Celebrating B Corp Month As we step into March, we join a global community in celebrating B Corp Month, a time dedicated to honoring businesses committed to using their influence as a force for good. This year, the celebration feels even more significant for Vista Global as we recently completed our fifth B Corp recertification achieving our highest score of 146.9. What is B Corp Month? B Corp Month is an annual event where Certified B Corporations collectively raise awareness about building a more inclusive and sustainable economy. It’s a global effort to showcase how businesses can balance purpose and profit, ensuring their operations benefit all stakeholders, including employees, communities, and the environment. This celebration highlights the belief that companies can be a catalyst for positive change in the world. Since our founding, Vista Global has partnered with individuals and organizations to create the world we want to live in. In 2012, we took a significant step by becoming a Certified B Corporation, solidifying our commitment to social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This certification is more than a credential; it reflects our ongoing dedication to upholding the highest standards in our work and interactions. Being a part of the B Corp community aligns with our core values and enhances our ability to drive impactful change. It provides a framework that guides us in evaluating our practices and ensures we consistently strive for improvement. Our B Corp status reinforces our pledge to operate with integrity, prioritize the well-being of our stakeholders, and contribute positively to our community. As we celebrate B Corp Month, we reflect on our journey and the collective impact of the B Corp community. Beyond our work, we are honored to serve on the Leadership Circle of WeTheChange, a network of women leaders of certified B Corps and other purpose-driven businesses. This incredible community emphasizes the role women play in using business as a force for good, advocating for social justice, environmental sustainability, and collective well-being. As part of our commitment to this work, we’re looking forward to the upcoming WeTheChange Retreat in April 2025, a powerful gathering of leaders focused on connection, collaboration, and deep impact. If you’re a woman purpose-driven business leader seeking to engage with a community of like-minded change-makers, we encourage you to join us. We invite you to celebrate B Corp Month by partnering with companies committed to a more equitable and sustainable future.
Academy Update: Upcoming Webcast and Live Chat Vista Leadership Academy, a new Vista Global Coaching & Consulting program, invites you to join founder Mary Stelletello and Academy Class of 2016 Alum Cristina Manfre for a special webcast and live chat Tuesday, May 2, 2017 , from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. Get your sneak peek into the Academy and learn how the … Continue reading “Academy Update: Upcoming Webcast and Live Chat” Vista Leadership Academy, a new Vista Global Coaching & Consulting program, invites you to join founder Mary Stelletello and Academy Class of 2016 Alum Cristina Manfre for a special webcast and live chat Tuesday, May 2, 2017 , from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. Get your sneak peek into the Academy and learn how the program’s unique design can help you! You’ll hear Alum Cristina share her transformative journey through the Academy’s online classes, individual coaching sessions, and immersive retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mary will describe the core values and career insights that led her to found the Academy. Please note: Space is limited. The number of registrations will be kept small to help ensure everyone can participate in the live chat Q&A. Don’t miss your chance to ask Mary and Cristina if the Academy is right for you! Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico Are you ready to take the lead in your work and life? Applications for the Class of 2017 are being accepted through May 15, 2017. Learn more about our application requirements and register for the webcast.
What We Can Learn from Our Worst Conversations Judith Glaser’s 7-month course on Conversational Intelligence offers new and improved methodologies for effective communication that you can apply to both work and life situations. “Conversations are the social rituals that hold us together, the fabric of culture and society.” — Judith E. Glaser The course section on “Humanizing Conversations” explores how to down-regulate the … Continue reading “What We Can Learn from Our Worst Conversations” Judith Glaser’s 7-month course on Conversational Intelligence offers new and improved methodologies for effective communication that you can apply to both work and life situations. “Conversations are the social rituals that hold us together, the fabric of culture and society.” — Judith E. Glaser The course section on “Humanizing Conversations” explores how to down-regulate the behaviors that create distrust and up-regulate behaviors that build trust. No matter what we do in our professional lives, trust is the most important element in achieving extraordinary results. Trust is something that I have explored over the last 15 years through leadership development work. I always believed that listening was the most powerful skill to build trust. Conversational Intelligence takes the skill of listening, a step further by providing more texture to “listening.” Glaser uses the concept, “deconstructing conversation” which looks back to look forward. Examine a conversation after the fact to garner new insights. In the first few moments of contact in a conversation, our brain will determine whether to trust the other person. If that impact “feels good,” we will move in the direction of opening up to more interactions. If that impact “feels bad,” we will close down and move into protective mode. In the deconstruction process, here are a few questions for exploration and learning. Was either person addicted to being right? Did you experience the “Tell-Sell-Yell” syndrome? (Tell them once, try to sell them why you are right, then yell!) Did you ask questions that you already knew the answers to? If you said YES to any of these questions, you were operating from the primitive brain (amygdala) pumping cortisol, keeping you in a protected distrust state. So how do you shift from this part of the brain that is being triggered by threatening behaviors? The very first step is to recognize the neurological response and find ways to head off the fears. Understand where the fears may be coming from, work backward to find a solution. How do we sideline these signals from the amygdala? Notice how we react to threats (fight, flight, freeze, appease) Acknowledge this reaction Notice if we always choose the same reaction and how much the threat impacts us Choose an alternative way to react in the moment (mindfulness techniques: breath in, breath out, express how you are feeling) Become more aware of our responses and realize we can override our emotions and shift to other responses Ultimately transform fear into trust Stay tuned for more tips to have meaningful conversations that transform leaders and organizations! This is the second in a blog series. Read the first blog at “Listening to Connect.” Photo credit: Rawpixel via Shutterstock.
Listening to Connect: Neuroscience, Coaching, and Conversational Intelligence As a credentialed coach, it’s important to stay educated on new and improved methodologies that resonate with clients. Recently, I began a 7-month course on Conversational Intelligence, (also known as C-IQ) facilitated by Judith E. Glaser. The curriculum explores how parts of the brain influence the outcome of conversations. Just two weeks in, I can … Continue reading “Listening to Connect: Neuroscience, Coaching, and Conversational Intelligence” As a credentialed coach, it’s important to stay educated on new and improved methodologies that resonate with clients. Recently, I began a 7-month course on Conversational Intelligence, (also known as C-IQ) facilitated by Judith E. Glaser. The curriculum explores how parts of the brain influence the outcome of conversations. Just two weeks in, I can already tell how valuable this will be for my clients. As a coach, I recognize that if clients are in fight/flight mode, it is very difficult for them to find solutions to any problems. Now I have language and context for why. Harnessing Your Executive Brain When we are in flight/flight mode, we are operating from our primitive brain, generating cortisol that shuts down our ability to be creative, strategic and engaged. So where do we want to operate from and how do we get there? The prefrontal cortex (the area of the third eye) is called the executive brain. If an interaction feels safe, we produce oxytocin, which allows us to relax and create a state of trust. This gives us access to empathy, strategic thinking and innovation. When we are able to operate from this place in the brain, we begin to see opportunities for co-creating solutions together. Listening to Connect We move from protecting our own self-interest to creating a “WE-centric” way. The first step is: listen to connect. This is not a concept gaining traction just in the coaching field. There has been research published in Harvard Business Review on the power of connecting first. In Judith’s words, “Everything happens through conversation. Coaches hold the key for transformation of humanity.” Helping You Get to the Next Level As we move through the modules, I will share some key “ah-has” and will incorporate these tools into my new coaching offerings that will roll out in Spring 2017. Stay tuned for more tips to have meaningful conversations that transform leaders and organizations. Interested in coaching? Learn about the coaching process and more! Photo credit: Rawpixel via Shutterstock.
Nonprofits on the Move with Mergers Too often discussions around nonprofit partnerships and mergers focus on the financial drivers. For example, one nonprofit may be in crisis and rather than shutter operations, it seeks to form a new organizational structure with another, more financially robust organization. But there is another important reason nonprofit leaders should consider exploring partnerships: mission impact. This … Continue reading “Nonprofits on the Move with Mergers” Too often discussions around nonprofit partnerships and mergers focus on the financial drivers. For example, one nonprofit may be in crisis and rather than shutter operations, it seeks to form a new organizational structure with another, more financially robust organization. But there is another important reason nonprofit leaders should consider exploring partnerships: mission impact. This plays out in a variety of ways. If you are successful in achieving your mission, then it stands to reason that over time, your mission may need to evolve. Or perhaps your client population has shifted dramatically with the region’s changing demographics? Or better still, what if the social problem your organization originally formed to address dramatically improved or changed? Lessons from San Francisco and Beyond Such pivots are currently apparent in the nonprofit subsector of HIV/AIDS-related services. Many nonprofits, founded 30 years ago, focused on an acute public health crisis impacting a smaller demographic segment of the population. But over the decades, as new drug treatment modalities became available and as the disease spread across other demographic segments, the service models and organizations had to adapt to the chronic, long-term needs associated with supporting HIV positive clients. This summer, the San Francisco Chronicle and Nonprofit Quarterly reported how “Clients have gone from young men who were dying at 25 to older patients who, at 55, are still living. Currently, more than half of the people with HIV in San Francisco are 50 or older. Improved safer sex practices and advances in drug therapies and medical treatments have shrunk the client base dramatically; some agencies serve half the number they did in the mid-1990s.” These trends have led some nonprofits to shift focus. For example, food services for clients have evolved to serve healthier food for those also living with diabetes and heart disease. Other nonprofits have merged together to provide a range of services around housing, mental health, or substance abuse prevention, in addition to HIV/AIDS-related support. The need for HIV/AIDS nonprofits to refocus their operations has not been limited to the San Francisco Bay Area. New partnership models, collaborations, and mergers have taken place throughout the U.S. For example, Vista Global supported the cultural integration process for the merger of the AIDS Network and AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. Photo: AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW). Grand Opening of new Medical Home. June, 2016. Exploring the Implications for Other Sectors The rapid changes in the HIV/AIDS-related space offer lessons that can be applied across sectors. For example, to survive the wake of the Great Recession, arts nonprofits explored a range of collaborations. City government agencies are considering mergers as well, as highlighted by the recent merger of the offices of Homelessness and Welfare for New York City. With the fallout from the U.S. housing crisis, social service nonprofits also have to pivot as the face of the homeless population changes. Currently, Vista Global is working with four nonprofits serving the homeless population to explore program collaboration and merger options. Are the leaders of your nonprofit considering a program collaboration or merger? Share your story in the comments section below or contact Mary today to learn more.
Coaching Helps You Tell Your Story Crafting a personal tile is a fun way to express your story and future goals. A great exercise to help focus your life and career coaching, the tile itself can be made from cardboard, paper, fabric, or any two-sided material. Get creative! Getting Starting with Side 1 of Your Personal Tile The first introspective step … Continue reading “Coaching Helps You Tell Your Story” Crafting a personal tile is a fun way to express your story and future goals. A great exercise to help focus your life and career coaching, the tile itself can be made from cardboard, paper, fabric, or any two-sided material. Get creative! Getting Starting with Side 1 of Your Personal Tile The first introspective step in this exercise is to craft your personal narrative. To complete Side 1, you’ll need to decide what words define and describe your personal story, from your origins to you current journey. Begin at the top of your tile and write your name, birthplace, and favorite food. Then, write the numbers 1 through 6 down the left side of the tile, under your name. This portion of the tile will be used for your Six-Word Introduction. Channel Your Inner-Hemmingway You may have heard the legend that Ernest Hemmingway was once asked to write a novel in six words. His reply was “For sale, baby shoes, never worn.” With those six words, Hemmingway conveyed a sad tale of love and loss. The first step in your Personal Tile exercise is to craft six words that describe your personal story. The words can be fun and cheeky, or serious and heartfelt. The most important aspect is to describe yourself. Here are some examples: Love drama. Just not my own. Legacies are the people you touched. Without work, what would I do? Laboring more at love than anything. I knew nothing, I felt everything. I’m happiest when I’m outside. My small stories have big plots. You can find these examples and more at the Six-Word Memoir archive. Plotting Your Goals with Side 2 of Your Personal Tile Every Vista Global discovery coaching session explores 6 key themes. Building on the work done in your initial coaching session, use the tile to write out your reflections on each theme. Draw 2 concentric circles on your tile. Then draw a line to dissect the inner circle into 2 halves. Then, draw 4 lines to create four sections of the outer circle. Values: The values that I confirmed in the discovery coaching session Strengths: My Top 5 strengths Contribute: What do I commit to contributing to the process? Learn: What do I want to learn as we move through my journey? How do I work: How do I work well? What allows me to do my best work? Leave With: At the end of my coaching sessions, what do I want to leave with? Participants of Vista Leadership Academy kick-off their journey with this Personal Tile exercise in addition to a robust curriculum for goal setting. If you’re interested in learning more about the Academy or about Vista Global’s coaching services, contact Mary today!
Be a coach, not a boss. Are you struggling to motivate your team or cohort of grantees? Do employees at your organization complain of an “us vs. them” management atmosphere? Do your company’s entry-level positions, most often staffed by young Millennials, turnover often? As a leader, you need to rely on principles that get the most out of each member of … Continue reading “Be a coach, not a boss.” Are you struggling to motivate your team or cohort of grantees? Do employees at your organization complain of an “us vs. them” management atmosphere? Do your company’s entry-level positions, most often staffed by young Millennials, turnover often? As a leader, you need to rely on principles that get the most out of each member of your team. So stop being their boss and start being their coach. From the perspective of a coach, you can create a dream team with positive lasting impact. Play to Strengths Don’t focus on managing down. Instead, as a coach, spot each team members’ strengths, see how those strengths complement the strengths of other staff, and play to those combined strengths for shared success. Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder, writes “People have several times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies.” Calling the Next Generation off the Bench As a new generation enters the workforce, leading as a coach has never been more important. Recent Gallup research shows that Millennials are seeking fulfillment in work over faith or family. In fact, young workers place more value on opportunities to learn and grow over income. To avoid younger staff leaving or checking out, coach and guide them to find passion in their work. Where to Start Ready to lead as your organization’s inspirational coach but don’t know where to begin? Take the first step by learning more about your teams’ strengths. Vista Global offers StrengthsFinder coaching designed for teams who are looking to build on each other’s skills. Contact Mary today and begin your journey from boss to coach. Image source: Partial infographic excerpt from “The difference between a boss and a leader” by J. Shriar, Officevibe.com
