JDQ Chooses their next 3Spheres Project

I have written several times here about JDQ as a company and also about their excellent 3Spheres of Reciprocity ™ community program. Stephen and I have also written a number of times about the equally worthy Neil Squire Society. Recently when JDQ were asking for applications for their next community project (they are currently completing the latest project with the Surrey Food Bank), Jon Morris, JDQ President, emailed me and asked that I help to spread the word.

I immediately thought of NSS and asked Lisa Thomson (NSS Director of Development) if they had heard of the opportunity. It turned out that they had not. The first question that I was asked was, “are these people for real?”. My answer was an unequivocal, “yes”. Seemingly charities get many such approaches but people often don’t follow through, adequately complete the task or use it as a “loss leader” to get further fee-earning business in the future. So NSS was a little “gun shy”, not wanting to waste any of their valuable effort. I knew JDQ to not fit into any of these categories. So I encouraged them to apply – nothing ventured, nothing gained! Lisa asked me to review their application which was very well constructed. They were asking for help with a new extranet project.

Periodically, JDQ hosts a networking breakfast to review the project that they are completing and to announce their next project. Last Friday I attended the latest breakfast (can’t easily get up that early any more J) at a very nice location in downtown Vancouver, The Terminal City Club. I have been to two such events now and the numbers of attendees has grown substantially – their message is beginning to get out because they are for definitely for real! There were 40+ people in attendance. When I got to the event I discovered to my pleasure that NSS had been chosen for the next 3Spheres project. I also re-met a number of people whom I had known from other activities, including Tilak Dewan, whom I used to work with; yet again proving the value and importance of networking. Tilak is now working for the not-for-profit Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) to find employment for new immigrants to Canada.

In addition to the regular agenda, Gervase Bushe, a business professor from SFU, gave a short but interesting talk about an innovative "Appreciative Process" for Business Process Improvement. Check out his website to get some insight into his thinking. JDQ has been successfully applying some of Gervase’s techniques.

Cheers

Graham J.