How to Write a Great Thank-You Note
Gratitude is an important thing to express and we say “thank you” in many different ways – we speak the words, we give gifts, we write emails and send cards. This article explains how to write a great thank you note. Written thank-yous are typically delivered with an...
A Basketball Haiku
Fall is basketball. Balls bouncing, sneakers squeaking. Be a great teammate. - A haiku about the start of basketball season that, I hope, inspires parents, coaches, and teachers to write poems about piano lessons, art classes, and soccer practices that have arrived....
Business Strategy, but make it Cycling
I recently finished Holocracy by Brian J. Robertson and one of the metaphors he uses in the book is that business strategy should be like riding a bicycle. Good strategies adapt and adjust based on member and community needs, kinda like how we adjust balance and speed...
10 Professional Lessons from Dancing
In April 2015, 25 colleagues and I danced to Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” as part of the entertainment for V After Dark, Vancity Credit Union’s annual employee recognition and celebration event. Here’s the video and a blog post about 10 professional lessons from dancing...
Five Ways to Triumph Over Jerks
This article tells the story of five ways to triumph over jerks and other mean people who will infect your community. Recently, I encountered a wide variety of jerks. Let me tell you, it took adaptability, creativity, thoughtfulness, and great leadership to win...
A New Friendship Haiku
Basketball* feelings. Infinite conversations. New friendship is here. - A haiku about new friendship, which started with *basketball feelings and has grown into the best vibes on Vancouver Island!
Four Lessons in Interdependency from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In their excellent book, Laziness Does Not Exist, Dr. Devon Price argues that the myth of the heroes journey highlights how individualistic problem-solving and world/galaxy-saving is wrongly elevated in pop culture. While I take issue with some of Price's examples...
A Family Shenanigans Haiku
Good family vibes. Connection. Generations. Ridiculousness. - A Family Shenanigans Haiku by John Horn co-written by three generations of Hornboys
Why We Should Do Hard Things
We should do hard things because they shape us into resilient and confident learners. When we embrace challenges that push us out of our comfort zones, we not only learn more about ourselves, but we also develop the mental fortitude to overcome any obstacle. For all...
A Taking Stock Haiku
Observing the world. Privilege and potential. Gratefully taking stock. – A haiku about taking stock of our worklife by John Horn
Six Professional Game Changers from Improv
I’m part of a team that is delivering a big piece of work using agile methodology, which I’ve written about before. With our project moving and changing so quickly we find ourselves reacting to new circumstances and having to improvise on the spot a lot. So it made...
The Potentiality Playlist vol. 2
Music is a connective force of community. Everyone has at least one playlist. I wrote about the songs on my potentiality playlist a few years ago. Just as a playlist organizes songs, our workweeks should take a playlist approach – "here is my playlist for the week" is...
A Humble Running Haiku
Lake Union seawall People passing everywhere Oh look, a scooter... - A haiku about humble running by John Horn