Omaha Organization Development Network upcoming events

The Core Values Con Job: Why Your Core Values Aren't Earning Their Keep (24 Jun 2026)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:45:00 GMT

The Core Values Con Job: Why Your Core Values Aren't Earning Their Keep

Facilitated by Brett Hoogeveen, BetterCulture

Core values are everywhere – on websites, walls, and welcome packets. Yet in most organizations, values aren’t actually driving culture improvement; they’re simply describing what matters. They sound meaningful, but they’re rarely used as a system to help people get better at the behaviors those values are meant to represent. That’s the core values con job: values that look important, but rarely change how work gets done.

Consider this simple test most organizations struggle to answer: Are your people living your values more consistently today than they were three years ago? If not, the problem isn’t the values themselves – it’s that they’re being treated as statements of belief rather than tools for improvement.

This guided working session introduces a practical way to use your existing core values as a system for improving employee behavior and performance over time. Participants will apply this thinking directly to their own values and explore how a Values Performance System™ helps organizations move beyond pass/fail values toward measurable, sustained improvement – without rewriting or refreshing their values.

Using BetterCulture’s Values Performance System™ framework, attendees will learn how to:

Translate values into observable behaviors
Replace pass/fail thinking with progression
Provide tools for development that support improvement
Recognize and reinforce improvement over time
Integrate values into everyday leadership and performance conversations

If you’re ready to move beyond posters, plaques, and good intentions, this session will show how to turn core values into a working system for culture improvement — one that creates visible progress, not just shared language. Because if behavior isn’t improving, values aren’t working.

After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:

Assess whether their organization’s core values are functioning as a system for behavior improvement, rather than simply serving as statements of intent.
Translate existing core values into clear, observable behaviors that can be discussed, reflected on, and improved over time.

Apply a progression-based mindset to values, moving away from pass/fail or judgment-based interpretations.

Speaker/Facilitator: Brett Hoogeveen, BetterCulture.

Brett Hoogeveen is on a mission to make the world a better place to work! He is the co-founder of BetterCulture, a prominent leadership development and technology firm with clients from entrepreneurial startups to Fortune 500 companies. A former healthcare executive, engineer, startup investor, and host of The BetterCulture Podcast, Brett helps organizations build stronger leaders and engage every employee.

Brett travels nationally as a Certified Professional Speaker (CSP) and consultant with a single focus: providing practical, actionable advice to help organizations build dominantly successful cultures. As Brett and his growing list of clients are keenly aware, a better culture means a better business!

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire

July Stammtisch at Stokes! (07 Jul 2026)

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Welcome Omaha ODN Members!

Please join us for Stammtisch

on the first Tuesday of each month

in person at Stokes West from 3:00 - 5:00 PM

13615 California Street

Stammtisch is a German word meaning both a group of people who meet regularly, as well as the large table around which they meet.

This is an exclusive event for members only, where you can connect with like-minded individuals and strengthen your network. Bring your ideas and questions, build connections, and learn from others in this casual setting.

Our goal is to gather together to EXPLORE, LEARN, and SHARE, leaving us all more INSPIRED to make an impact.

There is NO cost for this members-only event, but there is food and beverage available for purchase. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. We'll see you there!

Please register so we know how many to expect.

The Secret to Successful Projects: It's Not Just the Plan (26 Aug 2026)

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:45:00 GMT

The Secret to Successful Projects: It's Not Just the Plan

Facilitated by Debbie Friedman, Terracon

Project Managers often have challenges with:

Change management

Conflict and difficult conversations

Team formation

Time management

In this session, you will be able to:

Map real organizational changes

Identify PM vs. OD milestones

Analyze failed projects and root causes

Projects succeed when we integrate the "technical" with the "human."

The overall object of this session is that participants will leave being able to recognize the critical role OD plays in the successful management of projects.

Speaker/Facilitator: Debbie Friedman, Terracon

Debbie Friedman, MS, SPHR, is currently a Sr. OD Consultant at Terracon Consultants, Inc. For over 20 years she has done everything from instructional design, delivery, meeting facilitation, organizational design, mentoring, coaching, as well as leadership development. She has worked for HDR and Right at Home, where she was Director of Education. For the past six years she has worked with Terracon Consultants, Inc.

Debbie earned her BS in Business Management with a focus in Human Resources Management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition, Debbie earned her Masters in Adult Learning Performance and Development, with a special in Leadership Development, from Drake University. Her certifications include Prosci Change Management, Situational Leadership and she is a Covey-Certified facilitator. She recently retired from a 20-year tenure teaching the HRAM HR Certification course, focusing on the areas of Organizational Development and Performance Management.

Her passion in helping people "Play Nice at Work" is what drivers her every day. Debbie's specialties include: Facilitation of Adult Learning, Curriculum Design, Coaching, Leadership Development, Change Management, and Human Resources.

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire

Rituals at Work: Small Acts, Big Belonging (23 Sep 2026)

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Rituals at Work: Small Acts, Big Belonging

Facilitated by Stuart Chittenden

Program details coming soon...

Speaker/Facilitator: Stuart Chittenden

Speaker's details coming soon...

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire

Omaha ODN Conference 2026 - October 20 (20 Oct 2026)

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT

2026 ODN Conference - October 20

THEME - Thriving in Complexity: OD for a Rapidly Changing World

Conference Agenda

Keynote Speakers

Laura Johnson, The Art of Alignment: Creativity in a Complex World

Laura Johnson is a creative strategist and transformation leader who works at the intersection of art, technology, and human experience. Known for her ability to bring vision to life, she helps organizations and teams find clarity amidst complexity through curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. Laura also serves on the board of the Radial Arts Center, where she champions inclusion and accessibility in the arts. She believes that thriving in a rapidly changing world requires both precision and imagination that alignment, like art, is a continual act of creation.

Melissa Hurrington, Authenticity: The Superpower to Transform Your Career

As a devoted wife and mother, Melissa Hurrington embodies the essence of balance and leadership both at home and in the professional arena. With a multifaceted role as CFO & VP at Operations of Premier Claims, she navigates the complexities of financial strategy and operational excellence with finesse. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Melissa serves as the Omaha Chapter President of the CFO Leadership Council, is a founding member of The Bold Leaders Collective, and stands among The Next 100. A true servant leader at heart, she approaches every endeavor with authenticity and humility, recognizing that her greatest strength lies in uplifting others. At the core of her identity, she remains unapologetically and authentically herself.

Snap Shot of Topics/Facilitators

Workshop Speakers

The Human Algorithm: Rebuilding Trust Through Empathetic Leadership by Shannelle Pokorny
Mindful Audiences are Happy Audiences by Sonia Keffer
Culture Clarity Workshop by Lucy Lantis
The Future of Work is Entrepreneurial: Rethinking Organizations in a Disruptive Era by Jenna Smith
Succession Planning in the Exponential Age: Why Traditional Approaches Are No Longer Enough by Andy Noon
Accidentally Exclusive: Promoting Health while Promoting Culture by Jessica Rowe
Rooted in Wellness: Cultivating a Culture of Health at Healing Vibes Urban Farm by LaToya C. Prince
From Programs to Possibility: Reimagining Talent Development for a Complex World by Ashley Bro
The Employee Journey: Applying Principles of Buyer Psychology to Recruiting, Engagement, and Retention by Natalie Hadley
Transitions: Align & Thrive in Your 9:5 by Becky Phipps and Angela McKay

Daily Agenda & Costs

Activities

7:30am to 5:00pm Conference
5:00pm to 6:30 pm Happy Hour/Networking

One-Day Registration (includes breakfast, lunch and happy hour on October 20th):

Members - $150
Non-Members - $250
Groups of 5+, please email June.Kowalewski@myfbm.com or OmahaODNPresident@gmail.com for group discount

Please email any dietary restrictions to June Kowalewski at June.Kowalewski@myfbm.com.

Beardmore Event Center - 3750 Raynor Pkwy, Bellevue, NE

Org Culture Change - Details coming soon (28 Oct 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Topic: Org Culture Change

Facilitated by Dr. Rebecca Shively

Program details coming soon...

Speaker/Facilitator: Stuart Chittenden

Speaker's details coming soon...

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire

November Program: Conference Teach Back (11 Nov 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Conference Teach Back

Facilitated by Katie Lennen

Program details coming soon...

Speaker/Facilitator: Katie Lennen

Speaker's details coming soon...

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire

December Holiday Social - Details coming soon (09 Dec 2026)

Wed, 09 Dec 2026 13:45:00 GMT

December Holiday Social

Program details coming soon...

Explore - Learn - Share - Inspire