xBlog
In 1999, XPLANE created one of the first business blogs. We have been adding great insights ever since. Check out our latest posts, filled with ideas for designing, facilitating, and creating lasting change for people and organizations.
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Why Flat Teams Need Nurturing in Work Magazine
Why Flat Teams Need Nurturing in Work Magazine
Consultant Nina Narelle was interviewed for a short piece in Work magazine. In today's complex business enviro...
How to Design and Implement Organizational Culture
How to Design and Implement Organizational Culture
How to Design and Implement Organizational Culture with the activation curve, culture map, and empathy map fro...
Four Steps to Implement a Sustainability Team at Your Office
Four Steps to Implement a Sustainability Team at Your Office
This fall we officially launched BAT, XPLANE’s Betterment Action Team. BAT’s cross-functional team...
Facilitator’s Guide to When the Group Says “Hell No”
Facilitator’s Guide to When the Group Says “Hell No”
It was 3:30pm. We were seven hours into the first day of a two-day leadership team offsite and the afternoon c...
Create an Inspiring Meeting with The Hero’s Journey Agenda
Create an Inspiring Meeting with The Hero’s Journey Agenda
Organizing a full-day offsite meeting? Leading a two-day summit for your department? Take your team on a journ...
Surviving the Big One: Visual Thinking Through the End of the World
Surviving the Big One: Visual Thinking Through the End of the World
Did you read that article in The New Yorker about how the big Portland earthquake will destroy our beloved Pac...
What is XPLANE’s Process? Glad You Asked!
What is XPLANE’s Process? Glad You Asked!
At XPLANE, we use a tried-and-true, five-step process with our clients for our standard deliverables. By stand...
How to Go on Vacation Like a Program Manager
How to Go on Vacation Like a Program Manager
We’re strong believers in work/life balance, and not the kind where you spend 50% of your vacation stres...
Designing for Simple is Way Too Confusing
Designing for Simple is Way Too Confusing
“Keep it simple.” This common principle of design drove our creative team into a debate last week....
Focus on User-centered Design; It’s Not About the Title or The Org Chart
Focus on User-centered Design; It’s Not About the Title or The Org Chart
In the wake of some high-profile departures of communications leaders, PR Week asks whether communications and...
The Origin of xDays
The Origin of xDays
I recently published a post on a new practice we are trying this year called xDays. The basic idea is this:
x...
XPLANE Helps ICANN Envision It’s Long-Range Strategy Plan
XPLANE Helps ICANN Envision It’s Long-Range Strategy Plan
XPLANE is proud to see the conclusion of our work helping ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names a...
Defining Information Architecture Using Crowd Sourced Design Thinking
Defining Information Architecture Using Crowd Sourced Design Thinking
In today’s world we have access to an ever-growing amount of information, but it isn’t always as e...
Creative Briefs as Storytelling
Creative Briefs as Storytelling
Generally speaking, art students don’t consider themselves writers. In fact, many will tell you art scho...
Design is the Key to Success This Year – Make it Work For Your Team
Design is the Key to Success This Year – Make it Work For Your Team
It’s XPLANE’s year.
The Chinese Year of the Sheep is known for design and creativity and so...
Project Managers, Scourge or Angel? Interview with Christopher Knaus
Project Managers, Scourge or Angel? Interview with Christopher Knaus
Our very own Christopher Knaus, Director of Program Management, was recently a guest on PushPull Podcast discu...
How to Survive the Office When Your Dominant Hand Isn’t Available
How to Survive the Office When Your Dominant Hand Isn’t Available
I recently underwent a minor arm surgery (nothing major, no need for sympathy), which has taken my dominant ha...
Organizational Minimalism and the Art of Subtraction
Organizational Minimalism and the Art of Subtraction
Tis the season for home organization, cleaning up, and cleaning out. I, like many people, spent my time over t...
So, You Have to Give a Presentation
So, You Have to Give a Presentation
Wait, did you just instinctively open PowerPoint? STOP! Did you know that 80% of the time PowerPoints (or slid...
Bookmark This! Change DNA Library
Bookmark This! Change DNA Library
Over the past two months we've been exploring the DNA of Change. It's been fun to assemble top thought...
The Magic of Discovery
The Magic of Discovery
Put 9 experts from 9 different organizations on a project without much direction and you are likely to have at...
Change DNA
Change DNA
Recently our team of consultants has been hard at work defining the eight design principles for organizat...
It’s Not the Why, It’s the What
It’s Not the Why, It’s the What
This is not the story of “Why” you should put pencil to paper. You should already know that starti...
Sharing Is Caring 8.7
Sharing Is Caring 8.7
Not unlike kindergarten where we were all taught to share, XPLANErs are constantly stumbling upon and sharing ...