Stop killing it
Describing how we kill stuff like exams, exercise routines, and/or big meals, reflects a shortcoming of creativity in North America (where such phrases are used most often). I believe that we should stop "killing it". The casual language and colloquialisms with which...
Five Reasons Why You Should Have a Place of Zen
I’m spending next week at my family home in Merville, British Columbia. It’s where I grew up and it’s my place of Zen. If people are the soul of our communities then our souls also connect to physical spaces that shape us in profound ways. It’s important to have...
Bicycles
Two of my best friends and I are riding bicycles across the San Juan Islands this week. Bicycles feature prominently in my life (they represent the most awesome way to explore communities). In fact, more people on Earth ride bikes than drive cars (it would be very...
When Employees Win, Organizations Win
Career development within organizations is at its best when corporate culture, learning experiences and peoples’ individual growth align to serve the organization’s vision and values. Simply put, when employees win, organizations win. Vancity is one of Canada’s...
Five Steps for Becoming a Great Listener
You and your partner are locked in verbal battle. No matter how you express it, they don’t seem to get it. Instead they seem to be waiting for the last word to come out of your mouth so that they can jump in with their counterpoint. It pisses you off. You aren’t able...
What I Learned from a Week of Prototyping
Creating new learning experiences like onboarding programs, training activities, or youth employment initiatives requires many creative minds, the ability to work rapidly, and a willingness to learn from failures. At Vancity, where I work, our business model of...
Five Professional Lessons I’ve Learned from my Dentist
Going to the dentist is rarely an enjoyable exercise. It’s stressful, uncomfortable and sometimes painful. But while it is rarely pleasant, there are plenty of professional lessons we can all learn from going to the dentist. Here are five career lessons you can take...
Five More Professional Lessons from Superheroes
Superheroes! Last week Kurt kicked-off our two-part series about how the adventures of superheroes, like The Avengers, give us clues about what it takes to build a successful career. Exploring the DC Comics universe this time (because I watched the Batman v Superman:...
Five Professional Lessons from Superheroes (Part 1)
This May audiences across Canada (and around the world) will be flocking to theatres to see the Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s the latest superhero flick guaranteed to showcase a whole slew of fantastic, daring deeds powered by enough special effects to make your head...
How my Dad Positively Impacts my Work and Life
Today is my dad’s birthday. His name is Geoff and he’s 65 years old. Oh, and he’s awesome. And there is a strong relationship between impactful fathering and success in work and life. Fathers are often a young man’s first role model and/or mentor – mine was (and he...
Career Advice from the Watchmen
The Watchmen is a classic graphic novel that was recently turned into a stylistic and pulpy film. If you haven't seen it before, you can now check it out on Netflix. The Watchmen tells the tale of two generations of vigilantes who take the law into their own hands....
Top 5 Things Cooking Can Teach You About Career Development
Cooking has long been a passion of mine. As an amateur cook (and armchair career advisor) feel there’s a lot of cross over between both these pastimes. Here are John and my top five tips that anyone can follow to be Jamie Oliver-esque, both in the kitchen and in the...
How to Give a Memorable Toast
Weddings, birthdays, dinner parties, and happy hours are events where people give toasts. We’ve all experienced incredibly touching toasts and we’ve cringed at the train wrecks, too. Great communicators are masters at honouring guests with toasts that are inclusive,...