Each December, when festivities have died down and work is done for the year, I briefly take stock of my personal and professional life to make sure my priorities are straight. Ultimately, my priorities = most important people in my life.

In 2021, Change by Design grew a lot. By quadrupling the workforce, I found a clear need to double-down on maintaining meaningful connections with each person while I was going after new business. I've written a bit about my role as Chief Cultural Officer in previous issues of Oomph!

One tactic I used to keep tabs was ordering meals and having them delivered (thanks, Door Dash!), then sharing a lunch hour virtually over Zoom with each team member. After all, we are a virtual team at this point in our evolution and need these connections! We do this at least once during a project, just get to know each other a little better, over a nice meal.

Here is the big-money idea that I'm giving away for free today: They should make the final chapter of the Griswald Family saga and title it "Thanksgiving Vacation." After all, everyone can relate to (or even cringe with), at least one of the popular tropes on screen: such as rambunctious kids in close quarters, competitive siblings, eccentric family members, or awkward families. And you probably also appreciate those evergreen themes of re-connection, redemption, gratitude, and perseverance... despite any turkey cooking challenges. You see, the movie's practically written itself already!

But why am I waxing on about a prospective sure bet in the box office? Well, because I think it illustrates how those familial dynamics are not a cliché, but instead, something we each experience deeply throughout our lives. We're born into families, marry into families, work in "job families" and even build chosen families. They each have their own baked-in norms and expectations, which we accept and even perpetuate.

There are two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is externally based. If you take a series of trainings to get a small bonus, that would be extrinsic motivation. The motivation to do the task is coming from an outside source. Intrinsic motivation is internally based. You are internally motivated if you are taking a class to improve your communication skills, or because you enjoy learning.

In order for a game to be successful, you need to make it engaging. It also must have good content. So ask yourself: what learning outcomes are you hoping for? Additionally ask: how will they be measured? These are two very important things to be define early in the design phase, because there’s no point in designing something that’s really fun if a learner doesn’t actually learn anything from it. There’s also no point in designing a game full of great content that everyone finds to boring to play.

I was hiking for a couple of hours last weekend with Paul around the lake at Lafayette Heritage Park here in Tallahassee, and stopped to marvel at the surroundings. We have six concurrent projects active for Change by Design right now, so these days it's so easy for me to stay glued in front of my computer, and lose sight of the precious natural beauty we enjoy in North Florida. From the bright blue skies above me, to the calm and collected marshlands around me, it is a blessing to live in such a beautiful place.

I'm learning a lot as our Chief Hiring Executive and ongoing cultural ambassador. Finding the right talent for the right roles takes time, several interactions, and a diligent review of their portfolio (that is, if they have one). Change by Design seeks people who…