jennifer Watson, Social Media Manager at Agorapulse.
In this episode we discuss:
- The significance of the World Economic Forum highlighting "leadership and social influence" as a trending skill for 2022
- My research with design thinking and how it can be used to prepare us with the mindset and skillset to adapt and navigate change
- How leaders can build social influence to encourage creativity, recognize accomplishments, build trust and inspire a collective vision
- My experience hosting a podcast and the lessons I've learned
- The role social media will play with people and in marketing for 2021
Share your thoughts and questions with me on Instagram, and Twitter.
"The master has failed more times than the student has tried," thats the mantra today's guest abides by when leaning into new experiences to master his mindset. As you navigate the many changes 2020 has brought upon us, this week's guest, Steve Yu, CFO and Assistant Dean at the UCLA School of Law, shares stories and strategies about how to leverage a network and the role mentors can play in helping you design a life where you can identify and achieve your goals.
In This Episode We Discuss...
- Steve's experience growing up on a farm and how he balanced it with his education
- How to overcome fears and strategies he uses to master his mindset
- Leaders as mentors and why age should not be a factor
- The importance of surrounding yourself with people who can be advocates for you
- Steve's many side hustles and why he believes in a "yes and..." mentality
- Steve's journey through mindfulness and meditation practices
- The importance of self care during the pandemic
Connect With Steve
- To connect and learn more from Steve join him on LinkedIn
Connect With Sabba
- You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my websiteaskmsq.com.
"The master has failed more times than the student has tried," thats the mantra today's guest abides by when leaning into new experiences to master his mindset. As you navigate the many changes 2020 has brought upon us, this week's guest, Steve Yu, CFO and Assistant Dean at the UCLA School of Law, shares stories and strategies about how to leverage a network and the role mentors can play in helping you design a life where you can identify and achieve your goals.
In This Episode We Discuss...
- Steve's experience growing up on a farm and how he balanced it with his education
- How to overcome fears and strategies he uses to master his mindset
- Leaders as mentors and why age should not be a factor
- The importance of surrounding yourself with people who can be advocates for you
- Steve's many side hustles and why he believes in a "yes and..." mentality
- Steve's journey through mindfulness and meditation practices
- The importance of self care during the pandemic
Connect With Steve
- To connect and learn more from Steve join him on LinkedIn
Connect With Sabba
- You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my websiteaskmsq.com.
For the past decade Digital Futurist Brian Fanzo has been able to predict future trends with great accuracy. One of these trends is the importance of sharing your story or as Brian says, “Press the Damn Button.” And in 2018 we saw the World Economic Forum identify Leadership and Social Influence as a trending skill.
In this Episode we Discuss:
- What he means by digital empathy and how he used it to pivot during the pandemic
- Strategies to prepare for the ambiguity of tomorrow by preparing today
- Why our challenges are people problems that we need to solve with people
- Why stories and online content should include the process not just the end results
- Why he believes we should have a WE > ME mindset
- The relationship between taking care of ourselves and giving back to other
- The future of virtual events and why we should redefine how we use the word “interactive”
Connect with Brian
To learn more about Brian you can visit his website and I highly recommend you follow him across all platforms where he diversifies his content for Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIN and YouTube. You can learn more from Brian about how to enhance your virtual presentations here.
Connect with Sabba
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Too often we network by proximity. In this episode Brian Fanzo shares his mantra, "press the damn button" to network with others through the sharing of stories. This is transformational because most of us build our network over time through proximity — people from your business school, or through family and friends. Not only do online platforms expand our networking opportunities but they open up people from industries you may never come in contact with.
Brian is a digital futurist who translates the trends of tomorrow to inspire change today. He is currently the Founder of iSocialFanz, which has helped launch digital and influencer strategies with the world’s most iconic brands like Dell, EMC, Adobe, IBM, UFC, Applebee’s, and SAP. Brian believes that we all need to pick up our phones and embrace his mantra “press the damn button” in doing so we share our stories with the world, building trust, awareness and connection with our communities.
In this episode Brian shares:
- How to break the proximity barriers to networking by sharing your work online
- Why Brian believes so deeply in his mantra “Press the Damn Button” and how you can get started
- Why the non linear life no longer exists and how to design a life around your strengths and interests
- How taking initiative can open unique opportunities despite your “qualifications”
- Why Brian is CEO of Team No Niche and why he believes finding your passion is bad advice and what to do instead
To connect and learn from Brian you can visit his website and find him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
To connect with me Sabba, you can visit my website or join me on Twitter and Instagram.
“People don’t resist change, they resist loss.” This week I invited Bree Groff, Principal at SYPartners, to talk about how to manage grief and loss when it comes to organizational change. Bree is on a mission to help companies not simply endure change, but become skilled at—and find joy in—transformation.
For more than a decade, Bree has focused on transformation, innovation, and organizational design, advising leaders at companies including Calvin Klein, Adobe, Google, Etsy, Microsoft, and Hilton. Previously, Bree was CEO of NOBL Collective, a global organizational design and change consultancy.
In this episode we discuss:
Bree’s six step framework for helping people manage grief and loss
How to think about making career choices during times of change
Why it is important to acknowledge what no longer might exist
How to design change so that is inclusive
How we can design new futures for our organizations and ourselves
To learn more from Bree you can visit her website at https://br.ee.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter or visit my website askmsq.com.
"Find and be found" This should be the mantra for every secondary and post secondary student in today's world.
Each week on the show I ask our guests to share advice with new graduates who are entering a very different world of work. This week I curated the advice of past guests into one episode.
- Why the world of work is ripe for disruption and why you should be optimistic about the job market
- How to use LinkedIn to grow your network, share your work and connect with people you want to work with
- Why building your personal brand is a non-negotiable in 2020 and how you can use it to show the world what you can do with what you know
- How to use your time in school to share your work and build a robust network online
- How to use your challenges to fuel risk taking and try something new
- Why you should never be afraid to reach out to someone to ask a question or get advice when it comes to your career
- How to share and advance ideas within your organization
Private Facebook group for Students and New Graduates
Connect with Sabba in Instagram - @AskMsQ
Connect with Sabba on Twitter - @AskMsQ
Visit my website - www.askmsq.com
We all know that collaboration is often critical to success, as Simon Sinek says “alone is hard, together is better.” But how can we be better together? It doesn’t happen by just getting together around a table or these days a zoom call, it happens when we create a culture of radical alignment.
In this episode Bob and Alex share:
- Their 4-step conversation framework that builds trust amongst teams
- The research behind leading with empathy to have meaningful conversations that lead to action
- The importance of trust and psychological safety within an organization
- How to create a culture where diversity thrives and everyone's voices and ideas are valued.
- How to debate and share safely within organizations to generate new ideas
- The relationship between emotions and creativity
- Why we experience imposter syndrome and how to manage it
- Why children benefit from the conversation framework and how it can strengthen their social-emotional skills
You can learn more about their book and offers here. I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Bob Gower and Alex Jamieson, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Whether you are leading an organization or you are an individual struggling to find purpose a clear vision will help you design a strategy that leads to results. I invited Diana and Kandis from The Six to join us to talk about vision sprints, where they use design thinking to help organizations imagine what could be and then align their strategy with their vision.
- [3:26] What is a vision sprint and how it creates alignment within your organization
- [6:53] The challenges that arise when the vision is not clear and the discoveries you uncover when doing a vision sprint
- [12:46] How Covid-19 and the various inequities within our society make this a valuable time to be introspective in our personal and professional lives
- [19:00] The mindset of a designer and how it enhances your ability to frame uncomfortable conversations and lead and learn with empathy and courage
- [31:53] The challenge of making the time and space to have conversations about vision and culture and how taking the. time to pause can help strengthen your organization from within so it can withstand future challenges
- [33:50] Specific strategies, questions and resources to use when beginning the conversation as it can often feel overwhelming
- [38:53] Advice for new graduates and how to network in a virtual setting
We'd love to hear what questions you have and your comments on the conversation. I hope you found my conversation with Diana and Kandis from The Six to be valuable and that it inspires you to make the time and space to come together with your team.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit AskMsQ.com.
In Season 2 of Sprint to Success with Design Thinking we’re talking with leaders and researchers about how to bring teams together to redesign our workplaces, systems and societies. Our. guests will share how to use design thinking to have conversations that lead to action, starting with what we know are important foundations for change to thrive such as vision, culture, trust, psychological safety, advocacy, leadership and social influence and more.
Today’s guest has a career that has taken him from working with software to working with humans allowing him to be a leader who helps organizations stay relevant.
Douglas Ferguson is an entrepreneur and human-centered technologist with over 20 years of experience. He is president of Voltage Control, an Austin-based innovation workshop agency that specializes in in-person and virtual Design Sprints and Innovation Workshops. He is also the author of three books: Beyond the Prototype, How to Remix Anything (co-authored), and Start Within (co-authored).
In this episode Douglas shares:
- Why we are living through a huge experiment and the results that can come from this
- How teams can work better together to work at their highest abilities.
- The relationship between design thinking and design sprints.
- Why the design sprint is the first step and how you can move beyond the prototype
- How you can empower the edges and allow everyone to be creative within organizations
- What you didn't learn in school that you need to know to thrive in the world of work
You can connect with Douglas at VoltageControl.com.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century are not those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn?”
Covid-19 has catapulted us into the future and we need to think about how to future proof ourselves.
As we think about how we can adapt and thrive in times of change, workforce futurist Keith Keiting joins me this week to talk about how we can use design thinking to learn, unlearn and relearn.
To connect with Keith join him on LinkedIn.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Now that many of us are set up in our remote work environments… what comes next? As the world transitions to a new way of working Ross Chapman, head of Etch Sprints, a design consultancy within Etch Group, is curious about how might we use this crisis to work better together.
In this week’s episode Ross shares why the world of work is ripe for disruption and why the opportunity is now for you to make a difference. Ross has been preparing leaders and organizations in how to work remotely in a global and connected world pre pandemic.
You can connect with Ross on LinkedIn here. You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Now more than ever people are looking for ideas, solutions, guidance and examples. If you have an idea to share, a best practice that may not seem special to you because it’s just how you do things, know that for others it may be the greatest gift you can share.
We always talk about how finding the gaps can lead to opportunities for design. As Jay found himself facilitating workshops for a number of organizations he found a major gap in being able to truly innovate - a lack of trust amongst teams. In today’s episode Jay and I discuss:
- The current situation unfolding with COVID-19 and strategies for moving towards remote workshops and collaboration.
- How to establish trust amongst a team to foster a culture of collaboration where innovation thrives.
- How to design a culture that provides everyone with a voice and platform to share their thoughts and ideas.
- How to utilize the ICBD framework to help teams begin a project.
To learn more from Jay you can connect with him on LinkedIn, or visit his website at New Haircut.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter or visit my website askmsq.com.
"The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.” Steven Pressfield
This week I want to share stories and strategies for overcoming the fear of failure and how we can embrace change in our lives and in the workplace. A few months back I had the pleasure of being interviewed by my good friend Michael Hernandez. His podcast, Change the Narrative, is one of my absolute favorites! His unique and captivating style of telling stories is unlike any other.
In this episode I discuss:
- Why empathy is key to designing a culture of innovation
- What a collaborative sounding board is and why you need one
- Why and how you need to develop your sense of self efficacy
- Strategies for how to overcome a fear of failure
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Our lives are defined by the conversations we can or cannot have. Pause. Read that again - our lives are defined by the conversations we can or cannot have.
From the bedroom to the boardroom and in all the hallways in between we design conversations with others daily. Not only do we have conversations with others, there is an ongoing conversation happening all the time, perhaps the most important one of all, the conversation we have with ourselves. When I came across today’s guest, Daniel Stillman it occurred to me that despite not only having but leading conversations day in and day out no one had ever really taught me the art of how to design one.
If you are a leader, a significant other or anyone who has conversations then this episode is for you!
In this episode Daniel shares:
- How the conversations we have with ourselves and the voices inside our head determine the life we live
- The Conversation OS framework and how it can help you design better conversations
- Why products, teams and organizations are also conversations and why it is essential they be designed to help drive business outcomes
- The art of how we invite others into the conversations we have to create cultures of innovation
- A preview into his new book, “Good Talk: How to Design Conversations that Matter.”
Daniel designs conversations for a living, and insists that you actually do that too. As an independent design facilitator, he works with clients and organizations of all shapes and sizes (From Google to Visa, to name a few) to help them frame and sustain productive and collaborative conversations, deepen their facilitation skills, and coach them through the innovation process. His first book, The Paper Airplane Experiment and the 30 Second Elephant is about origami and teams and yes, it’s as strange as it sounds. Daniel hosts, “The Conversation Factory” podcast where he interviews leaders, changemakers and innovators on how they design the conversations in their work and lives. He’s here today to share how we can better design conversations and give us a preview inside his new book, “Good Talk: How to Design Conversations that Matter,” releasing April 2 with free chapters available for download here.
I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Daniel Stillman, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can visit Daniel’s website here to learn more and connect with him across his social channels.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
His mantra is don’t make a living, design a life. This isn’t coming from an individual who is reflecting back upon their life and sharing advice, this is coming from 22 year old Jordan Paris who is designing a life that most would envy and he is here today to share his story and strategies for how you can do so as well.
Jordan is an author, entrepreneur and podcaster who has been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, NASDAQ and many others. We talk about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset and Jordan lives this practice as a host of Growth Mindset University - ranking in the top ten in a number of competitive categories not just in the United States but worldwide. Some of his guests include James Altucher, Grant Cardone, Mark Manson, Naveen Jain and Dan Lok and later this year he is giving his first Ted Talk. Jordan also just released another book, “The Winning Game Plan to Build an Audience and Make Money as a Podcaster.”
This is an episode you will want to share far and wide because Jordan’s story could be the motivation and advice someone needs to begin step one in designing their life.
In this episode Jordan shares:
- His journey as an entrepreneur and why he believes college could be a waste of your time
- The opportunities young people have today and why he wrote, “The Podcast Playbook.”
- How he created a top ranking podcast with some of the most coveted guests as a college student?
- Why he wrote, “The Podcast Playbook: The Winning Game Plan to Build an Audience and Make Money as a Podcaster,” and why it can help you.
- The topic of his upcoming Ted Talk and why he hopes it is the start of a movement
I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Jordan Paris, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect visit Jordan’s website here, or connect with Jordan on LinkedIn and Instagram. You can purchase The Podcast Playbook: here and definitely subscribe to Growth Mindset University.
You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
When people think about design thinking, it’s often in reference to the creation of new products and services. However, when you begin to adopt design thinking practices in different areas of your life you begin to develop a design mindset. IDEO identifies 8 mindsets that are fundamental to building the mindset muscle so that you can enhance and develop your ability to think like a designer. Designers transform not just products and services, but organizations, the people and challenges around them and above all the life they live.
To examine just how powerful these mindsets can be in creating change it is with great enthusiasm that I introduce you to Julia McCoy. Julia is a serial content marketer, entrepreneur, and author. She founded a multi-million dollar content agency, Express Writers, with nothing more than $75 at 19 years old. Today, Julia has been named an industry thought leader in content marketing by Forbes, is the author of two bestselling books, and creator of The Content Hacker, a resource for growth-focused content marketers. Julia's latest and third book, a genre-defying nonfiction narrative memoir, Woman Rising, launches in February of 2020. Follow her on Twitter @JuliaEMcCoy.
In this episode Julia shares:
- How she escaped a cult and founded a multi million dollar content agency.
- How she leveraged the design thinking mindsets to overcome her barriers to success.
- Why she wrote her newest book, “Woman Rising” and what you can expect to learn when you read it.
- Why she helped her daughter launch a YouTube channel and how she is raising her daughter to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Julia McCoy, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect visit Julia’s website here, or connect with Julia on Twitter @JuliaEMcCoy. You can purchase Woman Rising on Amazon here.
You can connect with me, Sabba on Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
How will you navigate the GPS of your career? Whether you are about to enter the world of work or if you are already in it, you know it’s a road filled with digital disruptions acting as blind spots along the way. As Jim Marous shares in this episode, change is happening faster than ever before yet it will never happen this slowly again. It can be challenging in times like this to stay relevant and informed about what change means for your industry and for you as an individual. In this episode Jim shares why a personal brand is critical to your self education and why you should use it to show and tell the marketplace that you are the master of your domain.
In this episode Jim Marous, an internationally recognized financial industry strategist named one of the most influential people in banking and top 5 finch influencers to follow, reframes the purpose of why you should have a personal brand calling it the most important self education tool that is going to be critical to helping you thrive and stay relevant in the age of disruption. He’s the co-publisher of The Financial Brand, owner of the Digital Banking Report and host of the Banking Transformed podcast. As a sought after keynote speaker, author and recognized authority on disruption in the financial services industry, Marous has been a contributor to Forbes, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and many other news outlets. He’s with us here today to share his journey of disruption and why he believes building your personal brand is the key to life long learning and staying relevant in a rapidly changing world.
In this episode Jim shares:
- How you can take control of the GPS of your career
- Why building a personal brand is the best form of self education
- How you can show and tell the marketplace that you are the master of your domain
- Why building a personal brand is not always about building a business
- Advice on how to navigate your brand for those who want to get started and for those who are already established
- Why there is room for everyone to take a share of the opportunity pie
I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Jim Marous, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect visit Jim’s website here, or connect with Jim on Twitter @JimMarous, and on LinkedIn. You can also listen to his podcast Banking Transformed.
You can connect with me, Sabba on Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
What is happening?
Where is it happening?
Why is it happening?
These are the three questions Dr. Tomi Kauppinen believes everyone should be asking when making sense of the world around them. Today I’m talking with Tomi about how we can all become better storytellers through what he calls information visualization.
Tomi is a professor of information visualization and cognitive systems at Aalto University in Finland and holds a Phd in media technology. Tomi teachers at the intersection of design, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship at Aalto. He is the coordinator for Aalto Online Learning, a strategic development project at Aalto university. He’s the cohost of a podcast called Cloud Reachers and he’s regularly invited to deliver keynotes across the world
In this episode Tomi shares:
- Why Aalto University in Finland wanted to merge their universities into a multidisciplinary environment
- How we can move from competitive to collaborative cultures
- Solving the information literacy challenge
- Using stories to reframe challenges into opportunities
There’s a quote by Michael Margolis where he says, “The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. This truth applies both to individuals and institutions.” In a world where we are overwhelmed and often controlled by the data and information around us, Tomi shares the strategies and skills to be critical consumers and storytellers. I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Dr. Tomi Kauppinen, and as always we’d love if you tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect with Tomi on Twitter @LinkedScience, or on LinkedIn. Listen to his podcast Cloud Reachers. You can learn more about Aalto Online Learning here.
You can connect with me, Sabba on Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce you to Matthew Manos. He doesn’t just practice at the intersection of design, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, he teaches you how as well.
He is an award winning design strategist, founder and managing director of VeryNice, a design strategy firm that designs and facilitates workshops for creative problem solving.
He’s also the assistant dean and professor at Iovine and Young Academy, a school at the University of Southern California, that brings together design, business, and technology in order to create the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
Forbes calls him a crazy genius and HOW magazine recognized him as one of the top 100 most influential creatives working today and he’s also the author of, “Toward a Preemptive Social Enterprise.”
In this episode Matthew shares:
- How he launched a business at 16 years old
- The role of design strategy
- How you enhance and nurture a creative mindset
- The value of being a professor and practitioner
- The future of social entrepreneurship
- His plans for the future
There’s a quote by George Bernard Shaw where he says, “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?” Matthew isn’t afraid to dream and he’s created the tools and resources to help make your dreams come true as well. I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Matthew Manos, and as always tag us online and share your thoughts and takeaways.
You can connect with Matthew on Instagram @veryniceinstagram and you can find the resources he mentions at verynice.co and modelsofimpact.co
You can connect with me, Sabba on Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.
Are the skills we need to thrive in a rapidly changing world ones that we have had all along? Is it that we need to learn new skills or do we need to unlearn old ones? In this episode with Duncan Wardle, former VP of Creativity and Innovation at Disney and international speaker on design thinking, shares the four skills he believes you already have that a machine cannot replace - creativity, intuition, curiosity and imagination. We discuss what design thinking is and how it can help you enhance and strengthen these four key skills that you’ll need to thrive in this upcoming decade and beyond.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions about the episode, reach out to us or take a screenshot and tag us in a post online.
To connect with Duncan
Website: https://duncanwardle.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanwardle/
To connect with Me, Sabba
Website: https://www.askmsq.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askmsq
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai
To listen on Sabba's website: https://askmsq.com/blog-home/duncan-wardle-we-were-all-born-design-thinkers
Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. How do you create them, how do you sustain them and how do you help people develop the skills and mindsets to thrive within them. These are the questions people Ask MsQ and this is the place where she brings you stories and strategies from researchers and practitioners using design thinking to be more creative as they unlock opportunities and solve complex challenges giving us the answers to these questions.