Spider-Man, the Punisher, and New Masculinity
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the most popular movie of all time. Some people think it slaps harder than The Odyssey (for the record, I need to rewatch each film before deciding). A positive focus of the film is the…
A Playful Haiku
Play is the process. Learning what we don’t know … yet. Trying is training. – A haiku about how adults and communities – neighbourhoods, organizations, companies – need to play together for the sake of play; like, Cas Holman would…
Careering in the Flow of Work
Learning in the flow of work begins with a simple premise: people do not always have time to step away from work, life, or school to learn in formal ways. Learning in the flow of work enables clarity, personalized content,…
Play Without Fear
The FIFA World Cup concludes this week. It feels like Canada’s Men’s National Soccer Team has been out of the tournament for months. Even though we lost badly to Morocco, the experience was rewarding because results do not always tell…
No WIFI
I spent most of the last 10 days in the wilderness of Vancouver Island. Where there is no WIFI. (No – or very limited – cell service, either). The no WIFI constraint engendered two noticeable changes in the adults. First,…
A Vibes Haiku
Count what counts, wisely. Counting. Data. Insights. Vibes. Vibes are data, too. – A vibes haiku because, in the absence of quantitative data and analytical reasoning, a lot of the decisions we make are vibes-based; and that’s okay.
Everyone Needs a Highlight Reel
A highlight reel is a curated collection of your most meaningful moments. Accomplishments, breakthroughs, praise, uncanny achievements, talents-on-display, and concrete examples or stories of the impact you make should all be on your highlight reel. Your highlight reel could be…
Four Ways that Tough Feedback Makes Work Better
Our team has written quite a bit about feedback – both how to give it and how to ask for it and act on it. But in our day to day work, we are often confronted with input and criticism…
Tension
Tension drives growth and it also fuels frustration. While tension often gets a bad rap, the right kind of tension is hugely beneficial for building new skills, expanding trust, and collective problem solving. If we believe that our best relationships…
Learning is a Non-Discretionary Function
Overseeing upskilling, leadership development, and career growth at a learning organization has eliminated a very specific occupational hazard of mine: involuntary eye-twitching during budget season. It still happens every time I hear or read the phrase “learning is discretionary spending”,…