Black River PM Anniversary!
In 2017, we started Black River Performance Management, believing that “work should fuel the human spirit, not drain it.” We feel fortunate to have reached this point. However, before we share more, let’s consider some data that led us to create this company.
- The average working American will work approximately 2,000 hours a year. Arguably, the best time of your day (in terms of energy & attention) is given to an employer or a job. If you love your work, that is awesome. However, if you don’t, this can be detrimental over time.
- If we factor in 8 hours of actual sleep and 8 hours of work a day, that leaves approximately 8 hours of personal discretionary time. (The concerning news is that the evolving body of sleep research related to optimal living/livelihood/health is approaching up to 10 hours sleep per night recommendations based on relative strain/stress/exertion during the day, suggesting that getting less sleep can seriously erode certain physiological and emotional health functions).
- Next, remove 3 hours of “transition time” from that 8-hour personal time bank. This transition time is the small chunks of time like getting ready before work, traveling to/from work, changing/after work routines, etc. This is clearly subjective based on the commute, wardrobe choices, hairstyles, etc. The bottom line is that all this time costs us somewhere.
- Our discretionary time bank is now down to 5 hours a day. Of those 5 hours, is it all your discretionary time, or is it shared with (check all that apply □ errands, □ volunteer, □ second job, □ childcare, □ after-hours work, etc.)?
- Regardless of how you calculate your remaining discretionary time, we understand that finding time for what truly matters to you is a challenge. We acknowledge that lackluster job experiences can also significantly erode your energy levels, making it challenging to be present and attentive to the people and things you want to spend quality time on.
Our motto emerged from this reflection: “Work should fuel the human spirit, not drain it.” We also believe work should be a pleasant, enjoyable experience that leaves your fuel tank/energy levels amply full so you can go home, be present, and engage with those you want. Clearly, it can’t always be awesome, and having some obstacles and challenges at work helps build new skills.
So, in 2017, we set out to build a business that would impart education, development, kindness, and wisdom to organizations that wanted to learn, grow, help their people, and change the landscape of work and, consequentially, the world. The journey has been exciting and a bit unnerving at times. We have worked with hundreds of organizations and thousands of people and administered over 1,000 behavioral and personality assessments. Below is a list of sectors/industries we’ve had the pleasure to work with: Entrepreneurs, Higher Education, Nonprofits, Governing Bodies & Associations, Health, Wellness & Beauty, Food & Beverage, K-12, Supreme Court & Judiciaries, Startups, Fortune 100s, Government, Athletes/Teams, Banking & Commerce, Tribal/Indigenous Groups, Manufacturing, Mining & Natural Resources, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Tech.
With ripples of impact in the following locations:
35 US States, Canada, Singapore, Thailand, Nigeria, Uganda, Mexico, Belize, Indonesia, Kenya, Sweden, India, Bangladesh, Australia, Philippines, Finland, Zimbabwe, United Kingdom, and Nicaragua
As we reflect on our success, we need to acknowledge that over 90% of our business has come from referrals from past and current clients. Thank you!
We look forward to continuing to serve you and all the other like-minded, kindhearted souls who aspire to work to fuel the human spirit and continue to shape this world into a kinder, more loving place.
