Practicing Connection
Improve your resilience and readiness in a rapidly changing world.
Jessica Beckendorf and Erin Carlson Rivera host this exploration of personal and collective practices that empower us to work together to help each other, our families, and our communities improve our resilience and readiness.
Episodes
127 episodes
How Does a Small North Carolina City Become a National Example of Collaboration Between Military and Community?
How does a small North Carolina city become a national example of collaboration between military and community? Mayor Will Lewis says it starts with relationships - and a willingness to show up for one another.I...
Applying Systems Thinking to Local Issues
What is the value of using a systems lens in community work?In today’s archive episode, we are hearing from Bob and Jessica about solving issues in your community on a systems level, not just on a focused project level. ...
Leveraging the Community Assets to Support Military Families
We talk a lot on this podcast about the importance of collaborating with others in your community. But if you are finding yourself overwhelmed or with limited capacity, this framework and practice are a great way to get start...
Putting your Icebreakers to Work
Do icebreakers always make things awkward?Have you ever had to do an icebreaker that made you cringe? What if your icebreakers actually helped your team do better work? In this episode Erin and Jessica discuss why iceb...
Navigating Tricky Partnership Problems (Listener Q&A)
How do you build community connections that actually work?Have you ever gotten stuck as you try to build community partnerships? In this month’s Listener Q&A, Erin and Jessica answer questions about classic partner...
Do you see yourself as a generous collaborator?
Do you see yourself as a generous collaborator? Have you ever been generous with a collaborator, only to leave disappointed? This week's practice is all about unpacking generosity. Making time for generosity can build trust, ...
Why Community Engagement Efforts Fall Flat
Most of us don’t ignore input - we just ask for it too late. And by then, the decisions are already made.What if the biggest issue with community engagement isn’t whether you do it - but when and how?In this episode, Jessic...
Empathy in Action: Going Beyond Surface-Level Interactions
Empathy mapping is a simple tool for helping you imagine someone else and their experience.In this From the Archive episode, Bob and Jessica explore a powerful tool designed to deepen your connection with others—empathy mapping.&n...
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School Liaisons and Extension: A Network of Support for Military Youth
When military kids move, their whole world shifts—schools, friends, routines, and support systems. In this episode of Practicing Connection, school liaison Karen Watkins-Diouf and 4-H educator Jeremiah Johnson share how th...
Who's Missing From Your Network?
Most of us don’t mean to work in silos - but our calendars and inboxes quietly build them for us. In this episode, Jessica and Erin guide you through a five-minute exercise to map your work relations...
How to Handle Workplace Expectations, and Other Listener Q&A
This month’s listener Q&A gives us three juicy areas to cover: struggling with frequent task switching, dealing with burnout and unachievable workloads (and the expectations associated with this), and how our practices integrate with per...
What the Room is Telling You: How to Read the Room
You've walked into a meeting and felt it immediately - something's off. The energy is flat, or there's a tension nobody's naming. What do you do with that? In this practicast, we share a simple, repeatab...
Burnout, and Resilience, in Service Providers
What if the key to resilience is practicing together?This episode fom the Practicing Connection archives features a conversation about burnout and resilience with guests Dr. Charles (Chip) Benight and Nicole Weis from the Lyda Hil...
Prevent Burnout with "Unfocusing"
What if the key to getting more done is doing less focusing? In this episode, Erin introduces the concept of unfocusing - not slacking off, but intentionally giving your brain a chance to rest and re...
How to Get the Most out of Practicing Connection Podcast (Listener Q&A)
Have you ever asked, “So what do I do with this?” after listening to a Practicing Connection episode? Put the pieces together with us on our first Q&A episode! Join Erin and Jessica as we answer listene...
Why Unspoken Expectations Erode Trust (and How to Fix It)
You're frustrated with someone you’re collaborating with, but you can't quite explain why. Chances are, the problem isn't their performance - it's the unspoken expectations neither of you knew the other had.Most...
Encouragement That Works: How to Give a Real Pep Talk
A good pep talk isn’t just about saying “you got this.” When done right, it can reignite purpose, build trust, and help others find strength when things get tough.Everyone needs encouragement - but great encoura...
How to Grow Your Courage for Collaboration
Collaboration takes more than skills and schedules—it takes the courage to step outside your comfort zone with other people.Bravery isn’t just about big, dramatic moments—it also shows up in everyday choices, like meeting someone ...
Humble on Purpose: A Practice for Better Decisions
What if the strongest person in the room is the one willing to say, “I don’t know yet - what am I missing?” In this episode, we practice exactly that.In this week's episode, Erin and Jessica discuss intellectual...
Everyday Practices for Organizational Resilience
Resilience at work isn’t only about how much each of us can handle. It’s also about how our systems anticipate challenges, respond to them, and make space to recover and learn. What changes when we start asking, “How resil...
Collaboration in Action: Serving Military Families through Strengthening Communities
How does a small North Carolina city become a national example of collaboration between military and community? Mayor Will Lewis says it starts with relationships - and a willingness to show up for one another.I...
Turning Conflict Into Collaboration
It’s easy to collaborate when everyone agrees. The real test of teamwork is what happens when we don’t.In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica and Erin explore how to stay grounded and connected when collaboration gets t...
How We Work Together: A Simple Practice for Better Collaboration
Are you really collaborating - or just coordinating? This episode offers a short reflection to help you notice where you are on the spectrum and make one small shift toward true collaboration.In this episode of ...
Reframing Feedback: A Practice for Receiving Criticism Well
Negative feedback can feel like a punch in the gut - but what if you could shift your mindset to see it as useful data instead of personal failure?Most of us cringe when we hear “I have some feedback for you.” But learning to rece...
From One Season to the Next: A New Chapter for Practicing Connection
Change is part of every journey - even the ones we love most. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf welcomes new co-host Erin Carlson Rivera, and shares parting reflections from longtime co-host Coral Owen. Together, they ex...
