Tandem Innovation Group Inc.

Why do we use different language at work than at home? The origins of “functional” language in corporate culture can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, when factory owners began treating workers as infinitely replaceable resources to be “optimized” for “maximum efficiency.” This outdated, dehumanizing, and mechanistic approach to business language still persists today. When our work language doesn't reflect who we truly are, it fractures our sense of self. We may leave a meaningful part of ourselves at the front door each day, leading to cynicism and abstract thinking. This disconnect hampers our ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and find hope amid complex challenges. Curious about the correlation between language and culture, we drew inspiration from a BCG Henderson Institute study and analyzed a year's worth of our meeting transcriptions using ChatGPT. The trending words? Intention, leadership, visioning, community, and values. We celebrate these as signals that embody who we are and where we’re headed as our culture continues to evolve toward being more emergent and relational. How does your language at work reflect who you are? Share your thoughts below, and read our latest blog to dig deeper into the effects of functional language on corporate culture and employee wellbeing: https://lnkd.in/gz2M2Hd7 #CultureShift #ThePowerOfLanguage

Our friends at Crisp Media are cohosting a panel discussion on AI and its applications in talent management, acquisition, and collaboration with Skyrocket Digital this Friday, Oct 25, from 8-10 am PT at the Skyrocket Digital office, located at 560 Beatty St, Suite 301, Vancouver, BC. While we're still exploring the type of relationship we want with AI as we continue to build an organizational culture centered on well-being, we will be attending this event to help us consider how we might use this technology with mindfulness. We hope to see you there and connect with you. Get your tickets here: https://lu.ma/gar4uc25

Some members of our team will be attending Latincouver on Thursday, Oct 24 at 6 pm PT! We're excited to connect and gather (a rarity for our remote organization), and what better reason than a gala celebrating the beautiful cultures and delicious flavours of Latin America. If you're interested in inviting your team, tickets are $150 per person or $250 for two! Get yours today and we hope to see you there: https://lnkd.in/ghc7Acv2 ✨ #Latincouver

For our monthly book pick, our Co-CEO Tania Lo is mixing things up and instead offering a workshop recommendation instead. The workshop took place at the Decolonizing Economics Summit 2023. Reflecting on her learnings, Tania shared: “Regenerative business design is about non-extraction of value, viewed through the lens of supremacy culture. In a workshop on Decolonizing Finance, Taj James addresses how we participate in both oppression and being oppressed through wealth. Historically, humans were placed above nature, men above women, and white-bodied individuals above those with melanin. This hierarchy, reinforced by tax incentives, perpetuates wealth hoarding and scarcity.” To read her full review, visit our Edgerunners blog: https://lnkd.in/gDJa7NgD #OctoberBookPick #RegenerativeBusiness

📣 If you're looking to revitalize your company values so they are measurable and actionable, Junxion Strategy is re-running a virtual version of their workshop from the September B Lab UK Festival on Nov 19 at 5am PT. This info-rich event will show you how to develop a values-driven workplace culture that aligns with the new B Corp performance standards (an essential for socially and environmentally impactful businesses). Check it out and register today to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/g_Taz447

Centered in our approach is our respect for each other and our craft. These two go hand in hand, since we can't do our best work without first feeling safe, supported, and trusted in our teams and communities. Through continuous collaboration and exploration together, we recognize when our team members are sparked creatively. Sometimes this looks like a new approach to building proposals, and sometimes it looks like the introduction of new digital systems. What underlies each of these scenarios is the constant development of our people and their unique skill sets. Something that we always find ourselves asking is, “What would you like to try next?” We encourage you to extend this question to your teams, always fueling the spark of curiosity. To learn more about our approach, visit: https://lnkd.in/gsmQGWjx

In honour of #CyberSecurityMonth, we’re excited to highlight Amy DuMoulin, our new IT Support Intern! Based in Vancouver, BC, Amy has a passion for reading, sailing, and watching football (Go Seahawks!). She enjoys historical fiction novels and all types of romance stories. "Since joining, I’ve really enjoyed the kindness and honesty of everyone on the team.” Welcome to Tandem, Amy! #CommunitySpotlight

At the heart of Tandem’s vision is the belief that businesses can achieve equitable abundance – where prosperity is shared widely and held commonly, and success nourishes not just shareholders but employees, communities, and the planet. Equitable abundance means rejecting a zero-sum mindset and embracing a regenerative approach to business that values inclusivity, sustainability, and interdependence. In the context of Capitalism, equitable abundance is a radical notion; it flies counter to the scarcity model that shapes the current economic paradigm. But scarcity is a relatively new idea, and one we believe that’s been proven incorrect – and harmful. Since time out of time, Indigenous peoples around the world (lineages from which we all descend) have looked to nature for instruction on how to build economies based on mutuality and shared abundance. Re-imaging/re-remembering these roots, we invite you to consider what your business might look like as part of an economic model defined by equitable abundance – where prosperity flows through the entire ecosystem, enriching people and land alike. Read more about our vision for the world we are building everyday through the actions we take to live out our values: https://lnkd.in/gZDYC6Pv Will you join us in calling forward an ecological economy, where businesses act as communities, leaders serve as stewards, and each of us feels uplifted by a deep sense of belonging and responsibility?

Let’s stop calling Truth and Reconciliation Day a holiday. At least not for non-Indigenous folks. Instead, let us see it as a day to make lighter work for Indigenous peoples. All year they shoulder the bulk of the labour of decolonizing, so let us, the uninvited guests of these lands, take up that work so folks can rest. “It’s a bit challenging that it is a provincial holiday,” says Tania Lo. “It creates a kind of duality, but hey… that’s where we are at. I would love to see our elected officials consider this a day of rest for Indigenous peoples and not a stat, so that employers can spend time with their staff to go deeper in their learning, awareness, and relationship building – and show up in community to do that work together.” Orange Shirt Day was created as an opportunity to learn more about the lived experiences of Residential School Survivors. Here’s a good place to start: https://shorturl.at/16gMl Note: Buy your orange shirt from Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs, not from grocery stores, Walmart, or Costco unless there is a clear collaboration with the Indigenous artist, and they are being paid. We love ᐋᓃᓐ aanin retail’s orange shirt design and call to action: https://shorturl.at/fZ4tB. Business In Vancouver interviewed several Indigenous leaders, including ᐋᓃᓐ aanin retail founder Chelsee-Marie Pettit, about what more businesses can do to advance reconciliation beyond the orange shirt. Check it out: https://shorturl.at/CxpJF. Next, consider a shared reading experience of Chief Robert Joseph’s book Namwayut. This beautiful read will tear your heart apart and fill it back up with hope, love, and a desire to be part of the reconciliation movement. You will not regret reading it: https://shorturl.at/YymrC Some other critical resources for reflection: Watch Nikki Sanchez’s TED Talk “Decolonization Is For Everyone,” which explains why decolonization is for all of us to unlearn and dismantle, not just “an Indigenous issue”: https://lnkd.in/ebbF-tY Reading True Reconciliation by Jody Wilson-Raybould is a fantastic way to gain historical and present-day knowledge and learn what to do about it now. Read it, buy many copies, and share widely: https://shorturl.at/DCYbj. Seeking support for your team to learn and unlearn together? Check out kinSHIFT’s transformative online workshop series Elements of Truth, which integrates storytelling and interactive practices: https://lnkd.in/gU76iegu. Most of all, non-Indigenous folks must make it a regular practice to uncover and discover truth. There is so much to learn. And it’s not on Indigenous peoples to teach us. It’s our collective responsibility to be aware so we can stop atrocities – like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (MMIWG2S+) – from perpetuating into the future, and discover the beauty and abundance available for our lives when we live in right relationship with each other, the land, and ourselves.

This week, we’re excited to highlight Prachi Parekh, CPHR Candidate, our talented HR Advisor! Based in Vancouver, BC, Prachi brings her passion for networking and connecting with people to everything she does. Whether it’s volunteering or participating in community events, she’s always looking to make meaningful connections. "What I love most about working at Tandem is the culture of continuous collaboration. It makes each day both exciting and rewarding." We’re lucky to have Prachi as part of the team!" #CommunitySpotlight