Reach Partners
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog

A Puzzling Undertaking

4/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Puzzled, Rachel Asleson, 2021 Watercolor on paper, 9x12
I hate puzzles.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been frustrated by them.

I remember once, as a child, trying to finish the puzzle of a hot air balloon. It was beautiful: a brilliant blue sky and the balloon was distinguished with bright colors of the rainbow. But it took forever to complete. The puzzle sat on the dining room table and I heard my mom tell more than one guest that they needed to place a piece before they left.

I might have passed on my dislike of puzzles to my kids. One Christmas, I had a photo of the two of them turned into a puzzle. The pieces sat in a box for nearly two years before I made myself put it together. The puzzle wasn’t complicated; it was 25 pieces. But it wasn’t easy and certainly not fun. I threw it away.

During the pandemic, I watched friends on Facebook safely exchange puzzles as their families used time together to puzzle (is puzzle even a verb?!). Yuck. Not me. Not my family.
​
And yet, I solve puzzles at work all the time. Every time I piece together details of an event or a project, it’s a puzzle. Only recently did I figure out the difference.

Read More
0 Comments

The Best Reasons (and Ways) to Seek Consensus

3/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you feel overwhelmed by decision-making, you’re not alone.
 
Each adult makes nearly 35,000 conscious decisions each day, according to various researchers. Some decisions – like where to purchase your morning coffee – only impact us personally. Decisions in the workplace, however, can create a ripple effect for employees, teams, organizations, and others.
 
Knowing that, it’s tempting to assume that more people should be involved in making decisions. After all, more heads are better than one, right?

Maybe.

Read More
0 Comments

Three Steps to Successfully Start Any Project

2/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
You’ve probably heard the Chinese proverb: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Another way to think about it: all big and complex things start with a simple step forward.
 
In many situations, however, that first step might not be so simple.
 
You likely have your own personal list of to-dos that have been gnawing at you for what seems like forever. For whatever reason, you keep procrastinating and pushing them to the back burner.
 
That tendency is multiplied when you consider projects that require a team or collaborative approach. Maybe you have a list of projects that you want finished, but you never seem to have the time, energy, or organization to move them forward.
 
At Reach Partners we’ve seen projects fail to launch or stall because a successful start was an obstacle. Starting is harder than it looks.

Read More
0 Comments

Virtual Meetings Made Meaningful

1/18/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
The pandemic has taught us, over and over, that virtual meetings and gatherings can actually be productive, rich with human connection. We’ve also learned that meaningful virtual connections are not certain. Rather it takes intention for it to be possible.
 
If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you know our mantra: Intention starts with purpose. (I know. We say it all the time, (specifically here and here), but it’s true. Really.)
 
Do you want a meaningful virtual meeting? Start with these tips:

Read More
2 Comments

Toss Your Script: Plan New Interactions

12/21/2020

4 Comments

 
Picture
We at Reach Partners are big Priya Parker fans. We devoured her book “The Art of Gathering” and even attended an event curated by her.

So when Parker penned an opinion column that ran in The New York Time before Thanksgiving, we paid attention. Titled “Abandon Your Thanksgiving Script,” the column addressed the need to think differently about holiday traditions during a year when nothing has been normal.

Parker challenged her readers to think imaginatively: “That begins with shifting our attitudes from fighting the current constraints to taking inspiration from them.”

As someone who studies and designs gatherings, she most often sees two responses to constraints on gathering: cancellation and rebellion. She encourages a third option: improv.
​
We’ve seen this play out in our own work and experiences over the last year.

Read More
4 Comments

What We're Reading for Learning, Awareness

11/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
As winter settles in, we’re ready to review the piles of books that encourage us to keep learning and expanding our view of the world.

A few of our favorites – both personal and professional – right now:

Read More
0 Comments

#ReachGratitude 2020

11/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Every Thanksgiving season, we take a moment to reflect on the past year. Typically, we're full of gratitude for our relationships, our work, and the world around us.

Let's be frank: the past year hasn't been easy, nor smooth. We are tired of Zoom meetings and doing most of our work remotely. We miss the days when a friendly hug was a safe way to end a conversation. Still, as we look back, we are in awe of the small (and big!) ways that gratitude has filled our days.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings ... change ordinary opportunities into blessings." #MondayMotivation #ReachGratitude pic.twitter.com/zmIN0IPjFD

— Reach Partners Inc. (@ReachPartnersPM) June 29, 2020

A card sent to me in the mail feels like a much needed hug. #ReachGratitude #ReachConnection pic.twitter.com/f1nRHrJUgM

— Anita Hoffarth (@ReachAnitaH) April 9, 2020

Grateful that the @YWCACassClay remains a safe place ready for women and children who need to escape. #ReachGratitude https://t.co/21LpKtfpay

— Anita Hoffarth (@ReachAnitaH) March 26, 2020

Warms my heart that @ReachRachelA genuinely interacts with my kid. Today was a convo about a #book he is reading and a plank competition, which is scheduled to repeat tomorrow for #30seconds #ReachGratitude

— Anita Hoffarth (@ReachAnitaH) March 19, 2020

#Gratitude . . . let's you clearly see the colors. #MondayMotivation #ReachGratitude pic.twitter.com/ADG8a62PxO

— Reach Partners Inc. (@ReachPartnersPM) March 16, 2020

Happy to report event flowed smoothly! #ReachGratitude https://t.co/unMqkz3xJr

— Anita Hoffarth (@ReachAnitaH) January 25, 2020
0 Comments

Communicate With Those Closest to You

10/19/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
We know from experience that every project we do is only as successful as our communication plan.

It’s why we communicate when there’s nothing new to share.

It’s why we communicate to keep our stakeholders informed and happy.

We’ve always stressed communication with the project team when we enter a partnership. But good communication can reach so many more audiences.

Let’s back up a minute.

Read More
0 Comments

Art Above the Horizon: An Invitation

9/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​What makes a community a community?
 
We’ve explored this question time and time again with both our partners and ourselves. And the responses never seem to end.
 
Is it quality schools? Successful businesses? Neighbors who bring you tomatoes from their backyard garden?
 
Or does a community become a community when we can have tough conversations with each other?
 
Or when we create something beautiful together?

Read More
0 Comments

Lessons Learned from the Post Activity Report

8/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
As we were working on conference details for a client, something didn’t feel quite right. I knew there was something that the client wanted to change from the previous year’s event. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember exactly what it was. (In my defense, it had been over a year since we had planned that particular conference. That’s a long time to remember things!)

Thankfully, I knew exactly where I could find what I needed. The detail was included in our post activity report, also known as the PAR.

Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Reach Partners

    We develop.
    We execute.
    We connect.
    We fill in the gaps.

    Categories

    All
    Anita
    Beauty
    Communication
    Connection
    Empathy
    Events
    Facilitation
    Gratitude
    Integrity
    Meeting
    Partner Stories
    Possibility
    Project Management
    Rachel
    Resources
    Strategy
    Team

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

Reach Partners
15 21 Street South Suite 208
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
701-271-8170
CONTACT US
Copyright (C) 2021  Reach Partners Inc.
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog