Three Workplace Lessons from Canada Day Celebrations
All across the country, people are celebrating our nation’s birth today. Eclectic parades are rolling down streets from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Sidney, British Columbia. Folks are firing up their barbecues and grilling premium Alberta beef. Kids are screaming around…
When Employees Win, Organizations Win
Career development within organizations is at its best when corporate culture, learning experiences and peoples’ individual growth align to serve the organization’s vision and values. Simply put, when employees win, organizations win. Vancity is one of Canada’s largest financial co-operatives…
What I Learned from a Week of Prototyping
Creating new learning experiences like onboarding programs, training activities, or youth employment initiatives requires many creative minds, the ability to work rapidly, and a willingness to learn from failures. At Vancity, where I work, our business model of member-led innovation…
Five More Professional Lessons from Superheroes
Superheroes! Last week Kurt kicked-off our two-part series about how the adventures of superheroes, like The Avengers, give us clues about what it takes to build a successful career. Exploring the DC Comics universe this time (because I watched the…
How my Dad Positively Impacts my Work and Life
Today is my dad’s birthday. His name is Geoff and he’s 65 years old. Oh, and he’s awesome. And there is a strong relationship between impactful fathering and success in work and life. Fathers are often a young man’s first…
How to Give a Memorable Toast
Weddings, birthdays, dinner parties, and happy hours are events where people give toasts. We’ve all experienced incredibly touching toasts and we’ve cringed at the train wrecks, too. Great communicators are masters at honouring guests with toasts that are inclusive, entertaining…
How Investing in Public Transit Enhances Workplace Potential
This week folks in the Lower Mainland are voting on whether or not to support a 0.5 per cent congestion improvement tax and The Potentiality strongly encourages readers to vote ‘Yes’ in the plebiscite. Better public transit will get us…
How the Whitecaps FC Fan Experience Models Great Workplace Culture
This Saturday is the home opener – or first kick – for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The club has been promoting season and single-match tickets by encouraging people to “experience the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver.” There are several examples of how…
Career Lessons from Climbing Mountains
A few weeks ago I attended and presented at Canada’s leading conference for career practitioners, Cannexus. One of the workshops that I attended was led by Rob Shea and Senator David M. Wells – it focused on the connection between…
How Talking to Strangers will Enrich Your Career
On Saturday I celebrated the life of my grandmother, Virginia. One of the themes from her memorial service was how my grandma loved having conversations with anyone and everyone about anything and everything. So, I thought it fitting to write…