Say No to Meetings
That have no agenda. That are not organized. When you have no control over the outcome, content, and/or dialogue. That overlap with existing commitments. When you know they will suck your energy and wellbeing. That have the phrase “pick your…
Seven Co-operative Reflections from Bologna, Italy
For two weeks I am participating in the Emilia-Romagna Co-operative Study Tour, which is a Vancity program designed to enhance knowledge about the co-operative movement and inspire connections between each other, our work and co-operative leadership. The Italian home-base for…
Cormac McCarthy and creativity and influence
Cormac McCarthy has passed from this world at the age of 89 and he was an icon of American literature and his real and violent words and stark sentences unabashedly embraced the run-on sentence to paint a real and brutal…
What if Succession was Cooperative?
The hit HBO television series, Succession, is over. My wife, who is her own person, and I (any millions of fans around the world) are experiencing some cultural emptiness on Sunday nights as we reflect on an impeccably acted show…
Five Ways to Cultivate Dissent on Your Team
Creating a culture of dissent on your team will enhance performance and effectiveness.
Five Ways to Build Psychological Safety on Your Team
I have an awesome colleague named Lindsay and we trust each other. Something that helped us get to where we are is psychological safety. One of the ways that I know such a thing exists is because Lindsay felt comfortable…
Bring Doughnut Economics to Your Community
In 2018, Oxford Economist Kate Raworth introduced the world to a different sort of doughnut. This doughnut is a visual representation of a sustainable economic system that balances the needs of people and the planet. The inner ring represents the…
Three Examples of Innovation Inspired by the Pandemic
The novel coronavirus pandemic is a global tragedy. At least one million people have died from the virus. The International Monetary Fund is predicting that the pandemic will cost over $28tn in lost output. How we live and work will…
Five Things That Being Allergic to the Sun Teaches me About Inclusiveness
Spring is arriving in the Northern Hemisphere. For many folks – especially those of us on the dreary West Coast – the long, sunny days generate plenty of positive vibes. For me, the sunnyness makes me feel quite the opposite…
Five Ways to be a Better Career Influencer
Last week I joined my fellow CERIC board members in a planning session that focused on the future of our charity, which is purposed with advancing career development in Canada. We fund and publish research, share learning and build community…