Send us a Text Message. In this episode, learn how values shape emotions, decisions, and relationships, providing a roadmap for reduced stress, boosted confidence, and thriving connections. Bob Bertsch introduces practical exercises, guiding you through reflections and rapid assessments to uncover and understand your core values. Links Values Works…

Send us a Text Message. Sharing your work, even before it is done, is a great practice for dealing with imposter syndrome. It can help you realize no one is perfect and can make your work better, make you visible to others, and lead you to a community of support and growth. In this practicast, Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about the benef…

Send us a Text Message. The more you understand about yourself, the better you’ll be able to align your life with the things that are really meaningful to you. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf shares how to do less of what drains you by using energy and engagement tracking.By OneOp

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, co-hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf talk with Lisa Sapp and James Yracheta about a collaboration between Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Great Falls (MT) School District to provide military-connected kids access to the Transitional Kindergarten program. In addition to providing early childhood educa…

Send us a Text Message. Many of us tend to take a linear approach to program development. We develop a program, implement it fully, then evaluate it to see if it worked. However, making small adjustments, aka iteration, is an important part on innovations. Bob Bertsch shares a practice to help us build our capacity for iteration by helping each of …

Send us a Text Message. Research has shown we have a negative bias against creative ideas because we are uncomfortable with uncertainty. Implementing new ideas means change and change brings uncertainty, so we dismiss new ideas before that uncertainty arises. Bob Bertsch shares a practice that can help us deal with that uncertainty by seeing that a…

Send us a Text Message. Getting to a shared purpose as a group often requires digging a little deeper than usual. Jessica Beckendorf talks about the chaordic stepping stones, a helpful tool for going below the surface with a group, and shares four questions that can help groups work toward a clear statement of purpose together. Links "You don't hav…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch delve into the heart of community recovery with their enlightening discussion on the "Come Back Better" approach. Discover how you and your community can navigate the challenges of our rapidly changing world by harnessing the strengths and assets within your community…

Send us a Text Message. Separately, mindfulness practice and character strengths practice have been shown to improve well-being. Recent research has shown that combining these two practices may have even greater benefits. In this episode, we continue our conversation about character strengths, a strengths-based approach to identifying the positive …

Send us a Text Message. Much of the conversation around character strengths focuses on their positive aspects, but there are some contexts in which character strengths can lead to negative outcomes. It’s all in how we use them. In this episode, we continue our conversation about character strengths, a strengths-based approach to identifying the pos…

Send us a Text Message. Character strengths are your unique pathways to those positive goals people pursue in life. They can help us amplify positive things in our lives, like self-acceptance, autonomy, goal progress, and more. In this episode, we continue our conversation about character strengths, a strengths-based approach to identifying the pos…

Send us a Text Message. Finding your character strengths can help improve your life and emotional well-being, as well as meet the challenges and difficulties you are facing. Some frameworks and assessments for identifying our strengths focus on workplace performance, but Character Strengths can be applied to any situation, leading to positive emoti…

Send us a Text Message. Amy Rodick, Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness and Policy in the Department of Defense, joins the podcast to talk about the informal and formal network that help military families thrive. As an Army veteran and military spouse, Amy brings a unique perspective, sharing real-world strategies for service provid…

Send us a Text Message. This is the third is a series of three practicasts centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of "The Art of Holding Space." Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers. In this episode, Bob Bertsch shares a practice for letting go of something in order to let …

Send us a Text Message. Check out the show notes. This is the second in a series of three practicasts centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of "The Art of Holding Space." Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers. In this episode, Kristen Jowers shares two practices to help us …

Send us a Text Message. This is the first is a series of three practicasts centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of "The Art of Holding Space." Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf shares two practices for building curiosity, which is n…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about watching for opportunities to think big - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience identified in the “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery" is a coll…

Send us a Text Message. We are offered gifts from others every day. The hard part is often noticing them and recognizing them as gifts. Once we do, it has the potential to unlock amazing possibilities in our communication and collaborative relationships. In this practicast, special guest Shannon Hughes of Enlivened Studios talks with Jessica about …

Send us a Text Message. We live in a world where competition is everywhere. But what if we broke the mold and instead focused on making each other look good - de-centering ourselves and centering others? In this practicast, special guest Shannon Hughes of Enlivened Studios talks with Jessica about how the applied improvisation practice of "Making Y…

Send us a Text Message. Saying “yeah, but” is a habit that has become second nature to many of us. Yet we know that validating and building on ideas and offers from others is an effective way to build high-trust relationships and teams. In this practicast, special guest Shannon Hughes of Enlivened Studios talks with Jessica about how the applied im…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about share the work (and love) - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience identified in the “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery" is a collection of reso…

Send us a Text Message. Discover the transformative power of feedback. Hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf explore the nuances of giving and receiving feedback, emphasizing its role in personal and professional growth. Jessica shares a practical readiness checklist, offering valuable insights for enhancing feedback practices.…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch explore the profound impact of emotion regulation on health, well-being, and relationships. They delve into the importance of regulating emotions and the misconceptions surrounding it. Bob guides listeners through a mindfulness meditation designed to cultivate equanimity, p…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, learn how values shape emotions, decisions, and relationships, providing a roadmap for reduced stress, boosted confidence, and thriving connections. Bob Bertsch introduces practical exercises, guiding you through reflections and rapid assessments to uncover and understand your core values.…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, we share the practice of empathetic listening—a game-changer in building emotionally supportive environments. Discover why empathetic listening goes beyond the basics of active listening and how it can transform your interactions. Jessica Beckendorf guides you through a step-by-step practice, providing insig…

Send us a Text Message. A conversation about building an ecosystem of support and addressing issues upstream with Nicola Winkel, Project Director at the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, a nationally recognized public/private partnership focused on building Arizona’s capacity to care for and support all service members,…

Send us a Text Message. Setting goals that focus on what we can learn from each other not only builds our own personal and collective knowledge, but can build community and leave space for collaboration. In this Practicing Connection practicast, Bob Bertsch shares a practice to help us take control of our learning and begin to build a knowledge net…

Send us a Text Message. Community engagement, co-creation and collaboration depend on meaningful conversations. Asking the right question is the most effective way of expanding a conversation, keeping it engaging and making it meaningful. In this Practicing Connection practicast, Jessica Beckendorf shares a practice to help us engage people in the …

Send us a Text Message. When people feel that they are being listened to empathetically, attentively, and without judgment, they enter a safe state that enables them to delve deeper into their consciousness and discover new insights about themselves – even those that may challenge previously held beliefs and perceptions. In this practicast, Jessica…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 5, Episode 1), co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about investing time in leisure, in learning, and in yourself - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience identified in the “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Ass…

Send us a Text Message. Sharing your work, even before it is done, can make your work better, make you visible to others, and lead you to a community of support and growth. In this practicast, Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about the benefits of sharing your work with others and share a practice for getting started.…

Send us a Text Message. We know that relationships are important, but with so much focus on tasks we rarely take time to work on relationships in meetings. IN this episode, Jessica Beckendorf talks about why relationships are so important to collaboration and guides us through some activities we can use in meetings to help build those relationships…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about why generosity is important in collaboration and share a practice for reflecting on your own generosity.By OneOp

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, four of our guests from this year return to share their year-end reflections on seeking balance. Central to connection and communication and collaboration with others is knowing yourself, learning and growing. Regular reflection practice can help with that. Featured guests: Randy Lioz, Founder of DOC: Depola…

Send us a Text Message. The more you understand about yourself, the better you’ll be able to align your life with the things that are really meaningful to you. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf shares her experience with energy and engagement tracking.By OneOp

Send us a Text Message. When it comes to reducing the effects of stress on our bodies, a growing amount of research supports meditation as a practice that pays off in a big way. In this practicast, Practicing Connection co-host, Bob Bertsch, guides us through a grounding chair meditation, a practice that can help reduce stress levels in the moment,…

Send us a Text Message. In this practicast, Practicing Connection co-host, Bob Bertsch, guides us through how to use the question, "What Lights You Up?" to begin to find a sense of purpose, an important factor in individual resilience.By OneOp

Send us a Text Message. In this practicast, Practicing Connection co-host, Jessica Beckendorf, guides us through how to use the Feeling Wheel, a free, printable resource, to help us identify what we are feeling. Knowing and naming your feelings can be really helpful for allowing yourself to feel it, reflecting to pinpoint the cause, knowing what ac…

Send us a Text Message. A conversation about burnout and resilience with guests Dr. Charles (Chip) Benight and Nicole Weis from the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Their research on human resilience paves the way for therapies that address the needs of trauma survivors, including service p…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 4, Episode 9), co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about how to applying technology to community and community to technology - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience that we identified in their “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connect…

Send us a Text Message. A conversation with Monica Bassett, founder and CEO of Stronghold Food Pantry, a resource for military families on Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Monica talks about how she started a food pantry on Fort Riley, KS and how she launched Stronghold, highlighting the role military spouses, like Monica, can play in supporting militar…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 4, Episode 7), co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about how to adapt, flex and be resilient - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience that we identified in their “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Asset-based C…

Send us a Text Message. The Food Security Hawaii Working Group is an amazing cross-sector collaboration to address food security issues military families are facing, In this episode, we talk with Arletta Eldridge Thompson, Health Promotion Coordinator for the 15th Medical Group for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam; Lorna Souza with the Hawaii Air Nat…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 4, Episode 5), co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk about making intentional and deeper connections - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience that we identified in their “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Asset-b…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 4, Episode 4), we welcome guest Randy Lioz to talk about the challenges polarization poses to collaborative efforts and how to engage in some depolarizing practices to improve our relationships and collaborations. Randy is the founder of D.O.C. (Depolarizing Organizational Cultures), a workshop facili…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode (Season 4, Episode 3), co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk grounding yourself in your strengths and values - one of the eight ways of cultivating community resilience that we identified in their “Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery” project. "Connecting Communities in Asset-b…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk with Cathy Marcello about the challenges faced by military families with LGBTQ+ youth and all of us can do to support those families. Cathy leads the MilPride program for the Modern Military Association of America, the nation's largest LGBTQ+ military and vete…

Send us a Text Message. Jessica Beckendorf shares highlights from her conversation with Dr. Ron Avi Astor. Dr. Astor holds the Marjorie Crump Chair Professorship in Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with a joint appointment in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Since the 1980s, Dr. Astor and his …

Send us a Text Message. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Listen About this episode This is a replay of an episode released on October 3, 2020. In this episode, hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch… Continue Reading Replay of Working Out Loud (S.1, Ep.4)By OneOp

Send us a Text Message. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Join us in the “Practicing Connection” community. When you sign up you’ll receive a monthly email focused on practicing connection. The email will help us… Continue Reading Coming to Reflection “On Slant” (S.3, Ep.9)…