Technology has enabled so much for us. Where would we have been without Zoom during the Pandemic? Social platforms have connected us worldwide, supported revolutions, and given voice to the unheard. At the same time, like most things in life, technology also has a shadow side. It can be divisive, addictive, anonymous, and is often unverified. Our kids can now be bullied in-person and online. Many of us engage in compare/despair while looking at the recorded lives of others. Where we once got our news and information from a few sources that followed established journalistic rules about validated sources of information, the open nature of social platforms now makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Leveraging the power of technology and using it in ways that are beneficial to our well-being, supports connection and effectiveness and is generally useful, was the subject of the Wisdom 2.0 Summit that several of our team was privileged with attending. wisdom2summit.com/about There were many excellent speakers, workshops, and conversations about mindfulness, leadership, and being human. More importantly, it was a gathering together of leaders and seekers looking to create better ways of connecting and doing business.

Here are the reflections from team members who attended the event.

Tim

Re-emerging from the global pandemic, I am having to admit that my extrovert muscles have atrophied. Attending Wisdom 2.0 marked my first business trip in over two years. It also marked my first Wisdom 2.0 Summit. The warm welcome I received from returning attendees who were well versed in the depth of content, culture, and community at Wisdom made for fast friendships. Myself and other ‘first timers’ were awash in two fantastic days of ideas and insight shared across the main stage, the breakout sessions, and in clusters of conversation across the venue. Wisdom 2.0 sparks an intentional pause to consider how we want to return, not simply to ‘normal’ and the way we did things before our global pause, but instead to align our thoughts in a way that underscores our shared humanity. With this consciousness and presence of mind, we can better compose our work to serve one another in what matters.

Catherine

It is always a welcome opportunity to attend a conference and be stimulated by new ideas and new connections. Attending Wisdom 2.0 felt like I was filling up my cup with something delicious. All the speakers I saw are pursing creative projects with clear commitment and passion. It was a treat to be in the company of folks like Jack Kornfield, Shelly Tygielski, Diego Perez, and Sara King to name just a few of the fascinating thought-leaders who spoke from the mainstage.

I especially enjoyed connecting with folks in small group discussions around creating human-first organizations. It is interesting to hear how many organizations make the statement that they are dedicated to employee wellness, and yet don’t deliver. They continue to work within legacy systems and employ policies that prevent them from manifesting their promise. Given all the information we are gathering about the Great Resignation, the time is ripe for exploring how the future of work might actually make human-mattering truly front and center. This is an intention that we have been evolving at Integrated Work and continue to create daily. It takes attention and nimble leadership, something not every organization is truly willing to invest in.

That being said, I am hopeful and look forward to continuing the exploration of mindfulness, technology, and empathy at work.

Trent

Equity was a significant theme at this year’s Wisdom 2.0 conference. I had numerous interactions and conversations with other humans who were thinking about finding ways to integrate Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principle into their practice. Some of the keynote speakers were *very* focused on equity and shared some amazing work. Dr. King’s remarks during their keynote were very fascinating. Shelly Tygielski also shared very deeply about the connection between mindfulness and equity principles in action during the pandemic. The two had a very nice connection between theory and practice.

The Integrated Work JEDI cards we brought with us were of great interest (although just about everyone I talked to had seen them via our teammate Roma Velasco) and caused quite a few people to consider how they might use such a tool. I made a strong connection with someone doing JEDI work in one of the TECH spaces and I’m working on building a working relationship with that human.

I talked to many other people and gave out more cards than I collected! There are several people who could be a great fit for our Extended Network (EN) team in the near to middle future.

I also thought of a few people who could be great keynotes for upcoming conferences! 😊 I’ll pass those along to someone when the time is right.