The Community Building Potential of … Malls?!
There we were, skipping and laughing ironically through Kitchener-Waterloo’s largest mall. My grad school roommate and current awesome friend, Jim, and I were hilariously lampooning the community building potential of malls by drawing a clear counterpoint to how they are…
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…
Five Lessons from Camping Adventures for Your Worklife
The Horn Family had an awesome summer. Part of what made it great were three weeklong camping trips with family and friends in some of the most beautiful spots that the West Coast (possibly the world) has to offer. At…
Five Community Building Lessons from Trees
There are a lot of community building lessons from trees that we can (and should) apply to our worklife. Here is an example of how trees take care of each other: It’s been said that the measure of a community…
Seven Ways to Embed Co-operative Principles in Your Organization
Co-operatives are an underutilized model for running an enterprise. October 16-20 is International Co-operatives Week and I work for one of Canada’s pre-eminent co-ops, Vancity Credit Union. I am quite biased in my thinking that the world needs more co-operatives….
Seven Collaboration Lessons from Shipping Containers
Shipping containers fascinate me. It’s an invention that human civilization agrees on more than anything else. Around the world, people who disagree on politics, Internet access, fashion, art, and what side of the road to drive on. No matter how…
Six Workplace Collaboration Tips from Brooklyn 99
The Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning hit Fox sitcom Brooklyn 99 is one of my favourite TV shows. I want to be friends with Jake Peralta, I want to be mentored by Ray Holt, and my wife has a…
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…
Six Organizational Development Lessons from the San Antonio Spurs
It’s the first round of the NBA Playoffs and the San Antonio Spurs are a title contender. This seems to happen every year. The franchise has become a model of success in the sports entertainment business, as the Spurs have…
Five Community Building Lessons From Football Supporters
As a partner in a Vancouver Whitecaps FC movement called Curva Collective, I know a thing or two about creating a positive atmosphere through collaboration. Whether you call it “football” or “soccer” (I will call it the F-word), being a…