All change is linguistic. It’s something that I frequently remind people of, but what do I really mean when I say that? The words we use have meanings. Changes in our language reflect the deeper cultural shifts at play and help us dismantle barriers and promote understanding. In this episode, I want to take a moment to dig into how linguistic changes bring us closer to our goal of more equitable, accessible, and supportive learning environments. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: How the language we use embodies our values and commitments to change How seemingly simple shifts in language help us create more supportive, inclusive learning environments How language drives change in narratives and pedagogical approaches to our students RESOURCES: Community: The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

As part of our series on event planning and community, Gina Bianchini, founder and CEO of Mighty Networks joins me to talk about why People Magic is more than a set of tools, but a guiding philosophy of making valuable connections between people. She also explains why many online groups are using their platforms “off-label,” and how Mighty Networks is changing the game in community engagement. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Why member to member connection is the most important factor to the success for online communities and events How Mighty Networks has reimagined the member profile as a site for engagement and connection with other users The coming role of AI in community moderation How communities get people out of the constant churn of social media content creation LEARN MORE ABOUT Gina bianchini Mighty Networks Connect with Gina on LinkedIn LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

In this installment of Off the Cuff Rants on Learning, I’m sharing my unfiltered thoughts and perspectives on accessibility. A recent experience speaking at an event has accessibility and universal design for learning on my mind, and I want to invite you to consider these issues with me. Let’s think through how we can remain true to our values of inclusion even when the pressure is on, the tech isn’t working, or other obstacles crop up. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: The incident with a tech issue and an event organizer that left me feeling shaky  Our responsibility around accessibility LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

In this installment of Off the Cuff Rants on Learning, I’m diving into the deep end and offering my unfiltered thoughts, passion, and perspectives on a topic that keeps me up at night: Bullying. These rants aren’t about getting it right on the first try, but about unpacking concepts and facing uncomfortable truths so that we can reflect and revolutionize our understanding of the challenges classrooms face every day. Let’s start the conversation. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: How I handled reports of bullying as principal of a small, rural school What students can gain by going through a conflict resolution process Why students need to learn conflict management How current systems disempower students who are being bullied LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

Welcome back to our series on creating impactful events. In the last episode, Liz Lathan asked the question, “You know what would be really fun?” To which I said, “Inviting Liz’s business partner at The Community Factory to talk more about fun and spontaneity in events and dream about what events could be!” So today, Nicole Osibodu joins me to dig into creating events that aren’t cookie-cutter and build real connections between attendees. She’ll also share about the first secret business trip and being barefoot in the boardroom. Nicole Osibodu is a hug-addicted visionary and human catalyst with a flair for the unconventional. Her strength is building and growing businesses through community that converts! For Nicole (and Maya Angelou), the road to success is paved by the people that are part of our communities. Together, we create memorable moments that live on forever in the stories we tell. She’s been fortunate to have been on teams that have built incredible moments for impactful organizations like The White House, Harpo Productions, created the world’s first secret business trips and even Austin's first women's professional sports team. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Creating a formula that makes each event feel unique and impactful How Nicole and Liz pulled off bringing 80 notoriously Type A professionals on a secret trip Why Nicole creates collaborative events that include herself, the attendees, and even the location owners and managers The lasting impact in life and business of the tight-knit bonds Nicole’s events create How Nicole embraces being a “walking blooper reel” in her brand on LinkedIn LEARN MORE ABOUT Nicole osibodu The Community Factory Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn Instagram: @thecommunityfactory LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

When dreaming up memorable events, today’s guest’s favorite question to start with is, “You know what would be really fun?” In this episode, we talk about bringing a flair of fun and spontaneity to your events, how creating shared experiences among peers builds community, and the time she ended up hosting a wedding at a corporate event. Liz believes that conversations can change the world when you facilitate an open exchange of ideas, and that's what The Community Factory's Spontaneous Think Tanks aim to do. By bringing people together to share challenges and solutions, magical moments of co-creation can emerge. Watching the connections get made and community form right before her eyes lights her up every day. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Why what happens in “the box” is more important than what the container looks like The challenges of creating community experiences at live events in the post-COVID world How to create a “Spontaneous Think Tank” that engenders real connection and conversation How building emotional connections at your event benefits your brand Breaking away from the keynote, breakout, expo conference format Why the fun has to be tied to memorable content Five key Cs for building community at your events LEARN MORE ABOUT Liz lathan The Community Factory Connect with Liz on LinkedIn LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

At Modern Learners, we help people and organizations host meaningful events. We focus on designing high-quality learning events and leverage a variety of design techniques and tools to do that. In this new series, we’re digging into some of those design techniques and tools by speaking with a variety of industry experts. Each of our guests will bring their expertise and point of view on various facets of event planning and execution, from budgeting nuances, to creative activations, to evolving attendee expectations. Today, I’m speaking with Michael Helmbrecht of RingCentral about how technology can empower attendees and transform the dynamics of virtual, hybrid, and on-site events. We'll explore the crucial concept of attendee agency, delving into how it shapes the events, and the event experience and the pivotal role technology and AI play in facilitating this. Michael Helmbrecht is the VP of Product Management for Video at RingCentral, which he joined in April 2022. He has extensive product and operating experience. Before RingCentral, Michael was Chief Product Officer at  AmplifAI, an AI performance enablement platform for contact center employees. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Lifesize and Logitech working in the video conferencing and contact center markets in Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer roles. Michael also spent 9-years at Dell in product and marketing leadership positions. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR how: RingCentral Events approaches the challenges of hybrid or fully virtual events and allows organizers to build engaging experiences Balance opportunities for attendees to engage with each other with the ability to be an observer RingCentral Events is integrating AI tools to make it easier for organizers to produce high-value events Virtual events are changing the monetization and expo models of traditional conferences and trade shows LEARN MORE ABOUT RINGCENTRAL Website LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

In the final installment of this series on Just Culture, Julie Stephenson and I do a deep dive into the spectrum of behaviors within the Just Culture framework and how behaviors, actions, and outcomes are handled by the framework. Julie Stephenson’s commitment to and passion for conversations that move organizations toward a healthier and more human place to live, work and learn have guided her entire career. Currently, she supports a critical access hospital in southwestern Wisconsin as a certified coach and Just Culture leader. Her most recent creative endeavor includes The Water We Swim In series and The Lab — a cultural and storytelling experiment she co-created. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: How Just Culture helps us accept the inevitability of human error and fallibility The importance of judging behaviors, not just outcomes Examining situations in which someone knowingly caused harm Assessing at-risk behaviors within a Just Culture framework The two most prevalent behaviors found in workplaces The difference between risky behavior and reckless behavior How Just Culture responds to behaviors, from consolation to sanction RESOURCES: The Just Culture Company LEARN MORE ABOUT julie stephenson Compounding Courage Facebook: @CompoundingCourage LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

Julie Stephenson returns to continue our special series on Just Culture. In our previous episodes, we’ve defined what Just Culture is, along with the common language used in implementing it. We’ve also learned how mission, vision, and values are intimately connected to creating a Just Culture. Today, we’re digging into our duties in the workplace, and how we respond to breaches of those duties within a Just Culture framework. Julie Stephenson’s commitment to and passion for conversations that move organizations toward a healthier and more human place to live, work and learn have guided her entire career. Currently, she supports a critical access hospital in southwestern Wisconsin as a certified coach and Just Culture leader. Her most recent creative endeavor includes The Water We Swim In series and The Lab — a cultural and storytelling experiment she co-created. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Breaking down the expectations of conduct within an organization Defining procedural compliance in the workplace and how we respond to changing information and protocols How baking a cake illustrates the essential duties employees owe their organization Getting to the root causes of breaches in duties RESOURCES: The Just Culture Company LEARN MORE ABOUT julie stephenson Compounding Courage Facebook: @CompoundingCourage LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

I’m back with Julie Stephenson for our special series on Just Culture. We’re continuing to define how Just Culture emphasizes fairness, empathy, and shared accountability and how shifting to this system is transforming the hospital where Julie works. In this episode, we explore how implementing a Just Culture model can truly impact an organization’s mission, vision, values, and beliefs. Julie Stephenson’s commitment to and passion for conversations that move organizations toward a healthier and more human place to live, work and learn have guided her entire career. Currently, she supports a critical access hospital in southwestern Wisconsin as a certified coach and Just Culture leader. Her most recent creative endeavor includes The Water We Swim In series and The Lab — a cultural and storytelling experiment she co-created. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Defining mission, vision, and values in a just culture framework The relationship between vision and values How just culture recognizes and addresses the potential for competing values between individuals and organizations The difference between hiring for culture and hiring for compliance How implementing just culture impacts employee burnout, retention, and sustainability How just culture systems help organizations and individuals handle when it’s time to part ways RESOURCES: The Just Culture Company LEARN MORE ABOUT julie stephenson Compounding Courage Facebook: @CompoundingCourage LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community

A Just Culture is one where fairness, empathy and shared accountability are paramount.  In this special four-part series, returning guest Julie Stephenson and I will examine how this culture has transformed the hospital where she works, shifting from punitive responses to understanding and addressing root causes. We'll also look at the challenges of implementing just culture, from overcoming resistance to change, to fostering a blame-free, yet accountable environment. Julie will shed light on the nuances of mistakes, at risk behaviors, and the value of curiosity and systems thinking in this context. In this episode, we’re defining what a just culture is, how the model accounts for the systemic structures in which individuals make choices, and what it meant to implement a just culture framework in Julie’s rural critical access hospital. Julie Stephenson’s commitment to and passion for conversations that move organizations toward a healthier and more human place to live, work and learn have guided her entire career. Currently, she supports a critical access hospital in southwestern Wisconsin as a certified coach and Just Culture leader. Her most recent creative endeavor includes The Water We Swim In series and The Lab — a cultural and storytelling experiment she co-created. This work destigmatizes mental health, normalizes sharing stories, and honors the lived experiences of our friends and neighbors in southwestern Wisconsin. In 2018, Julie founded Compounding Courage to create a movement inspired by Mr. Rogers’s wise words, "Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone." LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE TO HEAR: Why implementing a just culture requires embracing human fallibility in order to reduce harm How working through COVID shed light on structural inequalities that existed within the hospital Four key components and definitions with just culture Why understanding context is essential closing the gap between what we believe and what we do The challenges of moving away from systems that are hierarchical and punitive to one that is more strategic and compassionate How implementing a just culture framework supports the wellbeing of those within the system RESOURCES: The Just Culture Company LEARN MORE ABOUT Julie Stephenson Compounding Courage Facebook: @CompoundingCourage LEARN MORE ABOUT MELISSA EMLER AND MODERN LEARNERS: Modern Learners Modern Learners Community