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The Data Binge REFRESH | Happy New Year 2021! | Contribution $$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
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The Technology, The People, and The Ideas
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🎆 Happy New Year! 🎆 Welcome to this special ✨New Year - 2021✨, REFRESH monthly update, where I’m sharing provocative ideas from discussions focused on the human relationship with technology. In honor of the *unofficial* first day of the year, Monday, January 4th, 2021 - I am hoping this note finds you well, healthy, and strong! Wishing you and your family the very best of everything this year! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My “End of Year” FavoritesHere are some things that I have really enjoyed over the past month, that both ignited thoughtful reflection and also brought me 🔥 ENERGY. Contribution: We always say we want to make more contributions to causes we care about - it’s easier said than done. Small steps help, like 1) figuring out what really matters to you, from your proximity to life experiences, and 2) taking that initial action and “reaching out” to people that can help you realistically touch those causes. A conversation with the featured Joe Forline of “Make-A-Wish”, inspired me to reach out to the operations department of “The Last Mile”. I want to help improve the opportunities and lives of the justice impacted and their families. This was the 1st small step amongst many, and I can already feel the difference this has made in my heart. It doesn’t have to be money, it can be your time, it can be your spirit, your energy - what causes, topics, or people do you feel need your attention this year?
Reflection: Every new year brings with it a wealth of opportunity, and a clean slate to begin building a new life on, but you can’t peak if you don’t assess where you are at, you can’t improve unless you diagnose your past performance. What did you achieve in 2020? What did you do well, what didn’t you do so well? What was your thematic focus area for growth? Goal Management: Explicitly writing down my goals, across (4) distinct buckets, in 6-12 month increments, has been one of the most important activities for me in 2020 (👇🏾more below!👇🏾) Money: One of the most taboo topics to talk about with each other, seems to be about money - but it’s one of the most important subjects we can share with each other, how else are we to learn to be better financial stewards of our money?
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This method of goal management has been extremely effective for me - since beginning this exercise, I have met or exceeded more than 60% of my goals across buckets, and >75% across my personal and career buckets. You do have to remember to BE BOLD. I revisit the above document in my journal weekly, and make changes quarterly at a minimum.
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Recent EpisodesThe last 60 days or so, have yielded some very philosophically provoking conversations with guests across a gambit of ideas around leadership and organizational culture. More than anything else, this idea of making meaningful contributions to others, based on our own particular life experiences, was something that stuck with me across all of these conversations. With the arrival of the New Year, I hope you find the same value in these discussions as I did - there is so much to take away from designing the impact you can make on people and communities, based on who you are as a human, and the intersection of the fulfillment and personal impact you can make in the lives of others.
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#57. Joe Forline | A
Culture of Creating Hope, Strength, and Joy | The Feedback Loop of Gratitude
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What I learnedThis was a very special episode for me. When starting the Data Binge Podcast, one of the hopes I had for the series was to meet and make new relationships with people that would help me grow, and bring more meaning to my life, so that I could then share with others - Joe is a prime example of these hopes coming to fruition. Joe Forline is a Sr. Manager of Chapter Advancement at Make-A-Wish America. If you are unfamiliar, Make-A-Wish creates life changing experiences for children with critical illnesses. Founded in 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted over 330,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses in the US, and 15,800 wishes in 2019 alone. The entire context of the conversation hovered around serving others - the energy that serving others creates, the gratitude that is generated across this ecosystem of serving and doing things for others, and of course, the culture that can emerge as organizations center their people and their mission around service. Joe also shared a personal story about why he chose his current line of work, an anecdote that we all need to hear - it’s important to reconsider, recharge, regroup, and reconstruct your life based upon what drives you. This is hard. I learned that we all have personal stories we need to listen to, and accept, because they can help us navigate into that next level of impact we could each be seeking. [12:27] “I joined Make-A-Wish for a number of reasons but ultimately, I was brought up that giving back to others and serving others was just something you did.”
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What is your understanding of your purpose of life? Is this something that you have pondered? What would some time thinking through and exploring this, bring you and your family? What would it bring to others?
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Highlights✴️ The constant reminders of mission and gratitude within the Make-A-Wish culture, why those are important, and what teams and organizations can do to orient across these elements. ✴️ The power of a wish: what is a wish, and how it impacts the lives of children, families, and the people involved in it’s creation. ✴️ How you can find causes and organizations to support that resonate with you and your specific experiences. Connect with Joe Forline Learn more
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Simply Tech LIVE is a live video production co-hosted by Ali Mazaheri and I, featuring discussions with technologists, business practitioners, and academics about the evolving landscape of tech in the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond.
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The New Culture of Work | Bridging the Digital Divide
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What I learnedGina is the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft US, and brings with her over 30 years of experience in technology. Gina spends her time connecting business leaders to unique perspectives that inspire them to drive the future of their business and accelerate and deliver digital transformational journeys built on deep customer knowledge and industry expertise. Gina is laser focused on building culture and technology that demonstrate empathic foundations of diversity and inclusion, and while it is clear that there is a digital divide emerging across people and organizations on a global scale, Gina’s leadership centers much around closing this gap at scale with the breadth of Microsoft’s Chief Digital Officer organization. —————— What I took most out of this conversation, was Gina’s focus on people and their stories, and what we can all do with our own individual experiences, and the powerful impact we can have with our voice across communities that we care most about. Gina is no stranger to adversity, and her presence as a black female leader is not only inspiring, but incredibly energizing - I could “feel” Gina’s strength not only in her voice, but also in the representation of what she stands behind and in her purpose. [17:10] “People don’t get a vote on your dreams, so they don’t get to take it away.”
Lastly, Gina made a comment about her voice and the scale of her reach in the present moment, and how it has elevated over time - how often do we consider the power of our voice and our reach? How can we each individually utilize our own platforms to scale a message that inspires or strengthens others? —————— I left the conversation with Gina, with more courage than when I came into it - I hope her voice does the same for you.
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Highlights✴️ The mission of the CDO organization at Microsoft, how the organization approaches the transformation of customers and partners, and the core priorities of focus for Gina, as the US CTO of Microsoft. ✴️ Personal stories of adversity in career, overcoming challenging experiences, embracing leadership, and contributions to new communities in tech and STEM. ✴️ The new culture of work, how organizations can develop tech intensity, and innovation for good. Connect with Gina Loften Learn More
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🎇 Stay tuned for a new year of collaboration and thoughtful discussions across a diverse group of thought leaders and contributors! I can’t wait to continue sharing with you! 🎇
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