12 Communication Rituals that Make Everything Better
We’re living through some genuinely bonkers times. Between geopolitical chaos that reads like a rejected James Cameron Avatar XII screenplay, socio-political upheaval that even Doris Kearns Goodwin struggles to put it in historical context, and workplace disruptions the likes of…
Three Lessons in Innovation from Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought in April 1917, stands as a pivotal moment in Canadian military history. It was a battle won through remarkable courage and groundbreaking strategic thinking. Beyond remembering the fallen, we can draw valuable lessons from…
Three Things You Can Say to Enhance Collaboration
Language is an amazing thing. What we say and how we say it reflects who we are and what we value. Whether you are speaking out of habit or stepping out of your comfort zone to make a point, the…
What ‘Chopped’ Can Teach Us About Feedback
Chopped is available for streaming on Disney+ Canada and I’m here for it. Even though most of us would rather eat a mystery basket of sweet breads, tarragon, cotton candy, and lima beans than give someone difficult feedback. Chopped, where…
What Tough Loves Teaches Us
We’ve all received tough love at some point in our lives. Whether we hear from spouses who have feedback about our facial hair, coaches who know we can do better, or managers who need to inspire teams to achieve their…
How to Get the Most out of Information Interviews
For over 25 years I’ve been helping students and young professionals advance their careers and realize their worklife potential. One of the best ways to build a career is to get the most out of information interviews. To date, I’ve…
Daredevil’s Intersectionality
Daredevil, whose real name is Matt Murdock, is a fictional superhero from the Marvel Universe (the Daredevil: Born Again season finale is streaming now and it was/is really good). Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with input…
Kids, Creativity and Careers
When I lived in Vancouver I volunteered at the Writers’ Exchange. One time, I co-created some superawesome – and super educational – literacy programming for kids from East Vancouver during their Winter Holiday Break. The program content was career-related –…
Three Metaphors for Modern Organizations
The workplace is like a factory: a hyper-efficient, soul-crushing assembly line where creativity is bolted down with automated machinery and lean processes. Workers create value as cogs in an industrious, uniform way. In some warehouses, they maximize productivity by peeing…
Why Conflict is a Good Thing
The Potential of Dialogue Meaningful dialogue is an elusive thing in our communities. Having a respectful conversation with someone about something on which we do not agree isn’t common. Yelling opinions overtop of someone else or building a newsfeed that…