In 2023 we are focusing on updating the brand for the Genuine Contact Way as a collaborative project. And you are invited to join us!
Our goal for this work is to prepare the GC Way brand for the next generation. The GC Way brand is considered prepared when people working with Genuine Contact can clearly describe the story and spirit of the Genuine Contact Way consistently and in a way that others can say “I understand, and I want this too.”
This project is being led by a newly formed team - The Brand Owls. Together, we are Birgitt Williams, Bora Lee, Gowoon Lim, and Rachel Bolton.
It should come as no surprise that we approached the development of this project the Genuine Contact Way :-).
There's a lot of information on this page! We know it can feel overwhelming to read so much, so here's a quick overview of what's included. If you're looking for something specific, the links will take you down the page to just the right spot.
- Our process and how it's built the Genuine Contact way
- Leadership involved in every step of the process
- Who could participate (hint: if you're reading this, it's probably you)
- What we've done so far including in-depth reports from each step in the process
- Discernment Phase - What is already known about the GCW brand and who will be involved in the process.
- What's coming up as next steps that you can participate in
- Readiness - Through the key activity, the brand persona, an open space is provided for the members of the GCO to be ready for the branding process
- Engagement - We search for the brand direction and set bridging steps between the present and future.
- Construction - Determine the brand direction and concept. Create a simple and unified story. Decision-making.
- Implementation - 100 days of implementation. Realizing the gap between existing branding plans and the new branding direction. Updating existing team plans to align with the new branding direction.
- Monitoring & Adjustment - 100 days of monitoring and adjustment. Monitoring how the plans are being implemented and making adjustments if needed.
If you're looking to quickly find the documentation from each of the completed parts of this process, you'll find them here! A more full description of each step that is still to come is found below in "What's coming up next."
Session Outputs - Whiteboards & Reports
You'll find the whiteboards and reports from each stage of this work here as it unfolds.
- Session 1, January 18: Orientation & Story Sharing
- Session 2, February 21: Deepening Understanding of the Genuine Contact Way
- Session 3, February 28: Understanding the Genuine Contact Way from the Audience Perspective
Our process is designed in 6 phases
A guiding principle within the Genuine Contact way of working is ‘go slow to go fast’. This Six Level Evolutionary Spiral provides a framework for us to do just that. Typically, when people undertake a project or initiative there is insufficient, if any, consideration that they are undertaking something requiring skillfulness in working with change.
It is common to start a project or initiative by setting a vision (expected outcomes), targets, goals, objectives and so on. We refer to this as getting quickly into construction to ‘drive’ to the desired outcomes.
To thrive in today’s performance environment of constant change, when working on a project, team, organization, or even a family unit, go slow at first so that it is possible to go fast. Don’t assume that by going fast to ‘drive’ to the outcomes you want is actually the fast way to go.
Our model for thriving as we work with intentional change is the Six Level Evolutionary Spiral. The diagram is read from the bottom up. Each level can be worked with the Medicine Wheel Tool (MWT) as a platform meaning as you go through each of the six levels, you go through six rounds of the MWT. The choice of what tools to use within these MWT rounds, how long to spend in each, what questions you wish to ask in each round is the artistry of working with this tool.
The Six Phases
- Discernment is for exploring the topic itself and discerns what appears to be fact from the perspective of those involved. If the topic is about ‘change’, the discernment is about ‘change’, if the topic is about ‘improved innovation’, the discernment is about ‘innovation’, if the topic is about ‘preparing the brand for the future’ then the discernment is about what we already know about the brand and what is needed to prepare it for the future.
- Readiness accomplishes exploring how ready the organization is to undertake the intended change in terms of its own health and balance.
- Engagement accomplishes sorting out the engagement for moving forward and requires engagement of people who are implementing the change what it is constructed.
- Construction accomplishes the design of what is determined to be the best approach, a proposed brand strategy and supporting materials, for going forward to achieve identified results (outputs and outcomes).
- Implementation is that phase of implementing, making changes to how we work with the prepared brand to accomplish the brand strategy. In this project, we're supporting 100 days of implementation.
- Monitoring and Adjustment is usually thought about during the construction phase regarding a plan for how progress will be monitored and the mechanisms to make adjustments. Monitoring and adjustment will happen for 100 days alongside the implementation. After that, the ongoing implementation, monitoring and adjustment will be the responsibility of the functional teams of the GCO (Leadership Team, Membership Team, and Co-Owners/Stewards).
Leadership involved in every step of the process
Something that is critical not just for the update of the Genuine Contact Way brand, but for ensuring we successfully implement it, is leadership that is involved in every step of the process. Our GC Way Branding Project process has been designed with this guiding principle in mind.
- As people working in the Functional Teams of the GCO, at least 1 member of our Leadership Management Team (LMT) (Doris Gottlieb and Rachel Bolton), 1 member of the Membership Team (Ann-Heidi Paulsen Orvik and Anna Caroline Türk), and 1 Co-Owner/Steward participates in every whole system meeting (described below) and every meeting of the Functional Teams (FT). This participation ensures that the members of these teams are collaborating on the leadership of this process and are in agreement with decisions being made as they unfold.
- With at least 1 member of the Functional Teams attending every meeting, they have undertaken the responsibility to update the rest of their team members on the progress of the work. They have agreed to have a standing agenda item in their regular meetings to discuss the implications of this unfolding work on the activities of their team and to share these implications with the Brand Owls. This supports our collaboration and ensures that decisions individual teams are making are supported by the rest of the organization as it moves forward in this work.
- And the leadership that is within each of us as stakeholders of Genuine Contact. When you choose to participate in this process, you are enacting your leadership by showing up and being fully present and contributing what has heart and meaning to you. These individual contributions are recorded in each meeting's notes and will be considered by the Brand Owls as the proposed brand strategy and its supporting materials are developed.
Who should join in?
In order for a collaborative process like this to be successful, it's important that a diverse group of people come together to offer your collective wisdom. If you're reading this, you are exactly the right person to join in! While all of the parts of this process are connected, each part has been designed to be a stand-alone experience. This means that you can come to only 1, a few, or even all 7 parts of this process, and your contributions will always be welcome, invited, and valuable.
We are inviting participation from people who have:
- every level of involvement with our international Genuine Contact Organization - whether you are a White, Orange, Green, Blue, Co-Owner, or Organizational member...or even if you're not a registered member at all. What matters is that you are interested in the Genuine Contact Way of working and living.
- every level of engagement with your learning of the Genuine Contact Program - whether you've taken 1 workshop, a few, the entire program, or even if you're simply curious to learn more one day soon.
- every length of participation in our organization and community - whether you've been here for the last 20 years, the last 20 minutes, or anywhere in between
- every way you are working with Genuine Contact - whether you're a Trainer offering workshops, use the Genuine Contact way of working for some or all of your coaching and/or consulting assignments, in your day-to-day work inside organizations, or are wondering whether this way of working can be of benefit to you and your clients
In short, if you have interest in the Genuine Contact Way, we hope you will participate in this process. You can read about the whole process below or see a brief list of the 7 sessions with links to RSVP here.
Opportunities for Participation
Within the 6 Levels framework, there are also 6 steps in this strategic plan refresh process in which you can participate.
You'll find details below about what has happened or what is going to happen soon for each of these phases of the GC Way Branding Project.
