How Language Creates and Erodes Interdependence
I agree with Batman that our actions matter more than who we are underneath because actions reveal our true character. I also notice how much language influences who leaders are and what we stand for. I notice this the most in the world of work, where I aspire to...
A Carbonara Haiku
All the carbonara. Hosting, connecting, friendship. Fueling the cycling. - A haiku the underscores how sharing good food with good friends builds healthy and connected communities that are sustainable for the long term
The Egg Drop is Perfect Performance Evaluation
A few weeks ago I attended the Egg Drop Challenge at my sons' school. Kids, teachers, and parents cheered as creations were tossed from the roof and all of us analyzed the result of the experiment. The experience was transparent, supportive, and easily measurable....
Managing Expectations and Canada’s World Cup Exit
The FIFA World Cup final is on Saturday. Argentina will probably play France. Despite Group F’s success (two teams in the semi-finals!), do you know what team has not been playing futbol for a few weeks? Canada. The Kings of CONCACAF finished the tournament with no...
Five Tips for Being the Life of the Party!
About two years ago I received a really great compliment from my friend Alison: “John, I just thought of a perfect job for you – Party Initiator.” From a very young age I’ve always had a knack for exuding contagious enthusiasm, “holding court” with my stories, and...
Five Ways to Create Positive Community Collisions
I think that we need to disrupt our social networks by thinking of and engaging with other people. Wharton super-professor Adam Grant recently tweeted that what actually drives prejudice is “in-group love, not out-group hate”. We need to engage and connect with...
How to Find Your Flow
We are a society that is addicted to distra- [checks phone] … what was I writing about? To say the least, we need to find our flow so that we can focus on the most important things in our worklife and create the most value for our communities. According to Cal...
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 your...
Late
Being late is forever. Once we're late for a meeting or a deadline (like a blog post) it can't be undone. Being early lasts for hours and being on time only exists for a few moments. It's tough to always be right on time. So, if being early is pretty easy (we have...
The Business Case for Playing Every Day
Play is a central part of being human. Here is a business case for bringing play to your life and your practice every single day.
My Coaching Philosophy
Coaching unlocks potential. From my perspective, all leaders should have a coaching philosophy because coaching is on of the best ways to cultivate self-awareness, unleash empathy, and foster personal accountability for taking action. Whether I am coaching my kids'...
Three Reasons to Embrace Co-opetition
Embrace Co-opetition Co-opetition means working together to achieve mutually beneficial results and this article will explore three reasons to embrace co-opetition in your business, community, school, and life endeavours. For example, co-opetition amongst business...
Three Reasons Why the Future of Work is Cooperative
Workers around the world are in search of a better deal. The ability to work from anywhere has arrived. According to Lisa Taylor, President of Challenge Factory, “one in three Canadians would rather quit than go back to an office.” Where and when we work is just one...