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PODCAST

Practice? Podcast

David Fearon and Peter Vaill

“Theory and practice” is a common phrase. We"ve seen a lot of writing on theory, but what about that other word? Peter calls it "the dark matter of the social sciences" - Practice. It applies to pencil-pushing, educating, heart surgery, sailing, golfing, and anything you can do with purpose. Peter and Dave take you into a world of thought that couples work and play, purpose and routine, life and legacy. In a world of white-water, On Practice is the raft.

business careers

All Episodes

Episode 312: Episode 295 - Shame, Social Bonds, and...

Practice? Podcast ·

2026/03/06

This is Part 2 of episode 288 in which we showed how, as human language and group life evolved, special social emotions developed that sustain the relationships underlying enacted social actions. These are the emotions of shame, guilt, and pride. This episode shifts from the social bonds maintained between self and others to look "inward" to the bonds among aspects of our own selves. We discuss Internal Family Systems therapy which shows how the Self splits into Parts during child

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46:18

Episode 311: Episode 294 - The Boomerang Comes Back:...

Practice? Podcast ·

2026/02/08

As Managing Partner of the Discussion Partner Collaborative, Tom Casey is not only watching the trends facing business leaders but also taking a stand. He speaks of the 'boomerang' of radical changes thrown at us last year, now coming back to confront leaders' values and their company's reputation.

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44:20

Episode 310: Episode 293 - The Living Organization -...

Practice? Podcast ·

2026/01/18

Dave meets Norman Wolfe https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfe/whose different way of viewing and guiding any organization is to see it as alive and very much like a human striving for results that matter. He consolidates this unique perspective in his bestselling book, The Living Organization: Transforming Business to Create Extraordinary Results.

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58:36

Episode 309: Episode 292 - Socially Enacted Practice:...

Practice? Podcast ·

2026/01/04

On the last day of 2025, Dave Jr. and his father, Dave Fearon Sr., take a moment to reflect on the key themes from their discussions throughout the year regarding socially enacted practices. They consider the socially and psychologically complex nature of these practices and recognize that there is much to learn together in 2026.

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35:28

Episode 308: Episode 291 - Conversation with a True...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/11/24

Prometheans unlock the mysteries of the cosmos. Tom Bohinc is boldly going to where he and we colleagues can think of leadership in altogether different ways. Anchoring the Promethean Project: " dedicated to making leading clear and leaders common - and challenging institutional and social convention and complacency.", uniquely shapes Tom's executive coaching. Dave sees his and Peter Vaill's probing of the unexplored nature of Practice dovetailing with Tom's Promethean work.

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39:39

Episode 307: Episode 290 - Her Copy Editing Practice...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/11/16

Three years ago, Dave recorded a conversation with the young high school student who was providing surprisingly accurate and thoughtful copy editing for his book with the late Peter B. Vaill, On Practice as a Way of Being. He marveled at her love of the accordion. Wondering what she is doing now as a college student, he reached out to Mahaska Stiegler, who is now an exchange student at a German university. She is deepening her German language and cultural acumen while continuing her

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35:56

Episode 306: Episode 289 - Her Crocheted Sweaters...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/11/10

Can a retired professor with a Phd in Political Inquiry, Comparative Politics, Political Psychology from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs find retired happiness crocheting and selling children's sweaters? Krisan Everson says, "Yes". Residing in her home state of New Hampshire, Krisan creates distinctive (and warm) children's sweaters and sells them in weekend community markets. She explains how her academic background in Foreign Affairs illuminates the

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95:00

Episode 305: Episode 288 - Origin and function of...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/11/02

Dave & Dad continue their discussion series on enacted social action as it applies to emotions. We extend American Pragmatism philosopher George H. Mead's approach to self as I and Me, social acts and symbolic interaction to sociologist Thomas Scheff's social bond theory. From the communicative functions of primary emotions evolve composite emotions of shame, guilt, and pride. These social emotions are fundamental to maintaining social relationships and constitute language, as

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37:12

Episode 304: Episode 287 - She is Music, Music, Music...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/10/27

Dave shows us the reason he has joined a church choir, 70 years after his last time. It is Connecticut Music Educator and Burlington Congregational Church Music Director Emily Lombardo Castellon. Her enthusiasm for all manner of performing music is transmitted not only to her adult choir but also to the fifth- and sixth-grade members of her school's band. Emily represents the devoted practices of thousands of Music Teacher Educators across the Country. She and they transform lives—even

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31:53

Episode 303: Episode 286 - Change Agrees with Him...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/10/19

Toward the end of this episode, you will hear revered Organization Development practitioner Fred Miller speak enthusiastically about an unprecedented wave of change, presenting fundamentally new prospects for organizational development. No rocking chair on the porch for Fred; he will be out there in the future helping business leaders transform their companies. He and host Dave Fearon speak of their mutual admiration of Peter B. Vaill, co-founder of this Practice? Podcast and co-author of

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47:20

Episode 302: Episode 285 - Mining Uncertainty for...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/09/22

Periodically, Dave checks in with leadership trend researcher and advisor Tom Casey to learn what practicing business leaders have on their minds. He and his Discussion Partners Collaborative colleagues ask the question, "What if all you believe to be accurate and possible is incorrect?" In these turbulent times, Tom discusses how leaders are holding their beliefs in suspension. They are advised to 'snap out of it'.

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31:08

Episode 301: Episode 284 - Whitewater Kyacking is His...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/07/19

My friend and co-author Peter B. Vaill told us in his 1989 book, Managing as a Performing Art, to be ready to practice in permanent white water. David Silk kayaks daily in white waters raging in rivers around the globe. His practice has him racing among the top kayakers, exploring rivers around the world that have never been kayaked before, and teaching practitioners who are firmly committed to this challenging sport. In all ways, David is a whitewater professional.

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36:34

Episode 300: Episode 283 - Their Idea is now Maine's...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/07/12

Richmond, Maine sisters Olivia and Elsie Winokurzew drew upon lessons from their leadership experiences at Starbucks to create their own coffee and donut business, which was needed in their hometown. They named it Morning Moose Coffee. As committed entrepreneurs, they continue learning every day, even after successfully growing their business for over three years.

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77:35

Episode 299: Episode 282 - How Cognition is Enacted...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/06/23

Dave leads me through a process to understand understanding itself. What happens in real-time moments of cognition. is comprised of 6 E's, enacted, embodied, embedded, extended, emotional and exacting processes that are also visible in conversation. This is the latest in a series of episodes probing the nature of Practice. The YouTube version includes presentation slides.

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33:21

Episode 298: Episode 281 - Human Intelligence Thrives...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/04/14

"High Tech. Human Touch" is a logo of Walker Group led by co-CEO Jessica Rich. Dave knows human intelligence thrives there, even as they know and apply AI, because Walker Group is a registered Benefit Corporation and the first Perpetual Purpose Trust-Owned Company in Connecticut. They promise their practitioners a stable foundation for a long career. Jessica has been with Walker for over 22 years and has no plan or reason to lead elsewhere.

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74:08

Episode 297: Episode 280 - Exploring the Physics of...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/03/08

Dave, Jr., and I had another conversation to discuss more dimensions of human behavior that are socially practiced as a way of being. He asked that we recognize physics in the dynamic of practice, even at the quantum level. Explored this time is Construction Theory.

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53:00

Episode 296: Episode 279 - Leading is Making and...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/03/02

Dave meets a contemporary who thinks alike about the nature of leading as practice. John Varney founded the Centre for Management Creativity and High Trenhouse and the author of Leadership as Meaning. Enjoy his wisdom and lovely English accent.

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44:31

Episode 295: Episode 278 - We Each Have an Origin...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/02/22

Dave becomes acquainted with Dr. Kim Byas, who, among his several current endeavors, including Vice President of Community Engagement and Impact at The Center for Health Affairs, is a member of the Conscious Leadership Guild. In the course of this conversation, Kim introduces the concept of the origin story. Each of us has one, yet to inform and grow our practices, we can become more aware of this unique personal resource. Journaling is one way of doing so.

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36:44

Episode 294: Episode 277 - Spirit at Work Guides Her...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/02/16

Dave introduces Kyndra Frazier, a doctoral student studying Organization Development and Change at Bowling Green University. She is well into her career as a pastor, social worker, and consultant and aims to become a chief spiritual officer in a progressive company.

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37:50

Episode 293: Episode 276 - Her Genealogy Practice...

Practice? Podcast ·

2025/02/03

Dave discovered that his versatile friend from 'way back' practices genealogy as an avocation. Barbara MacDonald Saabye, a fellow graduate of the Portland, Maine Deering High School Class of 1961, tells how searching for her grandfather's records captivated her interest in researching other family lineages. Forty years later, she uses Family Search.com to find the ancestry of friends and fellow genealogists.

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155 results

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