<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Optimal Development Partners LLC]]></title><description><![CDATA[Optimal Development Partners LLC]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:03:36 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.optimaldpllc.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Too Senior for a Mentor? It Depends on the Conversation]]></title><description><![CDATA[A number of years ago, I was onboarding to a new executive role in an organization. After the first few weeks, the seemingly endless list of online training was, at last, completed. My “buddy” and I had worked through our assigned tasks. My official onboarding was complete and yet my acclimation was just beginning.]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/too-senior-for-a-mentor-it-depends-on-the-conversation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dc6b526699b1a664a7e0d1</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Talk About Meaning: Creating a Common Language for Performance]]></title><description><![CDATA[If it’s a windy day outside, how do you know the force of the breeze? If you have a weather App it might indicate the force of gusts in terms of miles per hour, but, in practical terms, what does an 8 mile per hour (MPH) gust feel like?]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/talk-about-meaning-creating-a-common-language-for-performance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dc6abb8614fb4128b278de</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Approaching Corners With Curiosity]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every so often I walk my dog at a local park with rustic trails that weave in and out of wooded areas and marshland. There is a curve on one of the well-worn paths where oncoming foot, bicycle, or small critter traffic is hidden from view for at least 10-15 steps. ]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/approaching-corners-with-curiosity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dc69b043e56f31776f5ecf</guid><pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Leading Through Sensemaking in the Age of AI]]></title><description><![CDATA[Much of this attention is now focused on artificial intelligence and related technologies—how AI may automate tasks, augment decision-making, or fundamentally change how work gets done. What is far less common are thoughtful conversations about how leaders are meant to make sense of these changes while they are unfolding, and how leadership itself must evolve as a result.]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/leading-through-sensemaking-in-the-age-of-ai</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d913d87d3e231e1c88eabb</guid><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:15:41 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Creating and Honoring Quiet Spaces in a Noisy World]]></title><description><![CDATA[My parents raised us in a modest 950 square foot post-World War two ranch-style home in southwestern Ohio. There was not much space for a family of five much less room for dedicated quiet spaces. I learned how to improvise: in the corner of the basement behind the boxes of Christmas decorations was an old steamer trunk full my dad’s Navy uniforms which was just the right size for elementary school aged me and a few books. ]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/creating-and-honoring-quiet-spaces-in-a-noisy-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dc6a4375afb0779a764d61</guid><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Keeping Pace With Your Career Development: Finding Support That Matters Most For You]]></title><description><![CDATA[In hybrid or fully remote work environments, limited interaction with leaders can make in-the-moment career guidance feel out of reach. In hybrid or fully remote work environments, limited interaction with leaders can make in-the-moment career guidance feel out of reach. ]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/keeping-pace-with-your-career-development-finding-support-that-matters-most-for-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d91575b1404b5ae2d5da2c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:23:02 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Basic Agreements: The Small Signals That Shape Team Cohesion]]></title><description><![CDATA[Collectively, the leaders appeared to have a strong grasp of the issues they needed to address in order to put the structures, processes, and agreements in place to achieve demanding targets in the new year.]]></description><link>https://www.optimaldpllc.com/post/basic-agreements-the-small-signals-that-shape-team-cohesion</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d9144861f85fcf9f7be483</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:17:25 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ann Marie Johnston</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>