It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of morel mushroom hunting. During the height of the pandemic, I was struggling to figure out things to do to keep my small children entertained. At that time, officials were telling us not to go to the playground because of all the shared surfaces and equipment and not be inside anywhere in public. But we needed to get out of the house, so we started going on these nature walks.

On one of these walks, my daughter pointed to something on the ground and asked what it was. I told her it was a mushroom and had a preconceived notion that it was “yuck.”

When I got home, I thought we should find out for sure, so I Googled “Northern Virginia mushrooms.” And I found out that it was not just any mushroom, it was a morel!

I also realized that the way we approach all our client work mirrors the way I started my morel obsession. So, here’s my fungi-de to Avid Core’s 4L Process.

Created to deliver quality work while keeping our clients at the forefront of projects, we utilize this workflow to maintain effective, efficient, high caliber solutions to project needs.

To ensure we fully understand our clients’ needs, first we listen to our clients and their stakeholders. I listened to my daughter’s curious questions and comments and to the experts who told me about how rare morels are.

Second, we learn, by conducting assessments, review background materials and conducting interviews we establish best communication methods, processes, practices to establish quality work. I conducted a ton of research on morels, reading everything I could about how to spot them, how to harvest them, and how to cook them.

Third, using the information we have foraged, we leverage that information into an actionable strategy. I leveraged those found morels into an incredible meal! Morels have a great umami flavor that can’t be easily replicated. At first my daughter didn’t like mushrooms, but they grew on her.

Finally, we do what we do with passion! We love what we do and bring fun and enthusiasm to our projects. If I’m this passionate about wild mushrooms, imagine what I’m like when it comes to doing impactful work!