UW– MANIAC Breakfast Topic: Forays into Creative

Placemaking October 4, 2012 8:00-9:30am

Union South (See TITU)

These gatherings allow us to share creative approaches to profession-al challenges, identify new tools that can help us transform creative ideas into innovative solutions and promote relation-ships. At this Breakfast, MANIACs Marian Farrior and Maya Lea will share their inspiration for creative placemaking and how it connects to other things they are passionate in their lives. They will also dis-cuss their experiences with this summer's Creative Placemaking Forays and what was gained from them.

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC A u g u s t 2 2 , 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 2 1

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

NEW!

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

The MANIAC Team has recently compiled a list of Book Recommendations

that we would like to share. So far we have over 30 books in the slideshow!

For this issue we would like to feature the book

The Innovator’s DNA by Jeff Dyer, Hal

Gregersen & Clayton M. Christensen.

The Innovator’s DNA outlines the five skills

needed to master disrup-tive innovation, including Associating, Questioning, Observing, Networking, and Experimenting. The authors also explain how you can generate ideas,

collaborate with col-leagues, and build innova-tion skills throughout your

organization.

Check out our slideshow to find other innovative book recommendations!

And please feel free to leave comments with

your ideas for other books to add!

Getting Comfortable with Complexity

October 30, 2012 8:30am-3:30pm

Pyle Center, Room 325 Cost: $90

A complex system is a set of entangled relationships or agents interacting over time and space in unpredictable ways. Today com-plexity informs the development of modern communication systems and is the basis for how we understand the macroscopic and microscopic world. This workshop will begin your journey to get comfortable with complexi-ty. Our goal, using hands-on activities, will be to explore the question “How would you live, learn and teach differently in this world if you were comfortable with complexity?”

Developing Innovation through Collaboration,

Creativity & Communication October 10 & 17, 2012

1:00-4:30pm 220 Ingraham Hall

Cost: $90

The three C’s can help you to develop new innovations that can contribute to doing meaningful new things, improving processes for problem-solving, and having greater success in your work. You will meet new people and work with others to systematically gen-erate and develop new ideas for the challenge of your choosing. Be guided step-by-step and activity-by-activity through an innovation process to develop and take action on new ideas for your real project.

Social Artistry Workshop November 11—9:00am-5:00pm November 12—8:30am-4:30pm

Union South (See TITU) Cost: $180

Join us for an introductory ses-sion on Social Artistry! Social Artistry is an emerging disci-pline in leadership development and community development. The Social Artistry model, prin-ciples and practices are useful tools for personal transfor-mation, leadership develop-ment, community building, and social change. It taps inherent human capacities for greater imagination, compassion, and resolve.

Innovation and Collaboration Learning Café—Part I

November 15, 2012 8:30am-1:00pm The Pyle Center

Cost: $20

The “Innovation & Collaboration Learning Café Series” takes core organization and learning con-cepts and reinvents them in an exciting learning opportunity that seeks to sustain learning about creative thinking and integrate it into the way we teach, research, and work together. This will be an energizing and useful day — join us!

WELCOME BACK BADGERS!!!

We are excited for a great Fall Semester full of

fantastic MANIAC events and workshops!

UW– MANIAC Breakfast

Topic: Forays into Creative

Placemaking

October 4, 2012

8:00-9:30am

Union South (See TITU)

These gatherings allow us to

share creative approaches to pro-

fessional challenges, identify new

tools that can help us transform

creative ideas into innovative

solutions and promote relation-

ships. At this Breakfast, MANI-

ACs Marian Farrior and Maya

Lea will share their inspiration

for creative placemaking and how

it connects to other passions in

their lives. They will also discuss

their experiences with this sum-

mer's Creative Placemaking For-

ays and what value was gained

from them.

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC S e p t e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 2 2

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

NEW!

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would

like to feature the book

Root Down and

Branch Out:

Best Practices for

Leadership

Development

Programs

by our very own

MANIAC Darin Eich!

This book brings key

findings to practice from a

research study conducted

to determine the most

important characteristics

of high quality leadership

development programs.

Darin spoke with program

developers, educators and

participants from four

programs to uncover what

mattered most - what

made the leadership

programs most effective.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

And feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

Getting Comfortable with

Complexity

October 30, 2012

8:30am-3:30pm

Pyle Center, Room 325

Cost: $90

A complex system is a set of

entangled relationships or agents

interacting over time and space in

unpredictable ways. Today com-

plexity informs the development

of modern communication

systems and is the basis for how

we understand the macroscopic

and microscopic world. This work-

shop will begin your journey to get

comfortable with complexity. Our

goal, using hands-on activities,

will be to explore the question

“How would you live, learn and

teach differently in this world if

you were comfortable with com-

plexity?”

Developing Innovation

through Collaboration,

Creativity & Communication

October 10 & 17, 2012

1:00-4:30pm

220 Ingraham Hall

Cost: $90

The three C’s can help you to

develop new innovations that can

contribute to doing meaningful

new things, improving processes

for problem-solving, and having

greater success in your work. You

will meet new people and work

with others to systematically gen-

erate and develop new ideas for

the challenge of your choosing.

Be guided step-by-step and activ-

ity-by-activity through an innova-

tion process to develop and take

action on new ideas for your real

project.

Social Artistry Workshop

November 10—9:00am-5:00pm

November 11—8:30am-4:30pm

Union South (See TITU)

Cost: $180

The 2-day training is a solid

introduction to Social Artistry™.

You will engage in and learn to

employ all manner of latent

human capacities—sensory and

physical, psychological and

relational, mythic and symbolic,

and spiritual and integral. You can

expect that these processes will

expand your inner and outer ways

of being, that you will

become more creative, more

imaginative, and more finely

equipped to deal with the many

challenges of life.

NEW MANIAC WORKSHOP!

ColLABoratory

November 15, 2012

8:30am-1:00pm

The Pyle Center

Cost: $20

What is a ColLABoratory?

It’s a creative test kitchen… It’s a

place to work with others to take

on challenges and creatively

address them, using cutting edge

tools, processes, and technolo-

gies… It’s where you can bring

the challenges you are facing at

work and find solutions by en-

gaging in playful approaches with

others… It’s where you can come

and have fun, allowing whatever

emerges to benefit you in unfore-

seen ways.

Want more UW-MANIAC

in your life?

We are excited to announce

that we have created a

UW-MANIAC

Facebook Page!

“Like” our page to see

updates on upcoming

MANIAC events as well as

MANIACal articles and

links on your Facebook

Newsfeed!

Getting Comfortable with

Complexity

October 30, 2012

8:30am-3:30pm

Pyle Center, Room 325

Cost: $90

A complex system is a set of

entangled relationships or agents inter-

acting over time and space in unpredicta-

ble ways. Today complexity informs the

development of modern communication

systems and is the basis for how we un-

derstand the macroscopic and microscop-

ic world. If we are educating ourselves

and our students to become global, or

even better universal citizens, then we

must become comfortable with complexi-

ty. Our goal, using hands-on activities,

will be to explore the question “How

would you live, learn and teach different-

ly in this world if you were comfortable

with complexity?”

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC O c t o b e r 1 5 , 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 2 3

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would

like to feature

The Art of

Innovation

by Tom Kelley!

In The Art of Innova-

tion, Tom Kelley, general

manager of the Silicon Val-

ley based design firm IDEO,

takes readers behind the

scenes of this wildly imagi-

native and energized com-

pany to reveal the strategies

and secrets it uses to turn

out hit after hit.

The book reveals how

teams research and im-

merse themselves in every

possible aspect of a new

product or service, examin-

ing it from the perspective

of clients, consumers, and

other critical audiences.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

Check out our

UW-MANIAC

Facebook

Page!

“Like” our page

to see updates

on upcoming

MANIAC events

as well as

MANIACal

articles and links

on your

Facebook

Newsfeed!

Social Artistry Workshop

November 10—9:00am-5:00pm

November 11—8:30am-4:30pm

Union South (See TITU)

Cost: $180

Social Artistry is an emerging discipline

in leadership development and commu-

nity building. The Social Artistry model

is a useful, insightful, and transforma-

tive tool for ‘community builders.’

The 2-day training is a solid introduc-

tion to Social Artistry™. You will engage

in and learn to employ all manner of

latent human capacities—sensory and

physical, psychological and relational,

mythic and symbolic, and spiritual and

integral. You can expect that these pro-

cesses will expand your inner and outer

ways of being, that you will become

more creative, more imaginative, and

more finely equipped to deal with the

many challenges of life.

Pictures from

Create, Collaborate,

Communicate, & Innovate: a

workshop on “Innovation

Thinking” with Darin Eich

at last week’s launch of the

“Year of Innovation”

http://yearofinnovation.wisc.edu/

Right:

Darin Eich

with

Chancellor

David Ward

Far Left:

Darin

speaking to the

group

Left:

Networking!

UW-MANIAC Breakfast:

“Dancing Along the

Collaboration Continuum “

November 29, 2012

8:00am-9:30am

Union South (See TITU)

FREE!

Heather Good, a Wisconsin Union The-

ater Staff Member, and Hildy Feen, a

UW-MANIAC Design Team Member,

have been moving and dancing for as

long as they can remember. This break-

fast will be using a dance metaphor to

explore different levels of collaboration,

and will include discussions on roles,

dynamics, benefits, and connections to

life and work, as the amount of collabo-

ration shifts. Be prepared to get on your

feet, move, and collaborate, although

NO previous dance experience is

required.

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC N o v e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 2 4

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would

like to feature

When Sparks Fly

by Dorothy Leonard &

Walter Swap

Creativity and innovation

are evergreen topics. Partic-

ularly in today's tough mar-

ketplace, companies in every

industry are looking for

ways to harness creativity

and innovation to spur

growth and enhance com-

petitiveness. This book dif-

fers from many books on

creativity in that its focus is

on how to manage a group,

rather than individual crea-

tivity. It refutes much con-

ventional wisdom about

where creativity comes

from, particularly that crea-

tivity does not stem from

the random genius of indi-

viduals. The authors reveal

specific group configura-

tions and strategies that can

unleash the collective crea-

tivity of any team or group.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

Check out our

UW-MANIAC

Facebook Page!

“Like” our page to

see updates on up-

coming

MANIAC events as

well as MANIACal

articles and links on

your

Facebook

Newsfeed!

“Jammin’” Innovative

Networking Workshop

December 6, 2012

3:00pm-4:30pm

Union South (See TITU)

FREE!

The “Jammin” networking session is

similar to a facilitated workshop. It

includes thinking about important

questions, working on your “how

you quickly communicate elevator

speech,” and doing one-on-one

speed networking. People leave with

a more comfortable and activity-

filled experience. They get to share

with the whole group, hear from

everyone, and go deeper one-on-one

with many people. They actually get

to connect and converse! This is

connection-making learning, where

you will get ideas for your own pro-

jects and offer ideas to others.

Look how much

MANIAC has done in

2012!

Above and to the right:

This summer’s “Forays” to

Hilltop Community Farm,

Sustainable Atwood, and

the Wormfarm Institute

Below: Darin and other

MANIACs at the

Year of Innovation

Kickoff in October

UW-MANIAC Breakfast:

Embracing Failure

January 24, 2013

8:00am-9:30am

Union South (See TITU)

FREE!

We all fail, early and often.

How can we not only accept

our failures, but see them in a

new light? We will explore

different forms of failure, the

benefits and opportunities

that failures offer us, and

strategies for embracing

failure.

Come and celebrate your best

failure story!

“Fail often,

to succeed sooner”

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 2 5

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

“Think better” in 2013

with Tim Hurson’s

Think Better: An

Innovator’s Guide to

Productive Thinking

Think Better is about Pro-

ductive Thinking — why it’s

important, how it works,

and how to use it at work, at

home, and at play. Produc-

tive Thinking is a game

changer — a practical, easy-

to-learn, repeatable process

that helps people under-

stand more clearly, think

more creatively, and plan

more effectively.

More than anything, pro-

ductive thinking is an atti-

tude that will let you look at

problems and convert them

into opportunities.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

Don’t forget about

our

UW-MANIAC

Facebook Page!

“Like” our page to

see updates on

upcoming

MANIAC events as

well as MANIACal

articles and links

on your Facebook

Newsfeed!

ColLABoratory: Experiencing

Levels of Complexity Through a

Laboratory Environment

February 19, 2013

8:30am-1:00pm

Genetics Biotechnology Center, Room 1360

Cost: $20 (includes lunch!)

What is a “ColLABoratory?”

It’s a creative test kitchen…

A place to work with others to take on

challenges and creatively address them,

using cutting edge tools, processes, and

technologies…

It’s where you can bring the challenges you

are facing at work and find solutions by en-

gaging in playful approaches with others…

It’s where you can come and have fun, al-

lowing whatever emerges to benefit you in

unforeseen ways.

Happy New Year MANIACs!

My name is Kathryn Robertson

and I am a student working in

the Office of Human Resource

Development on campus. I have

worked at OHRD for almost 2

years, although I spent a semes-

ter studying abroad in

Spain. (The setting of

my picture to the

left!) One of my tasks

in the office is to help

the Design Team in

managing UW-

MANIAC by setting

up workshops and

events, keeping track

of attendance, mar-

keting, and sending

this newsletter to MANIACs like

you!

My favorite part about UW-

MANIAC is the variety in the

events we offer, from a Summer

Foray at the Madison Children’s

Museum to a Jammin’ Network-

ing Workshop. Such a wide

spectrum of learning opportu-

nities has helped me develop

my creative thinking skills, as

well as introduced me to some

great people. I am excited

about the events we have

planned for the spring semes-

ter, especially the two listed

above. The ColLABoratory is a

new MANIAC workshop that

we have been enthusiastically

developing and are all eager to

reveal. I expect it to be a chal-

lenging, yet very rewarding,

day that will bring us to a new

environment and process of

thinking. I hope you can join

us!

Know Your MANIAC: Kathryn Robertson

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC F e b r u a r y 5 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 2 6

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

What is UW-

MANIAC? Communities of

Practice: Learning,

Meaning, and Identity

By Etienne Wenger

Learning is becoming an ur-

gent topic. Nations worry

about the learning of their

citizens, companies about the

learning of their workers,

schools about the learning of

their students. But it is not

always easy to think about

how to foster learning in in-

novative ways. This book pre-

sents a framework for doing

that, with a social theory of

learning that is ground-

breaking yet accessible, with

profound implications not

only for research, but also for

all those who have to foster

learning as part of their

responsibilities at work, at

home, at school.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

ColLABoratory: Experiencing Levels of

Complexity Through a Laboratory

Environment

February 19, 2013

8:30am-1:00pm

Genetics Biotechnology Center, Room 1360

Cost: $20 (includes lunch!)

BONUS! Tour of the Biotech Center following the

workshop by Tom Zinnen,

UW Biotechnology Center and UW-Extension

What is a “ColLABoratory?”

It’s a creative test kitchen…

A place to work with others to take on challenges and

creatively address them, using cutting edge tools,

processes, and technologies…

It’s where you can bring the challenges you are facing at

work and find solutions by engaging in playful

approaches with others…

It’s where you can come and have fun, allowing whatev-

er emerges to benefit you in unforeseen ways.

Mark your calendars for

The BIG Learning Event!

June 5-6, 2013

Gordon Commons, Dining &

Events Center

Register here before

March 1, 2013 for the Early Bird Rate!

For more information and updates visit

http://biglearningevent.wisc.edu/

If you attended the inaugural

“The Big Learning Event: Powerful Conversa-

tions for the Future” in 2011 at Union South,

you already know about the “Powerful Con-

versations for the Future” that took place and

the game-changing ideas and innovation that

were ignited.

BLE can help you:

- Bring cutting-edge ideas to your department

- Identify new, multi-center grant

opportunities

- Network with colleagues from other

disciplines

- Nurture new partnerships and

collaborations

- Develop strategic plans for the future

- Keep abreast of new ideas and innovations

The BIG Learning Event 2013

Big Learning Event 2013

Kick-Off Reception

with Special Guest Lily Yeh

THIS Thursday, February 7, 2013

4:00pm-6:00pm

Gordon Commons, Dining &

Events Center

Panelists for the second Big Learning Event

(BLE) will be revealed at a reception in Gordon

Dining & Event Center, Feb. 7, 4 to 6 p.m. The

speakers for the June 5-6 event were

nominated by attendees of the first BLE (held

in 2011) and the campus community. Lily Yeh,

2011 BLE alumna, will give a talk at the

reception about her current work in different

parts of the world and show a 20-minute clip

from her film-in progress, "Barefoot Artist."

For more information visit:

http://biglearningevent.wisc.edu/

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC M a r c h 1 1 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 2 7

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would like to

feature

The Seven Levels of

Change: Different

Thinking for Different

Results

By Rolf Smith

This book is a field-guide

for innovators, a hand-

book for thinking different,

for doing different, and for

guiding others in thinking

different to get different

results. There are tools and

mind maps for the visual

learner to make positive

change happen. It is about

effecting continuous im-

provement and innovation

both in your personal and

business life. The book

frees you from linear

thinking and opens a

world of possibilities.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

UW-MANIAC Breakfast:

Vision Boards: Creating Your Future

Thursday, April 4, 2013

8:00am-9:30am

Union South—See “TITU”

FREE!

Imagine the power of focusing exclusively on your

dreams and bringing them to life visually. Vision

Boarding is a way of doing just that. Drawings, maga-

zine cut-outs, sayings, and photographs mounted on

posterboard illustrate your utmost desires, fostering

the insight and clarity with which to move toward your

goals. Vision Boards are sometimes called Treasure

Maps. Hung in your home or workplace, a Vision

Board is like a Post-it note, an inspiring daily reminder

of your ultimate goals. Join Life Coach Debi Kennedy

to create your ideal life through Vision Boarding.

Participants are encouraged to bring any materials

they would like to incorporate into their Vision Boards;

magazines and other supplies will be provided.

In order to prepare ourselves to engage in

this “mosh pit of the minds,” we need to learn

more about the key issues that will be

discussed! We have formed study groups to

serve this purpose… check them out!

1. “Communities of Practice: Inspiring

Connections, Learning, Innovation &

Engagement”

March 18, April 22, May 15

12:00-1:30pm

UHS Room 8003 (U-Square Bldg)

2. “Women and the STEMM Fields –

Fostering Opportunities in Higher

Education and the Professions”

March 19, April 9, April 30

11:30am-1:00pm

Room 2188, Mechanical Engineering Building

Stay tuned! More Study Groups to come!

For more information and updates, check out

http://biglearningevent.wisc.edu/ble-study-

groups/

Don’t forget to register for

The Big Learning Event June 5-6!

Early-Bird Registration $185

Register and Pay by April 5!

Big Learning Event Study Groups!

Jammin’ in the Spring!

Innovative Networking

Workshop

Thursday, March 14, 2013

3:00pm-4:30pm

Union South—See “TITU”

FREE!

The “Jammin” networking session is similar to a facilitated workshop. It in-cludes thinking about important ques-

tions, working on your “how you quickly communicate elevator speech,” and do-ing one-on-one speed networking. Peo-ple leave with a more comfortable and activity-filled experience. They get to

share with the whole group, hear from everyone, and go deeper one-on-one

with many people. They actually get to connect and converse! This is connec-

tion-making learning, where you will get ideas for your own projects and offer

ideas to others.

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC A p r i l 2 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 2 8

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would like to

feature

The Mind Map Book:

Unlock your Creativity,

Boost Your Memory,

Change your Life

By Tony Buzan

Often referred to as 'the

Swiss army knife for the

brain', Mind Maps are a

ground-breaking, note-

taking technique that have

already revolutionized the

lives of many millions of

people around the world

and taken the educational

and business world by

storm. This practical full-

color book will transform

the way you plan and organ-

ize your life. Discover how

Mind Maps can boost your

memory, unlock your crea-

tivity, improve your concen-

tration, revolutionize how

you think and learn.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

UW-MANIAC Breakfast: ColLABoratory

Thursday, May 2, 2013 8:0am-10:00am

Union South—See “TITU” FREE!

What is a “ColLABoratory?” It’s a creative test lab…

A place to collaborate with others to take on challenges and address them using

innovative tools and processes… It’s where you can bring the challenges you are

facing at work and find solutions by engaging in playful approaches with others…

It’s where you can come and have fun, allowing whatever emerges to benefit you in

unforeseen ways.

Come join members of the MANIAC Design Team for a fun and energetic morning of problem

solving and collaboration!

We hope to see you there!

SCREENING OF THE FADE: featuring Faisal Abdu'Allah

7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 The Marquee in Union South,

1308 W. Dayton St Presented by WUD Film

3 Continents, 4 Barbers, 1 Cut. This feature-length

documentary is an intimate portrait of four black

barbers from different parts of the world (Ghana,

Jamaica, the USA, and the

UK), followed over the

course of seven days. Di-

rected by Andy Mundy-

Castle.

Trailer: http://

www.youtube.com/watch?

v=m_hFC8tl644

LIVE SALON WITH FAISAL ABDU'ALLAH

5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 De Luca Forum,

Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, 330 N. Orchard St

5 p.m. on Thursday, April 4th, 2013 Mead Witter Lobby,

Chazen Museum of Art, 750 University Ave

Don't miss this unique opportunity to see Faisal talk

about his life, experiences, and the relationship be-

tween his artwork and his barbering work, all while

cutting hair and conversing with the audience!

Events with Faisal Abdu’Allah!

UW-MANIAC Breakfast: Vision Boards: Creating Your Future

THIS Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:00am-9:30am

Union South—See “TITU” FREE!

Imagine the power of focusing exclusively on your dreams and bringing them to life visually. Vision Boarding is a way of doing just that. Drawings, magazine cut-outs, sayings, and photographs

mounted on posterboard illustrate your utmost desires, fostering the insight and clarity with

which to move toward your goals. Vision Boards are sometimes called Treasure Maps. Hung in

your home or workplace, a Vision Board is like a Post-it note, an inspiring daily reminder of your

ultimate goals. Join Life Coach Debi Kennedy to create your ideal life through Vision

Boarding. Participants are encouraged to bring any

materials they would like to incorporate into their Vision Boards; magazines and other

supplies will be provided.

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC A p r i l 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 2 9

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would like to

feature

Do More Great Work

By Michael Bungay

Stanier

You work hard. You put in the

hours. Yet you feel like you

are constantly treading water

with "Good Work" that keeps

you going but never quite

moves you ahead. Or worse,

you are mired in "Bad

Work"—endless meetings and

energy-draining bureaucratic

traps.

Do More Great Work gets to

the heart of the problem:

Even the best performers are

spending less than a fraction

of their time doing "Great

Work"—the kind of innovative

work that pushes us forward,

stretches our creativity, and

truly satisfies us. Michael

Bungay Stanier, Canadian

Coach of the Year in 2006, is

a business consultant who’s

found a way to move us away

from bad work (and even

good work), and toward more

time spent doing great work.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

The BIG Learning Event

Big Learning Event Study Groups are in full swing! But don’t worry, it isn’t too late to sign up!

Study Group topics range from Communities of Practice and Art & Consciousness

to Sustainable Resource Extraction and Women in the STEMM Fields.

There is something for everyone!

Check out http://biglearningevent.wisc.edu/ble-study-groups/

for descriptions, dates and locations.

And make sure to register and mark your calendars for the BIG Learning Event on

June 5 & 6!

For our Upcoming

UW-MANIAC Summer Forays!

UW-MANIAC is hosting afternoon forays to

explore the fringes of innovative thinking in a

variety of contexts.

We will gather at various locations, both on

campus and around Madison, focusing our

attention on innovative ideas in the arts,

business, engineering, community planning,

and other professional areas.

These late afternoon gatherings are for those

seeking more open-ended, informal learning

opportunities for professional and personal

development!

Check out some of the cool locations we visited

last summer!

Hilltop

Community Farm

Sustainable

Atwood

Stay Tuned...

UW-MANIAC Breakfast: ColLABoratory

Thursday, May 2, 2013 8:00am-10:00am

Union South—See “TITU” FREE!

What is a “ColLABoratory?” It’s a creative test lab…

A place to collaborate with others to take on challenges and address them using

innovative tools and processes… It’s where you can bring the challenges you are

facing at work and find solutions by engaging in playful approaches with others…

It’s where you can come and have fun, allowing whatever emerges to benefit you in

unforeseen ways.

Come join members of the MANIAC Design Team for a fun and energetic morning of problem

solving and collaboration!

We hope to see you there!

Upcoming MANIAC Events

The Raving

MANIAC J u n e 3 , 2 0 1 3 I s s u e 3 0

MANIAC Website The Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration

MANIAC Book

of the Month:

For this issue we would like to

feature

Strengths Finder 2.0

By Tom Rath

Do you have the opportunity

to do what you do best every

day?

Chances are, you don't. All

too often, our natural tal-

ents go untapped. From the

cradle to the cubicle, we

devote more time to fixing

our shortcomings than to

developing our strengths. To

help people uncover their

talents, Gallup introduced

the first version of its online

assessment, StrengthsFind-

er, in 2001 which ignited a

global conversation and

helped millions to discover

their top five talents.

Loaded with hundreds of

strategies for applying your

strengths, this new book

and accompanying website

will change the way you look

at yourself--and the world

around you--forever.

Check out our slideshow

to find over 30 other book

recommendations!

Feel free to leave

comments with ideas for

other books to add!

“MANIAC Keeps

Us Sane.”

Jammin’ in action!

Hello MANIACs!

My name is Michelle Preston and I

am a new student working in the

Office of Human Resource Devel-

opment on campus. I will be help-

ing Kathryn with UW-MANIAC

this summer and then I will be

taking over her duties in the fall. I am excited to start working

more with UW-MANIAC, and I look forward to learning all I can

about what it has to offer! My favorite part of UW-MANIAC so

far is all of the events and workshops that we put on. I think it

is a fantastic way to explore innovative practices in the work

place and to keep employees engaged in their work. I look for-

ward to assisting with these events and meeting everyone who is

involved with them!

Don’t forget about our

UW-MANIAC

Facebook Page!

“Like” our page to see

updates on upcoming

MANIAC events as well as

MANIACal

articles and links on your

Facebook Newsfeed!

Know Your MANIAC: Michelle Preston

Jammin’ Innovative Networking Workshop

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 3:00pm-4:30pm

Union South—See “TITU” FREE!

The “Jammin” networking session is similar to a facilitated workshop. It includes think-ing about important questions, working on

your “how you quickly communicate elevator speech,” and doing one-on-one speed net-

working. People leave with a more comforta-ble and activity-filled experience. They get to share with the whole group, hear from every-

one, and go deeper one-on-one with many people. They actually get to connect and con-

verse! This is connection-making learning, where you will get ideas for your own projects and

offer ideas to others.