Our CEO and founder, Bryan Setser, has been waiting since he was a boy to possess Green Lantern’s ring. In November, we got that opportunity, and Setser Group has spent the past few weeks building Illuminator, our wayfinding light for a better world for leaders, teams, and organizations in 2024.

Illuminator draws from knowledge and wisdom across internal Setser Group intellectual property as well as an array of tools to solve specific problems for education and people-first training organizations.

Illuminator is also grounded in our firm’s values and our thesis that we are a wayfinding firm for the future of learning and work.

We work with K-12, Higher Ed, and Workforce orgs that partner with us for:

• advisory services on the future of learning
• design labs to build plans, platforms, business models, academic models, programs, products, portfolios, and services
• implementation and transformation support to lead c-teams, prototypes, R&D labs, and teams to accomplish education + training product or program outcomes

TRUTHS

Setser Group Corps members will remember that we are also working on a book in 2023, titled Wayfinder: Truths, Tools, and Triumphs to Help Leaders Find Their Way. When we last wrote to the Corps, we were discussing Chapter 4: People First Practices in the Age of AI. 

Let’s bring in Illuminator to help with a prompt inspired by Chapter 4.

Check out what Illuminator did. Here’s the discussion thread.

Ask yourself: How did Illuminator do? What did it get right? What didn’t seem right? Was there an “aha moment”? That’s what we’re looking for. Let’s face it, most of Setser Corps is an expert at what they do. We’re looking for AI to take us to the next level. To shine a light in the corners where we can’t normally see.

We want an actionable takeaway. What was yours? How might you change the follow-up prompts?

TOOLS

Let’s see if Illuminator can do a tool flex.

Nice job, Illuminator! You can see the complete chat with Illuminator.

Assess Opportunities in Every Crisis

Setser Group defines a crisis as both a risk and an opportunity. Organizations such as Minnesota Online High School, Great Hearts, or Gallaudet University have asked for Setser Group’s help on future product development, whether it be a digital student success application, an online school model, or a COVID reopening plan. All organizations find themselves in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.

Don’t wait to utilize technology, new model design, or a comprehensive communications campaign to build your new future of learning and work.

Take a peek at our COVID reopening approach at Gallaudet University during the pandemic as an example.

Set a Vision for Possibilities

Through our work with Pamlico County Schools on their technology readiness assessment, our time with executive and team coaching with the Triangle Math and Science Academy, or in our collaboration with Oakwood City Schools on a next-generation assessment strategy, Setser Group is adept at setting a clear and compelling vision for success.

Learn more about our work using this leadership training graphic on advisory services for TMSA as we help build out the vision for future leadership cohorts. 

Curate People-First Practices by

Amplifying AI

Setser Group has worked with the Education Leaders Experience in South Carolina, Appalachian State University, and the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Association on amplifying humanity in the age of AI. Some of the ways we do that work include AI readiness assessments, change leadership planning, and co-product and program development.

We are currently working with MCLE on an AI strategy to amplify legal education resources from their online pass work heading into 2024.

Set Change Cadences for Success and Significance

Setser Group has worked with East Carolina University, The University of South Carolina, and the Louisiana Technical Community College System on activating design labs to improve programs and products. Read this blog and watch this video on how we manage leading and learning among our teams and partners at Setser Group.

Coach Self, Teams, Bots, and Orgs to Build Capacity

Whether it has been our work on SEL at Sanford Harmony Academy or helping partners like Rutgers University in digital transformation, coaching self, teams, bots, and orgs to build internal capacity is critical. This short video depicts why Change leadership in all of those projects is as critical as change management in 2024 for the outcomes you seek.

Notice and Wonder with an Equity Lens

We’ve been honored to develop Culture of Belonging work with our partners at 228 Accelerator, Deck Leadership, and Research Triangle High School. So many people know the Stanford D School model and reference it in their work pre-2016. But what really matters is making sure you’ve updated that model through the lens of the National Equity Project with the key aspects of Notice and Reflect. Here’s an example of a better approach, complete with exercises to try with your team.

Design Experiences, Programs, Products, and Services that Captivate Hearts and Minds

Setser Group Labs consists of 30-90 day sprints and cycles to provide research and development, empathy interviews, market scans, data collection, design sessions, and a detailed roadmap as to the types of change + innovation necessary for uncommon outcomes. This video depicts approaches we used with clients, including Impact Tulsa, Western Governors University, and National University.

Live Values and Position People as Brand

Setser Group is fortunate to live our values in alignment with our partners.

Organizations such as New Tech Network, Mira Education, Voorhees University, and SC Teacher have all provided opportunities for us to help position their people and brand for uncommon outcomes for common good.

Learn more about some of the work of Mira Education and their tools catalog for 2024 here: https://miraeducation.org/tools/ and make sure to grab their new book as well.

Tap Talent + Bot Clouds

iThrive, Learning Mate, Radius, and SparkNC are all partners with Setser Group in building the next generation of learners and leaders. Learn more about our SparkNC partnership and the work we’ve been doing at Setser Group as CTO as a service to their new Spark platform (see graphic).

Leave a Living Legacy

Setser Group has helped attract and manage over fifty million dollars of funding at GCFGlobal, Build, Cambridge College, and Winston Salem State University. We have helped develop Genius Labs, networks, and funds alongside joint ventures, strategic alliances, and asset transfer partnerships among nonprofits. Our Setser Group Community non-profit has some big news in 2024 that we’ll share early in the year, and in the meantime, please make sure you learn a new skill for free with our partners at GCFGlobal and GCF LearnFree.

How can you access Illuminator? We are still in beta mode with our custom GPT. Upon release, you will be able to access Illuminator on the ChatGPT platform. We will pilot it there before we add Illuminator as an assistant on our website and on our social media channels.

For now, view the 2024 Roadmap for Results and start building your future of learning and work with us after the holidays.

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