How To Build A Well-Being-Driven Organization That Creates Flourishing People with Teresa Roche

How can you feel sorrow, grief, joy and love and hold them both? Being able to understand polarity and live in that creative tension allows me to see the both and the yes and.

Welcome to the Happiness Squad Podcast. Your weekly dose of practical tips and inspiration to help you operate at your fullest potential by integrating the science of flourishing into how you live, work and lead. In each episode we will share insights, tips and stories from leading experts, company executives and flourishing solution providers that you can implement right away to make happiness your competitive edge and find more success, joy, health, love and meaning in everything you do. Hello friends, welcome to the Happiness Squad Podcast where we share practical tips to make flourishing your competitive edge and help you achieve seller performance powered by well being and not at its expense. I'm Ashish Kothari and I'm on a mission to help a billion people not just experience happiness as an emotion, but use it as a tool to unlock their fullest potential. If you're interested in learning more, please make sure to follow me on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter@happinesssquad.com today we have a truly inspiring guest, Theresa Roche, the Chief Human Resource Officer for the city of Fort Collins. Teresa has had a remarkable career spanning Fortune 500 companies, consulting and now leading HR for a city of nearly 3,000 employees. What makes Teresa stand out isn't just her leadership experience, it's her deep commitment to human flourishing. She believes that well being isn't just a benefit, it's a strategy for thriving teams and thriving communities. In this episode we'll dive into her leadership philosophy, the innovative well being initiatives she and the team are driving at Fort Collins, and how she's shaping an organization where people don't just work, they thrive. We'll also explore how investing in employee wellbeing ripples out to impact the entire community. And of course we'll talk about the Rewire program, why she brought it to the city, and the impact it's had on the people who went through it. Get ready for an insightful, heart centered conversation on leadership, purpose and well being with the incredible Teresa Roche. Let's dive in. Hi Teresa. Teresa, it is so wonderful to have you with us. Thank you for agreeing to join the Happiness Squad Podcast and just sharing your lifetime of wisdom and with our listeners. Thank you.

Well Ashish, thank you. Whenever I'm asked to do something like this and asked to reflect, it's a gift to me. And of course I always hope it has value to those that are listening and to you Ashish. So thank you.

Thank you My friend, look, you've had such a rich set of experiences, Theresa. You know, from corporate work to, you know, being a senior leader at so many of the Fortune 500 to your own consulting work, and then obviously now, you know, as the Chro for The city of Fort Collins, you know, almost 3,000 plus people that, you know, you're responsible for. I'm just curious if you could share from your extensive journey, Teresa, you know, what are some pivotal moments that have shaped you into the amazing leader that you are today?

Well, Ashish, that's very generous for you to say I'm amazing leader. So we'll hold that one to the side for a moment. Ashish, I am somebody that reflects and writes and takes time to pause. And so this question made me think about. My life's been a series of moments. But I want to talk about three things, three experiences that have shaped me so much. So I'm going to start with my family of origin. I'm the youngest of seven children, had five older brothers. My parents were born in the years of the Spanish pandemic that had happened in the States. Children of the Depression. And my father was a prisoner of war and World War II when my mother was at home with my oldest brother David. And so having a family that had gone through those experiences and seven children, I think there's three things about my family that have really become part of my genetic DNA or were already there, and their curiosity, commitment and contribution. So my family was always curious what showed up in how we read that we would meet people and be open. The commitment was, my mother went to work when I was five, the last of the seven, and I was going to school. And so here she was, seven children and working full time. And we would have these family meetings, Ashish, to talk about how to create harmony, to get things done.

Love that.

So that everybody could, you know, bring their best selves. And so there was a commitment we made to each other to have a certain kind of family life. So I learned very early what it meant to take accountability through that commitment. And when I said about my parents being born in the era of living through the Depression and World War II, that generation really gave those of us that followed that if you can, you should help community. So those three Cs were really part of a pivotal strand in my life. And I could tell story after story of my family. When you have that many, you could tell many stories. And then, Ashish, the other thing that is very pivotal to me is my family of marriage. Yeah, I'm Sure. You know Adam Grant, the author. He writes on Substack and if I could, I want to share a quote that I sent to my husband that Adam Grant had that I think will help you understand why my husband and my daughter are very pivotal and shaped who I am. What Adam Grant wrote is the clearest sign of intellectual chemistry isn't agreeing with someone, it's enjoying your disagreements with them. Harmony is not the combination of identical sounds. It's a pleasing arrangement of different tones, voices or instruments. Creative tension makes beautiful music.

Wow.

So my husband is exceptionally brilliant and it made me think when I read this quote reading substack by Adam Grant yesterday. It's how I felt when I first met him. And here we are. We've been together since 1982. That's a long time. And we are the fortunate parents of kai, who's now 29 and she says there's nothing like having your family be mirrors. So I absolutely, I believe in this or here's what I'm trying to do. They hold me to account with their feedback, with their questions and I point to that family of marriage as being instrumental. And then the last Ashishu pointed to the fact. I've had many different life chapters. My curiosity has shown up in how I pursue the education I have the different work chapters that I've been in and I have so many stories of people that have helped me along the way. And Ashish, if I could just say one last thing under this question, whenever I can, I work in the story of Betty Nelson who met me when I was 19 at a very interesting development time in my life. And she has loved me fiercely all these years and she's somebody who helps me remember my name when I forget. So she's gone through all these chapters that I have lived different places and Betty's gift with many others, but Betty in particular, at the age of 19, I saw the possibility of people working together, sharing power. And you didn't get power from taking it from another, but through collaboration and co creation you can move things forward. So that may have been a lot, but as I reflected deeply on your question, those are the three things I wanted to mention and I wonder if you want to say anything about them. I've seen you taking notes. Is she sure?

Oh my God. You know, they, you know, it's, it's a lot of people spend their life leaning forward and they forget about their past and all of the experiences that consciously or unconsciously are shaping who they are and right and show up and you know, I can say, you know, from the times that I've met you, Theresa, and interacted, you know, the three C's. It's so obvious now. Right. How, you know, your love for learning, your involvement in the Harvard flourishing network, you know, constantly looking to read and learn, you know, your commitment to the organization and to the city. As, you know, I'm in this. We collectively and always this contribution, orientation.

Right.

So, I mean, I love those three Cs. And frankly, you know, for those who are listening, even if you think about. Think about what are those core values, the core beliefs, the core things? We all have them, we all learn them both.

Yeah.

You know, as. As the Buddha says, both the seeds of the good and the bad are in us. It depends on what we water. And, you know, many of these things that you highlighted are in us. Right. And there might be other ones. I think that the second story of yours also is so beautiful and so pertinent in this time right now, where I think it feels like, you know, we have lost the capacity to take another's perspective. Right. How critical is that skill right now? You know, we are almost divided 50, 50 as a country, because we just cannot seem to even listen. Yeah. Forget about. Create something of a harmony. Right. Between the conflicting perspectives. So I love that, this notion of. And we need it more than ever before. We need the ability to actually not just hold two, but six, seven, eight different perspectives.

Absolutely.

And be able to. To create something from it. So I love. I love that and I love how, you know, it's. My wife and I are also very, very different, believe it or not. And yet we work so well together. You know, I always say, you know, she is. I'm very lucky, Teresa, that she is both the keel in my boat that keeps me grounded, but at the same time, she's also the wind in my sails.

Yeah, that's beautiful.

You know, when everything around becomes quiet, she keeps me moving forward. And we are very different. Right. She's very detail oriented. I'm very big picture, you know, so it's beautiful when that works. We wouldn't be where we are as a firm without her. My life won't be the same. So I love that notion of dueling, if not multiple perspectives. And yeah, I think the last one on collaboration, really, I think co creating together. We are in this space right now where our collective wisdom is what's needed to take us forward. Our individual knowledge is insufficient. It's just insufficient. Things are moving too fast in too much of a complex ways. But unless we Collaborate, we co create. I think we will suboptimize the system.

Ashish, I love that you pulled out the concept of the past. And I love all kinds of cultural, performing arts, literature, musicals, plays, museums. But one of my favorite directors is Christopher Nolan. And I don't know if you realize that every one of his movies are about time, and time is a social construct. And as I've aged, I actually love being in the past, present and future as if it is one virtuous circle. So I. I love that feeling. And so I appreciate that you pulled out the past, that I can reflect, I can be present and I can look forward. And Ashish, my sense about you is you do the same thing.

It is. It's. That's, you know, that's why we have. We have so much, you know, that that unites us. We had the energy resonance. Yeah. And it's also beautiful, right? Like this notion of past, present and future be grounded in all three. Because really it is not three different aspects. All that is here is the present, but also not letting the past dictate or constrain the future dictate the present or constraint. I think this, again, this notion of how can we hold all things in a way like we take forward what will help we learn from what hasn't worked, but we don't let it define because we are constantly growing, we're constantly learning, we're constantly evolving and changing right through it. No, it's beautiful, Teresa.

It's.

I love that about you. So tell me a little bit. You take these core ingredients, right, that are a core part of you. How do they come to life and inform, you know, how you lead and more importantly, how you thought about from such early days to creating a thriving workplace culture at the city of Fort Collins. Right. I mean, this has been running for now, six, seven years, Right. The initiative that we had a chance to be a part of. Tell me a little bit about that.

Yeah, so she said, I'm going to weave a little bit. You said ingredients. So I'm going to stir a cauldron here. When you're the youngest of seven. I used to think when I was younger that I had to be what all my siblings were, as athletic, as intelligent, as funny. And why Betty Nelson, at the age of 19, was such a gift to me in life is what I've learned is, and this is a quote from Frances LaSalle, be who you are and be that perfectly well. She says many things about you that I admire. Do I hope to be in development on sure. But I need to be Teresa and I need to be the best version.

Yes.

And so Betty was somebody that saw me for who I was. Didn't know my, like, oh, she's a roach from Highland, Indiana. You know, it just so that. Be who you are and be that perfectly well. And the word perfect, father Ripley Caldwell, 1982, gave me this. This quote. The origin of the word perfect is not this unbelievable standard. Its origin, I think, is Hebrew. To come round and be whole.

I did not know that. Wow.

Gosh. I hope I'm telling the truth, but I've done research to make sure I'm still remembering that correctly. And so I think that we come in with wholeness and we can forget it, and then we get to be on a journey to remember it. So that has influenced me. And she's. How it shows up at work is I love to help people know who they are through whatever journey they have to go on. Because everyone brings a set of talents and gifts. So letting them be who they are and being that perfectly well really shows up. And with all the components of what makes well being. I think that's one of your core practices, self awareness.

Yes.

That is such a foundational piece. So that certainly is one. Ashish. What I didn't share earlier as a family story, my mom died when I was in graduate school. And that was a very painful moment. And her death opened up a portal of transformation that I didn't quite understand when I was in it, but upon reflection, can see it. And so that helped me start to see polarities. How can you feel sorrow, grief, joy and love and hold them both?

Yeah.

So being able to understand polarity and live in that creative tension, Ashish has helped me. And you said earlier, now more than ever, we really need to listen to people and see the different perspectives. Holding polarities allows me to see the both and the. Yes. And. And so that's the second thing I would say. As she said, I want to pause because there's more I can say and maybe we'll get to it, but I want to give you a chance to enter in the conversation with what I just shared.

Thank you. It's beautiful. Right? Wholeness is so critical and knowing yourself. Right, Theresa. I mean, that's why we put awareness, you know, at the heart of both of our work, organizational and individual.

Yes.

You know, it's interesting, isn't it? I always think about that as humans, when we are one with nature, when we are admiring anything outside, when we are walking, you know, even if it's it doesn't even have to be grand. Just go out in a garden, go out, you know, just look at a plant. We take the whole thing in. We don't criticize the crooked tree. We say, oh, my God, look how beautiful it looks. We take in all of the kind of hues of the sunset, the sunrise. We know we can look at the mountains and just there is all kind. You know, there is. All of it is there. And it's not necessarily all symmetric. And that is perfection. But when we come to humans, we right away, I like this, I don't like this. I want this. I don't know. We have stories, we start judging. And so, you know, I find it so profound, this notion of if we can truly see everything from a place of wholeness as intermittent parts and really help people. Because you're so right. You know, we say this all the time. You have a zero percent chance at being like somebody else, but you have a hundred percent chance of being the best version of you, whatever that best of you is. Yeah, right. And so, no, I think that's beautiful. You know, Tal Bin Shahar, you know, one of the preeminent happiness researchers, he calls. He calls happiness whole person. Well, being.

Oh, that's beautiful. I've had nothing.

Whole being.

Wow. And Ashish, what you just said, I want to like, really amplify. When we're whole and have wholeness within ourselves, we can't help but see others with the same lens.

Yes.

So thank you for that. I appreciate. Yeah, that was powerful.

And from that wholeness actually allows us to truly integrate all the parts of us, because we see our own flaws more than anybody else does, and we beat ourselves just like, hey, it's okay. Right? It's okay. This is who we are. And as you said, we are on a path of evolution. So I love that as well, that we are kind of evolving, but we are evolving as a whole rather than parts of us that are defective that need to be shed, or parts of us that need to be grown. Because, you know, so I think that I think is really, really beautiful. Thank you. I think if we can just help each and every person through the way we work, how they show up, how we interact with them and the environments we create. If you can just help them really get to know themselves, I think we unlock so much because when we really see ourselves right, then we see the.

Real realist, and that matters for us. And I know we'll talk later about, so what, like, how does that make a difference? And I can see A direct line of sight for the work that we do in well being to how we serve our community. Yeah like it's a very clear. So Ashish, a couple of other things I want to share as to how is how did those stories impact how I meet now? Two things and Ashish you showed the video in the rewire program that I know we'll talk about on location like placing oneself well I think to place oneself it helps to know what your intention is like how do you want to show up and years ago I had the opportunity to work on my purpose like why was Theresa born to this world and my leadership DNA and I was able to do that in co creation because as you said sometimes people see things about ourselves we don't see but my purpose is be present one heart at a time and Ashish I can do that if there's a thousand people or one and I can feel deep resonance when I am living my purpose and I can do that whether it's work the playgroups that I used to do when my daughter was young, I mean the gift of purpose is it can show up anywhere and I can tell either in the moment or in reflection later when I'm off and I also had the opportunity, this was at Agilent we worked on our leadership DNA six words, that famous six word exercise and mine is be present, stay conscious, act compassionately. So I know on my best days when I'm off because as she, I don't try to hold myself that I'm going to be perfect at it all the time and as I said the word perfect is not really the healthiest except in its origin, the etymology of it and that just helps me and again a lot of the stories I said for my family, my marriage, the experiences I've had helped me to that moment. I hope that's making sense what I'm.

Saying absolutely does and what a beautiful purpose statement. I wrote that down and so powerful, so simple and so powerful be present one heart at a time.

Right.

This notion of just I think giving, I mean the biggest service we can give is to be present, be present not in our head, not in the past, not in the future, not trying to answer but just really being able to take in the wonders that sit in front. Right.

Yeah Ashish, that's something I can, I don't know what your purpose is, I could probably guess it but I see and saw how you attend to who's ever in front of you and the gift of attention I think is one of the greatest things we can do for another person.

Yes. Especially in our world that is so noisy, filled with distractions pulling at us. Right. To just, to just be together. Yeah. So my purpose, Teresa, since you asked, Right. Literally, I think, and the purpose for the company, right. Happiness Squad, it's. They're both the same. Right. For me, it is all about how can I democratize flourishing, how can I really help individuals truly live, integrate what we know, the science behind flourishing, right into how they live, how they work, how they lead, because they are one. There is no difference.

There is no difference.

And really, that's what I am committed to. I know what is possible. I think our systems and our work. And today, performance comes at the cost of well being. We have forgotten, right. We have forgotten that if we invest in our well being, performance results.

Absolutely right.

Ask any Olympian, ask any Olympian on what helped them get to the top of their game. And it is not just the number of hours they put in the gym. It's not, you know, how many times they throw, but it's a holistic set of practices around purpose, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, well being that they're investing in. That's allowing them to be at their best when the moment calls. Yeah, that, that is so present in the world of sports, when it comes to the world of business gets lost. You know, most executives, most leaders, most employees like I work with, they think about wellbeing as afterthought. They think about well being as something you do as a benefit on the side. But we're really here for performance. And that's the dichotomy I really feel called to fix. Our ways of working are broken. And for me, last 25 years of my life, from what I've learned, the unique journey that I had from the operations world of building scalables, I'm like, that's what I want to bring to the world of work.

Well, you are, you are bringing it, buddy.

Thank you. Every day. You know, it's. It's this beauty of work life integration, Teresa, that I, you know, I have the gift and I want so many others to, to be able to receive that.

Well, Ashish, my. The people at the city worked with may tell you that language is like really big for me because language leads thinking. It informs thinking, it reflects thinking. I don't use the words work, life, balance because that makes them sound separate. I have a life.

That's it.

And I have a dashboard. And I think as she. That's. I think what you're saying, but I don't say work life. I say I have a life.

Yes. Yeah. Enjoying this podcast? If so, you will be excited to know that Happiness Squad is launching a free online community on International Day of Happiness March 22. This is an opportunity for listeners like you to integrate the nine hardwired for happiness practices that exist in every wisdom tradition and are backed by scientific evidence from the fields of psychology and neuroscience into your daily life and rediscover your well being, balance, purpose and connection. Check out the details on our website or drop us an email. Excited to see you in the community. Absolutely. You know, because think about it. Right, I'll just play that. What's work life balance? Work life integration. Like, what is Teresa and Ashish talking about? You know, here's a distinction to all those who are listening. Think about it this way. When you think about 24 hours, most of us, you know, that I work with who are striving for this and struggling to achieve it, by the way, think about, you know, I work from here to here and then I have life. But think about life. You don't differentiate between time for yourself, time for your kids, time for your parents, time to, you know, this is the time where I'm going to do some art or this is, you know, we don't. But we delineate. Why do you think that is between work and life? And my insight was because most of us are working on things that have little meaning. Oh, yeah. And so we try and say, I find meaning in life, I don't need to find meaning at work. And I say, why not? That's what you do most of your waking hours. Why settle in our world today to have meaningless work just as a way to survive? Why? But if you infuse like, you know, Teresa, like what you do, where you show up, where I. When you integrate meaning into what you do every day, then it is just life.

It is life. I love that, Ashish. I love that. I think that's very true. In fact, you know, sometimes I say, well, if it's work life, does that mean you're dead at work? You know, and what you're saying is, and it's not necessarily the type of work anybody can find meaning in. Any, any. And I often say work is love made manifest. For me, Ashish, it's one of the ways I bring love.

Yeah, I love that work is love made manifest. I love that.

I think there's many that have said that, Ashish, but it's been true for me since I was young.

Yeah. Well, I think it's also, you know, the other big Part of this is I literally had a conversation 20 minutes ago where somebody said, you know, I'm 50 and I've spent the first 30 years, you know, running the startup, this, this, this. But now I'm doing something different. And for the next 20 years, you know, I'm thinking about what I want to do. And I said to them, why 20? Why not 40? Why not? You know, instead of. Because, again, this notion of people think about retirement because it's almost like I've paid my dues and now I'm going to live my life. But if you're living a life filled with meaning, you don't retire. You retire, you change your tires and you keep providing service and living into your purpose and serving people.

Right. I don't know if I told you, but we had our executive leadership retreat and we each brought a signal, which is something I learned from the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto. Signals are things you see on the edge that you have evidence might be coming in. And so I got up and I said, I am a signal. You are a signal. And I spoke about the seven GS, seven generations. And then I had all these facts that I gave them that women over 55 into their 70s and 80s are staying in the world of work. Some for practical reasons, but a lot for purpose and meaning.

Yes.

So Shishad never said I was going to retire. You know, I didn't. David and I and Kai, we've done things along the way as opposed to waiting, like now. We're going to have fun.

Absolutely, yeah. So tell me a little bit, Teresa, how you take this beautiful way of being who you are, the lessons you've learned. I mean, you. I can say, you know, I've looked around, around cities. I'm really impressed by what you have been undertaking as a fundamental, not just a one year program, but kind of. It's an evolution, right?

Oh, yeah.

It's an ongoing journey. So talk to us a little bit so that others listening can get inspired around the specific initiatives and strategies that you all are pursuing to make sure that employee wellbeing is at the heart of what you do at the city.

Yeah. Wow. Ashish. First thing I need to say is when I walked into the city, the journey that they had been on for wellness started long ago. And so walking into that, I was in awe because I had worked for remarkable companies, but I'd never seen this type of focus. We talk about it in our values and it matters because we know that it helps us provide exceptional service for our exceptional Community as we talk about. So she's among the strategies. So there's been a wellness program for a long time and recently under Kelly Vaden we're looking at how do we integrate benefits, comp, well being, development because all of those things relate. So one of the strategies is to look holistically and be integrated. But I want to tell you a couple of very programmatic things. Yes, the city has an on site care clinic. And we have evidence, Ashish, not only from the stories that are told of how this helped them, you know, become well or have somebody that could check on them if they had something going on, but I see it in the evidence of our medical claims. And so it's a both and it's the fact that people feel seen that we're going to care for them and they can come to an on site clinic. And it has a financial impact which is important, Ashish, because the public provides for our budget through sales tax and use fees and of course we get grants. But they deserve to know that we're spending wisely.

Yes.

And knowing that the way we keep our talent well means people are able to help them is important. The other thing that I think I want to talk about is we have this concept of well days started long ago and we look at wellness from all the things you mentioned, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, the social connection with others and belonging. And we put out every year a series of activities that people can do to earn points to get a well day. And they can get up to three free well days a year. Ashish, if you saw all the things we offered, it's really quite beautiful. Like you can do the healthy homes assessment which is what we offer to the community. You can get points because the quality of your air in your home matters.

Absolutely.

So it's a, it's a myriad of things we offer to promote wellness and that's a very specific strategy. I'm going to pause because there's so much I could say to see if I'm hitting some of the ones that you hoped I would.

Absolutely. No, please keep going. I think these are wonderful and I also love, you know, how you connect, right? Yeah. If we, your people serve the community and if the people aren't, you know, it's like if you don't fill their cup, that is not enough to pour right into the others.

Yeah. So here's something I think is important. I have never had such a diverse portfolio of services in an organization that was co located in one city.

Yeah.

I oftentimes tell people my Last position in high tech was easier than what here. And we were in 32 countries. But we have such diverse talent.

Yes.

So not everybody is in a building. You know, our street operators are out there, our bus operators, our police officers. I mean they are on the up close and personal providing services. When Covid came and we shut our buildings and I went to the wellness team and I said, you gotta figure something out here because people can't come in. And we went virtual. And so it ended up being a real gift for us to see how we could include people that weren't in a building. And some of us were working from home, still actively caring about our wellness. We now have a program that I think we started about three years ago called wellbeats. Ashish. And you can do all kinds of videos, whether you want it to be weight loss, mindfulness meditation. And the results of how many people are participating blew me away. It's close to 800 individuals consistently use wellbeats. And what I love about that is it helps us start to diversify what we can provide because we are not all the same kind of work life that we have. I mean like the work that we do during the day.

Absolutely.

And then of course, Ashish, one of my favorite things because we experiment is rewire and that aligns so beautifully with things that we do in the city.

You know what I love about the strategy that you're outlining, right. And the different pieces is it's again tying it back to the original wholeness. It's not one size fits all. There is choice and autonomy and agency to give people the choice in how they want to engage with different pieces. And yet it is holding the arc and importance because we really need to. To say, here's why this matters.

Yes.

You know, I also loved how you bringing in the financial, you know, like, hey, we are paid for by the city and we want to be able to show that we are judicious. We want to have an ROI. Many programs don't have ROIs tied to it. And so being, you know, really bringing in that discipline is beautiful. You know, the other thing is you mentioned, you know, from wellness to now, as you're thinking about integrated well being I think is a. Is is beautiful because, you know, from all the research and all our work that, that I've seen, you know, the reason so many wellness programs don't go anywhere is because number one, they're very siloed. They're individual initiatives. Right. Second, they actually don't address systems of work. So this was you know, research that, as I was sharing with you, came out towards the end of 23, the McKinsey Health Institute, you know, really was looking at whole being, well being, holistic well being, and burnout and friends. Here's the findings. Right. Only 27%. 27% of individual well being is tied to demands and enablers that are controlled or influenced. At the individual level, 72% is how the jobs are designed, how teams interact, and the overall organizational culture. Yeah, right, yeah. When it comes to burnout, those three contribute to 97%. Yeah, yeah, right. And so unless we holistically look at the system, we look at the ways of working, we quantify, we identify the biggest drivers that are resulting in losses in us being at our best and target them, very little is possible.

Ashish, thank you for bringing that up, because I do think sometimes to what you're saying, people focus on it's just up to the individual to eat better, sleep. And during the pandemic, we actually had a number of workshops that we did to make sure people understood, yes, they played a role, but the system in which they exist was as important. So whether people have the tools they need to do it, processes. I mean, I, I love that you brought that up because it is a bigger story than the one individual.

Yeah, it absolutely is. And we've got to give them the choice. But we can't as lead like, it's not check the box. Yeah, we do this, you know, it's not check the box. It's way beyond. And you know, whether we like it or not, Teresa, I feel there is so much also stigma. So of the people who are really struggling, so many 1 don't recognize it, feel they're alone, or don't feel like raising a hand. So that in parallel to helping people with wellbeing, I think it's almost a need as well to make sure we are continually destigmatizing mental health.

During the pandemic, we did a lot to normalize grief, normalize what it meant to be human. She just said something I do want to say. So the city does a lot to look at what are the things we create and provide to help wholeness and well being so that people can bring their best to serve the community. There are times where people need extra support because the challenges are bigger. So we look proactively and anticipate. And then we do have quite a bit to respond when it's more challenging.

Yes.

And I say that because it's as important to be present when people need more help.

Yeah. And yeah, be able to respond to what's. But you can only do it again if you're present and from back that doesn't it. And from a place of compassion versus judgment. So yeah, I love that. So, you know, you had shared when we were connecting last, Teresa, this vision, almost right. Of employees, individual to teams, the organization to community. Share that vision, share that arc, if you will, with. With our listeners about how you think about this massive, you know, wave that amplifies.

Hmm. So, Ashish, let me walk my way into this. You know, and you mentioned this and your book talks about it. There's so much evidence with neuroscience on how to help people feel safe and supported and how to respond when their amygdala gets triggered. So we know the truth of these things because we now have scientific evidence from MRIs. Right. If you understand that and believe that when an individual is well and conscious, because it's not always about being on, it's about being aware just as much when you're off, then how they show up with the team is different. And the team can be creative and innovative to deliver a service or to respond. And we interface with the community so much like our bus operators interact with community members, police officers, you know, our utilities, wonderful people that work in the neighborhoods and other places. Their ability to express kindness, to listen when somebody feels like a service isn't working well, makes a big difference. And Ashish, you asked me from individual, team to organization to community. I have this phrase that came from working with some other people in Agilent, inside out, outside in. So because we are a public sector organization, we need to care as much about our community flourishing.

Absolutely.

As we do us. So inside out, outside in. And I look at what our city council does and the things that we focus on, it's a virtuous cycle.

Yeah.

You know, so. And I want to tell you that you had asked me before about how does Fort Collins play a role? Well, we're an ecosystem, Ashish. So we work as closely with the university, the schools, the hospital, you know, the county government, nonprofits, businesses. We all have to be well together. And there's a organization called Northern Colorado Community Foundation. They came out with a report last year, Ashish, that made me weep. It was called Intersection. And if you were to ever read it and I can send it to you, please do. The theme was pursuing regional well being.

Wow.

And the intersection points speak to what I was just talking about. I am not fully well when another is not well.

Yeah. We are in a fundamental state of inter Being with one another.

Okay.

We inter are. As Teachnathan would say. We inter are. Right. There is this timeless wisdom. You know, Ubuntu, you are so.

I am, yes.

Has just been lost. Has been lost in our world. And I think we need to go back to that.

Yeah.

But I love you and I live.

In a great state.

Ashish.

And we live in a great region where there's an intention to be that way.

Yeah. You know, and you said inside out, outside in, Teresa.

Yeah.

And you say, look, we are a public organization, so we, you know, we should. In fact, you know, I would. I would say, I would amplify the said every organization enter is if we. We all need to be in that place. And. And by the way, the research proves it. Right. So when we find and build that connection, unbelievable things happen. Just take employee satisfaction as a measure. Alex Edmonds, who's a professor at London Business School, we had him on our podcast. He proved a two to three and a half percent incremental shareholder return.

I'm not surprised.

Right. And causation, not correlation. Most of the work that's been done so far, even at Oxford, recent work, is cause correlations.

Yeah.

His work was causation. He actually future projected stock market returns for these companies and showed that how they bring almost 30 to 50% more shareholder value over a period of time. Right. So it makes economic sense. And he captured it so beautifully in this one quote. And he said, if you want to reach the land of profit, if you want to reach the land of profit, follow the road of purpose.

Wow. That is.

Follow the road of purpose. Outside, in, inside out. If we reason, our reason for being needs to be of how we make the world better, serve the world. If we do that, everything else follows. Right.

Well, and it's. Sheesh. In our world now, I don't get to talk about shareholder, you know, but we do a community survey with questions that matter to our community to know, do they feel safe? You know, do they feel the quality of life? So that's how we get our customer feedback.

Absolutely. And it's a beautiful way. You know, Patagonia. Right. Last year, changed and they said, you know, the earth is our only shareholder now.

Oh, I love that. I love that.

The earth is our only shareholder. I think so for you. Right. As a city and more cities. Right. If you say, hey, listen, we exist for, you know, our communities and they include implicitly our employees. Yep. So it's not about we exist for employees or we exist for X or Y. We exist to serve and if we are able to hold that, how much becomes possible?

That's why it's easy to be in love with being here. Ashish, I have colleagues who, if I told you stories, I oftentimes say if I ever get to write a book, one of them will be stories of my colleagues in the city and things they do. And now that I'm in the organization, what I used to experience as a community member, I see what it takes. So I have just such deep regard and love because I'm around people that inspire me with how they're serving their.

Purpose and our purpose and our purpose. You know, Teresa, you know, it was such a joy to. I want you to tell the story a little bit of how you found me and how we ended up doing rebar together. Because, you know, that's a little bit of like, you know, my. I'll tell you, you tell that story and I'll tell you about why I say it. You know, because you asked somebody reach out and I said yes. And I'll tell you my, my why of why did I say yes, let's do it. But first talk a little bit about what inspired you to bring Revire and me into. Into the scene.

Well, Ashish, the concept of polarities. I was in my Harvard line of learning cohort and we talked about Mobius, which is a beautiful way to look at polarities. Right. And so I found this site, Mobius Leadership, and I saw that you were speaking, so I watched this video of you on LinkedIn and I was like, my gosh. And so because you talked about flourishing and that was the question we asked ourselves. How do we design our organization for human flourishing? How do we look at our community through that lens? I was just like a moth to a light to listen to you. And you were so gracious when one of my colleagues called to say we'd like to talk about you doing something for the city. So it was the flourishing that was the nectar that I followed.

Yeah, it's so beautiful. You know, and Teresa, I'll tell you, and my yes, was really driven by, you know, in you and in the city. As I looked at the programs, I fundamentally, you know, we serve organizations all the time, right? Yeah. But what I saw was this unbelievable opportunity to at scale have an opportunity to shift people's root perspective, fundamentally rewire away from fear, scarcity, you know, focus on self survival to a different way of being which we know is possible. And I think the opportunity, you know, Teresa, to partner with you, the city, which holds this as kind of their whole reason, their mandate. That's been consistent, by the way. Right. It's not a one year program, as you said. This is a long lineage. And you know, it was such a joy. It was my pleasure, you know, to do that pilot and to show what actually become. Can become possible. And just I'm excited, I'm really excited for, you know, where you all take that and yeah, we're excited to talk.

More about it too, Ashish. I mean, I went to the session where people told the stories of impact and as she. Dad is important, you know, but it's stories that I think move.

Yes. And how touching were those stories. Oh my God.

Oh. And I still am hearing them and I'm seeing the evidence of those stories. I mean, it's. Thank you for that.

That was a real gift. They were a gift to me. I mean, how engaged they were, how beautifully Doreen and Lynn, you know, really, it's, it's, it's. Everything is about the environment, the vessel in which, you know, people show up, how people supported each other through groups. Oh, yeah, you know, it was, I said, you know, even then, as I said that 90% of the work was done by you all. There was nothing new I was sharing. All we were creating was a space for practice. Practice to come back home and see ourselves going back to our original theme of where you're starting. Helping people rediscover their core essence, their own way of thinking. Absolutely right. So, my friend, as we come to an end, I just wanted to say, what advice would you give right to those who are listening? They can be city administrators, they are businesses. You know, you walked in all of these different worlds. What might be two or three pieces of advice that you would have for our listeners if they too want to walk the path that you and so many others, you know, are pioneers on.

Ashish, I'm going to say two things and one might surprise you. I used to present when I was in high tech and I started every presentation everywhere around the world with this statement. It was something like warning, take only the lessons that fit your CEO and the organization. And I would start there because it's not about taking what somebody did and applying it. It needs to evolve and emerge from the context of your organization. And leaders are the signal generators. And so that's really important. So it's not like, do what the city does, do what aligns with your.

Mission in the world and what's needed by your people. Yeah, yeah. Beautiful.

And then the thing I'll tell you is I would Always tell people what were the questions we tried to answer, because it's in question that I think there's so much juice. And I mentioned one earlier, Dr. Bill Kahn, who was another person I met through the LILA program, he asked the question, what if we designed our organization for human flourishing? And Ashish, that question calls for something. And I think even though we may not use the exact words, I think that's what our council, city leaders, city employs is how do we design our community for human flourishing? So I would encourage asking the question to find the answer because it's not about. It's kind of back to what I said. Be who you are and be that perfectly well. Be your organization and be that perfectly well.

Wow, that is such a beautiful question to leave our listeners with. Imagine if they. If you crowdsource that. Imagine if every leader asked that question to their team and dedicated almost an hour to just listen and to dream and explore without defining what flourishing means or anything. Just that question, how do we design, and you can even extend it, how do we design our team, our work, our organization, our family, our human flourishing? Just describe it and just connect and listen and make sense from that of what's needed. That is your true signature program, your signature expression. It's yours. It's individual, right? Each individual can have it. A team can have it. Each organization. I love it. Thank you, my friend, for your wisdom, for your wise words. It is such a joy. It's such a joy. It's a highlight. 25 is a highlight for me to have met you only in the first month.

Ashish, I'm sure that there's gonna be more, friend. It's a space we created together. Thank you.

Thank you. Be well, okay?

You too, friend.

That wraps up another episode of the Happiness Squad podcast. We hope you found the insights actionable to enhance your journey towards happiness and fill your life with more joy, health, love and meaning. Please consider leaving us. Review and share the podcast with anyone in your professional or personal life who you feel will benefit from some of these very insights. It's a really simple way to extend support and spread positivity. Take care and remember, happiness is a choice that's available to you moment to moment in the here and now. Take care and see you next week.