Elwin Loomis’ Post

Connections, Community and support. I just finished listening to Anna Kincannon, MBA and Rebecca M.'s latest podcast “Is That Cashmere” Their interview with Andrea Markstrom ,  has me reflecting on connections. The value of purposeful networking:  which isn’t just about collecting contacts, it’s about forming relationships that have depth and potential for mutual benefit. Supportive networks, as connectors:  Andrea’s i.WILL ((Inspiring Women Igniting Leadership & Learning) and,  Anna and Rebecca’s Twin Cities Finance Women  are platforms that help individuals rise and succeed. Networks that act as a  safety net and springboard enabling members to take risks and grow. Empowerment Through Community:  Andrea’s initiative to start i.WILL without barriers, enabling a diverse group of women to join, reflects a commitment to empowering others by  making connections accessible. Her emphasis on giving back and supporting women across different sectors highlights how connections can extend  beyond immediate personal or professional gain to broader societal impact. A powerful conversation  between some powerful women,  sharing about overcoming common challenges,  such as feeling unheard or battling imposter syndrome. But as I drove home   after a particularly tough week. I was unexpectedly moved to tears. they mentioned my name, you see I had connected them. Often, my efforts to drive culture, nurture the new, and make impactful connections don't unfold as expected. Yet, here was a tangible affirmation that even small efforts can have significant effects. This isn’t about me..  it is about all of us, who strive to make a difference through the connections we make. This was precisely what I needed Thank you, Anna, Rebecca and Andrea for reminding me of the power of Simple acts of connection. I look forward to more "Is that Cashmere" Conversations.

This is the AI book to give your parents. https://lnkd.in/gHKACJrU I just finished Ethan Mollick's most recient book Co-Intelligence. If you have been playing deeply with LLM's and/or generative image AI's: prompt hacking, refining through embeddings or fine tuning, building custom GPT's, Code co-piloting, etc. You won't find much here to accelerate your knowledge or practices. BUT if you have been doing the above, you probably find yourself in conversations with others who are curious about the current landscape of AI, and want a better more holistic picture of what is going on today with these tools. Give them a copy of this book. Give it to the execs, the investors, the teachers, the students, the artists, the writers, the strategy folks... and yes.. Give your parents a copy of this book.. Mollick excels at demystifying the multifaceted nature of AI—covering philosophical, technical, and cultural angles. He also gives very tangible examples so people can feel more comfortable using these tools to impact their work/workflows today. I opted for the Kindle edition with WhisperSync audio, which is narrated by the author himself. Mollick does a fantastic job, adding a personal touch to the audiobook experience. Consider gifting a copy of this book to anyone looking to understand AI better or to feel more confident in utilizing AI tools in their workflows today.

Ever noticed how our work tools mirror natural water bodies? Think of email (Microsoft Office) as 'pools'—contained, static environments where information is stored securely, shared on our terms. Like serene lakes, they hold data until we're ready to dip back in. Conversely, modern platforms like Slack/Discord, resemble 'rivers'—dynamic, fast-flowing systems where information moves continuously, fostering real-time collaboration. These rivers connect, forming a delta of integrated tools enhancing flexibility and utility, ideal for startups and dynamic environments craving rapid adaptation and decision-making. Yet, not all rivers flow freely. While tools like Slack, monday.com, Fellow and Jira thrive on integration, creating a rich ecosystem of interconnected streams, others like Office 365 strive to be comprehensive, yet often remain more insular, optimizing for security and seamless functionality within their ecosystem. This distinction often aligns with generational and organizational shifts in workplace culture. Startups and younger generations may navigate the swift currents of rivers, shaped by instant messaging and social media,  whereas established companies and older professionals might find the deliberate pace of pools more conducive to their structured workflows. As our tools evolve, bridging these waters means fostering environments where both pools and rivers have a place, enhancing our collective ability to swim smoothly through our workday. Thoughts:  ☐ Integration and Flexibility: Exploring the river-like tools such as Slack and Jira, it's fascinating to see how their ability to integrate with other platforms enhances flexibility and responsiveness. Have you found certain integrations particularly beneficial for your workflow? ☐ Microsoft's Approach: While Teams tries to merge into the river stream, it often remains within its own ecosystem. Do you think this affects its utility in a multi-tool environment, or does it offer enough within its ecosystem to stand alone effectively? ☐ Pace and Interaction: One key difference between ‘pools' and 'rivers' is their pace. Pools allow for thoughtful, delayed responses, ideal for detailed discussions. Rivers, by their nature, promote rapid exchanges and quick decision-making. How do you manage the pace in your preferred communication tool? ☐ Comfort with Technology: Technology comfort can significantly influence preferences for pools or rivers. Those who grew up with email may find the permanence and control comforting, whereas digital natives might find rivers' real-time interaction more intuitive. What's been your experience in adapting to different tools based on your comfort with technology? ☐ Cultural Impacts on Tool Adoption: Startups often favor river tools for their flexibility and speed, crucial in a fast-paced environment. How do established companies in your experience handle the shift towards more dynamic tools? Is there resistance, or is the transition welcomed?

This morning, a routine walk with my dog I stumbled upon an unexpected object: a kid's Nerf sword, abandoned leaning against a lamp post. Moments later, a huge, unchained black dog began barking at us from his lawn across the street. In a turn of thought, I imagined the sword as Excalibur. I walked back to the lamp post. The beast, the Dog barking, daring me, from his post at the corner of his lawn. Picking up the sword, Humorously in my head, I said the words declaring myself as it's true owner. Only to place it back down and continue on my walk, the still barking dog now just a character in my brief imaginative journey. This simple encounter reminded me of the power of perspective and the magic embedded in our daily lives. A beautiful metaphor for the following: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Even in the most mundane moments, our capacity for creativity can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Life invites us to write our own stories, filled with whimsy and wonder. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: How we choose to view our surroundings can significantly alter our experience. A barking dog can be a threat or a guardian of mythical treasures, depending on the narrative we craft in our minds. 𝗝𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆: Our daily routines are ripe with opportunities for adventure and enchantment. It's these moments that often bring us the most joy, reminding us of the richness of our lives. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚. Our lives are filled with these tiny adventures, waiting to be discovered and appreciated. Let's not overlook the magic in the mundane, for it's often in these moments that we might find our greatest joys and insights. Have a magical weekend everyone! #LifeLessons #Creativity #Perspective #EverydayMagic

Being Average is not Average *YES* Lauren Hannon Many of the most intelligent  (squarely 'Above' Average) folks  I know struggle existentially. Higher intelligence does not  correlate with happiness. Many of the people I know  who are materially successful,  like to attribute it to their:  Drive, Passion, Talent, or Smarts. But often looking deeper;  the factor(s) they forget to mention are: Luck, and Timing. Luck, timing, moments of opportunity  are often more important to ‘ Above’ average success than  Drive, Passion, Talent or Smarts. Several parents I hang with  share that their kids are going to  the best-in-class schools,  or are super star athletes.  Solidly ‘Above’ Average.  I am so excited and proud for them! My kid is average.  What I want her to learn is: Kindness Love for herself Ability to be compassionate and love others   I want her to find work that energizes Where she can make a difference That provides enough  To build a life. I want her to find friends  that lift, support and  Love each other. These should be ‘average’ available to everyone She is a teen, And friends, Social media, Society. Seems to be a river  A current In the opposite direction. It takes above average effort To be average

We all have negative thoughts. I fight these dragons daily. Lately I have been using AI as a way to reframe these thoughts. And I have found it to be really effective.. Perhaps I’ll eventually be able to have tea with my dragons. (https://bit.ly/3uV8tZA ) This is what I am doing: ☑ Use paid GPT4 to help create personalized scripts. I can get into the prompting details,  but It really is highly personalized using  specific situations,  and experiences. These scripts center around  reframing the negative, gratitude, affirmations, and meditations.  I have found with affirmations, using a format of repetition using ‘you’ and ‘I’ to be powerful i.e: I release any negative thoughts and feelings that do not serve me. You, release any negative thoughts and feelings that do not serve you. ☑ I then take the script and use ElevenLabs to convert it to speech. (You can use GPT, but I like the ElevenLab’s voices.) ☑ I take the voice.mp3 and often background music ( found free-use Youtube, meditation music) and blend it using Audacity. (often I slow the voice down by 80%) ☑ I save this as a .mp3 and then move it to my podcast app on my phone to listen. I am paying for GPT4 and ElevenLabs, but you can do this for free using co-pilot and some free voices out there. Audacity is free. As an example, some of you may be driving into work tomorrow. Here is a drive into work positive mp3. You can download it here: https://bit.ly/4cv4oka As I about to hit post. The critical part of me, starts thinking about Al Frankin's "Stuart Smalley", and the critic internally rolls its eyes.. but I turn towards this critic and say "yea, it's corny- but because of you I need to remind myself there is a lot to be grateful for, and remind myself to be kind.. kind to others and myself, even kind to you critic. Thank you and now sit down.. " It is still there rolling its eyes, but thats ok.  

I am so psyched that Dave Sonders has created this custom GPT. I love that these LLMs are allowing talented creative people to create capabilities that can enhance the way we work. This is just one way that generative AI will allow us to realize a 'Moore's Law' effect in software. Especially love his quote "This does feel like a type of coding, but the language you work in is English"

“I need to get out of the driver seat, and learn to delegate” said the leader. “No you should stay in the driver seat, and learn to co-create” We know what delegation feels like, It feels like taking an order. ‘Co-Creation’ feels like participating in a jam session. Everyone brings their own instrument or skill to the table. You don’t just play a set piece of music handed to you, You contribute your own ideas, riff off one other, build something more than the sum of its parts. Co-creation is: Participative Process vs. Task Assignment: Everyone involved contributes and shares responsibility for the outcome. Delegation typically involves assigning tasks to others where the primary decision making and creative process rests with the person delegating. Shared Ownership vs Directed Outcomes: A shared sense of ownership over both the process and the result. Everyone feels invested in the success of the project. Delegation often implies a more top-down approach, where the delegator retains ultimate ownership and control. Empowerment & Development: Empowering the team, fostering their own development by involving them in the process. Delegation, the focus is more on task completion rather than development opportunities. Credit & Attribution: Acknowledgment of the contributions of all, fostering a more inclusive and respectful work environment. The delegation model disproportionally favors those in higher positions. Communication & Relationships: Co-creation fosters an open transparent communication and strong relationships based on mutual respect and collective effort. Delegation can sometimes create a more transactional relationship, focused on task completion than building interpersonal connections. Flexible and Adaptable: Co-creation allows flexibility and adaptability as it encourages iterative processes and feedback from all participants. Delegation is rigid, adhering strictly to the initial plan or instructions. The distinction between "co-creation" and "delegation" is significant,  particularly in the context of leadership styles and workplace dynamics. Leveraging co-creation will achieve high-performance outcomes, foster innovation, and build a strong collaborative team culture. As a leader you still are in the driver's seat, in fact good co-creation needs you in that seat. The role of the leader is vital to provide: guidance and direction, facilitation, resource management, conflict resolution, decision making and accountability. While co-creation involves a more horizontal approach to leadership and decision-making, the role of the leader as an orchestrator is to provide structure, guidance, and support to the process, ensuring that the collective efforts of the team are effectively channeled towards achieving the desired outcomes. (and I think it is more fun ultimately for the leader and the team) Go forth, and co-create!! I pulled some old hand artwork from Rob Stenzinger for the graphic. This post was human created.