Balanced Effectiveness @ Work: More Fulfillment, Less Stress
(Or - how to enjoy the fruits of your labor without driving yourself nuts!)
"If you're interested in living a more fulfilling life, Flip offers a wealth of information, strategies and techniques to do just that.”
Dr. Mark Albion, New York Times bestselling author Making a Life, Making a Living
Here's a message to welcome you . . .
What we're creating together
We all want work that has a purpose, that allows us to develop our awesome talents, and that enables us to work well with others. However, none of us have all the awareness, tools, or courage we need all the time. This community is carefully designed to provide a safe but challenging space for us to learn, practice, and grow as professionals, with the additional (sometimes hidden) benefit that we also grow as individuals. Plus, we have some fun along the way.
What this is . . .
An interactive community built on the Mighty Networks platform.
A safe space to develop your professional and personal potential.
A process of sharing best practices, collected wisdom, and ongoing experience.
A carefully designed methodology based on proven practices to help you experience results and transformation.
What it isn't . . .
It’s not a site that will collect and sell your data – ever!
It’s not a place where unmonitored rants and hurtful speech are allowed.
It’s not an opportunity to sell your services or be sold to by others (no sales pitches, pop-ups, or ads!).
It's not a place where structural or institutional power, status, or compensation levels have any relevance.
Is this you?
You want your work to be meaningful and fulfilling, AND sometimes it seems like your purpose or priorities are not as clear as you wish.
You want your professional efforts to "work well" AND to be both inclusive and effective.
You are looking to connect with like-minded (and like-hearted) people who care about utilizing their full potential AND they can be hard to find.
You increasingly realize that everyone needs to be engaged with positive energy to make a commitment towards societal transformation AND it feels overwhelming at times.
You want your professional and personal growth to be a "practice," not a series of one-off webinars, occasional workshops, or a "maybe someday" wish list AND you're ready to make a commitment to greater success and satisfaction.
You want a greater sense of ease and a more consistent experience of living from your "center" AND you want a clear plan and proven resources to achieve this.
“In building this platform, Flip has created a community at the nexus of personal, professional, and business growth, and at a moment when we need it the most. The platform provides a meeting place for authentic connection, peer learning in a supportive, non-judgmental environment, and direct access to a recognized expert on organizational culture. This community has helped me bring my best possible self to work, whatever the world brings.”
Roxanne Vought, Executive Director Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
My Values and Beliefs
We all have a basic human goodness at our core (but we forget this . . .).
Like a seed I hold in my hand before I plant it in my garden, we all have a pattern of potential within us.
I believe this platform and this community can support and challenge you to have a more wholistic experience.
I believe business can (and in fact, should) be a force for good in the world.
It is in the conversations we have (or don't have) that provide the paths to greater compassion, empathy, and effectiveness.
Business culture often has invisible elements, and our challenge is to observe, change, and sustain patterns of communication, interactions, and behavior.
Our planet is in peril, and we each need to make increased effort to address our own contributions as we're able.
Institutional and structural white supremacy is real, and I have benefited from it in ways that aren't always apparent to me.
Thus I am committed to a continuous learning process on how to be what I call an "imperfect ally," as I increase my awareness and support of the A.B.I.D.E. acronym - making sure everyone has Access, feels a sense of Belonging, works in Inclusive cultures that honor Diversity and strive towards Equity for all.
"Limitless, undying love - which shines around me like a million suns - it calls me on and on across the Universe." John Lennon
An Integrated Model
How This Process Works
We have an invaluable opportunity for integration between our personal growth, professional development, and greater fulfillment at work.
There are patterns from our origins, our habits, and the culture that do not serve us well.
Bringing the complex intersection of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors into greater awareness creates “choice points” for change.
Using this awareness – without negative self-judgment – forms the core of a “practice.”
Being committed to this continuous practice of learning and growth is not always easy or clear, however the alternative is to stay stuck in negativity or to give up on our potential.
Doing this work in a community of like-minded and like-hearted provides safety, support, and success.
We look for joy and fun along the way!
The process continues and unfolds until we leave this material world (if we're committed to growth and change!).
This page is an overview of the Balanced Effectiveness @ Work community; however I’ve created a “deep dive” document that goes into much greater detail.
“Flip Brown worked with our Social Mission team during a moment when we were growing globally and looking to find someone who could guide us through a process that helped us to build our team identity, continuity, and ways of working. Flip’s thoughtful, inclusive process brought our team to a new level of clarity, direction and sense of purpose. “
Rob Michalak, Former Director of Social Impact, Ben & Jerry’s, So. Burlington, VT
Why join us?
You want to:
Be part of an intentional community comprised of individuals from different businesses, industries, locations, and interests.
Meet people who are striving to make an ethical living, make a difference in their communities, and somehow find time for themselves.
Take on some new initiatives, be both supported and challenged by the community, and create your own path forward.
Swap stories, experiences, and ideas (not necessarily advice) around our shared mission and experience, and gain access to exclusive content and conversations that are dynamically changing every day.
Work in a way that will increase your professional and personal development over the course of a year. with many customized options.
Connect with cool colleagues through a most interesting mix of facts, forums, and fun.
Connect with this group of people who believe that business should play a major role in advancing greater justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion for all; working towards climate change reversal and a durable and prosperous economy for all.
Look back to the start of your commitment to this endeavor and marvel at the results and transformation that YOU have achieved.
“I view the process of nurturing our culture at B Lab as a journey with a series of plateaus - there’s always that higher and better place to be. Flip Brown came in to our organization, made positive connections with everyone he worked with, and provided valuable guide service for us on our path to get higher up the mountain."
Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder. B Lab, Berwyn, PA
What Results Can I Expect?
By participating over the course of a year, you will:
A stronger, clearer sense of your core self
An experience of a deeper connection to your purpose
The ability to understand how your patterns serve you or constrain you
Acquisition and practice of reasonable skills and confidence to turn most normal business conflicts into opportunities for greater understanding
Moving through most workdays with all the incoming messages, never-ending “to do” lists, and unexpected interruptions with more ease
A greater understanding of how teams can balance being inclusive and effective
Ways to initiate discussions about practical tools to have more efficient meetings
Additional skills to serve as facilitator of clearer expectations and assumption, defined decision-making models, and the practice of shared accountability
Becoming a student of organizational culture, and enhancing your ability to see the explicit and hidden dynamics of working together
Going beyond an intellectual understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion into a practice of taking empathic action whenever the opportunity arose
Examining your service contributions to your various communities as part of your professional and personal growth
Approaching climate change activism from a sense of personal responsibility and not out of fear or guilt
Finding opportunities to implement and integrate this increased awareness and practiced competencies to provide humble leadership from whatever your position is in business
A sense that all these elements together were grounded in, and reflective of a profound connection to soul and spirit, however you define those concepts
"This community is a place to reconnect with ourselves and with others who want to co-create a better world. With his daily prompts and gentle nudging, Flip offers wisdom, humor, and guidance that we won't find elsewhere. Whether we come from small business, a large company, or a solo practice Flip coaxes the golden nugget out of our hectic dyad reminds us what is important."
Amy Hall, Vice-President of Social Responsibility, EILEEN FISHER and Founder and President of Impactorum
Logistics
Choose either the “Unlock Your Potential” or “Accelerate Your Potential” plan and complete the transaction
I’ll schedule a time for a half-hour in person interview so that we can be clear about the process and schedule
The Essential Elements courses will not be held on Mondays and Fridays. Once we get a cohort together we’ll work to find times that work for everyone. Two popular slots are 11:00am Eastern/8:00am Pacific, and 7:00pm Eastern/4:00pm Pacific on Tuesdays OR Wednesdays OR Thursdays to give some options for members in North America to take the courses outside their normal workday if they choose.
You can find a list of the Essential Elements courses and the future Special Topic courses in the "Deep Dive" document.
The courses will begin the week of April 18th and will continue – once a week for twelve weeks. Given that there are two U.S. holidays in the sequential series based on this start date (Memorial Day and 4th of July) we’ll see if it makes sense to find another time or skip a week.
Once the course has been presented, you’ll have access to both the recording of the interactive session and the slides. I understand that you may not be able to attend in-person to every course session, however it is hoped that the ability to interact with your colleagues will be compelling.
One of the main features that differentiates this program is a weekly “Implementation Station” hour, where I ask the cohort in a non-judgmental atmosphere “How you have been using the material from the previous course. Did you find ways to apply it? Was there a time that you got stuck? Do you feel like you’re gaining awareness and skill? Thus this is not just “head knowledge” but an ongoing practice.
It's all mobile friendly, and you can control when you participate, what notifications you get and what features you choose to interact with.
After the three months of the Essential Elements courses, we will shift our focus towards integrating the twelve elements as your challenges and successes unfold.
The optional courses will be provided – depending on interest – at no additional charge during the second three months.
While you can leave the program at any time, you’ll need to have a conversation with yourself in terms of an honest assessment of your progress, and of course I’m happy to engage in that conversation as well.
Should you complete six months in the community, I will give you a Certificate of Completion from Business Culture Consultants, a LinkedIn endorsement, and a customized letter of recommendation (if you wish).
I have been deeply honored to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees team in Guatemala. They produced this video about the work we did together.
About Me
I am indeed fortunate to be able to be a service provider and guide based on an exciting, eclectic and electric journey through life (so far . . . ). I'm fascinated by what happens when good people come together to achieve great results while they are balancing purpose and passion, respect and resiliency.
From a professional perspective I draw from my five careers (woodworker, ski business executive, psychologist, nonprofit executive business culture and behavioral change coach). I incorporate my deep involvement in music, my love of growing organic veggies, lots of time in nature, and a spiritual practice into my work.
For over twenty years I've been the Founder and Owner of Business Culture Consultants, serving as a catalyst for organizations and individuals to unlock their individual and organizational potential. I also believe that all this serious stuff should be accompanied by significant amounts of fun. Therefore play in its many forms is integral to my sense of balance. I'm delighted to live in Burlington, Vermont (on the unceded lands of the Abenaki Nation) with my wonderful wife who supports me in such an awesome way.
I love my job.
