A Holiday Wish from Barnes & Conti

B. Kim Barnes, Barnes & Conti CEO

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the room

We were thinking and working and talking on Zoom.

We put down our wishes for year twenty-three

And they came down to this on our virtual tree:

We hope for our clients, our friends and their teams

A year full of promise, fulfilling their dreams.

As mistletoe dangled and sugarplums swirled

We have sent you our hopes for peace in the world.

For health and for happiness, project success;

That you celebrate more, that your hassles are less.

That we meet face-to-face, not only remote,

And that everyone’s business stays nicely afloat.

So for each of you out there, we wish you the best,

That you drink enough water and get enough rest,

That your thinking’s strategic, your words influential,

Your risk-taking brave with creative potential.

And so we will say from all of us here,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good year!

Pandemic Pivots

Lauren Kline Powers, SVP, Business Development

While the pandemic has certainly challenged us as we managed our way through it these past few years, we have been enriched by collaboration with our clients and the innovative approaches we created together. I am sure many of us in Learning and Development agree that the pandemic era has been truly transformative in the learning space. Together with customers and partners, we made some significant changes in the way we approach our work. Here are a few that might be of interest as you consider your priorities for 2023.

• All of our offerings are available in-person, as a live virtual workshop series, or as a blended program. In our virtual programs, we have worked hard to preserve the level of interaction our clients have aways appreciated in our face-to-face programs. We designed them to be highly engaging, including extensive use of breakouts to provide for experiential learning and small group discussions.
• We create “learning journeys” as opposed to single, point-in-time events. The journey begins with prework including surveys, optional micro-learning modules, and identification of business challenges. It continues with live workshop sessions, fieldwork application, learning partner commitments, and post-workshop reinforcement tools, including resources for more in-depth learning and digital apps.
• By having remote classroom programs available, we are able to do more and more work with global teams from across the world. This will continue; our clients have appreciated the global networking and shared learning opportunities that these virtual programs provide.
• Our global network of coaches and facilitators has grown and been extended to deliver both facilitated programs and coaching services in English as well as local languages. We are now working with many highly qualified and certified coaches around the world supporting the coaching phase of emerging leader and other cohort programs implemented in APAC, EMEA and the Americas. While we have always provided global facilitation, we have now extended our network to include coaches. They are successfully supporting the individual learning journeys of tomorrow’s leaders!
• Our content is often customized and embedded in programs for emerging leaders, high-potentials, and other cohort programs. While we still participate in corporate university offerings, we are now often being asked to customize our content to fit within a larger and more strategic learning design for specific cohorts. It is delightful to work with groups that are so energized and engaged and to collaborate closely with internal consultants and designers who have such vision!
• We are doing more and more custom work with intact teams to help them address specific business challenges. We have initiated successful design clinics following workshops to help small groups apply the tools and practices they have learned to pressing and important organizational issues. We also offer follow-up 1:1 coaching to help leaders prepare for successful opportunities or important events.

Updated Catalog

Please look at our latest catalog of offerings and let us know what needs we might be able to help you with as you look to 2023 and beyond. We would love to be working with you!

Please download the catalog here and feel free to contact Lauren Powers (lpowers@barnesconti.com)/215-850-2882 to discuss your needs and how we might partner to design a custom solution for your organization.

Leading the Way to a Harmonious and Enjoyable Season (excerpt)

Eric Beckman, Barnes & Conti Global Director, and co-developer of Conflict: From Prevention to Resolution

The holiday season, with its themes of light, hope, peace on earth, and goodwill is meant to bring out the best in people. Unfortunately, the holidays also present many opportunities for stress, anxiety, and high expectations. It is during these times we can exercise leadership to help bring out the best in ourselves and others in moving from conflict to harmony.

Sometimes, conflicting expectations color our social, cultural, and family gatherings. Not everyone perceives them in the same way, which can lead to disappointment, frustration, and anger. How we prepare and respond to situations can either smooth or inflame them.

We might choose to do nothing in the face of conflict, but even that comes with its own risks and cost. If you suspect problems or issues are likely to surface, ask yourself what it might cost to ignore them. We are not only responsible for what we choose to do, but also that which we choose not to do.

Before you gather with others for holiday get-togethers, see if you can answer the question: “What do I really want to happen?”...

Read the rest of the article on our blog

(Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in a somewhat different form in our 2009 Holiday Newsletter. We thought that many of our readers might be traveling to see family for the first time since 2020, and that Eric’s revised thoughts would be welcome and appropriate.)

Announcing Public Programs for 2023!

Exercising Influence: Description and Schedule

In this two-session virtual program, participants will learn and then go beyond the basics to dive deeper into the influence behavior model. They will have more opportunities for skill-practice and feedback. They will plan and practice for a real and significant upcoming influencing opportunity.

• March 7 & 14, 2023
• May 18 & 25, 2023
• August 3 & 10, 2023
• November 1 & 8, 2023

Cost: $950

Register online

All sessions begin at 8:30 am and run until 12:00 noon, Pacific Time

Our 22nd Annual Virtual Feast

Barnes & Conti continues our tradition of sharing some favorite recipes with you.

• Holiday Breakfast: Potato, Bacon, and Corn Pizza
  Lauren Powers, Barnes & Conti SVP of Business Development shared this unusual but festive recipe for a special breakfast.
• Appetizer: Turkey Eggrolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce (see below)
• Salad: Wilted Greens with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
  Eric Beckman contributed this recipe in one of our earliest holiday newsletters. It was so good, we thought it was time to share it again..
• Main Dish/Soup: Authentic Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyas)
  Kim Barnes contributed this hearty and authentic recipe from her extensive recipe collection.
• Side Dish: Braised Collard Greens with Smoked Sausage
  Joel Kleinbaum, Barnes & Conti IT Guy contributed this side dish.
• Dessert: Sticky, Spicy Holiday Cake
  Heller Rathbone, our one-woman Finance Department, came across and adapted this unusual take on holiday ginger bread.
• Dessert: Ginger Crisps
  Dineen Digiacomo, our Account Coordinator, submitted this recipe back in 2010. We’re reprinting it so you can enjoy it again.
  

Featured Recipe: Turkey Eggrolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Rickey-Dean Wasson

Rickey-Dean Wasson, our Learning Specialist, is our newest addition to the Barnes & Conti staff. In addition to contributing this tasty recipe—which many of us can’t wait to try—Rickey Dean does much of curriculum design and development and serves as both a consultant and facilitator. He has implemented a large-scale coaching program, which we’ll be telling you about in an upcoming newsletter.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 cups shredded carrot & green cabbage
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. grated ginger root
• 15–20 egg roll wrappers
• Oil for frying

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce

• 1/3 cup jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

Method

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil and salt until translucent.
2. Add in the ground or shredded turkey, crushed garlic and ginger and sauté 5 minutes.
3. Add white wine and soy sauce and simmer until thickened.
4. Throw in the shredded cabbage and carrot and cook 1 minute more, until just wilted.
5. Set filling aside to cool.
6. Lay out egg roll wrappers, place 2 tbsp. of filling in each, roll up and place seam side down on a plate.
7. Heat oil. Place each egg roll in the oil, seam side down. Fry until brown and crispy (turn at least once so both sides get fried). Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
8. To make the dipping sauce, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer 5–10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer if there are any lumps.
9. Serve dipping sauce alongside egg rolls. For best taste, serve immediately after frying.

About the Artwork at the Top

Our holiday greeting this year features “Boulevard Saint Denis in Argentuil in Winter” by Claude Monet.

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