The Unintentional Walking Boot Opening Listening Experiment
A little over a month ago, I partially tore my Achilles tendon and fully tore my calf muscle playing soccer. For nearly five weeks I have been conducting something called the unintentional walking boot open listening experiment. Let me explain….
How to Talk About Death at Work
For the last decade I’ve worked for two of Canada’s leaders in financial services (Vancity Credit Union) and pension administration (BC Pension Corporation). Through activities like estate planning and benefits changes many of my colleagues are required to talk about…
Say No to Meetings
That have no agenda. That are not organized. When you have no control over the outcome, content, and/or dialogue. That overlap with existing commitments. When you know they will suck your energy and wellbeing. That have the phrase “pick your…
Simple and Sustainable Goals for 2023
Most people who made new years resolutions in 2023 have already quit them or will do so by tomorrow. Over 80% of folks who set bold goals or committed to keystone habits for 2023 will abandon them by the second…
Three Ways to Realize the Potential of Dialogue
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 over someone else or building a newsfeed that reinforces…
Five Ways to Maximize the Potential of Small Talk
Most of us don’t like small talk because it kinda sucks. For introverts it can be terrifying. For people with big ideas it can be frustrating. For intellectuals it can be boring. During my undergraduate experience I made a friend…
Seven Tips for Your Next Sales Pitch from the Joker
The Joker is an iconic villain of comics, television and movies. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 movie The Dark Knight was awesome. My favourite scene in the movie is the one where…
How to Give a Proper Apology
Saying sorry is hard and most of us suck at it. Apologies are uncomfortable, difficult and they can be embarrassing. They can also be healing, transformative and satisfying. They help us have better conversations in our worklife, too. Great apologies…
Three Ways to Reframe Winning
Human beings have a problem with winning. Too often we focus on winning as a zero-sum game and define “winners” highlighting the failings of folks who didn’t win – when we do this we call peoples or teams “losers”. Focusing…
Aspirational Self-Awareness
“You are the way that others see you” is, according to the Gikomba Market vendor who sold me a sarong in 2006, a Maasai proverb. When we seek to understand how others perceive our actions and absorb the impact of…