A Community of Gadflies

“Is anyone interested in staying two hours late, unpaid, for the next five Mondays to talk through life and helping others?”. That was the offer. We didn’t know if anyone would respond, but they did. Twelve employees committed to sitting down with guest speakers, reading books, watching videos, journaling, and challenging each other to create movement and growth in life.

They believe in what we’re doing. They are the “Community of Gadflies” mentioned in our vision statement. We exist to create innovative solutions to complex problems – we want to be a learning organization that is always getting better and smarter in our effort to never settle with “just good enough.”

This is why we launched a five-week mentor program. Interested employees have had an opportunity to listen and provide feedback on topics including vision, habits, physical and mental health, relationships, and personal finances. They have helped develop and shape the curriculum. The real strength of the program has been employees meeting together during lunch or on breaks in a voluntary capacity to make the topics practical in their own lives.

There’s a drive to make one another better – which makes us wonder…What if this program could be reproducible? What if we could provide resources for our employees to support not only each other, but also those in the community? The lived experience of our successful employees holds significant value and promise in the journey to helping a justice-involved population pursue a life that’s more than “just good enough.”