GOOD AFTERNOON. [00:00:01] IT IS 1:00 AND I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE GARLAND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES WORKING MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26TH, 2024. [I. Call to Order and Determination of a Quorum] THE AGENDA WILL PROCEED AS FOLLOWS AND I'VE DETERMINED THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT. MISS HOGAN, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC FORUM COMMENTS? NO, SIR. AWESOME. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED TO OUR ITEM THREE AGENDA FOR OUR AGENDA ITEM FOR THE BOARD WORKSHOP, A CONDUCT BOARD TRAINING REGARDING COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP [III.A. Conduct Board training regarding communication, leadership strategies, strategic planning, good board governance, and alignment.] STRATEGIES, STRATEGIC PLANNING, BOARD GOVERNANCE AND ALIGNMENT. AND BEFORE WE GET KICKED OFF, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU TRUSTEES AS WELL AS DOCTOR LOPEZ, FOR MAKING TIME TODAY TO COME TO THIS WORKSHOP. WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT UNCONVENTIONAL. TO GET HERE. WE ASKED EVERYBODY FOR THE DATES THAT THEY WERE UNAVAILABLE, AND EVERYBODY SENT THAT INFORMATION. IN AND OUT OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE A BLACKOUT CALENDAR TO SEE SPECIFICALLY WHEN EVERYBODY WOULD BE AVAILABLE. SO IT WASN'T WITHOUT FLAWS. I MEAN, WE HAD SOME HICCUPS HERE AND THERE, BUT I THINK IT PRODUCED A RESULT THAT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A GOOD CALENDAR THAT GIVES US VISIBILITY INTO OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN BE TOGETHER AND START DOING SOME WORK AS A TEAM TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING FOR THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WITH THIS PARTICULAR WORKSHOP WAS OUR RECENT HEB EXPERIENCE. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US ARE STILL PRETTY RAW FROM THAT. AND IT, YOU KNOW, LEFT AN INTERESTING TASTE IN OUR MOUTH AS IT RELATES TO THAT PROCESS AND KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE WORK THAT WE DID TO GET THERE. I MIGHT BE A LITTLE WEIRD IN THIS WAY, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED. I SAW THAT AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A BOARD. AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MEANT FOR US, WE WERE ONE OF THE TOP FIVE BOARDS IN THE STATE BY, YOU KNOW, HEB'S ACCOUNT. BUT THAT SAID TO ME THAT WE WERE GOOD, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT FOR US, AND I HOPE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ALL WANT FOR EACH OTHER AND FOR US AS WELL. AND SO IN LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE AS A GOOD BOARD, THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED MYSELF IS, HOW DO WE GO FROM GOOD TO GREAT? AND THERE WAS A BOOK OUT THERE THAT WAS CALLED GOOD TO GREAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS, PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD. GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF GREAT. AND HOW DO YOU MAKE THE LEAP FROM GOOD TO GREAT? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT POINTED TO WAS THAT THERE'S A CURSE OF COMPETENCE. AND I THINK THAT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT DURING OUR INTERVIEW ABOUT OUR AVERAGE BOARD TENURE, LIKE WE'RE A FAIRLY COMPETENT BOARD AND SO THAT COULD BE A CURSE. SO I WAS THINKING, HOW DO WE SHIFT FROM LOOKING AT WHAT WE DO WELL TO ADDRESSING OUR BLIND SPOTS? AND SO WHEN WE HAD OUR TEAM OF EIGHT TRAINING WITH MARI AND SHE WENT THROUGH THE EXERCISE WHERE SHE ASKED THE QUESTION. WHAT IS A TEAM OF EIGHT'S BIGGEST WEAKNESSES? WHAT IS A TEAM OF EIGHT'S BIGGEST STRENGTHS? AND THEN WHY DO YOU SERVE? I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATION BEING ONE OF OUR. BIGGEST WEAKNESSES. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR STRENGTHS, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTHS TO REALLY ADDRESS OUR BLIND SPOTS AND JUST KIND OF BE ABLE TO OWN THAT AND WALK INTO IT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET BETTER. AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU MULTIPLE TIMES IN TERMS OF BULLETPROOF IN OUR SYSTEM, AGAINST ALL OF THE THINGS AND THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING DOCTOR LOPEZ AND I WERE KIND OF TRADING WORDS. HE LIKES WHAT'S YOUR WORD? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FAIL PROOF. FAIL PROOF, OR NOW WE SHOULD DO SUCCESS PROOF BECAUSE FAILURE IS NEGATIVE. I WAS THINKING OR TALKING. I WAS THINKING I WANTED THE WORD TO BE SOMETHING OF ACTION, RIGHT? AND NOT ANYTHING WITH A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION. I THINK BULLETPROOF IS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD WORD BECAUSE OUR FOCUS IS SAFETY AND SECURITY. SO AND I THOUGHT FAIL IS LIKE, OKAY, WHAT WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER? AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT DOES FORTIFY OUR SYSTEM AGAINST THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE. AND THAT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE A WORD, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KIND OF CONSIDER AND TALK THROUGH AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS. AND SO I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF REITERATE JUST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONVERSATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MAKING IT CONSTRUCTIVE AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? NAVIGATING TOUCHIER SUBJECTS. BUT I ALWAYS WANT TO LEAVE WITH THE IDEA THAT TO ASSUME POSITIVE INTENT, LIKE OUR GOAL IS TO GET BETTER AND OUR FOCUS IS TO GET BETTER, AND ANY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING IS AROUND THAT IDEA OF US GETTING BETTER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE DISTRICT AND THE KIDS THAT WE SERVE. [00:05:03] SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO KICK IT OVER TO MARI AND LET HER COME SHARE A FEW WORDS AND THOUGHTS AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT SHE'S PROVIDED FOR US TODAY. OKAY? AND DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT DOING A THREE HOUR LONG TALKING HEAD PRESENTATION TODAY, WHICH I KNOW IS GOOD, ESPECIALLY FROM A LAWYER. BUT TO ECHO ROBERT'S COMMENTS, REMEMBER WHERE WE ENDED AT OUR LAST TRAINING WAS COMMUNICATION WAS THE KEY, AND IT WAS THE KEY ISSUE THAT WE ALL IDENTIFIED AS WE NEED TO WORK ON IT. AND WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING AN EXPERT COME IN TO HELP YOU WITH THAT. SO I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE HIM HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, I GAVE YOU TODAY, YOU'LL SEE. REMEMBER, WE HAD THE THREE BIG PIECES OF PAPER UP ON THE WALL AND SOME OF YOUR HANDWRITING I REALLY APPRECIATE. THANK YOU. WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO DECIPHER WHAT SOME OF IT SAID BUT IT WAS GREAT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT REALLY FRAMES WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. BECAUSE YOU ALL IDENTIFIED, WHAT ARE THE TEAMS TEAM OF AIDES BIGGEST WEAKNESSES, AND I COUNTED COMMUNICATION FIVE TIMES RIGHT OFF THE BAT. AND THIS WAS WITHOUT LOOKING AT THOSE SURVEYS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT RIGHT BEHIND IT. BUT YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTHS AND THIS IS INTERESTING TO ME, YOU ALL IDENTIFIED A VARIATION ON A THEME ADAPTABILITY, DIVERSITY, ADAPTABILITY WILLING TO LISTEN, DIVERSITY. SO YOU ALL CLEARLY VALUE THAT. AND YOU VALUE THAT YOU DO ADAPT, RIGHT. BECAUSE NOTHING THAT WE DO, IF WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE SCHOOL BUSINESS, IT IS NEVER THE SAME, NOT EVEN YEAR TO YEAR, BUT DAY TO DAY IT CHANGES. SO YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO EMBRACE THAT, BOTH THE DIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE AND THAT YOU'LL ADAPT. BUT MY FAVORITE PORTION WAS WHY YOU SERVED. AND THAT TO ME SPOKE VOLUMES. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU MENTIONED TRANSFORMING LIVES, GIVING BACK TO KIDS, ELEVATING THEIR LIVES EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. TO ME, THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING. I GET TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOOD, POSITIVE INTENT AND WANT TO DO GOOD. I FEEL KIND OF HONORED. NOT ALL LAWYERS CAN SAY THAT ABOUT THEIR CLIENTS, AND THAT'S WHY I PRACTICE IN THE AREA I PRACTICE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ALL OF US WANT TO DO. SO YOU ALL ARE ALREADY MOTIVATED BY A VERY POSITIVE INTENT OF WHY YOU'RE EVEN IN THE SEATS. AND THEN YOU'VE IDENTIFIED HERE ARE STRENGTHS AND YOU ALL UNIFORMLY HAVE SAID IN HERE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON. SO BEHIND THAT YOU WILL SEE. YOU REMEMBER YOU FILLED OUT SOME SURVEYS FOR US. WE DIDN'T GET REMEMBER THAT WE GOT THEM PRETTY MUCH WHEN WE GOT HERE THAT DAY. SO I WASN'T ABLE TO. I'M FAST, BUT I'M NOT THAT FAST. TO PUT THEM IN SOME SORT OF FORM THAT WOULD BE EASY TO READ. SO YOU'LL SEE THERE, THERE'S A SUMMARY AT THE BEGINNING AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS BACK BEHIND. AND WE PULLED A COUPLE OF THE SUMMARY, YOU KNOW MAIN HIGHLIGHTS. WHAT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU SEE HIGHEST SCORES IN THIS CASE UNLIKE MOST HIGHEST EQUALS NEGATIVE. LOWEST EQUALS POSITIVE. SO LOWEST SCORES ARE THINGS YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WELL. HIGHEST SCORES ARE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED AS A CONCERN. AND SHOCKINGLY ENOUGH, YOU WILL SEE THINGS LIKE ADOPT A SHARED VISION OF WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM, TEAMWORK. AND WE GO RIGHT BACK TO COMMUNICATIONS AGAIN. SO OUR GOAL TODAY TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT TEAM OF EIGHT AND BOARD GOALS, VISIONS, THAT SORT OF THING. YOU'VE GOT TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH COMMUNICATION, AND THAT'S WHERE WE LANDED AT OUR LAST MEETING. SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION. AND THEN NEXT MONTH WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON TEAM OF EIGHT AND BOARD GOALS. EVERYONE'S FAVORITE THING TO DO BUT HOPEFULLY TODAY WILL GIVE US THE SKILL SET WE NEED GOING INTO NEXT MONTH. TO MAKE THAT A REALLY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. AND YES, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THAT A ONE HIT WONDER IF WE CAN FOR YOU. SO YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK TO MULTIPLE MEETINGS TO DO THAT? WE WILL DO OUR LEVEL BEST TO DO THAT. SO WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE KEITH BENSON AND MIKE MOWRY. I WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE WORKED WITH MIKE IN THE PAST, AND ACTUALLY GARLAND ISD HAS WORKED WITH MIKE IN THE PAST. WE BELIEVE IT WAS BACK IN 2017 WHERE WE IDENTIFIED AND WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR. BUT OF COURSE AND MIKE POINTED THIS OUT WHEN I TALKED TO HIM. AND HE'S RIGHT. EVEN THE CHANGE OF ONE TEAM MEMBER CHANGES THE ENTIRE DYNAMIC. I WAS JOKING WITH HIM. I SAID, HEY, WE'RE ABOUT TO DO A BOARD RETREAT AT OUR FIRM. LAWYER RETREAT. LARRY WILL UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S A PROBLEM. AND WES AND IT'S A GROUP OF 17 LAWYERS TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? LET'S GROW TOGETHER. THAT CHANGE OF ONE VOICE CHANGES THE WHOLE DYNAMIC. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO WORK ON THESE THINGS. MIKE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND GOVERNING BODIES, AND TO ME, THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THAN JUST A STANDARD PRIVATE CORPORATION. AND THAT'S WHY WE SPECIFICALLY TAGGED MIKE TO COME HELP YOU TODAY. SO HE'S GOING TO TALK THROUGH THAT TODAY. AND THEN IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG THAT RELATE BACK TO WHAT WE HANDLED, JUST LET ME KNOW. [00:10:03] BUT I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO MIKE AND LET HIM WALK YOU THROUGH IT. OKAY. THANK YOU MARK. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. GOOD AFTERNOON. YOU MAY HAVE READ THE BOOK OR SEEN THE TITLE EXTREME OWNERSHIP. IT'S BY TWO FORMER NAVY SEALS, LEIF BADEN AND JOCKO WILLINK. AND THE BOOK IS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AS NAVY SEALS AND THEN BECOMING TRAINERS TO TRAIN MEN WHO ARE BECOMING SEALS. AND THERE'S A FASCINATING STORY IN THE BOOK THAT I GO BACK TO AGAIN AND AGAIN. THEY'RE DOING AN EXERCISE WHERE SEVEN MEN HAVE TO CARRY THIS, THIS RAFT. IT'S WEIGHS ABOUT 200 POUNDS, THAT'S A BOAT. THEY HAVE TO CARRY IT UP AND DOWN THE BEACH AND THEN LAUNCH IT INTO THE WATER, TAKE IT TO A CERTAIN POINT AND THEN DUMP IT. EVERYTHING COMES OUT OF IT, INCLUDING THEM. GET BACK IN IT AND THEN GO TO THE NEXT POINT. AND OF COURSE, THE TRAINERS, THEY'RE ON DRY GROUND. THEY'RE WATCHING EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAN HEAR THOUGH, WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN, IN THE, THE DIALOG OF THE TEAMS. AND THERE WAS ONE BOAT, I THINK IT WAS BOAT NUMBER TWO THAT WAS JUST SAILING AWAY WITH THE LEAD. THEY WERE WORKING LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT. THERE WAS ANOTHER BOAT, I THINK IT WAS BOAT NUMBER SIX, THAT WAS JUST A TOTAL DISASTER, AND THE CREW IS SQUABBLING WITH EACH OTHER. THE COMMANDER IS YELLING AT THEM AND THEY ARE IN LAST PLACE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF REMINDS YOU OF OUR DALLAS COWBOYS SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT GOING WELL AT ALL. SO THEY SAY, LET'S DO SOMETHING. LET'S FLIP THE LEADERS. LET'S TAKE THE LEADER FROM BOAT NUMBER TWO. THAT'S DOING REALLY WELL. LET'S PUT HIM IN BOAT NUMBER SIX. LET'S TAKE THE LEADER FROM BOAT NUMBER SIX. IT'S NOT DOING SO GOOD. AND LET'S PUT HIM IN BOAT NUMBER TWO AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED. BOAT NUMBER TWO, WHICH HAD BEEN GOOD, STAYED GOOD. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS YOU KNOW, THE CULTURE WAS JUST STRONG ENOUGH. OR MAYBE THIS LEADER HAD LEARNED SOME THINGS AND JUST NEEDED A FRESH START PLACE TO DO IT. BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT BOAT STAYED STRONG. BUT MORE INTERESTING IS THE FACT THAT BOAT NUMBER SIX, WHICH HAD BEEN SO BAD, GOT BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER, AND THE REST OF THE DAY IT WAS A RACE BETWEEN BOAT NUMBER TWO AND BOAT NUMBER SIX TO SEE WHO WOULD BE FIRST. AND TO ME, THAT STORY JUST ILLUSTRATES THE FACT THAT THAT THIS TRUISM THAT WE SOMETIMES SAY EVERYTHING RISES OR FALLS WITH LEADERSHIP. ISN'T THAT TRUE? EVERYTHING RISES OR FALLS DEPENDING UPON LEADERSHIP DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF YOU'RE A GOOD LEADER, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE STORMY WATERS. OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT THE REALITY IS THINGS WILL EITHER GET BETTER OR WORSE, DEPENDING UPON THE QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP THAT'S BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THAT SITUATION. EVERYTHING RISES OR FALLS ON LEADERSHIP. AND, YOU KNOW, WE SOMETIMES. I WOULD SAY IF YOU WANT TO GROW THE ORGANIZATION, GROW THE LEADER. IF YOU WANT THE ORGANIZATION TO GET BETTER, YOU DON'T WORK AT THE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL. YOU WORK AT THE TOP, AND IN ALL WAYS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OF GARLAND, YOU ARE AT THE TOP, THE TEAM OF EIGHT, SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENT. YOU ARE THE LEADERS. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY COMMENDABLE THAT YOU'RE TAKING TIME, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE A GOOD BOARD, AND YOU CAN ARGUE A GREAT BOARD TO SAY, HOW DO WE GET BETTER? HOW DO WE GET BETTER? A COLLEAGUE OF MINE WHO'S A FORMER COUNTY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER, NOW RETIRED. HE'S FORGOTTEN MORE ABOUT LEADERSHIP THAN THE REST OF US WILL EVER KNOW. HE OFTEN SAYS YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY TRUE, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY IS HOPEFULLY CONTRIBUTE TO HELPING YOU GET BETTER AT LEADERSHIP BECAUSE EVERYTHING RISES OR FALLS WITH IT. AND OF COURSE I'M HONORED TO BE HERE. I WILL TELL YOU, AS MARTY MENTIONED, MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE IS WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, CITIES AND COUNTIES AND NOT SCHOOL BOARDS. SO I MAY STEP OUT OF LINE SOME. AND YOU MAY HAVE TO SAY NO, LIKE THAT'S NOT HOW IT IS. AND PLEASE DO DON'T HESITATE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO LEARN, AND SO I'M TELLING YOU, I'LL MAKE SOME MISTAKES AND STUFF THAT I'M SAYING. WE TALK ABOUT GOVERNANCE BECAUSE WHILE IT'S VERY SIMILAR, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN MY STRENGTH OR MY EXPERIENCE IS MORE WORKING WITH [00:15:07] CITIES AND COUNTIES, NOT AS MUCH SCHOOL BOARDS, ALTHOUGH I'M VERY HONORED TO DO IT. WHEN I FIRST CAME TO WORK FOR OUR COMPANY, STRATEGIC GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, OUR FOUNDER AND CEO, RON HOLIFIELD, WHO, BY THE WAY, 100 YEARS AGO WAS A CITY MANAGER HERE IN GARLAND. AND THEY'LL LOOK IT UP BECAUSE I THINK HE GOT FIRED. BUT NEVERTHELESS THAT'S TRUE. BUT HE CAME TO ME AND HE SAID, HEY, I FOUND THIS NEW TOOL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, BUT IT SEEMS PRETTY COOL. WHY DON'T YOU GET CERTIFIED IN IT AND LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST IN IT? AND THAT BEGAN MY JOURNEY WITH IOT, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. AND ALL OF YOU DID THE ASSESSMENT THIS WEEK. AND I'M REALLY IMPRESSED THAT YOU ALL GOT IT DONE VERY EASILY WITHOUT US HAVING TO REALLY PUSH YOU AT ALL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING WITH I-OPT, I CONFESS I WAS A LITTLE BIT BLASE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THROUGH ALL MY EDUCATION, I'VE DONE DISC AND MYERS-BRIGGS AND DIFFERENT ONES AND THEY'RE ALL OKAY. BUT HONESTLY, I DON'T REALLY LIKE BEING PUT IN A BOX. AND SO, I LIKE, OH, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN THIS TELL YOU? BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I BECAME TOTALLY ENRAPTURED WITH WHAT I-OPT HAS TO TEACH US ABOUT OURSELVES, AND IT IS DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING I'VE EVER WORKED WITH. AND I TODAY WAS TELLING KEITH, WHO WAS JUST STARTING TO WORK WITH US, AND KEITH WILL MOSTLY BE OBSERVING TODAY, AND NEXT TIME WE'RE TOGETHER, HE'LL BE HAVING SOME ENGAGEMENT WITH US. BUT WE TODAY HAVE DONE IT WITH WELL OVER 10,000 PEOPLE, JUST OUR COMPANY. AND I WILL TELL YOU, IT'S BECOME THE MOST POPULAR TOOL WE USE AND I WOULD SAY THE MOST HELPFUL. SO, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OVERVIEW OF IT. AND SOME OF YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS FROM 2017. AND YOU CAN TAKE A NAP IF YOU NEED TO. IT'S OKAY OR WON'T HURT MY FEELINGS, I'M ALSO A BI VOCATIONAL PASTOR AND THAT'S WHAT A PASTOR IS. THAT'S A PERSON THAT TALKS AND OTHER PEOPLE SLEEP. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO DO THAT. BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OVERVIEW OF IT. AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAND OUT YOUR REPORTS TO YOU. I KNOW YOU ALREADY GOT ONE REPORT, BUT WE PRINTED IT AGAIN. AND YOU CAN READ IT OR HAVE YOU READ IT. AND THEN WE'LL SPEND MOST OF THE REST OF OUR TIME THAT'S DEDICATED TO I-OPT, LETTING YOU TALK WITH EACH OTHER. AND YOUR PROFILES, BY THE WAY, ARE REALLY INTERESTING. WE PUT THEM UP ON THIS AS A TEAM. I GOT REALLY EXCITED. I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS WOULD BE COOL. SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT I-OPT IS I-OPT, IT IS AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW YOU PROCESS INFORMATION. IT IS NOT REALLY A PERSONALITY PROFILE. SO, LIKE THIS GREAT INSTRUMENT IS A PERSONALITY PROFILE. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THE NAME STANDS FOR INPUT OUTPUT PROCESSING TEMPLATE. IT WAS CREATED BY A MAN THAT IS CONNECTED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, AND HE HAD TWO HYPOTHESES. THE FIRST ONE WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH MY GENERATION BABY BOOMERS, WE COINED THE PHRASE INFORMATION OVERLOAD. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THAT BECAME A POPULAR TERM IN THE EARLY 70S. BUT REALLY, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD INFORMATION OVERLOAD. EVEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IN THIS ROOM, THERE'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION TO TAKE IT ALL IN. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT WHAT WE SEE, WHAT WE HEAR, TEMPERATURE, WHAT WE FEEL, MEMORY, ANTICIPATION, ETC.. AND SO WE DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH ALL OF THIS INFORMATION. AND ON THE ONE HAND, SOME OF US ARE VERY, WE WOULD SAY UNCONSTRAINED IN THE WAY WE TAKE THOUGHTS IN. WE JUST GRAB THIS THOUGHT, THAT THOUGHT, THIS THOUGHT, THAT THOUGHT, NO PATTERN TO IT. OTHERS OF US ARE MORE METICULOUS OR MORE CAREFUL. WE DON'T JUST GRAB EVERY THOUGHT THAT COMES ALONG AND YOU FIT SOMEWHERE ALONG THAT, THAT SPECTRUM AND THE TEST MEASURED THAT. THE SECOND HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT NO MATTER HOW YOU TAKE THOUGHTS IN, SOME OF US ARE ACTION ORIENTED. WE WANT TO DO. WE WANT TO MAKE, WE WANT TO PLAN. WE WANT TO CREATE. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, NO MATTER HOW YOU TAKE THOUGHTS IN, SOME OF US ARE MORE CONTEMPLATIVE. [00:20:03] WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT. WE WANT TO RELATE IT TO OTHER STUFF. WE WANT TO. WE WANT TO RUMINATE ON IT. AND AGAIN, YOU FIT SOMEWHERE ON THAT SPECTRUM. AND THE TEST MEASURED THAT. NOW THAT MAY SEEM TO YOU LIKE SO WHAT THAT IS NOT VERY SIGNIFICANT. BUT I THINK YOU'LL SEE AS WE GO ALONG AND AS A LOT OF A LOT OF RAMIFICATIONS FOR US. SO THAT FOCUS ON YOUR VALUES OR YOUR FEELINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT OUR BEHAVIORS OFTEN DEPEND ON HOW WE PROCESS INFORMATION. A COUPLE OF THINGS WE SAY ABOUT THIS. WE'LL MAKE CHOICES ABOUT HOW WE PROCESS THAT INFORMATION. ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT I-OPT, SO, ONE CHOICE IS NOT BETTER THAN THE OTHER. ONE STYLE IS NOT BETTER THAN THE OTHER. THIS OUR PURPOSE IS NOT TO SAY YOU NEED TO BE THIS IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD LEADER. YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY SUCCESSFUL. YOU'RE ALL GOOD LEADERS. YOU WOULDN'T BE IN THIS ROOM TODAY. BUT. BUT IT CAN'T GIVE YOU AN AWARENESS OF WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO AND WHY YOU SEE IT THE WAY YOU SEE IT, AND WHY SOMEBODY ELSE CAN LOOK AT THE SAME SET OF DATA AND NOT SEE IT THAT WAY AND NOT BE MOVED BY IT. SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH TEAMS. ALL RIGHT. AS IS THE CASE WITH A LOT OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS, THERE'S FOUR PRIMARY STYLES. THE ONE AT THE TOP. WE'LL LOOK AT EACH OF THESE IN IN MORE DETAIL IS THE REACTIVE STIMULATOR. AND THEN AT THE 3:00 POSITION THE LOGICAL PROCESSOR AND THEN THE HYPOTHETICAL ANALYZER AND FINALLY THE RELATIONAL INNOVATOR. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR REPORT, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, YOU'LL SEE THAT ONE OF THOSE IS YOUR PRIMARY STYLE AND ONE IS YOUR SECONDARY STYLE. AND THEN IT MEASURES HOW COMMITTED YOU ARE TO ALL OF THESE STYLES. SO, LET'S KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE. THE FIRST ONE IS THE REACTIVE STIMULATOR. THIS IS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY UNCONSTRAINED IN THE WAY THEY TAKE THOUGHTS IN. THIS THOUGHT, THAT THOUGHT, THIS THOUGHT, THAT THOUGHT. THEY JUST GRAB THOUGHTS ALL THE TIME. THEY PROCESS THINGS VERY QUICKLY, SPONTANEOUSLY, AND THEY'RE ORIENTED TOWARDS ACTION. NOW EACH OF THESE CARTOONS AND THE CARTOON KIND OF TELLS THE STORY. SO I THINK I CAN MAKE THAT. YEAH. NO, IT DOESN'T SOUND OKAY. SO, WHEN YOU SEE THIS CARTOON, HIS MOTTO IS HE WHO HESITATES IS LOST, AND YOU NOTICE IT'S NOT EVEN STRAIGHT ON THE WALL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET THE SIGN STRAIGHT, BUT HE DOESN'T REALLY CARE BECAUSE HE'S RUNNING OUT THE DOOR TO MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR SERVANT LEADERSHIP. RIGHT? HE'S GOING TO GO CHANGE THE WORLD. AND YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE THAT INSTRUMENT ON THE DESK. IT'S KIND OF ARCHAIC NOW, ISN'T IT? THE TELEPHONE, IT USED TO HAVE IT. SO, WHEN WE TALK NOW, WE JUST CARRY IT WITH US IN OUR POCKET. BUT HE'S IN SUCH A HURRY, HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO HANG THE PHONE UP. AND HE'S GOT A BUNCH OF THINGS THAT HE'S COMPLETED THAT HE DIDN'T REALLY COMB HIS HAIR. HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH THERE TO COMB. BUT ANYWAY, HE DIDN'T DO MUCH WITH IT. AND IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH HIM OR IF YOU'RE SERVING ON THE BOARD WITH THEM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WOULD SEE. BUT FIRST THEY ARE FAST AT GETTING THINGS DONE. FAST EXECUTION. BUT WITH SPEED COMES WHAT? WHAT? ERRORS. YEAH, YEAH THAT'S RIGHT, MISTAKES AND SO SOMETIMES GOT TO GO BEHIND THAT PERSON AND CLEAN UP THEIR MESS. AND BY THE WAY IN THE SPIRIT OF COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY, THIS IS MY PRIMARY STYLE. I AM A REACTIVE STIMULATOR. AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME REALLY. IT TOOK I-OPT TO TAKE TO GO, OH, THAT'S WHY I DO THINGS LIKE THIS AND THIS IS HOW TO MAKE IT WORK. AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS OUT OF BOUNDS, WHICH CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. THIS PERSON MIGHT HAVE KIND OF A LOW SENSE OF COMPLIANCE TO THE RULES OF THE NORMS. IT'S NOT THAT THEY ALL BELIEVE IN THOSE RULES, BUT IF THEY ARE IN THE WAY OF GETTING THINGS DONE THAT THEY WANT TO GET DONE, THEY MAY BEND THEM OR FORGET THEM OR, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD THE SAYING, THE PHRASE IT'S EASIER TO GET FORGIVENESS THAN PERMISSION. THAT'S RIGHT. PROBABLY AN RS CAME UP WITH THAT STATEMENT. I WAS LIKE, OH, I'LL DO THAT. THEY ARE VERY FOCUSED ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY CAN KIND OF SEE TUNNEL VISION AND AT SOME POINTS CAN IT BE A LITTLE BIT COLD HEARTED TO OTHERS? NOT BECAUSE THEY MEAN TO. IT'S JUST THEY'RE FOCUSED ON GETTING SOMETHING DONE. AND SO, THEY KIND OF HAVE HIGH WALLS AND BEING CAREFUL BOUNDARIES. THEIR BIG QUESTION IS WHEN, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START THIS, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THIS BOND CAMPAIGN? [00:25:02] WHEN ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THIS CHANGE? WHEN IS THIS GOING TO COME INTO PLACE? THEY'RE ALWAYS IN A HURRY TO GET LET'S GET THIS DONE. THEY DON'T REALLY LIKE ROUTINES. YOU DON'T WANT THIS PERSON IN CHARGE OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO THINGS THE SAME WAY TWICE THEIR WHOLE LIFE, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND. THEY ARE NOT GREAT AT FOLLOWING SOPS. ALL RIGHT. IF WE DIVE DOWN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER WITH THEM AT WORK, ONE THING YOU'LL SEE IS THEIR BIG PRIORITY IS QUICK RESULTS. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT'S GOING TO GET THIS DONE. WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. AND THEY LOVE VARIETY, AND THEY LOOK AT NUMBER THREE, THEY WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS BY FINDING AN EASIER WAY. AND MY COMPANY I AM ONE OF SIX PEOPLE ON AN EXECUTIVE TEAM, THE PRESIDENTS OF THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF OUR COMPANY AND THEN OUR COO AND CEO. AND WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM, AS THE RESIDENT RS I HAVE TO HOLD BACK BECAUSE I WILL ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE THE EASIEST SOLUTION IF IT JUST COMES TO ME NATURALLY, LIKE, OH, WE COULD DO THIS, IT'S NOT THE BEST SOLUTION. I KNOW THAT IT'S GOT THE MOST LONG LASTING, BUT I'LL PROMISE YOU IT'S THE EASIEST. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT WE NEED. SO SOMETIMES THE RS BRETHREN, YOU GOT TO REALIZE, OKAY, I GOTTA HOLD BACK ON THIS BECAUSE IT SEEMS CRYSTAL CLEAR TO ME, BUT IT'S PROBABLY CRYSTAL CLEAR BECAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING AT EVERYTHING THERE IS TO LOOK AT. SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, BUT NOT ALWAYS. ALL RIGHT ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE TYPICAL NEEDS, YOU'LL SEE THAT NOBODY LIKES TO BE MICROMANAGED, BUT AN RS WILL LITERALLY LEAD IF YOU TRY TO MICROMANAGE THEM. AND EVEN IF THEY DON'T LEAVE, THEY'LL CHECK OUT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST DON'T RESPOND THAT WELL AT ALL TO THAT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LOOK AT THE NEXT LOGICAL PROCESS. THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO'S VERY STRUCTURED IN THE WAY THEY TAKE THOUGHTS IN. THEY'RE NOT JUST CHASING EVERY THOUGHT THAT COMES ALONG. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. THEY GET IT. THEY DON'T JUST WANDER THROUGH THE GROCERY AISLES. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT, THEY GET IT. THEY PROCESS THINGS, AS THE NAME WOULD SUGGEST, LOGICALLY. BUT LIKE THE RS, THEY'RE ORIENTED TOWARDS ACTION. SO YOU LOOK AT THEIR CARTOON AND THEIR MOTTO IS DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT. OR IF YOU'RE AN LP YOU MIGHT HAVE USED, YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S AN LP WAY TO GO. YOU REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO NOW COVEY, STEPHEN COVEY SENIOR, WROTE THE BOOK SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, ONE OF THOSE HABITS WAS BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. THAT'S VERY MUCH THE WAY LPS APPROACH IT. LIKE, OKAY, BEFORE I DO THAT, I GOT TO DO THIS, AND BEFORE I DO THIS, I GOT TO DO THAT AND THEY KIND OF WORK BACKWARDS FROM THERE. SO YOU CAN SEE THEY THEY'VE GOT A BOOKSHELF FULL OF POLICIES AND RULES. THEY PROBABLY WORKED FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR A CITY, I GUESS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW BUT THEY, THEY HAVE GOT SOME THINGS DONE AND THEIR OUTBOX. THE TELEPHONE IS HUNG UP NICELY. THEY KEPT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THEIR HAIR. I HAVEN'T DONE MUCH WITH IT, BUT THEY KEPT IT. BUT THEY'VE ALSO GOT SOME THINGS IN THEIR INBOX THAT THEY'RE PROCESSING. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED, BUT THE RS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN INBOX ON HIS DESK BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, NOTHING'S GOING TO STAY ON IN THEIR OFFICE LONG ENOUGH TO PROCESS IT ANYWAY. SO, IF YOU WERE WORKING WITH THEM, WHAT WOULD YOU NOTICE? WELL, NUMBER ONE, THEY ARE DECISIVE. THEY KNOW THE POLICIES. THEY KNOW THE SOPS. THEY KNOW THERE'S NOT TEN RIGHT WAYS TO DO THIS. THERE'S NINE WRONG WAYS AND ONE RIGHT WAY. AND WHEN YOU GET READY TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE RIGHT WAY, COME BACK, AND UNTIL THEN, I'M BUSY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THEY'RE VERY DECISIVE. THEY GET OPERATIONS. THEY DON'T JUST KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. THEY KNOW HOW IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND THEY'RE VERY DISCIPLINED, THEY'RE STEADY. THEY'RE THE PERSON THAT GETS WITH THEIR CALENDAR WHEN IN COLLEGE, WHEN A PROFESSOR GIVES THE SYLLABUS OUT AND THEY FIGURE OUT, OKAY, I GOT TO READ THIS MUCH ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND THIS MUCH ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND THIS MUCH ON SATURDAY. YOU KNOW, THEY PROBABLY NEVER PULLED AN ALL NIGHTER THEIR WHOLE COLLEGE CAREER. AND THEIR QUESTION IS NOT WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK? [00:30:02] HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK? SO THEY DON'T REALLY LIKE UNCERTAINTY. I REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST CITY THAT WE USED I-OPT WITH WAS A CITY OUT IN WEST TEXAS, AND WE WERE WE WERE HAVING A TWO-DAY RETREAT. YOU THINK YOU GOT IT BAD FOR FOUR HOURS, LARRY? THIS WAS TWO DAYS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE STANDING AROUND, ME AND RON ARE STANDING AROUND TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, AND BEFORE IT ALL GETS GOING AND HE ASKS THE QUESTION, LIKE, HOW'S IT GOING? YOU KNOW, HOW ARE THINGS GOING? THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. HOW ARE THINGS GOING HERE? AND I REMEMBER THIS CITY MANAGER SAID, IT'S OKAY. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE NOTHING'S HAPPENING. AND HE WENT ON TO TELL THIS STORY. HE SAID IT'S LIKE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS STAFF AND HE SAID, IT'S LIKE I HAD THESE PUPPY DOGS ON A LEASH OUT IN THE COUNTRY. AND I LET GO OF THE LEASH AND I SAID, RUN! AND THEY ALL JUST SAT THERE. AND I REMEMBER THINKING, I KNOW WHY, I KNOW WHY, BECAUSE, YOU SEE, THAT CITY MANAGER LIKE ME WAS A REACTIVE STIMULATOR. AND IN KIND OF AN UNUSUAL SETTING, ALL OF HIS DEPARTMENT HEADS WERE LOGICAL PROCESSORS. SO THINK ABOUT THIS. HE THINKS HE'S GIVING THEM A DREAM JOB. GO RUN, EXPLORE, FIND YOUR WAY. IT'S OKAY, FAIL FORWARD KIND OF THING. BUT REMEMBER, THEY'RE LPS. THEY'RE THINKING, WHY WOULD I RUN IF I DON'T KNOW WHICH DIRECTION TO GO? WHY WOULD I SPEND ALL THAT ENERGY IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE RIGHT? AND IT WAS REALLY COOL BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO HELP HIM REALIZE THIS IS WHAT THEY HEAR WHEN YOU SAY THAT AND HELP THEM TO HEAR THIS IS WHAT HE MEANS WHEN HE SAYS, HEY BOY, I REALIZED, OH, THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL. AND IT HAS BEEN. ALRIGHT, LET'S LOOK AT THEIR STUFF AT THE JOB. THEY LIKE THE TASK. SO SOME OF YOU ARE LPS AND I'M GOING TO GUESS SO I DON'T KNOW YOU VERY WELL THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MOTIVATES YOU, GET YOUR BATTERIES CHARGED UP, IS WHEN YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO DO AND YOU SAY, I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS AND YOU WANT TO WORK AT IT THEY'LL SOLVE PROBLEMS BY CLARIFYING, DO WE REALLY EVEN KNOW IF WE'RE SOLVING FOR THE RIGHT THING? SO, WHILE THE RS IS WAVING THEIR HAND IN THE AIR AND SAYING, I KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO, HERE'S AN EASY THING. THE LP MAY BE LOOKING AT THEM GOING, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. YOU CAN'T. HOW CAN YOU HAVE A SOLUTION? YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. SO, A VERY DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT SOLUTIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS THEY LIKE IS CLEAR DIRECTION, SPECIFIC TRAINING AND AS MUCH CERTAINTY AS YOU CAN HAVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. ALRIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS THE HYPOTHETICAL ANALYZER. HA! THIS PERSON IS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY STRUCTURED IN THE WAY THEY TAKE THOUGHTS IN. THEY PROCESS THINGS LOGICALLY, MAYBE LOGICALLY, TO THE NTH DEGREE AT TIMES, BUT THEY'RE ORIENTED MORE TOWARDS CONTEMPLATION AND THOUGHT. WE SORT OF TURNED THE CORNER HERE. LET'S LOOK AT THEIR CARTOON. THEIR MOTTO IS THINK, THEN ACT. AND IF YOU CAN NOTICE, THINK GETS TWO EXCLAMATION MARKS. ACT JUST GETS A PERIOD. BECAUSE TO THE HA, THINKING IS WHERE THE ACTION IS. AND SO IN A PERFECT WORLD, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SIT AT THEIR DESK AND SOLVE HARD PROBLEMS. THAT'S WHY THEY GOT INTO IT. THAT'S WHY THEY RAN. THAT'S WHY THEY WORK IS THEY, THEIR PROBLEMS. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THEM. SO, THEY HAVE GOALS, BUT THOSE ARE NOT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. THOSE ARE IN A SECRET CODE. IT'S ONLY KNOWN IN THEIR MIND, YOU KNOW. AND THEY LOVE, YOU KNOW, ANALYSIS CHARTS ORG CHARTS OPTIONS. SO YOU'RE WORKING WITH THEM. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THEY ARE VERY CONCEPTUAL. THEY GET CONCEPTS THAT THEY ARE THEY'RE UNHURRIED. IF YOU RUSH THEM, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IRRITABLE WITH YOU. THEY, LIKE TO BE ABLE TO THINK IT THROUGH AND, AND THEY MAY THIS MAY CORRESPOND SOME TO BEING MORE COMFORTABLE AS AN INTROVERT AS OPPOSED TO AN EXTROVERT. SO, I WOULDN'T PUSH THAT TOO FAR. BUT THEIR QUESTION IS NOT WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? OR WHY ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS? AND DON'T JUST TELL ME THE COMPANY LIE. I KNOW THE OFFICIAL STORY, BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY. WHY ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS? THEY VALUE UNDERSTANDING. ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED THROUGH THE YEARS IS IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LISTEN. [00:35:05] SOON TO THE HAZE ON YOUR TEAM BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE THROUGH FALSE PRETENSES JUST LIKE THAT. AND SOMETIMES WE'LL GET PLAYED BY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO YANK US THIS WAY OR THAT WAY. AND IT IS KIND OF SITTING BACK GOING, CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING? AND SO, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE [INAUDIBLE] HAVE THE COMFORT LEVEL TO ASK WITHOUT BEING INTERPRETED AS BEING OBSTACLES OR DISRUPTORS. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM ON THE JOB. THEY LOVE COMPLEXITY AND THEY'RE GOING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY CONSIDERING MANY OPTIONS. MAYBE THINK ABOUT THE ROOT SYSTEM OF A TREE. IT GOES DEEPER AND DEEPER, IT'S ALL CONNECTED. THAT'S HOW I LIKE TO LOOK AT SOLVING PROBLEMS. LOOK AT ALL THESE POSSIBLE OPTIONS. AND IDEALLY WHAT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO. AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, IT'S PROBABLY PLAYED OUT. SOME OF THIS GROUP, THEY IN AN IDEAL WORLD THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO START A PROJECT, BUT THEY DELEGATE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE TO FINISH IT. IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE LAZY, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK. IT'S BECAUSE GO BACK TO WHERE IS ACTION FOR THE HA? IT'S IN THINKING. SO IF YOU GET AN HA REALLY INVOLVED IN WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TO BE BUSY WORK, IT'S JUST DEVASTATING TO THEM. IT'S LIKE IT GRATES ON THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, ANYBODY COULD BE DOING THIS, I'M I MY CONTRIBUTION TO THIS TEAM IS BEING ABLE TO THINK, BUT I'M SO BUSY WITH ALL THIS STUFF, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT. SO THAT COULD BE A REAL FRUSTRATION. ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON. THE RI, THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO IS VERY UNCONSTRAINED IN THE WAY THEY TAKE THOUGHTS IN. THEY PROCESS THINGS INSTANTLY, IMMEDIATELY DOESN'T TAKE THEM HARDLY ANY TIME AT ALL TO DO THAT. BUT LIKE THE HA, THEY'RE MORE THOUGHT ORIENTED. THEY'RE MORE CONTEMPLATING. SO LOOK AT THEIR CARTOON, THEIR MOTTO IS THERE'S ALWAYS A BETTER WAY. BUT WHAT REALLY TELLS THE STORY IS THE FILING CABINET. THEY'VE GOT VERY OLD IDEAS, OLD IDEAS, POSSIBLE IDEAS, IDEA FRAGMENTS. THIS MAN HERE, THIS PERSON IS A IDEA FACTORY. THAT THEY'RE NOT A TWO-FACED PERSON. THEY'RE A THREE HEADED MONSTER BECAUSE THEY JUST SIT THERE AND THEY, I GOT THIS IDEA, OH NO, THIS IDEA, OH, THIS IDEA. AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH IT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE DEALING WITH NIAGARA FALLS. YOU KNOW, YOUR INBOX IS JUST ALWAYS EXPLODING WITH LOTS OF IDEAS. YOU'RE ALREADY, LIKE, BEGINNING TO SEE. OH, YEAH. THOSE ARE I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. OKAY. SO, WHAT DO YOU SEE ABOUT THEM? THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE MISSION. WHAT ARE WE BECOMING? WHERE ARE WE GOING? WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON? THEY CAN HAVE VARIABLE RATES AND INTENSITY BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY GOT TO PULL BACK AND THEY'RE JUST THINKING, THINKING, THINKING. AND YOU THINK, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HER IN A WHILE. I'VE NEVER HEARD. BUT IT'S JUST THE STILL FROM THE STORY, MY FRIEND. BECAUSE SOMETHING'S GOING TO BREAK IN ABOUT 3 A.M., YOUR INBOX IS GOING TO BE FLOODED WITH IDEAS, EMAILS. THEY LOVE, NEW OPTIONS, NEW THINGS. REMEMBER, SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THIS. I REMEMBER IT WELL. REMEMBER WHEN REESE'S WAS INVENTED? REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS AND THE VERY FIRST COMMERCIAL CAMPAIGN WAS OF A LITTLE BOY SITTING ON THE STAIRS OUTSIDE OF HIS APARTMENT EATING PEANUT BUTTER, AND DOWN THE STAIRS COMES ANOTHER LITTLE BOY EATING A CHOCOLATE BAR. THAT'S RIGHT. AND HE TRIPS AND HIS CANDY BAR LANDS IN THE PEANUT BUTTER. AND THE LITTLE BOY SAYS, YOU GOT CHOCOLATE ON MY PEANUT BUTTER. AND THEN THE LITTLE BOY SAYS, YOU GOT PEANUT BUTTER ON MY CHOCOLATE. AND THEN THEY TASTE IT AND GO, OH, THIS IS GOOD. THAT IS AN RI. WHAT IF WE TOOK THIS IDEA AND WE PUT IT TOGETHER WITH THAT IDEA? WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE? I LOVE NOBODY'S EVER DONE THAT BEFORE. THAT'S GREAT. YOU KNOW. SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE DO TODAY MAKES IT WORKS WELL IN SO MANY PLACES IS PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS AND, IN SOME CASES PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS. RIGHT. AND THAT'S PROBABLY I DON'T KNOW, I'M GUESSING IT'S AN RI, THEY CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA. WHAT IF WE DID THIS? WE PUT THOSE TOGETHER SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF HOW THEY WORK. THEY VALUE CREATIVITY. THEY WANT TO DO WHAT IF AND THEY ARE GOING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY GENERATING MORE POSSIBILITIES SOMETIMES, WHICH WILL BE IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. [00:40:03] SO. THINK OF IT THIS WAY, AND THEN YOU START SEEING WHY YOU HAVE A DYNAMIC FOR CONFLICT AND COMMUNICATION CAN BREAK DOWN. AN RI WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS BY GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER. AN HA WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS BY GOING DEEPER AND DEEPER. AN RS JUST FINDS THE EASIEST SOLUTION AND THE LP IS LOOKING AT HIM GOING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. AND SO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT YOUR TEAM, ABOUT YOURSELF. YOU CAN TELL YOURSELF A STORY ABOUT HOW SOME PERSON IS OPPOSED TO YOU WHEN THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL. THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. AND SOMETIMES. THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS THE RIGHT ONE. NOT ALWAYS, BUT SOMETIMES. AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS IS ONE OF THE FIRST BOOKS I READ WHEN I WAS IN MY LATE 20S AND STARTED THIS SORT OF LEADERSHIP, DISCOVERY AND JOURNEY OF BECOMING A STUDENT, OF LEADERSHIP WAS BY MAX DEPREE, DEPREE WROTE A LOT OF BOOKS. MY FAVORITE ONE WAS LEADERSHIP IS AN ART. AND IN THAT BOOK, HE SAYS, SUCCESSFUL LEADERS ABANDON THEMSELVES TO THE STRENGTHS OF OTHERS. WELL, LET THAT SINK IN, BECAUSE SOMETIMES OUR MINDSET IS A LEADER, IS ALWAYS UP FRONT, KNOWS ALWAYS WHAT TO DO, ALWAYS HAS THE ANSWER, NEVER STUMBLES. NO, DEPREE SAYS, BY THE WAY, HE WAS THE CEO OF HERMAN MILLER FURNITURE COMPANY. VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND HE SAYS GREAT LEADERS ABANDON THEMSELVES TO THE STRENGTH OF OTHERS. LIZ WEISSMAN, A GREAT AUTHOR HERSELF AND PROFESSOR AT [INAUDIBLE] SHE SAYS IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN HER VERY GOOD BOOK, IMPACT PLAYERS, SHE SAYS, IMPACT PLAYERS STEP UP AND STEP BACK AND PEOPLE THAT MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON THEIR TEAMS. THERE'S A TIME WHEN THEY KNOW IT'S MY TURN AND THEY STEP UP BECAUSE YOUR GIFTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NEEDED, BUT THEN THEY DON'T USE THAT TO POWER GRAB. THEY ALSO KNOW WHEN TO STEP BACK AND SAY, AND I GOT A NUDGE ON IT. THIS IS MY MOMENT NOW. THIS IS YOURS, JOHNNY. YOU'RE BETTER AT THIS THAN ME. THAT'S WHAT IMPACT PLAYERS DO. AND GREAT TEAMS HAVE THIS DANCE WITH EACH OTHER WHERE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT. ALL RIGHT. NOW LET'S MOVE ON. AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE OF ALL. THE LAST THING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT BEFORE I TURN YOU LOSE TO READ. WHEN YOU PUT YOUR TWO PRIMARY STYLES TOGETHER, THEY COMBINE TO CREATE WHAT WE CALL STRATEGIC PATTERNS, WHICH ARE VERY PREDICTABLE AND RELIABLE. DOESN'T MEAN YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THIS WAY, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THIS IS WHERE YOU'LL COME FROM. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR FIRST ONE IS REACTIVE STIMULATOR AND YOUR SECOND ONE IS RELATIONAL INNOVATOR OR VICE VERSA, OR I COULD BE FIRST OR SECOND, BUT TOGETHER THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A CHANGER PATTERN. BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH RI IN YOU. YOU THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH RS IN YOU, YOU'RE IN A HURRY, YOU WANT TO DO IT AND YOU'RE PUSHING PEOPLE TO CHANGE. YOU'RE ALWAYS MOVING TOWARDS CHANGE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOUR FIRST ONE IS RS AND YOUR SECOND ONE IS LP OR VICE VERSA, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A CHANGER PATTERN, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH LP IN YOU THAT KNOWS THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. YOU GOT ENOUGH RS IN YOU A PERFORMER PATTERN. SO, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW ASKING YOU WANT TO DO IT QUICKLY. THOSE TWO COMBINED AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET DONE KIND OF PERSON. YOU'RE THE PERFORMER ON THE TEAM. SOMETIMES PERFORMERS CAN HAVE A LITTLE CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDER, LIKE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT DOES ANYTHING AROUND HERE. NOBODY ELSE WORKS BUT ME. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE WE FIGURED OUT YOU GET IT DONE. SO, WE JUST KEEP GIVING IT TO YOU TO DO IT. THE THIRD ONE IS THE CONSERVATOR, AND THAT'S THE COMBO OF THE LOGICAL PROCESSOR. AND THE HYPOTHETICAL ANALYZER. DOESN'T MATTER WHICH ONE COMES FIRST. THAT'S THE PERSON THAT SAYS, HEY, THERE'S A THERE'S A REASON IT WORKS. THERE'S A REASON WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY. WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL? WHY JUMP OFF THE CLIFF WITHOUT A PARACHUTE ON AND GO INTO SOME BIG CHANGE? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESULT IS GOING TO BE. THIS WORKS. LET'S KEEP DOING IT AND DO IT BETTER. SO NOT A DON'T CONFUSE IT WITH A POLITICAL STANCE. IT'S A CONSERVATOR IN KEEPING WHAT IS GOOD. LET'S DO IT THAT WAY. AND THEN THE PERFECTER IS THE COMBO OF THE HA AND RI, NO MATTER WHICH ONE COMES FIRST. [00:45:06] THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT QUITE RIGHT. IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT REALLY PERFECT. LET'S GET IT EXACTLY RIGHT. AND THEN I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THIS GROUP, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT FITS THIS NEXT ONE. BUT YOU COULD BE WHAT WE CALL A SPLIT. SO, IF YOU'RE FIRST IS RELATIONAL INNOVATOR AND YOUR SECOND IS LOGICAL PROCESSOR, YOU'RE NOT ADJOINING. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A SPLIT OR YOUR FIRST ONE IS HA. YOUR SECOND ONE IS RS. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYBODY LIKE THAT TODAY, BUT IF WE DO, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT. DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM OR THERE'S NOT A GOOD LEADER. IT MEANS WHAT'S INTUITIVE TO THEM IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S INTUITIVE TO US. AND I CAN TELL YOU SOME GREAT STORIES ABOUT GREAT LEADERS THAT WERE SPLITS. ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS. ENOUGH OF ME TALKING. YOU MAY READ THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU AGAIN SO YOU CAN READ IT. THIS IS YOUR INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT I DON'T HAVE IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. SO, LET'S GO AROUND. IT'LL TAKE YOU ABOUT TEN MINUTES TO READ IT, AND I WILL SET THE TIMER. NEED TO GO TO THE RESTROOM, DO THAT, GRAB A DRINK OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO EAT, BUT DON'T LEAVE BECAUSE WE'RE COMING BACK TO YOU. AND AFTER YOU READ IT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME LETTING YOU TALK WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM. YOU KNOW THIS IS NEXT. HERE I AM. YOU. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. LINDA. I JUST BYPASSED YOU. IT'S OKAY, IT'S OKAY. OKAY, EVERYBODY GOT THIS RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, READ THEM AND WEEP. WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES. [01:08:39] MIC] [01:18:42] ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO YOUR SEAT, IF YOU WILL. [01:18:47] H, AND BEFORE WE TAKE A BREAK, LET'S LOOK AND SEE HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT RECOGNIZING WHO YOU WHO [01:18:57] YOUR TEAMMATES ARE. [01:18:59] YEAH. ALL RIGHT. [01:19:00] AND THEN WE WILL LOOK AT YOU ON THE, ON THE SCREEN AND AS A TEAM, WE'LL TAKE A BREAK. ALL RIGHT. SO HERE'S THE PERSON THAT IS THAT THAT'S A STRONG CONSERVATOIRE. AND STRONG HA, STRONG LP. NOT AS MUCH IN THE RI OR RA. JOHNNY. JOHNNY. RIGHT. DID IT SEEM ABOUT RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. AND YOUR TEAMMATES SEEM TO AGREE? YOU BET YOU. YEAH. THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LOOK AT THIS ONE. SO HERE ARE THIS PERSON IS IN FIRST RI IS SECOND STRONG HA, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LP. WESLEY. WESLEY. TWO. NOW YOU GOT TWO. WELL TWO SO FAR. THAT IS VERY SYMMETRICAL NOW. [01:20:02] WELL IT'S JUST BECAUSE I REMEMBERED THE SHAPES. WELL, THIS SEEMS ABOUT RIGHT. YEAH. IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY BALANCED, VERY BALANCED. I WANT TO CALL HEATHER. I'M GOING TO TAKE OFF. I'M VERY CONFIDENT THERE, TOO, SO THAT'S GOOD. ALRIGHT. HERE'S ONE. OKAY. JAMIE. I THINK THAT'S MILLER SAYS NO, JAMIE WAS ALRIGHT. LP OH HA. NO, I'M GOING TO SAY IT'S LARRY. NO. JAMIE. OH, GOD. YEAH, IT WAS JAMIE. YEAH. OF ALL OF ALL OF Y'ALL'S. JAMIE'S IS THE ONE THAT'S THE CLOSEST TO THE CROSSHAIRS. AS FAR AS. HE IS, THAT'S USUALLY WHERE I LIKE TO SEE JAMIE IS ON THE CROSS. IS MORE LIKELY TO HIT THE TARGET THAN YOU GUYS. OH. SO WHAT? THAT. NOW I'M CURIOUS. WHAT? THAT. WHAT? THAT WHAT? JAMIE. ALL. BUT JUST BASED ON I-OPT. WHAT THIS WOULD TELL US IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOING TO BE PRETTY COMFORTABLE MOVING IN, REALLY ALL OF THOSE DIRECTIONS. HE MIGHT LEAN A LITTLE MORE TOWARDS THE RS RI, BUT HE'S STILL GOT A LOT OF ALPHA. AND SO THAT MIGHT MAKE HIM AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT IT MIGHT MAKE HIM A LITTLE HARD TO READ. BECAUSE WITH SOME LIKE LET'S GO BACK. NO OFFENSE TO YOU ON IT, WESLEY, BUT WE'RE LIKELY WHAT WES IS NOT LIKELY TO BE IN THE CONSERVATORY PARTY. HE MIGHT BE SOME MORE. YOU KNOW, JOHNNY ESPECIALLY IS GOING TO BE THERE IF JOHNNY IS UP IN THAT CHANGER MODE. WE'RE GOING TO WONDER WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU. THIS IS NOT YOU, YOU KNOW? BUT, JAMIE THANK YOU. HE COULD BE IN EITHER. NOW, LET ME JUST STOP. DOES THAT SEEM CLOSE TO ACCURATE? I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT. BECAUSE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AT WORK. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO. SOMETIMES YOU JUST TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT. IT'S PRETTY MUCH A JUGGLE, A LOT OF THINGS EVERY DAY, AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH DECISION POINTS. SO SOMETIMES I'LL HAVE TO MAKE A REALLY QUICK DECISION. SO I'LL JUST MAYBE HAVE TO RELY ON LOGIC AND READING THE SITUATION. AND THEN OTHER TIMES WHEN I CAN. I REALLY LIKE TO BE ANALYTICAL. YEAH, I LIKE TO GET IT RIGHT ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, DO IT ONCE AND DO IT RIGHT. YEAH. BUT DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME I HAVE TO SPEND ON IT, SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO GO, YEAH, JUST GO GET IT DONE. AND TIPPED US OFF ON THAT AND SAY, HEY, ON THIS ONE, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION THAT TELLS EVERYBODY, OKAY, JAMIE'S GOING TO OPERATING AND HIS CHANGER MODE. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, LIKE, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO DIVE DOWN DEEP. OKAY. THAT'S TELLING US YOU'RE NOT BEING OBSTINATE. YOU'RE WANTING TO THINK ABOUT IT DEEPLY. JUST THAT LITTLE TIP OFF MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. I THINK EVERYBODY IN HERE IS PROBABLY SEEING ME CLOSE MY BOOK AFTER TWO MINUTES OF THE 20-MINUTE PRESENTATION, BECAUSE I'M ALREADY READY. AND THAT'S A FAULT OF MINE. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LISTENED MORE AND GONE DEEPER IN THE ANALYTICS TO AT LEAST HAVE BEEN MORE UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WOULD BE COMING. OKAY. IT'S ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S LOOK AT THIS NEXT ONE. STRONG HA, STRONG LP SUMMARIES. SUMMARY. ROBERTS. NO, I'M JUST GONNA SAY I HAD TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY FIRST CLUE. OH, THAT IS HILARIOUS. KIND OF LOOKS LIKE AN ICE PICK. WELL, I'M WORKING ON MY WELL-ROUNDEDNESS. YEAH, I KNOW THAT MUCH, SO. SEEMS ABOUT RIGHT. YEAH. THE ONLY THING I KIND OF WAS SURPRISED AT IS THAT MY EVERYDAY LIFE KIND OF LIKE JAMIE. I MEAN, I DON'T MAKE AS MANY, BUT I HAVE TO MAKE LOTS OF QUICK DECISIONS. BUT I ALSO, I KNOW MY BUSINESS INSIDE AND OUT. SO I THINK THAT'S WHY I CAN MAKE THE QUICK DECISIONS. BUT I HEAR THAT FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE A STRONG LP A LOT LIKE, NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT BECAUSE I MAKE A LOT OF QUICK DECISIONS, BUT THEY PROBABLY HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE YOU START TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION ON SOMETHING I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. THEY HAVE A SYSTEM, AND THEY KNOW THAT SYSTEM. AND SO IT'S LIKE CLOCKWORK. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ONE. DEFINITE CHANGER. STRONG, SIS. STRONG RE. LARRY. LARRY. LARRY! LARRY! LARRY! LARRY! YOU CAN'T SNEAK PAST US. [01:25:01] HE'S NOT REALLY IN FAVOR OF KEEPING IT THE WAY IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN. LET'S WAIT A MINUTE. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. HE SAYS IT'S RIGHT. DOES YOUR TEAM AGREE? IS HE A CHANGER? HE HAS A LOT OF IDEAS. SO THAT WOULD BE CHANGERS. I MEAN, HE GOT IDEAS. A LOT OF IDEAS, A LOT OF IDEAS. WELL, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU MEET A GOAL AND HE WANTS TO CHANGE IT. ONCE YOU MEET IT, RATHER THAN GIVE IT TIME, YOU KNOW, BUT NOT CONSISTENT, BUT NOT THROUGH THE PROCESSES. PROCESS IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT'S NOT A PROCESS. THAT'S A THAT'S NOT A PROCESSOR. YEAH. BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT WITH A LOT OF US ARE CHANGERS. WE HAVE THOSE IDEAS BUT THEY'RE NOT GOOD. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROCESS OF IT, WE REALLY HAVE TO BACK OUT AND SAY, OKAY, ABANDON YOURSELF TO THE STRENGTH OF OTHERS. AND THAT'S OKAY. YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND HE'S INTERESTED IN THAT. HE HAS TO DO THAT. A LOT OF THAT COMES BACK TO THIS TRUST. ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. HERE'S A HERE'S A CONSERVATOR. STRONG A STRONG LP. PRETTY SIGNIFICANT RE ROWLETT OR LINDA. OOH. LINDA. NOW YOU'VE THIS ONE. YEAH. THIS ONE. TALK TO ME. HYPOTHETICAL. SO YOU DON'T KNOW ME. I'M HURT. OH, NO I WOULD NOT TAKE THIS. OH, YOU CAN'T EVERYBODY ELSE IN. RIGHT. OH. I DID HAVE ONE OTHER WRONG. OH THANK YOU JAMIE. THANK YOU. I NEEDED THAT FAST. SEE WHO WE GOT HERE? SAYS HYPOTHETICAL. THAT'S LOPEZ. THAT'S NOT FOR LOPEZ. RICARDO. RICARDO. I JUST USED THE NAME THAT Y'ALL PUT DOWN. ALL RIGHT IS THAT DOCTOR LOPEZ I SEE? WE GOT RIGHT TO ME. YEAH. FOCUS. YEAH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD IS THIS IS THIS A PRODUCT OF HOW WE'RE THINKING NOW IN OUR ROLES. YOU KNOW, IF I WAS IN A DIFFERENT ROLE, AS IN MY LIFE, WOULD I. WOULD I STILL COME OUT WITH THE SAME OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF HAD SOME GOOD DISCUSSIONS ON THAT. OR WOULD IT BE I'M CRAVING FOR SOMETHING ELSE THAT I DON'T HAVE. RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS SHAPES OUR ANSWERS. RIGHT. BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE GET THOSE QUESTIONS A LOT. WHAT I WILL ALWAYS COME BACK TO IS WE'RE NOT QUITE AS COMPARTMENTALIZED AS THAT. SO THAT YOU GO BECAUSE PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, I GO HOME, I'M DIFFERENT. WELL, YOU MAY EXPRESS YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY FOR SURE, BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY PROCESSING INFORMATION IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS THIS ISN'T ME, THEIR SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, WE'LL COME BACK AND SAY, YEAH, REALLY IT IS. IT REALLY IS. WELL, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT IN WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE. I WAS SAYING IF I WAS IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT ROLE, LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY I WAS IN A TEACHER, WOULD I HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO AS MUCH IDEATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I DO IN THE ROLE HERE FOR THE FUTURE PLANNING, SO WE COULD BE MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT. AND SO, WOULD I ANSWER THOSE DIFFERENTLY, YOU KNOW, SO I WENT THROUGH MY ENTIRE CAREER, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL CAREER LOOKING AT, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS A TEACHER, HOW WOULD I APPROACH THIS WHENEVER I WAS THIS AGE? RIGHT? AND AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND, I WAS JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, BUT INTERESTING TO SEE IF THAT SNAPSHOT. YEAH. EVOLVES. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT AS A 20-YEAR-OLD FIRST AND THEN A 30-YEAR-OLD. YEAH, BUT THAT'D BE COOL, MAN. I MEAN, WHAT IF YOU ARE CONSISTENT NO MATTER WHAT ROLE YOU'RE IN, WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU EXTRA CREDIT. WELL, IT WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST THAT HAD YOU STAYED IN THE CLASSROOM, YOU WOULD NOT BE MORE FRUSTRATED. YEAH, THAT MIGHT BE THAT. THAT'S WHY YOU MOVED. THAT'S A PART THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, YOU KNOW. RIGHT. YEAH, I LIKE THAT. WHICH ONE ARE YOU CHANGED? YOU'RE STILL MY FRIEND, NOT ME I DON'T USE. OKAY. WHO GOT HERE? LAST ONE. BROUGHT IT TO MY TABLE. ROBERT. ROBERT. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID ROBERT. DOES THAT SEEM ABOUT RIGHT? YEP. OKAY. DEEP THINKER, MORE OF A LOGICAL PROCESSOR. BUT THEN WHEN I STARTED READING THROUGH THE DESCRIPTION OF HYPOTHETICAL ANALYZER WITH THE BIG PICTURE AND WANTING CLEAR GOALS, LIKE THAT WAS LIKE, YEAH, GET IT? ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, LET'S LOOK AT YOUR TEAM HERE. I'M GOING TO SKIP PAST THIS ONE FOR A MINUTE AND LET'S JUST SAMPLE, LET'S SHOW YOU THIS IS NOT Y'ALL, BUT JUST SO YOU GET A FEEL FOR IT. YOU CAN SEE ON THIS ONE, THEY'RE KIND OF SPREAD OUT ALL OVER. OKAY. YOU SEE, THE LEADER IS A CONSERVATOR. [01:30:01] THEN THEY'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE IN EVERY QUADRANT. AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE. AND AGAIN THIS IS NOT YOU GUYS. THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE. THE NEXT SLIDE IS WHAT WE CALL THE LEADER POOL. AND IT'S TELLING US WHICH WAY IS THIS LEADER PULLING THIS TEAM. SO, WE SUPERIMPOSE THE LEADER'S PROFILE OVER THE TEAM. AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CASE THIS LEADER IS MORE INTERESTED IN KEEPING IT THE SAME. THEIR CONSERVATOR. THEY'RE NOT REALLY COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT INTERESTED IN CHANGE OR GETTING IT PERFECT PERFORMERS ABOUT THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT THE POOL THAT THAT TEAM IS GOING TO FEEL IS THAT LEADER IS GOING TO BE SAYING, LET'S FOLLOW THE PROCESS, FOLLOW OUR PROCEDURES. SO NOW LET ME GIVE YOU A MOVE FORWARD HERE TO A DIFFERENT ONE HERE. THE LEADER IS A CHANGER. IN FACT WE WOULD SAY THE LEADER IS THE OUTLIER RIGHT. BUT YOU'VE GOT STILL PEOPLE IN EVERY QUADRANT. BUT LOOK AT WHAT THIS LEADER POOL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO THERE. THAT LEADER IS FIVE TIMES MORE INTERESTED IN CHANGING THINGS THAN THE TEAM AS A WHOLE IS. SO, THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE, MAN, THEY'RE JUST CHANGING ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME, ALL THE TIME. ALRIGHT, SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT YOUR TEAM. SO THIS IS THIS IS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING. WE'VE GOT YOUR GROUPS THERE. I MEAN, THIS IS JUST HOW YOU COME OUT. OF COURSE. ROBERT IS THE LEADER AS SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT. SO LEADER IS A CONSERVATOR. JOHNNY'S RIGHT THERE WITH HIM. LARRY, WE TALKED ABOUT OVER IN THAT CHANGE AREA. DOCTOR LOPEZ IN THAT CHANGE AREA WITH HIM. WES, IT'S KIND OF IN CHANGE. KIND OF PERFECTER. LINDA, STRONG CONSERVATOR, SHADES TOWARD THE PERFECTER. I'M GETTING EXACTLY RIGHT. DAPHNE. YOU KNOW, AND YOU GUYS GOT CONFUSED EARLY ON. WAS THAT ROBERT OR DAPHNE, YOU UNDERSTAND WE SOLD BECAUSE YOU'RE VERY SIMILAR IN YOUR PROFILES THERE. AND THEN JAMIE, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, HE'S UP THERE, KIND OF PERFORMER KIND OF CHANGER. BUT SO REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU'RE IN TWO QUADRANTS, RIGHT? AND I AND I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S PLAYS OUT AT ALL IN DISCUSSIONS WHERE POLAR OPPOSITES. YEAH. YOU HAVE YOU HAVE ONE GROUP. ONE GROUP IS LARGELY GOING TO THINK THROUGH WHAT'S THE PROCESS. HOW HAVE WE DONE IT. WHAT'S OUR PROCEDURE. ANOTHER GROUP MAYBE DOESN'T MEAN TO IGNORE THAT, BUT THEY ARE MORE GEARED TOWARDS WHERE ARE WE GOING AND CHANGING. AND AND I JUST FOUND THAT FASCINATING. I WANTED YOU GUYS TO TALK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE WITHOUT A FIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OBSERVATION, ONE OBSERVATION I'VE GOT ON THAT IS GOING BACK TO WHEN WE HIRED DOCTOR LOPEZ. YEAH. ONE OF THE STRONG FEELINGS WITHIN THE BOARD AND THE COMMITTEE THAT. SELECTION PROCESS. WE KIND OF WANT TO SEE CHANGE OKAY. WE WANT LEADERSHIP TO CHANGE AND REDIRECT THE DISTRICT TO. A DIFFERENT PLACE, ESPECIALLY FROM YOUR HEAD DOWN THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO. TO SEE. THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I PURPOSEFULLY WANTED TO ACHIEVE. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. ISN'T IT SURPRISING ABOUT HIS PERSONALITY? AND TO ME, THAT'S KIND OF A HIT. WE KIND OF HIT THAT ONE. THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED. YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S GOOD. SO HOW DOES THIS HOW DOES THIS SHIFT WITH OVER TIME. I MEAN, LET'S JUST SAY FOR THE LAST 3 TO 4 YEARS, WE'VE KIND OF MAINTAINED OUR SAME BOARD, ASSUMING THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY SHIFTED OR CHANGED MUCH WITH OUR PROFILE. WHAT DOES THE POLL LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEADERS EVERY YEAR. WELL, THAT LEADER POOL WILL CHANGE DEPENDING UPON THE MIX OF THE BOARD. SO YOUR PROFILE MAY NOT CHANGE. BUT NOW IF YOU GET SOME MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE WE'LL LOOK AT LIVERPOOL FOR YOU IN A MINUTE, BUT YOU GET SOME MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE PERFECTER THING, THEN YOUR POOL WILL FEEL DIFFERENT TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE THERE'S MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF BELOW THAT LINE. WELL, LET'S JUST TAKE WHAT WE HAVE HERE, OKAY? LINDA AND I ARE IN THE SAME SORT OF CONSERVATIVE RANGE. BUT THEN PRIOR TO LINDA, IT WAS WEST. RIGHT. WEST WAS THE PRESIDENT. AND PRIOR TO WEST IT WAS JAMIE. [01:35:01] AND SO WITH THEIR PROFILE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE POOL WOULD HAVE BEEN? BECAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PULLING MORE TOWARDS CHANGE YOUR POOL IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE LOOK AT RIGHT. YOUR POOL IS MORE TOWARDS BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR PROFILE. WE'VE SUPERIMPOSED YOUR PROFILE ON IT. AND SO ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, YOUR BENT IS TO SAY LET'S FOLLOW OUR PROCESS. LET'S THINK IT THROUGH DEEPLY. LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S ON TARGET AND CLEAR. YEAH, YEAH JOHN YOU'VE BEEN YOU'VE HAD YOUR HAND UP. YEAH. ONE THING THAT WHERE I WAS WITH ROBERT AND I WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL. AND THE REASON I FEEL THAT THAT I AM IN THAT CATEGORY WHEN I'M RETIRED IN 2016 WHEN I RAN FOR THE BOARD. BUT I BROUGHT EDUCATION TO FROM THE EDUCATION FIELD TO THE BOARD. IN OTHER WORDS, I WAS FROM THE CLASSROOM ADMINISTRATION. I WAS THE ONLY I'M STILL THE ONLY ONE ON THE BOARD THAT HAS BEEN IN THE CLASSROOM. AND SO THAT'S WHY I SIT BACK AND I LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PERSPECTIVES ARE, BECAUSE THAT CHANGE WHEN THEY WERE WHEN HE'S LEADER AND HE WAS LEADER, THEY BROUGHT FORTH GOOD IDEAS. THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AT INTO THE EDUCATION FIELD. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT MY PERSPECTIVE IS COMING FORWARD IN THAT IN THAT FIELD IS THAT I'M IN OR THAT QUADRANT THAT I'M IN, BECAUSE I LIKE TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER IDEAS THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER BRINGS BEFORE I REACT TO THAT, BECAUSE I TRY TO APPLY IT TO WHAT REALLY TOOK PLACE WHEN I WAS IN THE CLASSROOM. WHAT I SAW NEEDS TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT MAY WORK NOW, IT MAY NOT WORK NOW. AND THERE IS THIS PROGRAM BENEFICIAL, OR DO WE NEED TO ELIMINATE IT AND ADD SOMETHING NEW? WELL, YOU KNOW THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. SO BUT I DO THINK IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THE DIFFERENT PRESIDENTS. AND JUST RECENTLY WE HAD MISS GRIFFIN, WHICH SOLIDIFIED THE WHOLE EVALUATION PROCESS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THOSE THINGS. YOU'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON GOALS RIGHT NOW, TALKING ABOUT HAVING SOME CLARITY. WHEN WES WAS THERE, WE HAD THE BOND, AM I RIGHT? YEAH, WE HAD THE BOND. SO THAT'S HUGE CHANGE. YEAH. RIGHT. LIKE $1.3 BILLION CHANGE. RIGHT. AND SO LIKE IT MAKES SENSE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS STRATEGICALLY DEPENDING ON THE SEASON OF OUR BOARD. YEAH. IT MAKES SENSE ON WHO YOU WOULD WANT TO BE THE LEAD TIME. AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOUR YOU'RE DESCRIBING, BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO LIZ WISEMAN'S BOOK IMPACT PLAYERS. THAT CONCEPT OF THEY STEP UP AND THEN THEY STEP BACK. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND THEY DON'T TRY TO USE IT AS A POWER GRAB TO SAY IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THIS WAY. YEAH. THAT'S A REALLY SPEAKS TO GOOD QUALITY LEADERSHIP. BUT I THINK THE OTHER THING IS WHAT TIME AND SEASON ARE WE IN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND SO WE TEND TO FOCUS ON WHAT THE HOTTEST LINGO IS AT THE TIME. RIGHT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT DOESN'T HELP US KEEP CONSISTENCY. YEAH. AND STABILITY. SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE DIFFERENT, WE STILL NEED TO BE ABLE. THIS BOARD SHOULD TURN ON A DIME REGARDLESS OF WHO'S SITTING AROUND HERE. AND IN EDUCATION WE HAVE TO DO THOSE, YOU KNOW, BASIC THINGS. SO I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THE TIMING AND THE SEASON THAT WE'RE IN AND WHAT PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WHAT AUSTIN IS ASKING OF US TOO. SO IT'S A IT'S A TIME. IT'S A TIME AND PLACE FOR EVERYTHING TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THE HOTTEST GO BACK TO THAT NUMBER ONE TERM OF COMMUNICATION. WE DON'T WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET LIKE WE PROBABLY SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC IS OR WHAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. AND I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM IN SCHOOL BOARDS ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS HEADED. YOU BET IS BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE. AND BUT AT SOME TIME YOU GOT TO KEEP SOME ORDER AND STABILITY, OR ELSE IT'LL BE WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH IS THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY IN CHANGE. AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW DO WE EVALUATE OURSELVES, HOW DO WE LOOK AND HOW DOES THE DISTRICT LOOK? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A TIME FOR ALL OF THESE. YEAH. BUT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONFUSED ON BECAUSE WE CALL IT WHAT'S THE WORD CONSERVATOR. CONSERVATOR. RIGHT. AND I WOULD SAY FOR THE MOST PART, THE FOUR PEOPLE IN THERE, I DON'T. AND THIS IS ME SPEAKING ME, RICK LOPEZ, I LEARNED THAT LONE STAR GOVERNMENT, THIS IS MY PERCEPTION. WHILE THEY I SEE THEM AS VERY CONCRETE, SEQUENTIAL PEOPLE LIKE, LET'S DEVELOP A PROCESS TO GET TO THE END GOAL. [01:40:02] THEY'RE VISIONARIES AND WANTING TO CHANGE THE PROCESS. SO LIKE THIS IS MY THIS IS MY INTERNAL CONFUSION WITH THE FOUR PEOPLE THERE. THEY THINK IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN PROBABLY THE OTHER FOUR, BUT THEY BOTH HAVE A VISIONARY ASPECT OF WHAT THEY HAVE. IT'S NEVER LIKE, LISTEN, LET'S HAVE A PROCESS TO STAY THE SAME. RIGHT? IT'S NEVER OUT OF THOSE FOUR. IT'S NEVER LIKE, LET'S THINK OF SOMETHING TO NOT ROCK THE BOAT. WE DON'T WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT HERE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAILING THE SHIP. NO, ALL EIGHT OF US ARE LIKE, WE NEED TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM. IT'S JUST THE WAY WE APPROACH IT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS MISSING. YEAH. THAT'S IT. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T THIS CAN'T MEASURE THAT. LIKE, I WAS TALKING TO DAPHNE ABOUT THIS. SO SHE MAY NOT BE. AND AGAIN I'M NOT SAYING BUT SHE MAY NOT BE THE ONE THAT COMES UP WITH THE IDEA FOR CHANGE. I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T, BUT IT'S ON THIS TEAM. NOT LIKELY THAT YOU WOULD BE. BUT ONCE THAT DECISION IS MADE, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. THAT AND THE OTHER THREE ARE GOING TO BE INSTRUMENTAL WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN BRINGING THAT CHANGE ABOUT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY PROCESS ORIENTED. RIGHT. WHERE THE FACTS. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW THINK ABOUT THINK ABOUT THIS IN I LOVE NBA. SO, YOU KNOW THERE'S SOMETIMES OVERDO THIS BUT IT YEAH OF COURSE. BUT NBA IS ALL ABOUT SPACING RIGHT. AND IT'S LIKE YOU WHEN YOU SPACE THE FLOOR TO CREATE THE BEST PASSING LANES DRIVING LANES. AND IT'S THE SAME ONLY TEAMS WHEN WE SEE YOU KNOW A LEADER LET'S SAY PRESIDENT OF HE'S OKAY. LET'S FOLLOW THE PROCESS. EVERYBODY FIGURES OUT BECAUSE IF THERE'S HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST, THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST. EVERYBODY FIGURES OUT, OKAY, HOW I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT? HOW DO I POSITION MYSELF SO THAT MY GIFTS BRING THAT TO BEAR? THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD TEAMS AND NOT SO GOOD TEAMS IS DO YOU TRUST EACH OTHER AND GO, OKAY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. I'M GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. AND IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL ARE PRETTY GOOD AT THAT. YOU COULD BE BETTER. OF COURSE ANYBODY COULD BE, BUT YOU SEEM PRETTY GOOD AT IT. WE ALWAYS SAY TRUST. WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE BREAK. OKAY. I'M JUST SAYING IT'S GOOD. I WOULD LIKE SOME CLARITY ON THE WORD. YEAH. I'VE BEEN AROUND. I'M NOT THE OLDEST ONE ON THE BOARD, BUT CLOSE TO IT. YOU KNOW, I'M 74, SO I'VE LIVED, YOU KNOW, A WHILE, AND. BUT WORDS MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE BASED ON EXPERIENCE, EXPOSURE AND FAMILY ETHNICITY. AND I THINK IF WE CAN, FOR ME, IF NOBODY ELSE IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE WORD, WE CAN MOVE ON. BUT I JUST. DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS ANYMORE. IT'D BE GREAT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. BUT WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A BREAK? IT'S ALL ABOUT 245. LET'S COME BACK AT THREE AND WE'LL PICK UP WITH THE NEXT THING, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, YOU JUST SEGUE FOR A MINUTE. HOW DOES TRUST FIT INTO THIS? SO WHAT? VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. HOW LONG? ALRIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START AGAIN. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT TRUST AND HOW THAT RELATES TO COMMUNICATION. AND I THINK YOU ASKED A GREAT QUESTION. AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF TRY TO DIVE INTO THAT. I WANT TO START WITH THE STORY. THERE'S A GREAT STORY THAT IS TOLD ABOUT STEPHEN COVEY SENIOR THAT IS ALMOST HARD TO BELIEVE. HE AND HIS WIFE WERE DRIVING DOWN I WHAT IS IT, 70. SO IT MUST BE THE 84 GOING WEST BACK TO SALT LAKE CITY THROUGH WYOMING. AND SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING AND HE HAD BEEN SLEEPING IN THE BACK SEAT, AND IT WAS TIME TO SWITCH. THEY WERE TIRED, SO THEY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE HE GETS OUT OF THE BACK SEAT, GETS IN THE FRONT SEAT TO START TO DRIVE, THINKS THAT SHE HAS ALREADY GOTTEN THE BACK SEAT AND SHE WAS STRETCHING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HE TAKES OFF DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THINKS SHE'S ASLEEP IN THE BACK SEAT. HERE COMES A STATE TROOPER AND FINDS A LADY STANDING, YOU KNOW, OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE [01:45:01] ROAD PULLS OVER. SHE TELLS HIM THE STORY AND HE YOU KNOW, RADIOS AHEAD TO ANOTHER STATE TROOPER TO PULL THIS GUY OVER BECAUSE HIS WIFE IS STAYING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOW, PUT YOURSELF IN THE STATE TROOPERS SHOES FOR JUST A MOMENT. RIGHT. MAN. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD SAYS, I THINK MY WIFE'S IN THE BACK SEAT. AND NO, HE'S NOT. AND HE SAYS, THE STATE TROOPER SAYS, MAY I SEE YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE? HE GIVES HIM THE DRIVER'S LICENSE AND HE SAYS, STEPHEN COVEY, DO YOU THINK AUTHOR STEPHEN COVEY? AND SHEEPISHLY HE SAYS, YES, YES, I AM. AND HE RADIOS BACK TO HIS PATROL PERSON AND SAYS, YEAH, THERE'S NO PROBLEM HERE. HE ACTUALLY FORGOT HIS WIFE. AND, YOU KNOW, HE BRINGS IN THE PATROL. OTHER PATROL OFFICER BRINGS THE LADY BACK AND THEY WHY HAPPENED? WHY? WHY DID THAT HAPPEN THAT WAY? IT'S BECAUSE IT'S BECAUSE THAT MAN RECOGNIZED HIS NAME AS BEING EQUIVALENT TO INTEGRITY, THAT HE WAS PERFECT. HE OBVIOUSLY MADE A DUMB MISTAKE LEAVING HIS WIFE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAD EVIL ON IT. AND TO ME, THAT'S AS GOOD AS I CAN GET. AND WHAT TRUST IS, IS THAT WHEN WE EQUATE SOMEONE WITH INTEGRITY THAT WE GO, OKAY, WHAT THEY SAY IS WHAT THEY MEAN. THAT'S TRUST. THAT'S TRUST. SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THIS WAS SUCH A HOT TOPIC THAT THAT WE STARTED DOING A DEEP DIVE AT SDR ON WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO TRUST. WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO TRUST? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE FINAL SAY ON IT. IN FACT, I'VE GOT SOME OTHER INFORMATION I WANT TO SHARE THAT I THINK YOU LOOK AT IT FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. IT STARTS CREATING A PICTURE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CAUSES OTHERS TO TRUST US. AND SO. HAVE IT. ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. SO, I DON'T KNOW THAT THESE ARE ANY GREAT ORDER EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST TWO. I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD AGREE HAVE TO BE FIRST AND SECOND, OR ELSE THE OTHERS DON'T EVEN MATTER. BUT. BUT THE FIRST THING THAT THE CYCLE OF TRUST IS WHEN THERE IS A SENSE OF CONNECTION AND THERE PEOPLE ARE ASKING THEMSELVES, DOES HE GET ME? DOES HE GET WHERE I'M COMING FROM? AND ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, WE TEND TO TRUST PEOPLE WHO WE FEEL SOME KIND OF EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH. DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO BE BEST FRIENDS, BUT THERE HAS TO BE SOME SENSE OF CONNECTION. AND ALWAYS GO BACK TO SOME OF HENRY CLOUD'S WRITINGS, AND HENRY CLOUD SAYS IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GET SOMEBODY. THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND IT. THEY HAVE TO FEEL IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU FEEL IT OR NOT. THEY HAVE TO FEEL IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I HAD A FRIEND. I REMEMBER HER HUSBAND WAS ONE OF THE PASTORS ON OUR STAFF. AND THIS LADY, HER NAME WAS LARUE. AND LARUE, WE WOULD TEASE HER AND SAY, YOU JUST PLAY 20 QUESTIONS WITH EVERYBODY. YOU MEET SOMEBODY AND SAY, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? ALABAMA. I'M FROM ALABAMA. ARE YOU AUBURN OR ARE YOU UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA? OH I'M AUBURN. WELL I'M ALABAMA. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE, FOUR? I HAVE FOUR KIDS. TWO. AND THEN WHATEVER SHE WOULD FIND CONNECTION WITH, THAT'S WHERE SHE WOULD STAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE TEASED HER. BUT THE TRUTH IS, IF ANYBODY HAD A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW WHO THEY WENT TO? THEY WENT TO LARUE BECAUSE THERE WAS THAT SENSE OF CONNECTION. SO THAT'S THE FIRST PART, IS HELPING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND IT. EMPATHY IS ANOTHER WAY TO SAY IT. THE NEXT ONE IS INTENT. AND IT'S EQUALLY, IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN CONNECTION. AND THEIR PEOPLE ARE ASKING THE QUESTION, ARE YOU FOR THE WIN? IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE TRUST PEOPLE WHO THEY FEEL LIKE WANT THEM TO SUCCEED. YOU KNOW? AND IT'S SO MANY TIMES I SEE THIS WITH LEADERSHIP. THEY MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SAYING THEY SHOULD TRUST ME. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST HER. BUT THAT'S JUST BEING NEUTRAL. AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO MOVE PEOPLE TO TRUST YOU. [01:50:03] WHAT REALLY CAUSES IT TO TRUST PEOPLE IS WHEN WE SINCE LEGITIMATELY SO CONNECTED INTEGRITY THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR AGENDA, BUT THEY ALSO CARE ABOUT THAT OTHER PERSON'S AGENDA TOO. IT'S THE WIN, NOT JUST THE WIN I WIN, YOU KNOW? AND BOY, PEOPLE DON'T TRUST PEOPLE. THEY JUST BOY, THEY'RE OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND WE SENSE IT IN ZINGER AND FOLKMAN ARE SOME OF THE BEST WRITERS AND RESEARCHERS ON TRUST. AND THEY SAY FOR THEM IN THEIR WRITINGS THEY WILL SAY TRUST EQUALS COMPETENCY. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN OURS. SO, YOU'VE GOT TO BE WE TRUST PEOPLE THAT ARE GOOD AT SOMETHING PLUS RELIABILITY. THEY DON'T ONLY HAVE THE ABILITY, BUT WE CAN COUNT ON THEM AND SHOW UP. THEY DO. PLUS THIS IS INTERESTING WARMTH OR WHAT'S CALL IT THEY'RE WARM SPIRIT THAT THEY GET WARMTH OF SPIRIT. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A, THERE'S A GENUINE APPRECIATION FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT. SO, AND IN THEIR RESEARCH, THEY'LL SAY THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE THAT'S WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO TRUST WHEN THERE'S THEY'RE GOOD AT IT. THEY DON'T JUST HAVE ABILITY, THEY HAVE RELIABILITY, AND THEY'RE WARM SPIRITED TOWARDS. BUT HERE'S THE KICKER ZENGER. FOLKMAN SAY, LOOK AT IT AS A MATH EQUATION THAT WHEN WE SENSE THAT PEOPLE ARE SELF-SERVING, WE TRUST THEM HALF AS MUCH. I JUST TRUSTED HALF AS MUCH. SO? SO YOU CAN BE GREAT AT WHAT YOU DO. YOU CAN SHOW UP EVERY TIME AND KNOW AND BE, YOU KNOW, VERY WARM HEARTED. BUT IF WE PERCEIVE. YEAH, BUT YOU'RE DOING IT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL ABOUT YOURSELF. OUR TRUST IN YOU DROPS 50%. THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. SO INTENT AND CONNECTION ARE THE FIRST TWO. IT'S LIKE, GOT TO GET THOSE RIGHT. YES. HOW IS THAT MEASURED? THAT YOU'D HAVE TO READ THAT BOOK. THEY MEASURE IT THROUGH SAMPLES AND SURVEYS, BUT I CANNOT REMEMBER HOW THEY DO IT. IT'S IN THE, I'LL HAVE TO REMEMBER WHICH BOOK IT IS ZENGER FOLKMAN HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS. I'VE GOT IT. I'LL FIND IT FOR YOU. IT'S A GREAT BOOK. AND THEY TELL ABOUT THE MEASUREMENT OF IT. SO THE NEXT THING THOUGH, THAT'S A PART OF CREATING TRUST IS CHARACTER. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES BACK TO SIMPLE THINGS INTEGRITY TO WALK THE TALK THAT YOU TELL THE TRUTH. IF YOU CAN'T, IF I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO PUT STOCK IN IT AND TRUST YOU. AND THEN THE THIRD PART OF CHARACTER THAT'S BECOME MORE POPULAR IN ITS IN LANGUAGE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE REALLY THINK ABOUT IT THE WAY IS RESILIENCE. AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT RESILIENCE AS A PART OF CHARACTER, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT SPORTS, YOU DO, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE SAY, OH, CAN YOU COME BACK FROM BEING DOWN BY 20 POINTS OR DO YOU JUST MAIL IT IN WHEN YOU GET, YOU KNOW, YOU GET BEHIND? CAN YOU AS A QUARTERBACK COME BACK AND BE THE MVP OF THE GAME? IF YOU THROW A PICK SIX IN THE FIRST QUARTER, OR ARE YOU JUST A SHELL OF THE PERSON YOU WERE? CAN YOU COME BACK FROM A BOARD MEETING THAT HAD SO MUCH PUBLIC CRITICISM THAT IT WAS UNPLEASANT? OR ARE YOU GOING TO ARE YOU TANKED FOR THREE MONTHS? IT'S RESILIENCE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO COME BACK FROM BAD DAYS, THE ABILITY TO COME BACK FROM BEING ON THE LOSING SIDE OF A VOTE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THAT'S RESILIENCE. WHEN YOU'VE GOT THAT, THAT'S CHARACTER. WE CAN TRUST YOU IF YOU DON'T. WE ALWAYS GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WORKAROUND LIKE, OH MAN, WE CAN'T LET LARRY KNOW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HELL YES. WE CAN'T TELL. WHAT ARE WE SAYING? WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T TRUST YOU. WE SAY WE CAN'T. WE CAN'T TRUST HIM WITH BAD INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST MAKING THAT UP. BUT YOU SEE WHERE THAT COMES FROM. ALL RIGHT? THE NEXT COURSE IS COMPETENCY. YOUR ABILITY. YOU GOT TO BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO. BUT THEN THE NEXT ONE. COMMUNICATION. WE TRUST PEOPLE THAT ARE OPEN WITH COMMUNICATION. [01:55:09] NOW OBVIOUSLY SCHOOL BOARDS, CITY COUNCILS, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. TRANSPARENCY CANNOT MEAN THAT WE SAY EVERYTHING THERE IS TO SAY. THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. THAT IS NOT LEGAL. IT'S NOT ETHICAL, IT'S NOT MORAL. BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE ARE AS FORTHCOMING AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BE. THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT MEANS, THAT WE'RE FORTHCOMING, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES I USED TO SAY ABOUT MY TEENAGERS WHEN THEY WERE TEENAGERS, THEY'LL ADMIT TO EVERYTHING I ALREADY KNOW THAT THAT WASN'T VERY GOOD COMMUNICATION. YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH. AND SO THEY WERE OPEN ABOUT IT WHEN MY SON THAT'S AN ARCHITECT WITH OKLAHOMA STATE HE WAS A PART OF THE 5G THAT BUILT THE TOWER IN THE NEW TOWER CALLED THE STACK AND DEVELOPED. AND LIKE ALL THOSE PROJECTS, THERE'S DELAYS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT DON'T GO RIGHT AND STUFF. AND HE WAS THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, AND HE WAS THE, THE PROJECT MANAGER. AND WHEN THEY WERE HAVING THESE DELAYS, HE'S PRETTY YOUNG IN HIS CAREER AT THIS TIME. AND HE SAID, DAD, I'VE GOT ALL THESE SUBS AND, AND THEY'RE, WANTING TO KNOW THE INFORMATION AND I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION FOR THEM. WHAT SHOULD I DO? AND I SAID, HERE'S WHAT YOU DO. EVERY MONDAY MORNING AT 8:00, YOU CALL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND YOU SAY, HEY, IT'S ZACK WITH 5G. AND I HATE TO TELL YOU, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TELL YOU. I'M JUST KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE MAD AND THEY'RE GOING TO CUSS AT YOU AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY STUFF BECAUSE THEY WANT INFORMATION, BUT THEY'LL LIKE IT BETTER IF WHAT IF YOU CALL THEM INSTEAD OF THEM HAVING TO CHASE YOU DOWN BECAUSE YOU'RE BUILDING YOUR BRAND RIGHT NOW AT THIS AGE OF HE COMMUNICATES WITH US, BUT YOU GOT TO DO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO THAT SAME THING, DON'T YOU? YOU HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE, I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING, BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU, I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING, BUT YOU DON'T WANT THEM CHASING YOU DOWN. BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN. THAT'S WHEN DOUBT BEGINS TO ARISE AND WE START TELLING OURSELVES A STORY. IT MAY NOT BE TRUE ABOUT OTHERS. SO OPEN COMMUNICATION, BUT ALSO INVOLVED IN THAT. WE'RE GOING TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER WITH THIS IN A MINUTE IS THE MATTER OF LISTENING. COMMUNICATION ISN'T JUST WHAT WE SAY. COMMUNICATION IS ALSO HOW WE LISTEN. AND IF WE LISTEN. AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS YOU BUILD TRUST IS BE A REALLY GOOD LISTENER TO OTHERS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW IS THE NEXT ONE IS EFFECTIVE TRUST THAT THAT'S LIKE THAT EXPERIENCE YOU GO THROUGH WITH PEOPLE THAT REALLY A BIG CRISIS. AND YOU SORT OF BOND THROUGH THAT CRISIS AND YOU COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND YOU SORT OF GOT A BOND AND YOU DON'T YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO GO LOOKING FOR THAT JUST OUT OF BOARD LONG ENOUGH. IT'LL FIND YOU, YOU KNOW. BUT THE EXAMPLE I ALWAYS USE IS THE, THE CHILEAN MINERS BACK IN THE 2010, I THINK IT WAS 33 MINERS THAT WERE TRAPPED BY 2000FT UNDERGROUND FOR 79 DAYS. AND THEY ALL LIVED. AND YOU PROBABLY WATCHED THEM BE EXTRACTED JUST LIKE I DID. AND YOU, YOU PROBABLY CRIED, I DID. YOU SEE THEM COME UP? BUT THEY WENT THROUGH SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT BONDED THEM FOREVER. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FABRICATE THAT. THAT'S WHY WHEN WE USED TO DO THOSE TRUST FALLS. YOU WOULD GET PEOPLE STAND ON THE TABLE AND FALL BACKWARDS AND HOPE SOMEBODY CATCH THEM. EVERYBODY HATED IT, OF COURSE, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, THIS IS NOT REAL TRUST. THIS IS JUST FABRICATED. BUT WHEN YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WELL, YOU GOT YOU GOT A BOND THERE. BUT DON'T GO LOOKING FOR YOU, DON'T FIND YOU. TRACK RECORD IS THE LAST THING. AND HERE'S THE MISTAKE I THINK WE MAKE. WE WANT TO LEAD WITH OUR TRACK RECORD. TRACK RECORD IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT CAN'T BE THE LEAD FACTOR. IT JUST CAN'T. IF YOU LOSE THAT, THAT'S DIFFERENT AND YOU COME ACROSS IT. AND HERE'S FROM OUR WORK ON THIS. AND YOU COULD MAYBE ADD SOME THINGS. BUT HERE'S WHAT WE CAME TO CONCLUDE. BEING TRUSTWORTHY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING TRUSTED. BEING TRUSTWORTHY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING TRUSTED. [02:00:07] BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TRUSTWORTHY, EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T TRUST YOU AT FIRST, EVENTUALLY THEY WILL. YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT THEY'LL TRUST YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE TRUSTWORTHY. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE MAY TRUST YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT TRUSTWORTHY, IT'S NOT GOING TO LAST, RIGHT? SO I TRY TO REFRAME IT IN MY MIND INSTEAD OF LIKE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TRUST ME OR TRYING TO TELL BOARDS AND COUNCILS, HERE'S HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO TRUST YOU. HERE'S HOW PEOPLE TRUST YOU. IS THAT IT? BE TRUSTWORTHY. THAT'S WHAT YOU KNOW. KEEP THEM FROM, YOU KNOW. COVEY SAYS THIS IN IN HIS BOOK, SAY, BOOKS, HABITS AND SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE. MAKE A PROMISE AND KEEP IT. MAKE A PROMISE AND KEEP IT. THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IT SAYS. YOU WANT TO BUILD TRUST, MAKE A PROMISE AND KEEP IT. NOW LET ME LOOK AT LET ME SHOW YOU ANOTHER THING THAT I WANT YOU TO COME BACK. I FORGET HER NAME. FIRST NAME IS FRANCES. AND HER LAST NAME I DON'T IS I REMEMBER IT. IT'S F R E I AND I CAN'T REMEMBER. YOU SAY IT FREE OR FREE. SHE WORKED. SHE IS A PROFESSOR OF HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL THAT LEFT HARVARD FOR A PERIOD AND BECAME THE CEO AT UBER. WHEN UBER HAD THEIR MASSIVE FAILURES BECAUSE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SO FORTH IN THE COMPANY, YOU REMEMBER THAT? AND THIS COMPANY WAS IN SHAMBLES. AND FRANCES LEFT HER POSITION TO BECOME THE COO THERE. AND SHE TALKS ABOUT THIS IN A TED TALK AND ALSO WRITES ABOUT IT IN A REALLY GOOD JOURNAL PUT OUT BY HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW ON TRUST. AND SHE SAYS SHE SAYS THE FIRST SHE SAID, I MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES. AND THE FIRST MISTAKE WAS I DETERMINED TO WEAR AN UBER T SHIRT TO WORK EVERY DAY UNTIL THE MAJORITY OF UBER EMPLOYEES ALSO WORE AN UBER T SHIRT. AND SHE SAID, BIG MISTAKE. TOOK A LOT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE. BUT SHE'S REALLY FUNNY IN HER TALK. BUT WHAT SHE TALKS ABOUT IS THAT TRUST REVOLVES AROUND THREE ANGLES AUTHENTICITY. WE TRUST PEOPLE THAT WE, SINCE WE'RE DEALING WITH THE REAL THEM, WHOEVER THEM IS. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S THE SAME THING AS WE'RE SAYING WHEN SOMEBODY IS SELF-SERVING, THEY'RE BEING WE CALL IT MORAL FAKE. YOU'RE BEING FAKE OR GROWING UP. YOU'RE BEING A PHONY. SO SHE SAYS, NO, PEOPLE TRUST YOU WHEN YOU'RE COMING ACROSS AS THE REAL YOU, WHO YOU REALLY ARE. SECOND, OR ALSO, THEY TRUST YOU WHEN YOUR LOGIC IS RIGOROUS THAT YOUR ARGUMENT MAKES SENSE. THEY'RE CONVINCED YOU CAN DO IT AND THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO YOU CAN'T JUST BE A REAL PERSON. BUT IF YOUR ARGUMENT ISN'T ANY GOOD, IF YOU WERE LIKE, OH YEAH, HE'S NICE, BUT I WOULDN'T FOLLOW HIM OFF A BRIDGE. AND THEN HERE'S THE OTHER ONE, THOUGH. I WAS THE FACT OF THIS THING, EMPATHY. AND WHAT SHE SAYS IS WE TRUST PEOPLE WHO WE FEEL LIKE THEIR EMPATHY IS MOVING TOWARD US, NOT AWAY FROM US. AND HERE'S WHAT'S INTERESTING. SHE SAYS WE ALL TEND TO HAVE A WOBBLE. REMEMBER THAT WEEBLES WOBBLE, BUT THEY DON'T FALL DOWN, SHE SAYS. WE ALL HAVE A WOBBLE AT PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE PLACES. IF YOU HAVE WOBBLE AT TWO OF THOSE PLACES, AIN'T NOBODY GOING TO TRUST YOU, NOT EVEN YOUR DOG. BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE A WOBBLE SOMEWHERE. AND WHAT SHE SAYS IS, IF YOU HAVE A, LET'S SAY IT'S LOGIC, IF YOUR WOBBLE IS IN LOGIC, IT DOESN'T HELP TO STRENGTHEN EMPATHY AND AUTHENTICITY, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOUR WOBBLE IS STILL THERE. IN OTHER WORDS, SHE SAYS, YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE'S YOUR WOBBLE WITH THAT PERSON AND FIX IT SO THAT IF THEY FEEL LIKE YOUR EMPATHY IS NOT MOVING TOWARD THEM, YOU GOT TO SIT DOWN AND TALK AND FIGURE OUT WHY. IF THE REAL THING IS, YEAH, YOU GET THAT YOU CARE. YOU'RE FOR THE WIN. AND IT'S THE. ARE YOU? BUT YOUR ARGUMENT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THEN YOU GOT TO WORK THAT OUT. IT'S VERY FASCINATING. YOU CAN WATCH THE TED TALK OR READ THE ARTICLE. [02:05:02] YOU CAN FIND IT ONLINE. BOTH GREAT. I LIKE THE ARTICLE BETTER, BUT LET ME STOP AND LET ME PUT YOU IN. LET'S GO BACK TO PARIS. JAMIE AND LINDA, LARRY AND ROBERT LOPEZ AND JOHNNY WEST AND DAPHNE. AND I WANT YOU TO TALK THROUGH FOR A MINUTE WHAT RESONATES WITH YOU ABOUT THOSE MODELS, AND THEN WHAT? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'M NOT SO SURE ABOUT IT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S PERFECT AND YOU GET BETTER DECISIONS AND ROBUST DIALOG. SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CYCLE OF TRUST AND THE BUILDING THERE ON THE TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. WHEN EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD, WE GET A LOT OF EMAIL FROM ERRONEOUS INDIVIDUALS, THEY CONTINUALLY COME OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND IT'S HARD SOMETIMES FOR US AS A BOARD MEMBER, I FEEL LIKE TO GET IN THE WEEDS WITH IT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE FACTS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING, OPEN UP THAT DIALOG AND BE AUTHENTIC AND EMPTY AND LOGIC WITH IT, HOW DO YOU COORDINATE ALL OF THAT THROUGH EITHER ADMINISTRATION OR, YOU KNOW, WE TO ME, I TO TO BUILD THAT TRUST. I DON'T WANT TO TELL THEM SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RIGHT. YEAH. AND THEN I'M HIDING MY FACE. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION JOHNNY I THINK, BUT REALLY IT GOES BACK TO ROLES AND LANES BECAUSE THAT WE KIND OF QUESTION BELONGS TO ADMINISTRATION. SO I THINK THAT ANSWERS THEM IS THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION AND PASSING THIS ON TO SUPERINTENDENT OR, YOU KNOW, OR LIAISON IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY DIFFERENT. AND WE PATCHED THAT OUT 100 TIMES HERE ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, COMMUNICATION. I MEAN WE ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT NUMEROUS TIMES. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, YOU KNOW AND I HEAR OTHER TRUSTEES MIGHT SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST TELL THEM I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, IT TAKES MINUTES. YOU'RE TOUCHING ON A BIG TOPIC, RIGHT? IT TAKES SO MUCH POLITICAL FORTITUDE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE MAURI WAS SAYING, YOU'VE ALL GOT INTO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHEN THIS QUESTION COMES UP, IT SORT OF TAPS INTO THAT. I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT'S MY ROLE IN THIS ON THIS BOARD, WHICH IS NOT TO BE IN THOSE WEEDS BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU WANT TO TREAT THAT PERSON WITH HONOR AND DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND TELL THEM, I'M PASSING THIS ON TO ADMINISTRATION. AND WHEN I HEAR BACK FROM THEM, I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU OR YOU'LL HEAR FROM THEM PROBABLY IS EVEN BETTER. SO, YOU KNOW THAT. BUT LET THEM KNOW. OH YEAH, I HEARD I GOT IT, BUT GIVE IT TO ADMINISTRATION AND ALL OF YOU. THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME BE ON THE SAME SHOULDER TO SHOULDER. IF ONE OF YOU OR TWO OF YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT, IT MAKES THE OTHERS FEEL AND LOOK LIKE, WHOA, I'M NOT DOING MY JOB HERE. AND THAT THAT I REMEMBER. I DID A COUNCIL RETREAT FOR TAYLOR YEARS AGO. AND THEY HAD A BRAND-NEW BOARD MEMBER WHO WAS GREAT YOUNG GUY, EAGER. BUT WHEN I GOT IN, EVERYBODY'S REALLY TICKED OFF. YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE HEAT TOWARD HIM. AND WHAT WOULD HAPPENED WAS HE WAS ON. HE'S VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PARTICULARLY IN THAT DAY IN TIME, AND FACEBOOK AND SOMEBODY IN THE CITY HAD SAID, HEY, THEY'RE ON FACEBOOK, WE'VE GOT A BIG POTHOLE ON 17TH STREET. AND THIS GUY, HE WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE. SO, I REMEMBER HE'S RIGHT THERE WHERE JAMIE WAS, AND HE WOULD JUST GET ON FACEBOOK AND SAY, WE'LL GET OVER AND FIX IT RIGHT AWAY. WELL, I MEAN, HEY, WHAT'S HE TRYING TO DO? HE'S TRYING TO HELP. JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS IT? BUT WHAT WAS IT CREATING PROBLEMS BECAUSE PEOPLE IN HIS DISTRICT STARTED SAYING, HEY, JAMIE GETS EVERYTHING DONE. HEY, HOW COME YOU DON'T EVER DO THAT? HE'S LIKE, I'M FOLLOWING THE PROCESS. AND THEY HAD A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE STAFF BECAUSE STAFF ALREADY HAD A WORK PLAN, AND NOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, BUT HE HAD TO YANK HIM AROUND OR NOT DO IT. SO IT WAS A MATTER OF EVERYBODY SAYING, THIS IS OUR PROCESS. AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP BY PUTTING IT AT THE TOP, THAT ONLY LEADS TO US ALL STEPPING ON EACH OTHER. IT GOES TO ADMINISTRATION. LET ADMINISTRATION HANDLE IT. AS LONG AS EVERYBODY OPERATES THAT WAY IN THE ADMINISTRATION, I KNOW IS RESPONSIVE TO IT. THAT'S THE WAY IT DEALS WITH THAT. DOES THAT HELP HERE? I MEAN, WE GET THAT ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE COME IN FOR THE YELLOW CARD BEFORE OUR MEETING TO TALK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THAT WE CAN'T RESPOND TO THEM. YEAH. AND ANOTHER ONE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE ALL SITTING THERE WITH OUR HANDS ON. COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, TELL THEM SOMETHING. BUT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW. SO, AND WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THEM. I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THEM ARE WATCHING THIS AND HEARING THIS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE AND WE WILL BE, AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE ANSWERS THAT THEY WANT [02:10:07] TO HEAR. BUT, YOU KNOW AGAIN, THAT'S THE FAIR WAY, THOUGH, IS TO SEND IT TO ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THEY WILL SEE THE, THE, THE BIGGER PICTURE AND HAVE STAFF TO DO IT AND SO FORTH. OTHERWISE, IT JUST BECOMES WHO'S SCREAMING THE LOUDEST OR WHO HAS THE MOST MONEY OR WHATEVER. WELL, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT ANY OF YOU WANT. A LOT OF IT GOES TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD. I MEAN, HE GETS THEY GET HIT HARDEST. AND THAT'S WHY I JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH WHEN I WAS, I WENT THROUGH WITH COVID WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND WHAT I WENT THROUGH PERSONALLY. AND I KNOW WHAT LINDA'S GONE THROUGH AND WHAT ROBERT PROBABLY WILL GO THROUGH, AND WES AND JAMIE TOO. SO JUST KIND OF CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYBODY. I MEAN, GOSH, IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF POLITICAL FORTITUDE TO SIT IN THESE SEATS. I MEAN, IT'S INCREDIBLE. BUT ALL RIGHT, DEBORAH, WHAT DO YOU WHAT REALLY RESONATES WITH YOU? AND THEN WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM YOU IN A FEW MINUTES. AND YOU CAN TALK ANY OF THESE THREE TALK, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT Z OR POKÉMON TOO. THIS IS ACTUALLY MAYBE MY FAVORITE. BECAUSE I THINK, ALL RIGHT, THAT'S FINE. YEAH, SURE. THIS. YOU KNOW. THAT'S. RIGHT. YEAH. AND. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ANOTHER COUPLE OF MINUTES? TWO MINUTES. SO. HOW? [02:15:17] FIRST. GO OFF. ALL RIGHT, LET'S HEAR BACK FROM HIM. RIGHT. START OVER HERE WITH THIS GROUP OF WES AND DAPHNE. AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, AND WE'LL JUST KIND OF MOVE AROUND, AROUND THE TABLE. SO WHAT'S THE DAPHNE? LET'S LET YOU GUYS START. THEY DISAPPEARED. OH. I'M SORRY. THERE YOU GO. LET'S GO BACK TO THE I SAID NO, TRUST ME. TO ME, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE ISSUES HERE IS IT GETS BACK TO WHAT LINDA WAS TALKING ABOUT IS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE TERM TRUST? DO YOU MEAN TRUST TO CARRY OUT A SPECIFIC TASK? TRUST WITH LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, AT ITS MOST COMMON ROUTE, TRUST COULD BE YOUR BEST FRIEND BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOUR BEST FRIEND IS ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND, AND YOU TRUST EVERYTHING THEY SAY OR DO BECAUSE OF THAT INTIMACY AND FAMILIARITY YOU HAVE WITH THEM. BUT INTENT BECOMES NOT A FACTOR IN THAT. I DON'T CARE WHAT HE IS BECAUSE I THAT'S FULL OF TRUST. SO INTENT ALMOST GETS REMOVED. SO, TO ME THIS IS ALMOST MORE A TRANSACTIONAL EXERCISE. FOR INSTANCE. AND SORRY MARI, I USED YOU. I USED MARI BY SAYING, OKAY, DO I NECESSARILY TRUST MARI IN THAT SAME WAY? I WOULD TRUST MY FRIEND THAT NO ACTION THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IS EVER GOING TO CAUSE ME HARM. NO OFFENSE, I SAID. I DON'T KNOW MARI THAT WELL, SO I CAN'T SAY THAT. BUT IF I GIVE HER A TRANSACTION AND SAY, HEY, IF WE GIVE MARI A LEGAL TASK TO DO, I WALK THROUGH ALL THESE STEPS AND I HAVE FULL FAITH AND TRUST IN MONEY. SO AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOU SAY TRUST? AND I DON'T REALLY TO LINDA'S POINT, I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER REALLY FLESHED THAT OUT. SO, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A PERFECT DEFINITION. I'LL GIVE YOU BRENE BROWN'S DEFINITION. YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH BRENE BROWN, THE ASSOCIATE SOCIAL WORKER, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, A PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK AT U OF H, AND REALLY ONE OF THE ONE OF THE PREMIER THINKERS IN OUR DAY AND, AND GREAT WRITER. HE DIDN'T GET YOUR HANDS ON IT. SHE WRITES, YOU SHOULD READ IT. RENEE SAYS, ME TRUSTING YOU IS WHEN I MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS VALUABLE TO ME. VULNERABLE TO YOU. NOW. AND THAT HAS DIFFERENT LEVELS, OF COURSE. LIKE. RIGHT. BUT I LIKE THAT WHEN I MAKE SOMETHING THAT'S VALUABLE TO ME, VULNERABLE TO YOU, THAT'S TRUST. SO YOU MIGHT CAN ADD TO THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF I TRUST WHAT LARRY'S DOING. RIGHT. I DON'T LOOK ANYONE LIKE ME WATCHING. YEAH, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME DISCUSSING THAT. BUT I THINK WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A MORE OF A TRANSACTIONAL PERSPECTIVE. LET'S SILO THIS. LIKE I THINK ABOUT WE NEED A LEGAL OPINION AND WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING ALL OF OUR FAITH IN OUR ATTORNEY, OUR TRUSTED HAND. MARI, WE HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE AND FAITH BECAUSE WE WALK THROUGH ALL THESE THINGS. I MEAN, WE HAVE HISTORY. WE HAVE CONNECTION. WE KNOW THAT SHE INTENDS TO DO RIGHT BY US THROUGH A FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION TO US. SHE'S A PERSON OF GREAT CHARACTER. SHE'S VERY COMPETENT, WHICH WE ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH. SHE COMMUNICATES WELL WITH RESPECT TO US. THERE'S THE EFFECTIVE TRUST COMES FROM THE MAIER AREA WE HAVE AND THE TRACK RECORD. SO, IT GOES THROUGH ALL THOSE STEPS. BUT IT DOES SEEM TO BREAK DOWN WHENEVER I TAKE WHAT I VIEW, KIND OF AS WHEN YOU WHEN YOU FIRST SAY, DO YOU TRUST THIS PERSON? [02:20:01] TRUST ME TO GIVE ME REASON NOT TO. YEAH, YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S GENERALLY KIND OF THE WAY MOST OF US APPROACH IT, BUT I DON'T NEED ALL THIS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I MEAN, I GO THROUGH IT, BUT NOT THINKING THROUGH WHAT I CAN ALSO SAY THE PART OF WHEN YOU ARE ON A BOARD LIKE THIS AND I'M GOING TO SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR SAYING, I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH MARI, I HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH MARI, I'VE NEVER DEALT WITH MARI. SO, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT TRUST WHEN I, AND THEN THEN YOU COMPOUND THAT WITH. I'M NOT EVEN PART OF THE DECISION TO SEEK OUT MARI'S COUNSEL ON ANY PARTICULAR TOPIC, BUT I'M SUPPOSED TO BLINDLY GO ALONG WITH TRUST. SO I THINK PEOPLE FORGET THAT HISTORY. NO HISTORY. SO LET'S BRING IN TO ENJOY THAT HISTORY. YOU KNOW, LIKE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. AND I THINK THAT COMES TO THE FACT THAT TENURED NOT TENURED. SO THE UNTENURED PERSON HAS TO LEARN EVERYTHING BY ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND KNOWING WHAT TO ASK, TAKING THE KNOCKS AND THE BLOWS AND THE TENURED PEOPLE SIT ON THE AISLE OF, WELL, THAT'S HOW WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. AND I HAVE A PROBLEM BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF THINGS. OKAY. IT'S BECAUSE ON THIS BOARD THERE ARE ROLES FOR EACH OF US. AND SOME THINGS ARE DONE. AND RIGHTS AND DECISION MAKING IS GIVEN TO PEOPLE IN THOSE ROLES. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND THAT IN A, IF YOU GO TO SOME LEADERSHIP TRAINING, YOU WILL FIND ALL OF THE THINGS OF WHAT A LEADER DOES. BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF. I DON'T KNOW IF WE MISUSING THE WORD TRUST BECAUSE WITH ROLES THERE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES THAT FOLLOW. AND ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS THAT EVERYTHING WE DO, WE'RE BEHIND FINANCIALLY. WE'RE ALWAYS BEHIND YEAR BEHIND, YEAR AND A HALF BEHIND. AND THEN OTHER THINGS IS THAT THEY'RE DECISIONS THAT YOU CAN MAKE, DEPENDING ON YOUR ROLES, THAT YOU DON'T GET THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING EVERYONE IN THE DECISION. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS ON IN SOCIAL GROUPS AND OTHER GROUPS AND NATIONAL GROUPS. BUT AND I GUESS MY PROBLEM IS, ARE WE MISUSING THE WORD TRUST? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY? AND IF YOU'RE NOT IN THAT ROLE IS THERE ANY REASON FOR INPUT? BECAUSE THIS BOARD AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EVEN IF WE TALK ABOUT WHAT DOCTOR LOPEZ COMMUNICATES TO US AND WHAT HE DOES NOT COMMUNICATE WITH US IT'S BASED ON THOSE GUIDELINES. AND WHEN WE SEPARATE GOVERNANCE FROM OPERATIONS. SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS. HOW DOES TRUST HELP US RESPECT THE ROLES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE ROLE? AND I COULD TOTALLY BE WRONG, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THAT. AND TO ME, THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS AROUND THE BOARD TABLE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO A DEGREE IN SUPPOSEDLY TRAINING OR CHECKLISTS OR ONBOARDING OR ORIENTATION OR WHATEVER. AND WHEN YOU ARE ABSENT OF THOSE SYSTEMS. AND THOSE PROCESSES. PEOPLE FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. BUT IT'S NOT IT'S NOT THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE ROLE ARE TRYING TO DISCREDIT OR GO AROUND THE SYSTEM. THE SCHOOL BUSINESS IS IT'S JUST STRANGE. IT'S JUST IT'S A STRANGE ANIMAL. SO TO ADD TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I THINK ON THIS CYCLE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE THAT IS MISSING A SQUARE, THAT SHOULD SAY RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN A [02:25:02] NEW TRUSTEE COMES ON BOARD, THERE'S REALLY NO INDOCTRINATION OF HER, HIM OR HER, WHOEVER KNOWING EACH PERSON ON THIS BOARD AND THE TRUST FACTOR THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IN THAT INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE. SO, THEY DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST LIKE YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MARY, YOU KNOW, THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPLAINED OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW? YEAH, SHE SHOULD KNOW. THE SAME THING. GOOD POINT. AND JUST LIKE THE CHANGE AGENT, THE CHANGE FACTORS THAT WE HAVE HERE WHERE DOCTOR LOPEZ HAS GONE THROUGH CHANGE IN HIS CABINET, YOU KNOW, HOW WELL DO WE KNOW THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HE HAS PROMOTED TO THOSE POSITIONS, THAT WE HAVE BUILT TRUST IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE EDUCATIONAL SIDE OF IT, THE LEADERSHIP SIDE OF IT, HOW WELL DO WE REALLY KNOW THEM? YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE DEVELOPING ANOTHER TRUST. YEAH, THERE'S LAYERS TO IT. THAT'S WHAT I SAID TO ME. WHEN SOMEONE COMES ON A BOARD, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S SCHOOL DISTRICT, CITY, WHATEVER KIND OF BOARD. IT'S A ONE AND A HALF TO TWO-YEAR LEARNING CURVE. YEAH. ON ANYTHING IT'S A CYCLE. AND YOU HAVE TO THE CYCLE RIGHT THERE. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO BUILD ON IT. AND I THINK TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD. I APPRECIATE IT EARLY ON. I THINK AS YOU'RE ESTABLISHING, WE'RE PUTTING MARI EXPERIENCE AND MARI. THANK YOU, MARI. YEAH. REALLY YOU'RE LOOKING AT OTHERS AND YOU'RE GOING WELL, ONE PERSON YOU'RE MAKING MONEY. YEAH, WELL NOT REALLY, BUT I, YOU KNOW. OH, BUT I HAVE THIS FRIENDSHIP WITH WES, AND WES SEEMS TO TRUST HER. AND SO I'M GOING TO TRUST HER SOME. MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS HE DOES OR AS MUCH AS I WILL, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY. TRUSTING BASED ON PEOPLE I KNOW SO THAT THAT'S ME, BUT THAT'S OKAY. FOR ME, IT'S MORE OF SO MISS GRIFFIN TALKS ABOUT ROLES AND I THINK THAT'S FABULOUS. BUT THOSE ROLES ARE AN UNWRITTEN ROLE THAT ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THOSE ROLES ARE AND WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS UNDER. SO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PROVIDE ME A DETAILED LIST OF WHAT THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, THEN THAT GIVES ME SOMETHING TO THEN GO BACK AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS, BUT JUST TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE PUTTING TO A POSITION AND WE CAN'T BE BOTHERED OR IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO PASS ON THE INFORMATION IF OUR BOARD PRESIDENT IS CALLING MARI BECAUSE THEY SEEK LEGAL CONSULTATION, THE REST OF US SHOULD BE AWARE THAT OUR BOARD PRESIDENT FEELS THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO NEED TO SEEK LEGAL. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. I JUST I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T IT JUST DOESN'T. WHAT DOES OPERATE I CAN'T SAY THAT IT IS. I THINK YOU THE OPERATING PROCEDURE SAYS EXACTLY THAT THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND I. OKAY. SO I'M NOT PASSING I'M DISCUSSING MY PERCEPTION AND MY REALITY. I'M NOT THROWING ANY ASPERSIONS. OKAY. BUT YOU CAN GO TO THAT OPERATING PROCEDURE, AND IT DOES NOT LIST ALL THE MYRIAD THINGS THAT I HAVE SEEN THE PRESIDENT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE. THE POINT IS, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE WAS THAT SOMETIMES IN GROUPS LIKE THIS, WE FORGET THAT THE NEW PERSON DOESN'T KNOW WHAT WE KNOW. THAT'S THE ONLY POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE, PEOPLE. THAT'S A VALID POINT. WELL, IT TAKES TIME TO GET THAT. I'M NOT TRYING TO JUMP INTO THIS TOO MUCH, BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. YOU CAN FOLLOW THOSE THINGS TO THE LETTER, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BUILD TRUST. NO. EXACTLY. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S INTENDED TO DO. IT'S INTENDED TO GOVERN CONDUCT, NOT NECESSARILY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS. I THINK WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO SAY IS, IF WE HAD SOME FEEDBACK NECESSARILY AS TRUSTEES WITH RESPECT TO ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD TO RETAIN COUNSEL ON, THAT WOULD HELP BUILD THAT TRUST BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO RETAIN AND CONSULT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS GETTING AT. YEAH. AND LET ME MOVE US ON TO ONE THING, OKAY. REGARDING ALL THAT. AND THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT ANYTHING OR ANYBODY. IT'S JUST LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE. HOW MANY WATCHED THE MOVIE FREEDOM WRITERS? HILARY SWANK FOR THE WHOLE CLASSROOM. LONG BEACH WAS TURNED AROUND FROM A BUNCH OF GANGSTERS IN OUR DRIVEWAY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN THERE WAS THE TEACHER WAS TRYING TO GIVE INSTRUCTION TO THE CLASS. AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT RESPECT. AND THE CLASS MEMBER SAID, WHY SHOULD I RESPECT YOU? I DON'T EVEN KNOW. SO, I AND WHAT I GOT FROM THAT WAS SOME PEOPLE APPROACH THE WHOLE ISSUE [02:30:04] OF TRUST AND RESPECT FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. ONE COULD APPROACH IT FROM A TOTAL SKEPTICISM BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN BURNED 4 MILLION TIMES IN THEIR LIFE. AND THE OTHER ONE COULD JUST SAY, WELL, HE'S A COACH OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM. HE CALLED A QUARTERBACK SNEAK. WE'RE GOING TO RUN A QUARTERBACK SNEAK TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. BUT WE RESPECT HIM, HIS AUTHORITY, HIS POSITION, HIS EXPERIENCE, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT. SO, YOU GOT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS CAN COME AT IT. AND YOU GOT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE. AND I THINK IT COMES FROM THAT AS MUCH I MEAN WE HEAR ABOUT NEW PEOPLE TO THE BOARD. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS, THERE IS NOTHING MAGICAL THAT ANY OF US KNOW THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. THERE IS NOTHING. AND IF I'VE EVER HAD A QUESTION, I PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL, AND I CALL AND I RESOLVE IT. I DON'T LET IT LEAD TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE DOUBT. BUT NOW YOU'RE GOING INTO THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AT ALL. WELL, SO I'M NOT I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT HOW ELSE SHOULD BASED ON YOUR WORDS, HOW ELSE SHOULD I INTERPRET THAT? IT'S NOT PERSONAL, LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU WON'T SHARE. OKAY, SO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WHEN YOU SEE ON FACEBOOK ALL THESE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING AND YOU HAVE TO ASK SOMEBODY ELSE, WELL, HOW COME THE BOARD WASN'T INVITED TO THAT? AND THEN IT BECOMES, OH, WELL, THAT'S A SPECIAL THING FOR THAT POSITION. OKAY. SO THEN I SEE SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK AGAIN AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL HOW COME THE BOARD WASN'T BUYING THAT? WELL, THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT JAMIE. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. PEOPLE DON'T SHARE KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE YOU ASK A QUESTION, EVERYONE'S GOING TO GIVE THEIR ANSWER. THAT'S NOT THIS. THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE. AND MAYBE THIS IS HELPFUL TO YOU. MAYBE IT'S NOT. AND MAYBE I'VE GOTTEN WAY OFF TRACK HERE, BUT JUST FROM TRUST, I SEE BOARD MEMBERS INVOLVED IN STUFF THAT I NEVER HEARD OF ATTENDING AND INVOLVED THIS STUFF. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT IS BECAUSE OF THEIR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN WAYS THAT I CAN NEVER, NEVER REPEAT. IT'S SOMETHING THEY FELT FOR THEIR LIFETIME THAT I DIDN'T. AND JUST HONOR THAT AND SAY, OKAY, IT'S INFORMAL THINGS VERSUS FORMAL. YEAH, IT'S INFORMAL BECAUSE I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL LITTLE. I'M TALKING ABOUT I'M TALKING ABOUT FUNCTIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING DISTRICT FUNCTIONS. SO, SO IT'S TURNING VERY PERSONAL. AND IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE. OH NO. LET'S LET ME MOVE US ON. LET'S GO. LET'S GO TO DISTRICT. LET'S HEAR THIS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRUST THAT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT, THAT AREN'T IN THE CIRCLE AND WE KIND OF ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE IS ARE EACH PRIOR EXPERIENCES. RIGHT? A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T LET THE PRIOR EXPERIENCES GO BECAUSE WE GOT BURNED. AND IT BECOMES A DEFENSE MECHANISM. RIGHT? RIGHT. JOHNNY AND I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION IF I SHARE IT. YEAH. SO HE WAS TELLING ME HE WAS LIKE A TRUST FACTOR FOR ME IS LIKE WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH BUDGET AND I HAVE NOW WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT CFOS, BUT WE HAD THIS CERTAIN EXPERIENCE WITH ONE. RIGHT. HOW DO I KNOW THAT'S STILL NOT HAPPENING WITH THE OTHER TWO? OKAY. IT'S STILL IN THE BACK OF MY MIND NOW, THIS HAPPENED PRIOR TO ME COMING IN, BUT PEOPLE HOLD ON TO THINGS THAT THEY EXPERIENCED BECAUSE NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET SHORTFALLS AND THEY'RE ABOUT WHAT IF THERE IS A BUCKET OF MONEY OUT THERE, WHICH THERE ISN'T? OKAY. EVERYBODY LISTENING PLEASE. THERE ISN'T. ALL RIGHT. BUT WHAT IF THERE IS? OKAY. AND THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT THAT STILL LINGER IN SOME PEOPLE'S MINDS, RIGHT? THEIR RELATIONSHIPS COMING IN WHENEVER THEY, THEY OF INCLUSION. WHY AM I NOT BEING INCLUDED. SO PART OF THE BUILDING OF TRUST MAY NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PERSON, BUT IT'S PROJECTED ON YOU FROM YOUR PRIOR EXPERIENCE. OKAY. AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS ON THE CYCLE OF BUILDING TRUST BECAUSE YOU USE I'M GOING TO USE THE TERM THAT YOU USE. IT'S MY INTIMATE VALUE GIVING ME BEING VULNERABLE WITH YOU THAT AND IF YOU HAVE TIMES THAT YOU'VE BEEN BURNED BY BEING VULNERABLE, IT'S VERY HARD TO OPEN THAT DOOR. OKAY. SO I THINK PART OF IT IS HOW WE WANT TO IT GOES TO THE COMMUNICATION, HOW WE WANT TO BE COMMUNICATED TO WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION BETWEEN DAPHNE AND JAMIE, AND JAMIE'S NOT INTERESTED IN THE SAME THING DAPHNE IS. THAT'S WHAT I PICKED UP ON. OKAY? HE'S ALL LIKE, WE HAVE A TEAM. LIKE YOU SAID, IF A TEAM MEMBER IS COVERING IT, THAT'S A WIN, RIGHT? SHE'S SAYING, WELL, I WOULD HAVE LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPTION. OKAY. AND SO, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE. AND THIS IS WHAT WHEN ONE BOARD MEMBER COMES IN EVERYTHING CHANGES. [02:35:05] RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE GOT TO SEE WHAT OUR VALUES ARE, WHERE OUR VULNERABILITIES ARE. AND THEN WE COULD START BUILDING THAT THAT DEEPER CYCLE AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF GOALS. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING PERSONAL AND I DIDN'T GO PERSONAL. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE AN OBSERVATION OF MY EXPERIENCE RIGHT AS A OUTSIDER COMING IN AND THE SHORTFALLS THAT I STRUGGLED THROUGH. SO LIKE IF WE WERE TO HAVE A NEW BOARD MEMBER AGAIN, I WOULD CHAMPION TO BE A PARTICIPANT TO HELP CHANGE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DONE AND DIDN'T DO RIGHT. BUT IT GOES RIGHT TO THE CHANGE. AND I'M NOT EVEN ONE WHO LIKES CHANGE. YOU ARE HERE. YOU ARE REALLY LIKES CHANGE. CHANGE. BUT I KNOW WHEN WE NEED CHANGE. I SEE THAT CHANGE NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND IT'S NOT. IT'S A SYSTEMS CHANGE. IT'S A. SO, TO ME WHAT YOU HAVE YOU GET TO YOUR SCRIPT HERE IN JUST A SECOND. BUT YOU KNOW YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH CAN ALSO BE A WEAKNESS. AND YOU PUT IT OUT, THERE'S THREE FORMER PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD ON THIS BOARD, JOHNNY, LINDA, THIS MORNING, THEY ALL I'M SAYING THAT WAS COVID. SO ALL OF THEM 6 OR 7. SO THAT'S A GREAT STRENGTH RIGHT? NO WONDER EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT TO THE TOP, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. BUT WHAT HEB WILL RECOGNIZE IS ONE OF THE TOP BOARDS IN THE STATE. OF COURSE THAT'S A GREAT STRENGTH. BUT THAT ALSO MEANS YOU HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER. AND THAT MEANS THAT AS YOU GET SOMEBODY NEW IN, YOU GO, OH WAIT, HOW DO WE DO THAT? THAT'S A GREAT POINT. NEXT TIME WE HAVE IT, WE'LL BE BETTER AT IT, I HOPE. YEAH, WE WILL BECAUSE YOUR CHAMPION. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO TO THIS GROUP. LARRY'S GOING TO SPEAK FOR US. SO LARRY ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD TRUST ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE ABOUT. AND MY ANSWER TO HIM WAS NO. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE. BASED ON HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER, I FEEL THAT IT'S BASED UPON OUR BEHAVIOR. OKAY. AND OBSERVATION OF THAT AND HOW THAT PLAYS OUT INTO VARIOUS THINGS. BUT TO THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, IT BROUGHT BACK THOUGHTS OF RELATIONSHIP AND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT TRUSTWORTHINESS AND POSITIVE INTENT. RIGHT. AND SOMETIMES I WONDER AND IT WAS JUST THE WONDER, HOW DO WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES IN THE AREA OF BEING TRUSTWORTHY? AND DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE AWARENESS THAT WE ARE TRUSTWORTHY? AND SO THEREFORE WE CAN EXTEND TRUST TO OTHER PEOPLE? RIGHT. WITHOUT THERE BEING THIS NEED TO, TO BE TRUSTED. RIGHT. AND SO THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, I LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE RELATIONSHIP. IF I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AND I WORK TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH LARRY IS 100% MY RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT? HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ME IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S HIS RESPONSIBILITY. AND SO IF I WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LARRY, WHICH I THINK I'VE DONE AND I'VE TRIED TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS OR RELATIONSHIP WITH LARRY, I'M GOING TO PUT THAT ON ME. RIGHT? WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT CAN I DO RIGHT? WHAT CAN I CONTROL? AND SO IF THERE'S EVER A SITUATION WHERE LARRY SAYS OR DOES SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME KIND OF GIVE HIM A SIDE EYE BECAUSE I BUILT THAT RELATIONSHIP, OR AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WITH HIM, I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S ALWAYS THE CASE WITH EVERYBODY ON OUR BOARD BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR AND THE COMMENTS THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THINGS THAT OCCUR. YOU MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT MARI, AND I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE PICK ON MARI AGAIN. NO, THAT'S OKAY. I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD. SO, I PICKED HER BECAUSE SHE'S GETTING PAID. YES. WELL. OKAY, SO, NADIA, SHE HAS TO EARN IT, RIGHT? IT'S ALL GOOD. IT'S ALL GOOD. SO I'M A TARGET. LET'S GO. NO, NO, THIS IS NOT A TARGET. NO, I'M GOOD WITH IT. SO FOR DAPHNE, WHEN I GOT ON THE BOARD AND I WAS NEW ON THE BOARD, MY FIRST INTERACTIONS WITH MARI WEREN'T VERY POSITIVE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE OF THE THE SITUATION THAT WAS HAPPENING. I DIDN'T KNOW MARI. RIGHT. AND SO THE WAY IT HAPPENED, IT MADE ME FEEL SOME KIND OF WAY BECAUSE I'M LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON? [02:40:06] RIGHT? WHO IS THIS PERSON COMING IN TO DO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS? AND I HAD TO KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK. SO IT WAS A PERSONAL DECISION FOR ME TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND BE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING? AS OPPOSED TO JUDGING WHAT WAS HAPPENING? I MEAN, I WATCHED IT AND I DIDN'T 100% UNDERSTAND IT, AND I ASKED QUESTIONS DURING IT. BUT AFTER IT HAPPENED, I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I WOULD HAVE WITH HER. AND THEN GOING FORWARD, OVER TIME, IT'S CHANGED. THE WAY I FELT THEN IS NOT THE WAY I FELT NOW BECAUSE I THINK I'VE GROWN. AS AN INDIVIDUAL. BUT THEN I ALSO SAT BACK AND I'VE OBSERVED AND I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS AND I TRIED TO ASSUME POSITIVE INTENT, BUT THAT WAS A DECISION THAT I MADE AS A TRUSTEE, WANTING TO BE ON A BOARD THAT WAS DOING THE BEST WORK FOR KIDS TO BENEFIT KIDS, RIGHT. IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED ME TO CONTINUE TO ASSUME A NEGATIVE INTENT REGARDING A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ATTORNEY THAT WAS WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S WHERE YOU ARE. I'M JUST KIND OF SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ROBERT. AND I KNOW YOU WEREN'T MAKING IT PERSONAL, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO RELATE THE FACT THAT IT TOOK ME DECIDING TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP, TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET TO THE POINT WHERE, OH, OKAY, I SEE THAT THAT'S POSITIVE INTENT. SO NOW, IF GOING WITH THAT, THAT THOUGHT PROCESS, IF I GO TOMORROW AND I SAY, MARI, YOU DID THIS, IT MADE ME FEEL THIS WAY. WHAT WERE YOU INTENDING? AND SHE SAYS, OH, I INTENDED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. THEN THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, RIGHT? BUT I'M AT LEAST GOING TO GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, OH, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AT ALL, BECAUSE SHE COULD BE AN RI AND AN RS. AND IF I'M AN RA AND WE CLASH IN THAT WAY IN OUR COMMUNICATION IS NOT LINKING UP, THEN I'M GIVING HER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS THAT SHE MEANT. AND THEN I CAN SAY, OH, OKAY, THIS IS HOW I TOOK THAT. SHE'S LIKE, OH, THAT'S NOT HOW I MEANT THAT AT ALL. SO THEN IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A BRIDGE. SO I THINK THERE'S FOR FOR US, WE HAVEN'T SPENT THE TIME. TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS IN THAT WAY INTENTIONALLY. AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY. BUT I'M JUST OBSERVING BEHAVIOR IN HOW WE'VE DONE THINGS AND THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M BASING IT ON. YEAH. I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT. YOU KNOW, WES, I THINK YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING TRANSACTIONAL, AND IT'S MADE ME THINK A LOT OF THIS IS LIKE TRANSACTIONAL AND RELATIONAL KIND MOVE TOGETHER, RIGHT? NOTHING'S COMPLETELY TRANSACTIONAL, AND NOTHING'S REALLY COMPLETELY RELATIONAL. REALLY. AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A GOAL. AND THEN THAT TIME FACTOR FITS IN THERE. IT'S A TRUST AND A FASCINATING THING ISN'T IT. LIKE WHAT CAUSES US TO SAY OKAY. YOU KNOW, IT'S NUANCED AND YEAH, VERY DIFFERENT LAYERS TO IT. YEAH. YEAH. AND I THINK ANOTHER CLEAR THING IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S PREDICTABILITY LIKE I CAN PREDICT, I, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHERE JOHNNY IS GOING TO COME FROM. HE'S I CAN PREDICT IT. THAT CREATES MORE TRUST WHEN HE'S UNPREDICTABLE. IT'S HARD TO I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT. AND THEN ALSO SAME GOALS. SO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE DIFFERENT OUTSIDE LIFE THAT ARE GOALS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. BUT COLLECTIVELY AS A BOARD, YOU GOT TO HAVE THE SAME GOAL AND THE TRUST THAT, WELL, YOU'RE COMING AT IT FROM THIS ANGLE AND YOU'RE COMING AT IT FROM THAT ANGLE. WE'RE ALL COMING AT THOSE GOALS. SO GOALS HELP BUILD THE COMMON GOALS, HELP BUILD TRUST A LOT FOR SURE. I WOULD LOVE TO HELP THIS GROUP GET TO Y'ALL. Y'ALL EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I TALKED ABOUT. I DO WRITE ABOUT WHAT, ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE? OKAY, WELL, NOT YET, NOT YET. THAT'S THE END ON TIME. FIRST OF ALL, WE ENJOY WORKING WITH THIS WHOLE GROUP. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRUST, AND ONE OF MY COMMENTS TO LINDA WAS, YOU KNOW, FOR ME PERSONALLY, TRUST GOES RIGHT ALONG WITH WORK. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SEPARATE THE TWO, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE REAL HARD FOR ME TO BE LOYAL TO SOMEBODY IF I CAN'T TRUST THEM. AND I HAVE THIS EXPECTATION OF MAN, IF I'M LOYAL TO YOU, YOU NEED TO BE. IF I'M YOUR WINGMAN, I REALLY EXPECT YOU TO BE MY WINGMAN. AND I'LL BE STABBING YOU IN THE BACK. SO. AND THEN WE GOT ABOUT. WE GOT INTO TALKING ABOUT TRUST AND LOYALTY AND COMMUNICATION, I THINK IS ONE OF THE THINGS UP THERE. YEAH, WELL, EVERYTHING YOU SEE ABOUT THIS BOARD IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION. YEAH. OF COURSE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO IS TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT CRAP IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT, AND YET WE BLAME OURSELVES FOR NOT [02:45:01] COMMUNICATING. BUT WE CAN'T. YOU CAN'T? YEAH. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO UNLESS IT'S IN A PUBLIC MEETING. AND SO THERE ARE SO MANY CLARIFYING CONVERSATIONS I FEEL LIKE THAT COULD HAVE, COULD HAVE BEEN HAD THAT WOULD HAVE BUILT GREAT UNDERSTANDING, ESPECIALLY ON THINGS TO GO FORWARD OR THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE'RE IN A PUBLIC SETTING AND NOT SORRY. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IN A PUBLIC SETTING, BECAUSE IT COULD BE UPSETTING. YEAH, OR CONTROVERSIAL OR SOMETHING ELSE. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GET TO THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, AND WE CAN'T REALLY DO THAT IN A PUBLIC SETTING WITH A TEAM. FIRST OF ALL, MAYBE THAT LASTS FOREVER. YEAH, YEAH. BUT SO, YOU GET INTO THOSE KIND OF LIMITATIONS AND I HATE THAT IT'S THAT WAY. I HATE THAT WE CAN'T TALK BEFORE OR AFTER MEETINGS ABOUT THINGS THAT WERE ON AN AGENDA, JUST TO CLARIFY STUFF, BUT I NEVER FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. BECAUSE SOMEHOW, IF IT WERE TO EVER HAPPEN, I'M SURE SOMEBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE SEEN OR HEARD ABOUT IT AND THEN REPORTED IT AS BEING US TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DO A WALK IN COURT OR SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT REALLY DON'T EVER GO AND DON'T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. YEAH, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. SO, I THINK THERE IS SOME RELATIONAL THINGS THAT GO ON HERE WITHIN THE BOARD YOU NEED TO THIS KIND OF SERVICE. WHEREAS ON ANY OTHER BOARD I'VE EVER BEEN ON, I CALL A GUY OR GIRL AND WE GO HAVE IT OUT UNTIL WE GET TO A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. AND FROM THAT IT'S WITH RESPECT STARTS GETTING BUILT. AND WHEN LOYALTY STARTS, ANYONE TRUST STARTS GETTING BUILT. BUT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A GREAT CHANCE. YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT. I DO THINK WE'LL TAKE A BREAK HERE IN A SECOND. I DO THINK Y'ALL MIGHT SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS CAN BE HELPFUL FOR YOU, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU JUST SAID IT VERY WELL, JAMIE. YOU DON'T GET TO DO THE SAME THING FOR CITY COUNCILS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISSUE HERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING THAT PERSON THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BECAUSE THAT YOU SAID YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE REAL PERSON, REALLY WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, THAT THEY DO CARE ABOUT YOUR SIDE OF IT, MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR SIDE OF IT, BUT THEY CARE ABOUT IT. IT'S MOVING TOWARDS YOU. AND THAT THEIR LOGIC IS, IS, YOU KNOW, STANDS UP UNDER SCRUTINY. IF YOU CAN GET THOSE THREE THINGS, IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TRUST THAT YOU LIKE YOU TRUST YOUR GRANDMOTHER, BUT MAYBE IT'S ENOUGH TRUST TO KEEP MOVING THINGS FORWARD. YOU KNOW, LET ME SAY ONE LAST THING, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S AT THE CORE OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHO I AM AND HOW I WANT TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD. AND I'VE SAID IT TO DOCTOR LOPEZ 5000 TIMES. THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT I HAVE REALLY DISAGREED WITH. BUT I'LL BE DARNED IF I'M GOING TO SIT HERE AND. CRITICIZED A VOLUNTEER WHO DOESN'T GET PAID FOR ME TO GO OUT TO VOLUNTEER. IS VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME AND EFFORT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR KIDS? THAT'S RIGHT. SO WHO THE HECK AM I TO BE CRITICAL OF THAT? I JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO WORK WITH. FIND COMMON GROUND. FIND AUTHENTICITY IN ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO FIND. FIND THE CONNECTION. YEAH. THE CONNECTION. THE CONNECTION. FIND THE CONNECTION WITH THEM SO THAT SOME OF THAT CAN START BEING BUILT. AND IF I HAVEN'T BEEN GOOD AT IT BEFORE TODAY, I REALLY WANT TO BE GOOD AT IT GOING FORWARD. BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE TASK. WE ALL HAVE. THERE ARE THERE IS NO WAY ON EARTH WE'RE ALL GOING TO AGREE ON WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS NEXT 12, 18 MONTHS. YEAH, THERE'S JUST NO. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TRUST EACH OTHER, HAVE THAT TRUST AND GO FORWARD. AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPEFUL. I KNOW WE CAN DO THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, FOR ME. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN A POSITION, I'M JUST GOING TO TRUST THEM AND I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM MY LOYALTY. IF THEY CALL THE PLAY, I'M GOING TO RUN IT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE POSITION I PICKED UP FROM ME BEING IN SPORTS. YEAH, I LOVE THAT SPORTS. I DON'T GET THE OPTION TO SECOND GUESS THEM. YEAH. I WONDER HOW MANY TIMES, DOCTOR LOPEZ, HAVE YOU HEARD ME SAY YOU CALL THE PLAY AND I'M GOING TO BACK YOU? I HIRED YOU, YOU KNOW, WE HIRED HIM TO BE OUR LEADER. WHY THE HECK WOULD I NOT FOLLOW HIM? YEAH, FOR SURE. YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN SAY YOU CAN'T BUILD ON A NEGATIVE. YOU DISAGREE WITH WES ON THIS, AND WES DISAGREE. WELL, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO DO ALL THAT. I THINK WHAT WE'VE GOT TO FIND IS WHERE IS THERE AGREEMENT. AND YOU BUILD ON THAT. [02:50:01] AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHY THOSE GOALS ARE SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A BREAK. LET'S COME BACK AT 4:15. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE AHEAD. WE'VE GOT, I THINK, WHAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD VIDEO FOR YOU TO WATCH. AND WE'RE GOING TO WRAP IT UP. WE'LL BE OUT OF HERE BY 7:00 SO SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. JOHN I KNOW YOU LOVE BEING HERE. SEVEN. OH WAIT, 5:00 IT IS JAMIE I'VE BE BACK AT 415, THOUGH I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. GREAT DIALOG. YOU KNOW WE OFTEN MAKE THE COMMENT THINGS DON'T GET BETTER BY NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM. I REALLY APPRECIATED THE CANDOR AND YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME FEEDBACK THERE. TRUST IS NEVER SOMETHING THAT'S PERFECT. IT'S LIKE A MARRIAGE. I'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 42 YEARS. TO THIS I SAY THIS SAME WOMAN, SHE'S GOT THE SAME NAME. SHE AIN'T REALLY THE SAME WOMAN. I'M NOT REALLY THE SAME NAME. BUT WE'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 42 YEARS, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S THE TRUTH. AND. AND IT'S NEVER PERFECT, ISN'T IT? WE NEVER HAD A PERFECT MARRIAGE BECAUSE SHE'S NOT PERFECT. OH, BUT I'M BUT FOR SURE I AM. BUT YOU KEEP WORKING AT IT, RIGHT? YOU KEEP WORKING AT IT. AND IF YOU STAY AT IT, THEN YOU GO, WOW, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO DO ON A BOARD. IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE PERFECT. AND JAMIE MENTIONED SOME OF THESE RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU LIVE WITH IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY THAT SHOULDN'T BE. IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. IT'S THE CONTEXT OF IT. AND IF THAT'S THE CONTEXT WE'VE GOT TO DO GREAT WORK IN AND YOU'RE DOING THAT, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE DOING THAT. YES, ROBERT. GOOD QUESTION. OKAY. TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON JAMIE'S QUESTION AND THEN ALSO CONVERSATION THAT LARRY AND I WERE HAVING, THE QUESTION CAME UP, GIVEN THAT THERE IS THAT ENVIRONMENT THAT WE OPERATE IN WHERE WE'RE HAVING MEETINGS IN OPEN SESSION. HOW DO YOU HAVE DIFFICULT OR CONFRONTATIONAL CONVERSATIONS? CONFRONTATION IS PROBABLY NOT THE WORD, BUT HOW DO YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WITHIN THIS CONTEXT AND ADDRESS ISSUES AND CONFLICT THAT HAPPEN REAL TIME IN A WAY THAT AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO ASK IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL DIMINISHED, DON'T EITHER TAKE IT PERSONALLY OR FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING ATTACKED. LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? IS THERE IS THERE A WAY TO DO THAT, A FORMAT? I THINK I'M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN. I HAVE TO REMEMBER I'M A RULE OUT. I'M LEARNING THIS, THIS PARTY IN THE CITY PART. WHAT WE OFTEN SAY TO COUNSELORS IS YOU NEED TO HAVE MORE WORKSHOPS THAT ARE NOT YOUR, YOU KNOW, REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS OR YOUR BOARD MEETINGS SO THAT YOU CAN TALK THESE THROUGH IN A LESS POLITICALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT. NOW THEY'RE NOT CLOSED SESSION, BUT THEY ARE AT LEAST ABILITY TO WORK IT OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT. THAT'S ONE THING. AND I THINK PROBABLY THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT PROBABLY ACROSS THE LAW SCHOOL BOARDS TOO. YOU NEED MORE OF THOSE. SO LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. YEAH, THIS GUY, BUT MAYBE NOT SO MUCH WITH A FACILITATOR OR INSTRUCTOR, BUT WHERE YOU'RE SAYING WE ARE DEALING WITH THIS TOPIC OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME HARD CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, IT'S NOT PRIVATE. IT'S GOT TO BE AN OPEN MEETING. SURE. BUT IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE. RIGHT, EXACTLY. AND IN THAT, IN THAT CONTEXT, DO YOU RECOMMEND HAVING A FACILITATOR? BECAUSE I THINK US JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION, IT CAN JUST SPIRAL, I BELIEVE. RIGHT. I THINK SOMETIMES YOU NEED IT, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T. OKAY. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITHOUT BEING SELF-SERVING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WELL, YOU NEED A FACILITATOR, RIGHT? I'M JUST CURIOUS. I'M JUST. YEAH. BECAUSE, I MEAN, I THINK SOMETIMES YES AND SOMETIMES NO. OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN I THINK WHEN YOU DO HAVE THAT WORKSHOP, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAR AGENDA AND A SMALL A SHORT AGENDA. WE CAN'T SHORT CLEAR AGENDA BECAUSE YOU CAN'T WORK ALL THAT STUFF, EVERYTHING OUT. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO ALSO POINT OUT THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT DOES NOT PREVENT TWO TRUSTEES FROM GETTING TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENCES. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, YOU CAN STILL HAVE SOME PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS AMONGST EACH OTHER. YOU GOT TO MAKE YOU GOT TO MAKE CONSCIOUS YOU DON'T SPREAD IT. BUT I MEAN, IF THERE'S IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT YOU SEE AND YOU THINK THAT YOU NEED TO ADDRESS IT, DO IT. YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T I MEAN, I THINK OUR OPERATING PROCEDURES TALK ABOUT THAT. [02:55:02] DO YOU HAVE AN ISSUE. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUAL I AGREE WITH THAT. BUT TOO OFTEN IT DOESN'T STAY BETWEEN THE TWO. YEAH. YEAH. CONFIDENTIALITY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING. YOU KNOW I ALWAYS KIND OF PRIDED MYSELF IN LIKE, I KNEW AS A PASTOR AND THE CHAPLAIN AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, I KNOW HOW TO KEEP A SECRET. YOU TELL ME SOMETHING. I'LL TAKE IT TO MY GRAVE. I'M NOT HAVE AS MUCH PRIDE IN IT NOW, BECAUSE NOW I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER. SO I'M PRETTY SAFE. I'M JUST. I CAN REMEMBER, YOU KNOW? BUT I THINK THAT'S. YOU CAN REALLY UNDERMINE TRUST WHEN YOU TELL LARRY SOMETHING IN CONFIDENTIALITY AND IT GETS OUT. THAT JUST CAN'T BE. THAT'S LIKE, THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE NO, NO. SO, I THINK THAT'S I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THIS BACK TO YOUR QUESTION OF ARE. WE ALL HAVE TO BE ADULTS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE ADULTS. WHEN THERE'S CONVERSATION ABOUT HARD TOPICS, IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. BUT I ALSO HAVE A CHOICE OF HOW I TAKE THAT. I, YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH POLICE DEPARTMENTS, FIRE DEPARTMENTS. CAN WE TELL THEM, LOOK, THIS IS TRUE FOR ALL OF US, THOUGH. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO YOUR FEELINGS, HOW YOU FEEL SOMETHING, BUT YOU ARE 51% IN CHARGE OF THOSE FEELINGS, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU KNOW THAT GROUND YOU MENTIONED? YOU'RE RIGHT. DOCTOR LOPEZ EXPERIENCES BEING BURNED, BEING OUTSIDE. WHAT? ALL OF THAT ADDS UP TO THINGS, BUT IT NEVER ADDS UP TO MORE THAN 49%. THEY'RE CALLED YOUR FEELINGS FOR A REASON. THEY'RE YOUR FEELINGS. YOU MAINTAIN 51% CONTROL OVER THOSE FEELINGS. SO. YOU CAN'T. SOMEBODY ELSE CAN'T MAKE YOU FEEL THAT WAY. BUT UNLESS YOU GIVE THAT TO THEM, AND IF YOU OWN A BANK, YOU OWN 51% OF THAT BANK. YOU WOULDN'T GIVE AWAY THAT 2%, WOULD YOU? WELL, YOU KNOW, 51% OF A BANK. YOU DON'T TRUST ANYBODY ANYWAY. BUT YOU WE'RE NOT FEELINGS. YOU OWN IT. YOU OWN IT. RIGHT. AND THAT'S HOW WE ALL HAVE TO BE WITH OUR FEELINGS. I OWN MY FEELINGS. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME FEEL A CERTAIN WAY. YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. BUT I CAN STILL CHOOSE. HEY, I'M GOING TO CHOOSE TO STEP BACK AND CHOOSE A DIFFERENT FEELING TO FEEL, OR I'M GOING TO OR I'M GOING TO CONTROL THE INTENSITY OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S THERMOSTAT. THAT'S WHAT GREAT LEADERS DO. YOU KNOW, THEY CONTROL THOSE EMOTIONS. THEY'RE CALLED YOU KNOW, I LOVE HENRY CLOUD, AND HENRY CLOUD MAKES THE STATEMENT, IF YOU'RE THE LEADER, YOU'RE RIDICULOUSLY IN CHARGE. ACT LIKE IT. AND I BORROW THAT FOR FEELINGS. THEY'RE YOUR FEELINGS. YOU ARE RIDICULOUSLY IN CHARGE OF YOUR FEELINGS. ACT LIKE IT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT ADULTS DO. IT'S NOT WHAT MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER DOES. AND IT'S OKAY FOR HER. SHE'S FIVE. NOT SO GOOD WHEN YOU'RE 35 OR 65, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THAT'S HARD TALK. I KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM ARTIFICIAL HARMONY? NO, BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD. IT'S LIKE SOUNDS SO ARTIFICIAL HARMONY. AND I THINK IT EXISTS IN EVERY WORKPLACE, EVERY BOARD. IT IS. NOBODY LIKES CONFLICT, RIGHT? AND SO WE SIT IN A MEETING AND WE KIND OF INTERNALIZED. I DON'T LIKE WHAT THAT PERSON SAID, BUT I DECIDE TO JUST SIT WITH IT AND I DON'T SAY ANYTHING. I DON'T VOCALIZE MY DISAGREEMENT WITH IT. AND I TAKE IT HOME AND I'LL SIT IN THERE AND I'LL SAY, OKAY, YEAH, OKAY. EVERYBODY READY? YES. AND WE VOTE. WE ALL APPROVE. AND THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS, IF IT'S ARTIFICIAL HARMONY, IS THAT PERSON LEAVES THE MEETING AND TALKS TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND SAYS, THAT WAS JUST RIDICULOUS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IF WE DON'T VOCALIZE THE THOUGHT PROCESS AND WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY FEELING ABOUT IT WAS TO YOUR POINT, YOU CAN HAVE A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER TRUSTEE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A CONCERN OR HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS JUST BOTHERED ME. I DIDN'T LIKE OUR INTERACTION. I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE PERSONAL. RIGHT? IF YOU CAN'T BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT IT, IT BECOMES ARTIFICIAL HARMONY. WHICH TO ROBERT, YOUR POINT, I'M BRINGING PAST EXPERIENCES. DOCTOR LOPEZ AS WELL. YOU KNOW, I'M BRINGING PAST EXPERIENCES. IF YOU KEEP TAMPERING DOWN THIS EMOTION AND OTHER PIECES THAT YOU'RE FEELING THAT ARTIFICIAL HARMONY BECOMES DISTRUST. THEY'RE JUST A THOUGHT. I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT MY OFFICE IS PERFECT FOR THAT BY ANY MEANS. [03:00:02] I MEAN, THERE ARE PLENTY OF DAYS I GO, OH, NOT TODAY. MAYBE TOMORROW. I'LL DEAL WITH THAT CONFLICT TOMORROW. BUT I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT I IS UNDERMINING MY TRUST IN SOMEONE, MY CONFIDENCE IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING, I'VE GOT TO GO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. SO THERE'S NOT AN ARTIFICIAL HARMONY BETWEEN US. BUT CAN I HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT ON ARTHUR? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH JUST THE BOARD. IT DEALS WITH EVERYTHING, RIGHT? EVERYTHING. SO IF THE PERSON THAT WAS IN AGREEMENT LEAVES AND THEN ESSENTIALLY VOIDS VOICES THERE, WHATEVER. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE UNDERMINING THE DECISION OF WHATEVER ENTITY IT IS. SO WHO'S THE REAL PROBLEM? IS IT THE PERSON GOING OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT IT AND CREATING THAT DYSFUNCTION? LIKE, LIKE WHERE DOES IT START LYING? WHERE PEOPLE START SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE THE ONE UNDERMINING THE PROCESS BY DOING THAT. THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. SO WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT THE PERSON IDENTIFIABLE? AND THEN WHAT IS THE ADVICE WHEN THESE PEOPLE DO THOSE THINGS TO HAVE CORRECTIVE ACTION? BECAUSE FROM A JUST FROM A I'LL SAY, A CORPORATE STANDPOINT, THE BOARD CORPORATE OR AS A SUPERINTENDENT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. RIGHT. NOW THE TEAM HAS DISTRUST IN THEM. WE'LL TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY. THEY WON'T HAVE AS MUCH INTERACTION. AND THEN THAT PERSON NOW SAYS, YOU SEE, LOOK, THEY KEEP ME OUT OF THIS. THEY KEEP ME OUT OF THAT. I'M BEING LOCKED IN. I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF A, B, C, D, AND E. I AM THE ONE IDENTIFYING EVERYTHING WRONG, YOU KNOW? AND THEY BECOME LIKE, KIND OF LIKE A MARTYR. SO WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE ON ALL OF THAT BEFORE IT GETS TO THAT POINT. SO BEFORE SO BEFORE IT GETS TO THAT POINT. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO START WITH, HOPEFULLY THE PERSON DOESN'T LEAVE THE MEETING AND ARTICULATE ALL OF THIS FRUSTRATION BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T. FAILED TO BRING IT FORWARD. OUR CONCERN, OUR FRUSTRATION, WHATEVER IT IS. BECAUSE IF WE BRING IT FORWARD OPENLY AT THAT TIME, IT GIVES THE WHOLE GROUP A CHANCE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. RIGHT. AND I AGREE, SOMETIMES WE DO NEED A FACILITATOR. IT DEPENDS ON THE TOPIC. I MEAN, IT REALLY DOES. BUT LET'S SAY IT HAPPENS. AND IF IT GOES OUT AND THAT COMMENT IS MADE AS SOON AS IT IS KNOWN THAT THIS IS A DISAGREEMENT AND THIS HAS OCCURRED, YOU NEED TO STOP IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AND SO WHETHER THAT'S A MEETING WITH BOARD PRESIDENT AND THAT BOARD MEMBER, IF IT'S A MEETING WITH SUPERINTENDENT, BOARD PRESIDENT, AND THE BOARD MEMBERS SAY, HEY, WE UNDERSTAND YOU WERE UPSET AND HOW CAN WE HELP? LET US KNOW. LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND LET'S VOICE THOSE CONCERNS SOONER VERSUS AFTER THE FACT. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THAT WHEN A BOARD MEMBER COMES OUT OF A MEETING AND VOICES THAT SORT OF DISPLEASURE AFTERWARDS, IT DOES UNDERMINE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE. NOT AND NOT JUST AS A BODY CORPORATE INDIVIDUALLY. RIGHT. IN MY MIND, AND YOU ALL KNOW AND I NOW KNOW, I NEED TO REALLY WORK WHEN I GET A NEW BOARD MEMBER TO EXPLAIN WHAT OUR ROLE IS. BUT OUR ROLE IS TO REPRESENT THE BODY CORPORATE, NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE BODY CORPORATE. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT IN MY MIND THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL KNOWS THEY NEED TO COME VOICE THOSE CONCERNS AS A BODY CORPORATE, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY'S VIEW OF YOU AS A BODY CORPORATE IS CRITICAL BECAUSE YOU DO. YOU GO ASK THEM FOR BONDS, YOU GO ASK THEM FOR TRES. YOU SAY, HERE'S THE PROGRAMING WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN PLACE, AND YOU WANT THEM TO TRUST WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD. YOU KNOW, OKAY, SO YEARS AGO YOU ALL MET ME THROUGH A CHANGE IN SUPERINTENDENCY. WE'LL JUST. SAY IT THAT WAY. AND THERE WAS A POINT WHERE WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BOARD AS A BODY CORPORATE IS CRITICAL TO ATTRACTING CANDIDATES. AND THAT SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I MEAN, DOCTOR LOPEZ, YOU CAN YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY LET ME OUT. BUT I MEAN I HAD MORE THAN ONE SUPERINTENDENT SAY I'M NOT COMING IN ON A SPLIT VOTE ONE THING OR I'M NOT COMING INTO A BOARD THAT IS CLEARLY DYSFUNCTIONAL. BECAUSE THAT'S A KISS OF DEATH FOR THEIR CAREER. AND THAT'S A FAIR POINT. AND SO WHEN I'VE GOT A BOARD THAT LEAVES THE BOARD MEETING AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HORRIBLE AND THIS PERSON DID THIS, THIS AND THIS, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA WELL ENOUGH. IT'S PUBLIC. IT GETS OUT THERE AND HERE'S WHAT'S OUT THERE. AND IT LEADS TO A DISTRUST OF THE BODY CORPORATE, WHICH I KNOW TO BE TRUE BODY THAT DOES GOOD WORK. AND SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I HOPE I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION. YOU NIP IT IN THE BUD AS SOON AS YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. BUT IT REQUIRES BOTH PARTIES TO BE ADULTS, RIGHT. AND TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT AND THIS AT LEAST IN THIS SETTING THE BOARD PRESIDENT DOES GET INVOLVED AS NEEDED. RIGHT. TO ADDRESS IT. START. YEAH. DOING THAT YOU KNOW I THINK TO THAT POINT THOUGH IF IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE FACTS RIGHT. [03:05:05] OF COURSE. AS A BOARD PRESIDENT, IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT FEELS A LOT LIKE TATTLE TELLING, RIGHT? AND WE'RE NOT KIDS. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE ADULT CONVERSATIONS. SO, IF A SITUATION HAPPENS AND IT'S BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT, AND YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT BASED ON THE FACTS THAT YOU'RE GIVEN, YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION. AND IF THE CONVERSATION IS DIFFICULT, IT'S JUST WHAT IT IS. BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO OWN UP TO WHATEVER THE ACTIONS ARE OR WHATEVER THE BEHAVIORS THAT WERE OBSERVED OR WHATEVER WAS SAID AND SAY, YEAH, I SAID THAT THIS IS WHAT I MEANT. THIS IS HOW I WAS FEELING ABOUT THAT AND JUST BE OKAY WITH DOING THAT. AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE RECOGNIZING THAT THAT PERSON ISN'T WRONG FOR FEELING THAT WAY. WE'RE NOT PASSING JUDGMENT BECAUSE THEY FELT THE WAY THAT THEY FELT. AND I THINK YOU'LL GET TO A RESOLUTION AND THEN A WORKABLE SOLUTION FROM THAT POINT. BUT I THINK EVERYBODY HAS TO BE ON BOARD WITH RESPECT TO THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO OPERATE. RIGHT? SO IF WE LEAVE A MEETING AND LET'S JUST SAY I'M NOT THE PRESIDENT, SOMEBODY COMES TO ME AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WAS BS. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WELL THEN, DON'T YOU? YOU PROBABLY DO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, BUT AS OPPOSED TO BE LIKE, OKAY, TELL ME MORE INVADING IT. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR MORE DRAMA. YEAH. SO GOOD POINT. GOOD POINT. RIGHT. ALRIGHT. LET ME LET ME KIND OF WRAP US UP WITH THIS, THIS THOUGHT. WHEN ROBERT AND I FIRST TALKED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE HEB AWARD THAT DIDN'T QUITE COME ABOUT. AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. AND IT MADE ME THINK OF THIS TED TALK THAT I THINK REALLY HAS A LOT OF MERIT TO IT. I LOVE SPORTS PROBABLY AS MUCH AS JAMIE DOES. AND I CAME ACROSS THIS TED TALK, AND I WAS INTERESTED IN IT BECAUSE I THINK THIS WAS IN 2018. THE VIRGINIA BASKETBALL TEAM WAS NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT IN THE MEN'S TOURNAMENT, AND THEY LOST TO A 16 SEED. FIRST TIME EVER THAT THAT HAD HAPPENED THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN. THEY WERE NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT, AND THEY LOST THE FIRST ROUND. IT WAS DEVASTATING. WE GOT THE COACH'S NAME, BUT HIS WIFE TOLD HIM, YOU AND YOUR TEAM NEED TO WATCH THIS TED TALK THAT SHE HAD BEEN AT LIVE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN 2014. AND SO THEY DID. HE DID. AND THEN THE TEAM TALK. AND THE NEXT YEAR, 2019, VIRGINIA WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. AND WHEN THEY WERE INTERVIEWING HIM, SEVERAL PLAYERS AND COACHES ALLUDED TO THIS TED TALK AS BEING A MAJOR REASON THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COME BACK. AND AFTER BEING SO EMBARRASSED AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR BEFORE, WHEN IT FOLLOWED THEM. AND SO, I WANT TO WATCH IT AND I AND THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU GUYS BECAUSE I'M USED TO SOME THINGS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW. WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT, LET'S CALL IT DISAPPOINTMENT IS REALLY UP TO YOU, RIGHT? IS THAT GOING TO BE AN EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU'VE KIND OF GOT CLOSE AND THEN YOU FELL AWAY, OR IS IT GOING TO BE AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU ALMOST GOT THERE AND NEXT YEAR YOU GO AGAIN? THAT'S WHAT I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE FROM IT. I CALLED UP TEXAS TECH, LOST TO VIRGINIA IN DOUBLE OVERTIME. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THERE WITH YOU, JAMIE. I AM BRINGING UP OLD WOUNDS. ALRIGHT. ENJOY THIS. IT'S 17 MINUTES. WELL, I'M DONALD DAVIS, AND I TELL STORIES. IF YOU COME TO SEE ME AT A FESTIVAL, YOU WILL MEET ME AS A PERFORMER. BUT A GREAT DEAL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK I DO IS HELP OTHER PEOPLE FIND THE STORIES FROM THEIR LIVES THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND BECAUSE THE THEME TODAY IS REFLECTION, IT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK BACK ABOUT HOW I BEGAN TO WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, AND HOW I LEARNED A FEW THINGS ABOUT THOSE STORIES. BUT TO DO THAT, I MUST TELL YOU A STORY. I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY THAT MY FATHER TOLD ME ONLY ONCE, MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO, AND THEN SHARE HIS REFLECTION ON THAT STORY. AND THEN AT THE VERY END, A TINY REFLECTION OF MINE. [03:10:05] MY FATHER'S NAME WAS JOE, A VERY COMMON, ORDINARY NAME. OUR NAME IS DAVIS. EVEN MORE COMMON ORDINARY NAME. AND EVEN IN THE TOWN WHERE I GREW UP, WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, THERE WERE THREE JOE DAVISES. SO THEY ALL HAD COMMUNITY NICKNAMES SO PEOPLE COULD TELL WHICH ONE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? THIS TIME THERE WAS JOE THE PHOTOGRAPHER, NOT MY DAD. THERE WAS A FARMER NAMED JOE WHO ALWAYS USED HIS MIDDLE NAME, JOE SILAS, SO PEOPLE COULD TELL HIM APART. AND THEN THERE WAS MY FATHER, WHO WAS THE ONE MAN LOAN DEPARTMENT IN OUR LITTLE COUNTY SEAT, FIRST NATIONAL BANK. HIS COMMUNITY NICKNAME WAS BANKER JOE. WELL, I WAS 13 YEARS OLD WHEN ONE DAY MY MOTHER WAS ON HER WAY TO THE LADY FAIR BEAUTY PARLOR. SHE DIDN'T WANT ME TO GO, SO SHE DROPPED ME OFF AND LEFT ME AT THE BANK WITH MY DAD. MY DAD WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THINGS FOR ME TO DO AT THE BANK. HE'D GIVE ME AN ADDING MACHINE AND THE PHONE BOOK AND TELL ME HE NEEDED ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS ADDED UP, AND I'D SPEND ALL AFTERNOON ADDING THEM UP AND THEN. BUT THAT DAY, IT WAS HIS DAY TO CLOSE UP. AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER THE BANK CLOSED, WE WENT OUT THE DOOR. HE TURNED AND HE LOCKED THE DOOR AND AS HE TURNED AROUND, MR. PITT MCCARROLL ACROSS THE STREET, WAS JUST LOCKING THE FRONT DOOR OF MCCARROLL'S FURNITURE COMPANY. THEY SAW ONE ANOTHER AND MY DADDY SAID, WELL, HELLO PITT, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. AND MR. MCCARROLL LOOKED ACROSS AT MY DAD AND SAID, WELL, CRIPPLE JOE, YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT TOO. AND WE WENT AROUND AND GOT IN THE CAR AND 13 YEARS OLD. I TURNED TO MY DAD AND SAID, I DIDN'T LIKE THAT. HE SAID, YOU DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I SAID. THAT MAN CALLED YOU CRIPPLED JOE. HE'S SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU BANKER JOE. MY DAD PULLED THE PLYMOUTH BACK UP INTO THE PARKING SPACE, TURNED OFF THE KEY, AND QUIETLY SAID, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY. AND I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE THERE FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW? WELL, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY, I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT HOW MY FATHER, NUMBER EIGHT OF 13 CHILDREN, WAS BORN IN 1901 ON A FARM WAY IN THE NORTH MOUNTAINS OF HAYWOOD COUNTY. IN 1906, WHEN HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD, HE WAS OUT BEHIND THE BARN WATCHING HIS FATHER AND HIS OLDER TWO BROTHERS SPLIT CEDAR SHINGLES TO PUT A NEW ROOF ON A LITTLE BUILDING. HE WAS FASCINATED WATCHING THEM, WATCHING ALL THE TOOLS, THE BIG FROE AND WEDGE AND THE DRAWKNIFE, AND ESPECIALLY A LITTLE SHORT-HANDLED AX THAT WAS VERY, VERY SHARP SO THEY COULD CLEAN OFF THE SHINGLES WITH IT. HE WANTED TO HELP, HE WANTED TO HELP. AND THEY KEPT SAYING, YOU'RE ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD. GET OUT OF THE WAY. YOU'LL GET HURT. WELL, IN A LITTLE WHILE, MY GRANDMOTHER CALLED THEM ALL TO COME TO DINNER. DINNER ON THE FARM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, AND MY GRANDDADDY AND THE TWO OLDER BROTHERS HEADED INSIDE TO EAT. AND MY DAD THOUGHT, THIS IS MY CHANCE. AND HE STAYED BEHIND SO HE COULD TOUCH THE TOOLS HE HAD BEEN BANNED FROM MESSING WITH. HE WENT OVER AND PULLED THAT LITTLE SHARP AX RIGHT OUT OF THE END OF A LOG WHERE IT HAD BEEN LEFT, AND HE TOLD ME HE WENT AROUND JUST CHOPPING EVERYTHING. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, HIS MOTHER CALLED COME TO DINNER BECAUSE LITTLE JOE HADN'T COME, AND HE REALIZED, I BETTER GET IN THERE, I'LL GET CAUGHT. AND HE WENT BACK OVER IN A BIG HURRY TO CHOP THE LITTLE AX BACK INTO THE LOG, AND HE SWUNG THE AX, MISSED THE LOG. IT GLANCED OFF THE EDGE, AND THE BLADE BURIED ITSELF DEEPLY THROUGH HIS KNEECAP, RIGHT INTO THE CENTER OF HIS LEG. AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY FOUND LITTLE JOE ON THE GROUND WHEN THEY WENT TO SAY WHY HADN'T COME BACK? WELL, MY GRANDDADDY CALLED TO MY GRANDMOTHER. BRING A CLEAN BED SHEET WHILE I SADDLED THE HORSE. THEY GOT HIM UP ON THE HORSE. MY GRANDDADDY GOT MY DADDY IN HIS ARMS AND RODE TO THE NEAREST COUNTRY DOCTOR'S HOUSE. THE DOCTOR LOOKED AT HIS LEG AND SAID, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. [03:15:02] I GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO TAKE HIS LEG OFF. MY GRANDDADDY GOT HIM BACK ON THE HORSE. THEY RODE 16 MILES ON INTO WAYNESVILLE AND WENT TO THE TRAIN STATION AND ASKED THE TRAIN AGENT, WHEN'S THE NEXT TRAIN COMING AND WHERE DOES IT GO? THE NEXT TRAIN COMING WAS NOT GOING TO ASHEVILLE. IT WAS GOING WEST TOWARD THE END OF THE SOUTHERN LINE IN MURPHY. BUT YOU COULD RIDE TO MURPHY, GET A CARRIAGE AROUND TOWN, GET ON THE L AND N LINE AND GO TO ATLANTA. SO, MY GRANDDADDY BOUGHT TWO TICKETS, PUT MY DAD ON A WOODEN BENCH, WENT OUT THE DOOR IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. HE CAME BACK WITH A QUART OF HOMEMADE CORN WHISKEY. AND MY DAD SAID HE BEGAN TO GIVE ME MEDICINE, AND HE GAVE HIM MEDICINE AND GAVE HIM MEDICINE UNTIL FINALLY MY DADDY SAID I WENT TO SLEEP OR SOMEWHERE, AND HE REMEMBERED NOTHING ABOUT THE 172-MILE TRAIN RIDE. BUT ONCE IN ATLANTA, SOMEHOW MY GRANDFATHER FOUND THE BRAND NEW 1906 GRADY HOSPITAL, AND THEY SAVED MY DADDY'S LEG. THEY TOOK OFF THE KNEECAP. HE LEFT HIM. LEFT HIM WITH A KNEE THAT WOULD BARELY BEND. AND INSTEAD OF A KNEECAP, A DEEP SCAR THAT A MAN'S THUMB COULD DISAPPEAR INTO. WELL, WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT BACK HOME, MY DADDY DISCOVERED HE COULD NOT DO WORK, ESPECIALLY FARM WORK. AND AS HE DESCRIBED IT, HE SAID, I BECAME ONE OF THE GIRLS. HIS MOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER, TAUGHT HIM TO KNIT AND HE BECAME THE FAMILY SOCK KNITTER. AND LATER ON, HE LEARNED TO SPIN FLAX. AND HE COULD SPIN FLAX BETTER THAN HIS FOUR SISTERS. BY HIGH SCHOOL, HE BEGAN TO REALIZE HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE A LIVING THAT DIDN'T INVOLVE WORK. AND IN THE PAPERS, THE FAMILY GOT. HE DISCOVERED THAT DOWN IN A PLACE CALLED CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THERE WAS A LITTLE SCHOOL CALLED KING'S BUSINESS COLLEGE, THAT WOULD TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE A LIVING WITHOUT WORKING. SO, HE SOLD SOCKS AND HE SPUN FLAX AND SAVED HIS MONEY AND SAVED HIS MONEY. AND WHEN HE WAS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1918, HE RODE THE TRAIN TO CHARLOTTE, FOUND THE LITTLE SCHOOL, AND TOLD THEM HE WANTED TO ENROLL. THEY COUNTED HIS MONEY AND TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR ONE TERM, BUT HE BEGGED THEM TO LET HIM STAY AND LEARN AS MUCH AS HE COULD TILL THE MONEY RAN OUT AND HE BEGAN STUDYING. HE BEGAN TO SCHOOL, AND BEFORE THAT TERM WAS OVER, THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD HIM TO GO HOME AND NOT WASTE THE REST OF HIS MONEY, BECAUSE THEY EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IN LESS THAN ONE TERM HE HAD LEARNED ALL OF THE BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING, TYPING, AND SHORTHAND THEY NORMALLY TAUGHT IN TWO YEARS. HE SAID I HAD TO LEARN THE MONEY WAS RUNNING OUT, SO HE GOT BACK HOME WITHOUT EVEN A PIECE OF PAPER TO SHOW THAT HE HAD EVER BEEN TO SCHOOL, BUT WITH SKILLS, AND HE WAS HIRED TO BE THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS MANAGER EVER HIRED BY TWO OLD MEN TO RUN A WHOLESALE GROCERY COMPANY. THE VERY NEXT YEAR, HIS FATHER DIED, LEAVING HIM FIVE LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO FINISH RAISING, AND A WIDOWED MOTHER AND AN AUNT WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD TO CARE FOR FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. HE RAISED THE CHILDREN, TOOK CARE OF HIS MOTHER, TOOK CARE OF HIS AUNT, RAISED THE CHILDREN, WORKED, SAVED HIS MONEY, RAISED THE CHILDREN, WORKED, TOOK CARE OF HIS MONEY, GOT TO BE 40 YEARS OLD. AND HE TOLD ME HE'D FORGOTTEN TO DO TWO THINGS. HE FORGOT TO GET MARRIED. I DON'T THINK HE HAD TIME AND HE FORGOT TO SPEND MONEY. AND WHEN HE WAS 41 YEARS OLD, THE OLD MAN WHO HAD STARTED THAT LITTLE BANK IN WAYNESVILLE DECIDED TO SELL IT. AND MY DAD ENTERED INTO THE DEAL. AND WHEN HE MET MY MOTHER WHEN HE WAS 44 AND SHE WAS 25, HE WAS BANKER JOE. [03:20:09] BY NOW IT WAS DARK IN THE PLYMOUTH, AND MY DAD LOOKED AT ME IN THE DARK AND HE SAID, SON, DON'T YOU GET IT? DON'T YOU GET IT? IF I HADN'T GOTTEN TO BE CRIPPLE JOE, I WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN TO BE BANKER JOE. IF I'D NEVER GOTTEN TO BE CRIPPLE JOE, I WOULD BE PLOWING WITH MULES ON IRON DUFF. AND YOU'D BE IN TROUBLE WITH EVERY TEACHER YOU'VE HAD WHO EVER BORROWED MONEY FROM ME. HE SAID, YOU MUST LEARN THAT IT IS NEVER, NEVER TRAGIC WHEN SOMETHING PEOPLE THINK IS BAD HAPPENS TO YOU. BECAUSE IF YOU CAN LEARN TO USE IT RIGHT, IT CAN BUY YOU A TICKET TO A PLACE YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE GONE ANY OTHER WAY. AFTER THAT DAY, IT WAS OKAY WITH ME IF PEOPLE CALLED MY DAD BANKER JOE. BUT WHAT I REALLY LIKED WAS WHEN PEOPLE KNEW HIS WHOLE STORY WELL ENOUGH TO LOOK AT HIM AND SAY, HELLO, CRIPPLE JOE. NOW, THAT'S THE STORY I HEARD ONCE WHEN I WAS 13, AND YEARS PASSED WITHOUT MY REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT OF COURSE, NEVER FORGETTING THE STORY. ABOUT 30 YEARS LATER, I WAS ALREADY DOING STORYTELLING AND BEGINNING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE ON STORIES WHEN I WAS VISITING MY FATHER. NOW IN THE LATTER HALF OF HIS 80S, AND AS WE WERE VISITING, ALL OF A SUDDEN, FOR SOME REASON, THAT STORY CAME BACK AND I SAID TO MY DAD, THIS IS HIS REFLECTION PART. NOW, HOW DID YOU GET TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE STORY THE WAY YOU TOLD IT TO ME? HAD YOU TOLD HIM BEFORE THAT? AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID ONLY ABOUT 200 TIMES. AND I GOT TO HEAR A LITTLE STORY I ALMOST MISSED. HE SAID WHEN I CAME BACK FROM ATLANTA, FIVE YEARS OLD NOW WITH THE CRIPPLED LEG. MAMA, MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO DIED BEFORE I WAS BORN. SO I NEVER MET HER. MAMA SAT ME DOWN AT THE KITCHEN TABLE AND SHE SAID, JOE, NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO TELL THE STORY. BUILDING YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS. GO TO WIX.COM AND SET UP YOUR STORE ON A SINGLE INTEGRATED PLATFORM. WE DIDN'T SIGN UP TO ADD PRODUCTS, SHOWCASE THEM DYNAMICALLY, AND HE SAID, I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL THE STORY BECAUSE TELLING THE STORY WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. I WAS CRIPPLED AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, YOU'RE NOT TELLING THE STORY TO CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED. YOU'RE TELLING THE STORY TO CHANGE YOU. AND SHE MADE ME TELL IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND EVERY TIME I TOLD IT, SHE GAVE ME A DIFFERENT AGENDA. SHE SAID, NOW, JOE, THIS TIME TELL THE STORY AND TELL WHAT YOU LEARNED BY LIVING THROUGH THAT. AND THEN ANOTHER TIME. NOW TELL THE STORY AND TELL WHAT YOU THINK YOUR DADDY AND I LEARNED FROM LIVING THROUGH THAT. AND EVENTUALLY IT WAS EVEN. TELL THE STORY AND TELL WHAT YOU THINK. THE DOCTORS IN ATLANTA LEARNED FROM LIVING THROUGH THAT. AND WE WENT ON, WE WENT ON AND WE WENT ON. AND ONE DAY SHE SAID, NOW, JOE, IF YOU DON'T TELL THIS STORY ENOUGH WHEN YOU'RE 50 YEARS OLD AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR LEG, YOU'LL BE FIVE AGAIN AND YOU'LL BE PITIFUL. BECAUSE WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU, SHE SAID, IT SITS ON TOP OF YOU LIKE A ROCK. AND IF YOU NEVER TELL THE STORY, IT SITS ON YOU FOREVER. BUT AS YOU BEGIN TO TELL THE STORY, YOU CLIMB OUT FROM UNDER THAT ROCK AND EVENTUALLY YOU SIT UP ON TOP OF IT. HE SAID ONE DAY SHE SAID, NOW, JOE, TODAY TELL THE STORY AND TELL WHAT YOU GET TO DO NOW THAT YOUR BROTHERS DON'T GET TO [03:25:01] DO. AND HE SAID, I TOLD THE STORY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS SMILING BECAUSE I REALIZED I GET TO STAY IN THE HOUSE AND READ WHILE THEY WORK ON THE FARM. AND SHE HAD ME TELL THAT STORY AND TELL IT AND TELL IT UNTIL WHEN I WAS ABOUT 15 YEARS OLD, I DECIDED THAT CHOPPING MY LEG WAS THE BEST THING I'D EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I REALIZED SHE WAS RIGHT. THE STORY DOESN'T CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED. BUT THE STORY HAS THE REMARKABLE POWER TO COMPLETELY CHANGE OUR WHOLE RELATIONSHIP TO HAPPENING. I ALMOST DIDN'T HEAR THAT PART OF THE STORY. AND I REALIZE THAT I HAVE TWO DEGREES FROM RESPECTABLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. I WILL NOT NAME THEM IN THIS AUDIENCE BECAUSE THEY'RE IN NORTH CAROLINA. AND YET I LEARNED MORE ABOUT WHAT I DO HELPING PEOPLE DISCOVER THE STORIES THAT ARE SITTING ON THEM AND CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER THEM, FROM LISTENING TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORY THAN I EVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL. WELL. IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT TAKEAWAYS. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL DECIDE. WHAT WAS ALMOST THE TOP IS A STEPPINGSTONE AND NOT A BOULDER ON IT. THAT'S WHERE WE ALL DECIDE. SO, I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO SAY, HERE'S THE TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY, MAYBE FROM THE VIDEO OR FROM OTHERWISE. AND WE'LL START. WE'LL START OVER HERE WITH JAMIE AND WORK OUR WAY BACK. THIS WAY WE'LL SKIP ROBERT, DOCTOR LOPEZ WILL PUT YOU ON BLAST. SO WE'LL START WITH JAMIE. TAKE AWAY. TAKE AWAYS. SO, IF I WERE GOING TO STEP IN AN ELEVATOR, SOMEBODY AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE LAST 3 OR 4 HOURS? I WOULD SAY THAT I LEARNED. I LEARNED DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON PERSONALITIES. THAT SOMETIMES IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSON. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AS MUCH AS IT IS WHAT YOU PERCEIVE, THEY SAID. IN OTHER WORDS, THE FRAMEWORK WHERE EVERYTHING COMES FROM. YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU GOT TO RISE ABOVE 6000FT AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON SO YOU CAN MAKE. HONEST ASSESSMENT. SOMETIMES YOU FIGHT, YOU REALIZE WHAT THE. WHAT THE. MOVING ON FOR A WHILE. AND THEN NUMBER TWO IS I THINK THERE ARE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF TRUST. AND IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE. COUNTERARGUMENT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT BETTER. AND THE LAST THING I NEED TO THE LAST THING WE TALKED ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GOT A PROBLEM SOMEBODY AND DO NOT LET IT FESTER. THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN RESPECT IN THAT PROCESS IS TO TALK ABOUT IT. TALK IT OUT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD. LINDA, WE'LL COME TO YOU. TAKE A WALK. WHAT I LEARNED IS THAT IN A TEAM, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES THAT CARRY WITH THEM PROFILES AND DEFINITIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND AS A TEAM, FOR ME, IT IS TO LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUENESS AND NOT TO HOLD ON TO THINGS, AND THAT IF I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING, I SHOULD RESEARCH IT AND FIND IT OUT FOR MYSELF. GOOD. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. LARRY, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE AWAY YOU GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF TRUSTWORTHY TRUST. AND I'VE BEEN WEIGHING THAT SINCE YOU SAID, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT? I THINK YOU SAID TRUSTWORTHY IS PROBABLY THE MORE. HOW DO YOU GAUGE HOW YOUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS THINK ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU TRUSTWORTHY OR TRUST? AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO WORK ON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO YOU, JOHN. OKAY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. [03:30:01] I FEEL LIKE THAT WE NEED TO PEEL BACK THE ONION AND SEE THE VALUE OF A TEAM OF EIGHT. AND THAT FROM THAT, REGARDLESS OF THE WEAKNESSES, THE STRENGTHS THAT WE HAVE, WE ALL BRING VALUE TO THE TABLE. AND WE NEED TO TRUST THAT VALUE THAT WE SEE IN EACH OTHER, EACH PERSON AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE. AND WE CAN TAKE THAT AND, AND, AND LISTEN TO THE OPINIONS AND THE OBSERVATIONS THAT THEY HAVE ABOUT RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD OR THIS DISTRICT AND, AND BE OPEN TO THAT AND TRUST. YEAH. GOOD. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. WES, WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY FOR YOU? I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE LEARNED TODAY IS WE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT EACH OTHER, RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK THE ASSESSMENT WAS INTERESTING TO ME AND GOING THROUGH AND SEEING EVERYBODY'S POLYGONS THAT THAT KIND OF IDENTIFIED AT LEAST THE SNAPSHOT OF THEIR PERSONALITY TO SOME DEGREE HELPS. I MEAN, WHENEVER SOMEONE MAYBE REACTS IN A CERTAIN WAY TO A PARTICULAR PROPOSAL OR POLICY OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, IT MIGHT MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE NOW TO US THAN IT DID BEFORE. SO ANYTIME THAT YOU GAIN SOME INSIGHT INTO PEOPLE ON A FAIRLY SMALL TEAM, I THINK THAT YOU. SO, TO ME THAT'S A VERY GOOD DEFINITELY WANTS TO TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY. IT WAS INTERESTING THE DIFFERENT THAT RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY. SO, I THOUGHT THAT I'VE DONE MANY OF THEM OVER THE YEARS, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING, REALLY KIND OF REALLY GETS TO KIND OF THE CORE MORE. SUPERFICIAL. SO THAT'S KIND OF NICE TO SEE THE COMMONALITIES AND THE DIFFERENCES. THAT WERE A SURPRISE. AND. CHANGE IS HARD. NOT EVERYONE LIKES CHANGE, BUT YOU COME OUT OF IT A BETTER PERSON AND PEOPLE IF WE. SO YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ON THAT ROAD, SO THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD. YEAH. I REALLY APPRECIATED THE PERSPECTIVE THAT ALL. I THINK IT WAS YOU THAT SAID THIS DOCTOR LOPEZ, THIS BOARD IS ABOUT CHANGE. BUT YOU COME AT IT FROM DIFFERENT WAYS AS I-OPT SHOWS. AND TO ME, THAT'S REALLY, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO WIN. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE GREAT. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GOING TO BE GOOD. YOU'RE GOING TO BE GREAT. WHEN I LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY, THE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, THE BACKGROUNDS, THE HEART, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GREAT. AND THAT ABILITY TO USE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON CHANGE IS POWERFUL. SO DOCTOR LOPEZ, WHAT'S A WHAT'S A TAKEAWAY FOR YOU? AND THEN WE'LL END WITH YOU, ROBERT, GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD. REAL REFRESHING. EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. IT'S EVIDENT. EVERYBODY WANTS TRUST. AND I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT YOU PUT BEFORE US IS KIND OF WHAT MR. GLICK SAID. IN ORDER US TO BUILD TRUST, EACH OF US HAS TO WORK ON OURSELVES BECAUSE THAT IS ON US TO BE TRUSTWORTHY. AND THAT THAT MEANS FOLLOWING WHAT'S WITHIN THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, THAT'S HAVING COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER PRIOR TO THEM FESTERING. IT'S BEING ABLE TO START BEING MORE VULNERABLE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MISCOMMUNICATION MAY NOT BE PERSONAL. AND SO THOSE ARE THE TAKEAWAYS THAT I'M COMING FROM. SO I'M ECSTATIC. YEAH. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT ROBERT, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER. AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO SHARE TAKEAWAY AND SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT AND ADJOURN US. OH, WELL, THE FIRST TAKEAWAY I'M GOING TO SAY IS THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE WORKSHOPS. YEAH. I THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME VERY CRITICAL ITEMS. AND IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS, THEN WE DEFINITELY HAVE THEM AS A TEAM. WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING TRUSTWORTHY AND THAT PEOPLE MAY TRUST YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT TRUSTWORTHY, IT'LL FALL APART. BUT YOU NEVER REALLY DEFINE WHAT TRUSTWORTHY MEANT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WORKABILITY WITHIN OUR BOARD. AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD KIND OF WANT TO EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND, AND I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE VERY DEFINITIVE THINGS THAT WE CAN POINT TO OR BEHAVIORS THAT WE CAN POINT TO, OR ATTITUDES THAT WE CAN POINT TO SAY, OKAY, YES, WE'RE BEING TRUSTWORTHY, OR I AM BEING TRUSTWORTHY. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT I THINK IS HUGE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE, I THINK DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK LEFT TO DO. WE HAVE SOME GAPS, WE HAVE SOME BLIND SPOTS. AND SO TO ME THIS HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE AREAS IN SOME WAY. AND IT GIVES ME A HOPE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO. [03:35:01] TO FILL THEM IN A WAY THAT OUR KIDS AND OUR STUDENT'S ARTIFICIAL HARMONY. YOU KNOW, LARRY BROUGHT THAT UP. I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. AND WHEN SHE SAID SUPPRESSING IT COULD LEAD TO. NOT HAVING TRUST. YOU KNOW, IT COULD DAMAGED TRUST. AND THEN THE THING THAT I FOUND PROBABLY THE MOST FASCINATING WAS THAT LINDA, JOHNNY AND DAPHNE AND I, FROM A PROCESSING STANDPOINT, WE'RE VERY SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH WE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND SO IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE SIMILAR PERSONALITIES, EVEN IF YOU PROCESS THINGS IN A SIMILAR WAY, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, ARRIVE AT A SIMILAR POINT OR SAME POINT FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. AND SO, I THINK WITH THE COMMON GOAL THAT I FEEL THAT WE HAVE OF MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION. GREATER STUDENT OUTCOMES. SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, PILLARS THAT DOCTOR, DOCTOR LOPEZ HAS SHARED AND THEN THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH OVER THE LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WITH MISS GRIFFIN KIND OF LEADING THAT CHARGE, I THINK WE JUST HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CHANGE IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT A LOT OF A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS, FOR SURE, IN OUR DISTRICT. YEAH. VERY COOL. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DO HAVE ONE REPORT TO GIVE YOU THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO IS GREAT READING FOR HOME. IT'S CALLED THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT REPORT. SO, YOUR PROFILE AND I HOPE IT HAS AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT. AND THIS TELLS YOU HOW TO MANAGE IT TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. SO I'LL JUST GIVE IT TO YOU. YOU CAN READ IT, OR YOU CAN THROW IT AWAY. MAKE SURE YOUR SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER DOESN'T SEE IT THOUGH, YOU KNOW. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME FOR LETTING ME BE WITH YOU. AND WE'LL SEE YOU GUYS DOWN THE ROAD. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.