What is Good? What is Bad? | Judgements Abound!

These two images are the open slides to a presentation I did at the Jacksonville Business Journal Diversity Awards this morning. I had the honor to create a fun experience and take risks because someone trusted me. Why? I am not sure...well maybe cause I have some radical ideas and David Sellick knows that those are the ideas that might change the way we do business.

Our ability to continually let go of and hold onto judgements is at the root of our ability to think innovatively. As we look for new and diverse ideas and perspectives we must open ourselves to ideas that we might deem "BAD" so we might find something "GOOD". 

Pretty ironic isn't it??

I look forward to hearing the ideas and thoughts of those that attended so that we may continue to foster diversity in our community with the hopes of changing it for the better!

Respecting the Process - Trusting Myself

This month as we talk about the many aspects of respect, my ears have tuned in to hear the word respect used in many contexts. 

I have heard "gotta respect the process" several times this past week. It hits close to home as I work to grow and strengthen Character Counts! here in Jacksonville. 

I have been working for the past year to build a vision and am slowly but surely seeing it come to life. As a designer and corporate survivor, I am generally the push hard-schedule tight, kind of gal, yet I build this non-profit, I have learned more than ever that I must allow the process to evolve and take it's course. 

I of course am responsible to create goals, take action and keep focused. With this said, I have learned that as this vision evolves it includes more people and hence requires greater clarity. It is this process that I have come to respect and honor more than ever in my career. 

In the past I built visions that involved products and services in the commercial world. Today I am building a vision that is in the social, emotional and ethical world. It requires a whole different sensitivity and perspective on process. 

I am so blessed to bear witness to the hearts and spirits of the people I work with and for. It is this experience that helps me to rest back into what I trust within myself. I know that the work of Character Counts! is vital to our evolving community. I openly bring others to the table to help the vision blossom to meet the needs of our city. It is this organic process of collaboration and hope that I respect! It comes with a bit of ambiguity, a bit of fear and requires a huge dose of faith!

As I respect this process, it helps me to respect the views of all involved and understand the needs that come with those views. Gaining respect for diverse views helps the solutions we create to be more affective. It is this outcome that helps me take leaps of faith with this process day to day.

I ask you, what process are you involved in? And what do you respect about it?

Florence Haridan

A little music to set things straight! - Too Much Information!

Ethics Coalition Meeting Schedule

These highly interactive sessions will each have several speakers, including YOU to share insights and personal experiences.  Our goal is to create a supportive space that we can all grow and evolve ethically.  

Meetings held at:
Perdue Inc.
5 W. Forsyth St. Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32202 

Thursdays - 7:30-9:00 am

FREE for Coalition members • $10 for non-members, first 2 visits free.

June 14, 2012  |  Building a Socially Responsible Brand - Register NOW
This month we will explore the elements that must be considered to consciously build a brand that is socially responsible in all aspects of it's dealings. Organizations that are emotionally and socially intelligent are at the leading edge of innovation. You will learn several techniques to explore your personal social intelligence in relationship to your work.


Come join others who are seeking a deeper understanding of social responsibility and are willing to take themselves and organizations the next level. 


We will discuss:
• Aspects of social responsibility
• How emotional and social intelligence affect strategic development
• How social consciousness influences business growth and brand development
• Explore the Ethical Decision Making process to understand the ramifications of decisions.


July 19, 2012  |  Freedom & Fairness
What is freedom? How do we define fairness. These complex topics affect day to day decisions we all face. How organizations decide what is fair, affects all aspects of business, from pricing, to salaries, to business growth. We will examine the many ways to look at a decision to enable a holistic examination.




We have openings for speakers if you would like to share on the topic!


July 19, 2012  |  Freedom & Fairness


August 16, 2012  |  Caring Brands Inspire


September 13, 2012  |  Citizenship: Each Voice Matters!


October 18, 2012  |  Trustworthiness in Advertising


November 15, 2012  |  Creating Respectful Traditions


December 15, 2012  |  Responsible Business Planning