Four Ways to Manage Over-Commitment
I’ve have commitment problems. I have the habit of biting off more than I can chew and have a hard time saying “no”. Burnout is common for helpful, engaged folks like me who want to do right by our community,…
How to Compromise
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 your worldview are common…
How to be a Good Listener
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…
Three Professional Tips I Learned from Cooking in the Backcountry
This September, John, Godfrey and I along with a gaggle of other fellows headed north of Vancouver to hike Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park. That day we had a lot of fun climbing to the top of an ancient volcano…
Three professional lessons from your favourite college films
This week millions of students all over the world will be heading back to school. Most peoples’ experiences at university bear little resemblance to the Hollywood hijinks in films like Old School. But there are pearls of truth in plenty…
Four Professional Lessons We Can Learn from Gawker (RIP)
This week, Gawker posted its last story. The snarky, gossipy website was the scourge of the New York media establishment, Hollywood and Silicon Valley (among other communities). Plenty has been written already about who killed Gawker and whether we should…
What I am Learning from Dinner Conversations about Gratitude
Having dinner together as a family is one of the simplest things that you can do to build a healthy community at home. Whether you share a meal with one person or twenty, taking time together to reflect on our…
How to Show Up for a Grieving Colleague
It might be a death in the family, a miscarriage or a new life situation that hugely alters their life trajectory. Whatever is the event, it plummets your colleague into grief. While many workplaces offer short term bereavement leave, it’s…
Five Lessons about Learning from Home Renovations
Last weekend my family moved into our new home, which needs many minor renovations. Things like re-sealing toilets, gutter cleaning and caulking, fence-repair, dimmer-switch-installing, and many similar tasks me uncomfortable because I suck at them. A recent HBR article by…
Three Ways to Make Someone’s Day
Great leaders – the ones who can really get the best out of people – understand the importance of working with folks holistically. It’s essential to treat people as human beings, not just employees, because human beings get pushed on…