It didn’t help matters that when he asked me about my day I explained that I had spent most of it in a very long meeting that involved the challenge of selecting pilot communities for an innovative initiative focused on encouraging residents to invest locally.

When my husband continued to look at me with a quizzical and somewhat skeptical look, I struggled to explain, ultimately realizing that it was the group itself that was so special.

Very eclectic in its makeup, those at the table represented a variety of backgrounds in business and social entrepreneurship, as well as a nice balance of males and females, left and right brain thinkers, and young and more mature.  As a collective they were all very authentic, intelligent, knowledgeable, and respectful of one another’s opinions. Throughout the day, leadership was shared and collaborative, serious, and yet rather fun.

The experience reinforced for me how critical relationships are to innovation and progress.

Wherever we have warm, trusting, and open relationships, all kinds of surprising possibilities seem to open up to us, facilitating and unlocking positive thinking and actions in ourselves and in others.

When we are in situations where we can speak more honestly and freely, we can be more of ourselves, more creative, productive, and willing to listen. We are also probably more likely to speak up even when we disagree, and perhaps even be more generous with one another.

It also seems we are less afraid of making mistakes and, as a group, are perhaps more receptive to learning from them.

Of course, the opposite is true as well.

If relationships aren’t strong within an organization, if there is a lack of trust, a coldness, fear, a lack of clarity, or we hide things from one another, most of us simply close down and stop speaking up. As a result, we stop learning and growing. We are also likely to feel less valued or perhaps diminished in some way and are therefore less likely to be positive and creative.

Why is it so critical that we understand the importance of relationships?

If you think about it, organizations are really only a collection of people working together in a purposeful relationship. Our individual relationships will need to be strong and healthy if our organizations are going to be strong and healthy enough to achieve our collective organizational mission.

It’s not likely any of our organizations, businesses, or even communities will be successful unless we acknowledge that building relationships is a key component of our daily work.

If we can build a cocoon of warmth, we are ensuring a fertile ground for ideas and directions that can be gestated and nurtured. It is the warmth that will break down barriers, dissolve rigidity in our thinking and actions, and allow people to tap into their respective gifts.

When all is said and done, relationships that reflect warmth, integrity, and trust have the potential to remind people of their essential humanity and open them to one another and to the potential of change and transformation.

Being good at procrastinating as well as being ready to be distracted, I checked my email.

And, wouldn’t you know, I found a message from a colleague in North Carolina who had sent an intriguing news video based on an article published by the National Journal entitled “In Nothing We Trust”.

The article presented evidence demonstrating that a trust deficit is building and eating away at the social fabric of American communities. Trusted icons like Walter Cronkite no longer exist in the media, movie stars fail to inspire, and integrity and trustworthiness seem to be increasingly rare among politicians.

My guess is that Canadian research would likely reflect the same findings as more and more people seem to be losing faith and confidence in their institutions. There is a growing belief that government, corporations, the media, organized religion, schools, unions, and financial institutions are letting us down.

Yet, should it really be a surprise?

Traditionally, times of social and economic change have always required adaptation.

Think about the stress and the change among our social institutions at the turn of the 20th century as we shifted from an agricultural-based economy to the industrial era.

During that time period there was also a loss of faith in social institutions as they struggled to respond to powerful capitalists, urban growth, poverty, illiteracy, and the social cost of the modern era.

But, somehow, institutions either adapted or gave way to new ones.

Government helped address social ills and labour unions helped buttress corporations only focused on profit. When people lost the sense of community they had known in smaller communities as the result of barn-raisings and quilt-making, the growth of fraternal and societal organizations grew substantially.

The challenge today is that we are disappointed as much by the leaders within those institutions as we are with the institutions themselves. Additionally, many are dismayed by both the perceived lack of accountability of those leaders and by the unfairness they fail to stem as the divide between the haves and have-nots continues to grow. 

There clearly is a sense that our institutions and their leaders need to change. Even when they are making an effort, they simply aren’t changing fast enough. As a result, government, churches, schools, and other organizations are increasingly being seen as irrelevant.

It’s not that people don’t see the value of institutions and structure. It is perhaps more a growing understanding that people who play by the old rules are losing at a new game. 

Would it be a big deal to lose our social institutions? What if people did disconnect and turn away from engaging in their communities? After all, many are already losing trust and no longer readily see the value of following the rules of society.

Of course, it would be a big deal.

Strong, safe, and vibrant communities can’t happen if people don’t trust their institutions. When we trust our institutions we’re more likely to vote, volunteer, and take care of one another by working together to tackle the complex challenges that require multifaceted and creative solutions.

Ultimately that means we all have to work at ensuring we have institutions we can trust. 

Each of us can be part of the solution by speaking up and stepping up to ensure that public engagement in the design of those solutions is made a priority.

For example, by most standards they are successful and have leaders who are smart and pretty good at doing what they do. They also acknowledge we’re living in a world undergoing fundamental, rapid, and long term change driven by unprecedented growth in technology.

The thing is that while they know they need to keep on top of digital technologies and utilize the power and potential of the Internet—they rarely do. This reality is even more prevalent within the government and voluntary sectors.

What’s also getting clearer is that traditional organizational structures are ill-equipped to respond to the digital age. Even though their structures may be conducive to managing efficient operations, the silos within larger organizations and government bureaucracies are making it more and more of a challenge to be effective. It is especially crippling for working digitally because technology requires integration and unification. By its very nature, technology needs to surround and support the core work of a business or organization, as well as serve as a window to external stakeholders.

This growing dilemma is more apparent if you think about it in terms of government. We have ministries or departments for health, social services, education, agriculture, housing, recreation, and so on. There are also separate departments and websites for agencies, boards, commissions, and other internal services. Each ministry or department has a specific mandate and priorities.

Prior to the digital era, the system wasn’t perfect but it generally worked. Today is a different matter all together because government must interact with individual stakeholders via the Internet. The challenge is that each ministry or department is doing their own thing, in a way that best serves their particular needs. What’s best for the broader organization or the people they serve is not always the main consideration. That means when people like you and I go online to interact with government or large organizations we too often find a digital footprint that is fragmented and disjointed.

So, what’s the answer?

One solution is the establishment of a small and nimble division reporting directly to senior level executives that exists on the fringe or at arm’s length of the existing organizational structure.

Typically this division’s mandate would focus on working in an unconventional way to create innovative solutions that address stakeholder needs. When a small group within a large organization is given a high degree of autonomy unhampered by bureaucracy, Wikipedia.org refers to it as a “skunkworks”.

The term skunkworks was first introduced during World War II by engineers at Lockheed Corporation who were tasked with building a fighter jet for the United States Government, operating under an unconventional organizational approach. Although there was speculation that the name was inspired by the poor hygiene habits of overworked employees, the name Skunkworks was really taken from the illegal moonshine factory in “L’il Abner” cartoons.

Of course, the idea of a skunkworks will be cringe-inducing for many traditional leaders within hierarchical settings. The idea of shifting and sharing control and power will be both new and threatening to many as those who have power typically aren’t keen to give it up. As a result, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that both the challenges and the opportunities that technology brings are new and therefore can’t be solved with the old infrastructure.

For sure it will be a risk but with risk comes the potential for innovative solutions and the digital leadership we need to ensure stronger, healthier, safer, and more vibrant communities. 

A number of years ago while planning a leadership retreat at Niagara College, where I worked at the time, our organizing committee grappled with exactly that question. While on the surface it appeared to be a relatively straightforward question, the truth is that we initially struggled.

Ultimately though, we did agree that while management is concerned with issues of control relating to efficiency and effectiveness, leadership is required for everything that can’t be predicted or controlled. While both management and leadership are essential for the effective functioning of organizations, businesses, and communities, leadership is more like the “drive belt” that you see when you open the hood of your car—the big, continuous belt that’s used to drive other devices.

We also agreed that leadership in our complex and rapidly changing world was an ‘inside out’ job requiring that individuals recognize and integrate their unique leadership style and capabilities and pro-actively seek opportunities to learn and grow. In other words, lead yourself first and then others.

There was also consensus in believing that leaders need to personally adopt and model a ‘lifelong learning perspective’, and ‘become the change they wish to see’ through collaborative, ethical, innovative, participatory and strategic responses to complex conditions, multiple accountabilities and stakeholder groups, and challenges in resourcing. Additionally, there was agreement that the success of leaders would hinge on their ability to identify an inspiring vision, and mobilize support and action for its realization.

All well and good, but at the time we differed from others in our understanding of leadership because we also believed that everyone is called upon to play a leadership role, regardless of their official status within a business, organization, or community. What I’m not sure we totally understood at the time was that we were also rejecting the idea that one person had all the answers—despite their position or what they brought to it in terms of skills, knowledge, and experience.

It appears we were ahead of our time as author Nick Petrie is only now bringing that concept to mainstream leadership thinking. Unknowingly we had been pushing back against what he now describes as the idea of the Heroic Leader.

As he explains it in his paper Future Trends in Leadership Development, the ability of any single individual—regardless of how heroic or skilled he or she may be—is no longer enough to meet the complex challenges we face today.

However, Petrie also believes that with the decline of the heroic leader, comes the power and potential of collective leadership.

During a sabbatical year at Harvard, Petrie undertook a wide-ranging study to explore what the future of leadership development will look like. One of the key trends he identified was the shift to collective or interdependent leadership.

As Petrie explains, “The complexity of our environment increasingly calls for collaboration between various stakeholders who each hold a different aspect of the reality—and many of whom must themselves adapt and grow if the problem is to be solved. These groups (which often cross geographies, reporting lines, and organizations) need to share information, create plans, influence each other, and make decisions.”

While individual competencies still matter, what will become more important are networks of leaders.

Making the shift to collective leadership will also mean we need to rethink how we define leadership.

Many organizational theorists have begun to reframe leadership, getting away from leadership as a person or role, to leadership as a process. As we’ve learned to explain it within the training we’re delivering these days, a leader’s job is not about solving the problem. Instead, it is about ensuring a process that will bring a diverse set of stakeholders together to solve it themselves. 

Everyone can and needs to think of themselves as a leader. It is not about a formal position of appointed or elected authority. In fact, who the leader is has become less important than the actual process and system.

It follows then if we start to think about leadership as a shared process, rather than an individual set of skills, we must invest in and learn new ways to help develop more leadership. It also means we need to ensure open and authentic communication, flattened hierarchies, distributed resources and decision-making, and little, if any, “command and control”. 

Ultimately this approach will lead us to a new definition of leadership because the distinction between who is a leader and who is a follower will become less clear and far less important. Instead, leadership will be better defined as a process of building the relationships that result in collaborative direction, innovation, and commitment.

To be fair, in my case it may not be as much about the work as it is about the combined stress of a death in the family, travelling, and a tooth with a root that just happens to be sitting next to my sinuses and thinks it’s cool to share the infection. Regardless, once I had absorbed enough penicillin to get beyond my pity party I got to thinking about workplace stress and what I have done in the past to manage it, as well as what else I can do to keep it at bay. 

While the survey suggested that the rising stress could be the result of increased workloads, it may be as much about the ongoing onslaught of data and the fact that we are pulled in so many directions. Too often it seems we’re trying to do too much at the same time, dividing our attention, and never getting anything done well. 

I’m one who loves variety and change and yet even I’m beginning to covet routine and jobs that have a clear beginning and end. Heck I’m even starting to think a job as a Walmart greeter is attractive. I think I could handle smiling and saying, “Good afternoon ma’am, would you like a buggy today?”

Anyway, just to make sure I keep my stress under control, here are some strategies I’m working on for staying more balanced.

I’ve learned to do my most important tasks first thing in the morning. Before I even check my email, I’ll work for an hour or so with the only interruption being a quick trip to refill my coffee. Even though I’m definitely not a morning person, I’ve found the uninterrupted time allows me to be absorbed and productive so that regardless of how the day unfolds, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

I’ve also learned to work with our team members, to establish regularly scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, and strategically. By putting meeting times in our calendars for thinking proactively, we are less likely to simply be reacting to what somebody else sees as being most urgent. We’ve also found that when we take these planning efforts to a new or different environment we’re more relaxed and creative in our thinking.

We’re also getting better at maintaining meeting discipline and staying focused. However, an important stress buster for us is taking a few moments at the beginning of each meeting to have fun with an ice breaker. Last week, we asked everyone what they were going to do to take advantage of spring. Those few moments gave us a chance to leave the stress of work, connect as a team, and get ready to be in the moment and focused on the meeting. 

We’re also learning and encouraging others not to expect instant responsiveness as it seems to force everyone into a reactive mode that makes it challenging to stay focused on priorities. It should be perfectly acceptable to only check email several times a day.

It also needs to be okay to take energy breaks. For those like me who work from a home office it’s much simpler, however more employers need to think about group walks, workouts, or even just a room where people can relax.

Lastly, it’s important for each of us to have regular vacations or getaways. A real vacation will mean that when you’re off, you’re really off, meaning you disconnect – not even checking email. Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only extended weekends. Research strongly suggests that we’ll all be much healthier if we take all of our vacation time, and be more productive overall.

Ultimately, there’s one principle that underlies all of these suggestions. When you’re engaged at work, it’s fine to be fully engaged for defined periods of time. However, work needs to be offset with time for renewal. And, when you’re renewing, make sure you’re truly renewing.

Of the five personalities, some are more entrepreneurial, whereas others are more process-oriented. However, all play a critical role in innovation. Successful organizations will be those that recognize and support the mix needed for innovation and risk taking. Failure to do so results in enterprising staff and volunteers walking away in frustration - bogged down by red tape, lack of resources, or simply an organization’s reluctance to tackle new projects and challenges, especially those that are more daring.

While the five personality types exist within every organization, no one type is necessarily better than the others as all bring different kinds of value. However, among companies determined to be more innovative and entrepreneurial, certain types are more prominent. 

The five clusters extracted from the self-descriptive statements include (1) Movers and Shakers, (2) Controllers, (3) Star Pupils, (4) Experimenters, and (5) Hangers-on.

Practitioners who are Movers and Shakers have a bias for action, strong leadership skills, and a great amount of personal drive. They are heavily motivated by goals and rewards, seek influence over others, and aspire to greatness and the creation of a legacy. Unfortunately, they sometimes have a tendency toward arrogance and little patience for teamwork.

Controllers thrive on structure, are careful to talk the talk, and generally shy away from risk and nebulous tasks because of their need for order and control. They like taking credit and may try to manipulate others’ views in order to present themselves in a favourable light. Although they try to be seen as team players, they are often insular. They don’t make the most of existing professional relationships, or typically seek out new ones. They work best when direction and expectations are clear as they can tap their strengths for organizing and mobilizing staff and resources.

Although I was never one, Star Pupils are like the kids from school who always had their hands up first when the teacher asked a question. They grew up to be good at a lot of things as the result of investing heavily in their own personal development, acquiring mentors, and making the most of other people’s expertise. In the study they were the ones most likely to rise through the hierarchies of organizations, even when the dominant business culture was stacked against them.

Like me, Experimenters are fascinated by the possibilities the world has to offer, and are notable for their persistence. After all, where there is a will, there is a way. This belief that all things are possible often leads to risk taking and labels as perfectionists and workaholics. They take intense pride in their achievements, enjoy having the status of an expert, and are keen to pass on their expertise.

Hangers-on are those who believe in process, are known for providing reality checks, and have strong views about how things ought to be run. Like Controllers, they understand the need to take risks, but are rooted in habit and intellectual inflexibility and are therefore uncomfortable in unstructured environments. They may lack motivation and, when asked how much they agreed or disagreed with any given statement, were the most likely to stick to the middle of the range. Some may be unaware of how they come across to others, but typically they are not eager to please and are unconcerned about others’ views. They are more apt to apply conventional wisdom and tried-and-true processes over anything new and untested, and will be the ones to remind everyone of budget and resource constraints.

Not one of the five categories corresponds perfectly to the profile of the successful entrepreneur, although the study suggest Movers and Shakers and Experimenters come close as they have the strongest tendency to be internally driven and able to channel the most in others by providing direction.

Younger, more innovative businesses and organizations generally need Movers and Shakers at the top, channeling the energy of Experimenters into a vision that can be implemented. As organizations grow larger and more established, however, they need Star Pupils who can translate that vision into a strategy and lead it forward, Controllers who can marshal the troops to execute it, and Hangers-On who can rein it in. An organization reaching maturity has greater need for strong processes, as well as those who value control.

While unrestrained innovation can be a wonderful thing, it’s not enough as the next steps are just as important. Ultimately, innovation within organizations requires a mix of innovative personalities who can ensure the delicate dance between risk-taking and stability.

Sturdy and healthy in his appearance, his lifestyle choices had improved greatly since he and my mother moved into together some twelve years ago.  He came to the relationship after losing his wife to cancer.  She, after leaving an unhappy marriage of 47 years.  He managed to resist her attempts to get him to eat vegetables – except for green onions, or give up his nightly drink of scotch or occasional cigar. But ultimately what was of most importance was that Joe and my mother Wilma were joined in a relationship that was the envy of many. Joe referred to my mother as his “bride” and brought her flowers almost every week.She could never get over how good he was to her.

As Nana and Papa Joe, they embraced one another’s family as their own. They truly enjoyed each other’s company whether it was taking care of their grandchildren, attending cultural and learning events, volunteering, and keeping busy with a large circle of friends and an active social calendar.

Yet ten days ago, Joe kissed his bride goodnight – on the forehead so she wouldn’t catch his bug – rolled over, went to sleep, had a massive heart attack, and, at the age of 74 never woke up.

Given the sudden and traumatic nature of his death, our family joined forces with friends to form a loving circle of support for our dear sweet mother. To everyone’s surprise, including her own, she is doing remarkably well. For sure she has had ups and downs that will no doubt continue for some time, but she is sustained by the strength she is gathering from the loving prayers and thoughts being sent her way.

Always very spiritual, she knows her beloved “honey” is still with her, albeit in another dimension. She continues to reiterate how blessed she is to be surrounded by so much love and to have had 12 blissful years with her Joe.

So while her sadness is palpable, she believes things are unfolding as they were meant to be. She says it is how Joe would have wanted to leave this life, and she knows that although it will be hard, she will be okay.

The odds are that she will indeed be okay because an “attitude of gratitude” is a powerful contributor to a happy life. Some believe that it may be the single most effective way to increase happiness. New research shows that practicing gratitude may be the fastest single pathway to happiness, health, long life, and prosperity. People, like my Mom, who count their blessings and take the time to notice and appreciate the good things that come their way are happier and more peaceful. Gratitude is one powerful emotion.

Despite her loss my mother continues to be the stellar and inspirational role model for goodness, grace, and gratitude she has always been. In a world where there often seems to be a gratitude deficit, my mother remains able to view life as a loving gift and glass of water half full. 

So Mom, know that the loving thoughts and prayers of your family and many friends continue to be with you, and that your Joe is raising his half full glass in a toast to you, his dream bride, for the love and happiness you had together.

Participating in one of our community building workshops, the woman was responding to our question, “Where have you experienced community and why was it important?”

She went on to explain that the chronic, life threatening illness of her young son had meant that residents of her small, rural community had stepped up, and stepped in to their lives, by providing not only emotional support but also extensive, ongoing fundraising efforts to help with expenses. She said that she and her son were often stopped in the street by people they didn’t even know and asked how they were doing. Somewhat emotional, she continued by saying, “For me, that kind of caring and connecting is what community is all about.” 

While her feelings and understanding about the importance of community were pretty clear as the result of her firsthand experience, for some it may be more difficult to articulate and convey what it means. In large part, it is likely because community is about feelings. 

Perhaps the most important feeling is that of being connected to others and of not being alone, of knowing that others in our community will help us even if they don’t know us. The woman at the workshop still seemed surprised by the fact that there were so many who reached out to help her family without even knowing who they were.

This shared emotional connection seems to be the definitive element for true community. That connection is the result of personal, quality interaction, shared activities and events, and an almost spiritual, difficult-to-describe bonding with other members of that community.

Research suggests this shared emotional connection is one of four elements that result in a sense of community. The other three elements are: membership, influence, and integration and fulfillment of needs. 

An important aspect of a sense of community is membership in that community. Attributes of this membership could be the availability of emotional safety that makes it okay to reveal how one really feels, together with a sense of belonging and identification.

Influence is also critical to community in that members of a group must feel empowered to influence what a group does. If that is lacking, they might not be motivated to participate. Within communities, people who acknowledge the needs, values, and opinions of others are typically the most influential group members. Those who push to influence, dominate others, and ignore the needs and recommendations of others are often the least powerful members.

True communities also play a key role in integrating and fulfilling the needs of its members – meaning that which is desired and valued. Much like the golden rule, it means there is an interdependency that results in each member giving or doing for others, what one might hope to receive.

Ultimately for each of us this sense of community is essential in that it gives us a feeling that we belong, we matter to one another and to the group, and we know our needs will be met because we are committed to being together. And yes, while that may be about something warm and fuzzy and difficult to measure, isn’t it something we’d all like to have in our lives?

Unlike the others in the workshop who came across as being keen to learn more about our subject of community leadership, she was definitely not an engaged participant. I later heard she had been told to attend the training.

Clearly not a good choice for either her or the organization that sent her, it reinforced for me that it’s never a good idea to send people to courses they don’t want to go to.

Until an individual sees the need for growth, no true learning is ever going to occur. On the other hand, people do develop and change when they feel responsible for their own progress. 

If you are like me and have experienced learning something new as the result of being passionate about the subject matter, that probably won’t be news to you.

Unfortunately the reality is that for the most part our education systems and workplaces have encouraged us to believe that someone else is responsible for our learning and growth. Many still believe it is someone else’s job to tell them what they need to get better at, and how to do it.

However, because the pace of change is faster and more complex than in the past, it’s necessary for every one of us to think about the implications of changes and challenges and how they will impact our organizations, businesses, and communities. Unlike previous shifts in history, changes are occurring faster than we ever could have imagined. 

To survive in this world of continuous change, it isn’t going to be enough to sign up ourselves or others for training sessions. Instead we will need to embrace responsibility for our own learning and growth and ultimately manage ourselves.

American business guru Peter F. Drucker put it this way, “In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time - literally - substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.”
 
To get prepared for it, chances are we’ll need to unlearn our old ways before new theories, concepts, and approaches can be successfully identified and learned. And, we’re going to have to do this in a much quicker fashion.

Unlearning and new learning is going to be necessary if we are to deal with complicated issues in our communities especially because experts suggest that it takes an estimated 17 years for only 14% of new scientific discoveries to enter day to day practice and become commonplace. Adapting to change will need to be done much faster if we are to counteract the rising costs of physical inactivity, obesity and chronic disease; an aging population; declining civic engagement; ensure environmental protection; reduce crime, and improve economic activity.

As the reluctant workshop participant was likely reflecting, unlearning and new learning can be scary and counter-intuitive. Even more challenging will be the need to teach ourselves and each other how to unlearn and absorb new learnings at the same time. Our ability to learn how to do so will be the difference between surviving and thriving. Years ago, Alvin Toffler, the noted futurist and author of “Future Shock,” wrote, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who can’t read and write, but those who can’t learn, unlearn and relearn.”

My guess is that the woman who attended our workshop considers herself to be pretty literate.  However, she might just find herself to be in a heap of trouble if she doesn’t see the value in taking responsibility for being future ready by managing her own personal growth and development. That also means she will need to be committed to unlearning and relearning.

The incident did, however, make me stop and wonder what message the universe was trying to send me.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I really think the universe is all that invested in my life. But, it does seems that whenever anything bad happens or things get really tough, I feel driven to stop and ask myself what’s going on.

It started a number of years ago when I was teaching at Niagara College and left work wearing a heavy backpack of papers and exams to be marked over the weekend. Unbeknownst to me, newly fallen snow hid a patch of black ice in the parking lot. I skidded as I hit the ice, lost my balance, and as the result of the weight on my shoulders, fell hard. As I was soon to learn, I had not only dislocated my ankle, but broken it in three places. Shortly after the surgery to pin it back together, my mother came to visit me in the hospital. After expressing the appropriate sympathy she looked at me rather quizzically and said, “I wonder what message the universe was trying to send you?”

I remember being somewhat annoyed with the question and replied to her rather testily saying that it was just an accident.  It did though get me thinking, ultimately making me realize the message was that a broken ankle might just signify a need to slow down and try to regain some life balance.

I’ve since learned that if I’m in a place where the universe appears to be telling me to change direction or to give up, it’s more about a need to stop and ask myself a few questions.

For instance, “Is this really important? Why am I doing this? Should I give up on this? Am I missing something? Is there a better way to do this?  Are there other pathways to the same goals? Is there a deeper purpose to this?” 

When the going gets tough, I also try to do some personal reflection about why I’m invested in what I’m currently doing. It involves checking in to see if I really feel I’m on the right path and doing the right things for the right reasons. 

It may be that signs from the universe are more about learning and recognizing new ideas and directions. While they might seem to come from the universe, perhaps they’re really coming from within us as we grow and see our goals differently. Or, it might just be that a sign is a sign that we can choose to ignore, interpret as being either good or bad, or explore a little deeper.

I stopped and asked myself many of these questions after the car accident. I’m not sure if I have the answers yet but I am wondering if maybe the message is that I need a shove to head in a new direction? Or perhaps it was just a case of needing to stop and be grateful for all that I have? I do know that the driver who hit me was surprised at how calmly I reacted. But, as I explained to him, I really do have a great life and if this is the worst that can happen to me, then I just need to count my blessings. Regardless of its source, it definitely was a meaningful message.

So who is Janet? While it may not matter to you that she’s part of our work team, it might matter that she personifies what it means to be a stellar employee.

While Janet may think I’m just saying that because I’m trying to make up for not remembering her birthday, the truth is it really did get me thinking. What exactly does it mean to be a stellar employee and what kind of impact does it have on a team?

For me, a stellar employee is more than simply being hardworking and reliable. They also bring hard-to-find qualities and characteristics that, while difficult to pin down, also have a significant impact. 

Like Janet, stellar staff tend to be quirky, interesting people. While perhaps a little off-centre, they’re different in way that makes work more fun. Janet plays full tackle football and also boxes - last year it was the roller derby. She rescues and fosters basset hounds and changes her hair as often as a chameleon changes its colour - right now she’s very blonde. As someone comfortable in her own skin, she is open to expanding her comfort zones and colouring outside the lines or even right off the page to help us come up with new and innovative ideas.

Although Janet’s atypical personality and raucous laugh makes for a lot of fun, she also knows when to play and when to be serious, when to push the boundaries and when to toe the line. It is a delicate dance but she does it well.

Another of Janet’s talents is being able to roll with the punches without taking things personally. Being part of a small non-profit organization without core funding means constant change and little job security. Yet, she remains adaptable, flexible, and upbeat. That positive, cheerful attitude together with a tendency to pay sincere compliments that recognize the contributions of others, has a wonderful and positive impact on the entire team. 

I especially appreciate that she ignores her job description. Our work is challenging and innovative and often means we’re laying the track as the train is rolling. We benefit from her as an employee who is able to think on her feet, adapt to priorities that can change at a moment’s notice, and do whatever needs to be done regardless of whether or not its previously been part of her job. One of Janet?s favourite expressions is, “Bring it on!” 

When she tackles a project she does it with a fearless attitude. When it works out, as it most always does, she doesn’t do a lot of bragging but instead simply takes a deep breath and looks for the next big challenge.

I don’t want to suggest that things are always peachy because for sure there are rocky times. However what I like about Janet is that she isn’t afraid to speak up and ask questions or bring both issues and challenges forward. Best of all, when she identifies an issue or problem, she also comes with potential solutions for consideration.

Lastly, what I think Janet contributes as a stellar employee is the good energy that comes with authenticity.  Even as we were hiring her, I found there was no need to second guess where she was coming from as it was a case of “what you see is what you get”. We couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

As it turned out, our decision to hire Janet meant we were blessed with a stellar employee who has combined her energy and an original and engaging personality with the application of an exceptional work ethic and sense of responsibility for getting the job done. Who could ask for more from an employee?

Happy Birthday Janet and thanks from all of us! 

Lenihan began by talking about the changes taking place in today’s world and how its growing complexity means that government can no longer do things on their own. Additionally, public expectations are higher and there are greater demands for transparency and accountability. As a result, he stated, “Public engagement needs to be a priority”.

While I personally believe we need more than “engagement”, I was generally in agreement with his comments and was thinking, “So far so good.”

He then went on to share five principles for rethinking public policy.

The first is that good policy needs to be comprehensive and more holistic in nature. For instance, issues such as wellness, community safety, or lifelong learning will require horizontal connections and working together between a number of fields or sectors. 

Secondly, Lenihan suggests real progress will require public participation.  Building a strong, healthy, and vibrant community requires an informed and engaged public who are ready, willing, and able to take on responsibility.  For this holistic policy-making he suggests there is the need to engage the public more fully in all stages of the policy process.

He also stresses that societal goals need long-term planning and will require ongoing dialogue, action, and adjustment.

Additionally, and no surprise here, he acknowledges that every community is different even if the issues at first glance appear similar. For instance, the profiles of homeless people in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto are different. As a result, policy-making must be flexible in order to accommodate the different causes and solutions.

Lastly, Lenihan points out that the public has new expectations and must have a say.

While I’m sure most would agree with his five principles, I started to get a little twitchy when he went on to say, “I’m not suggesting the public tell government what to do because the public can’t design complex systems”.

That’s when my inside voice started jumping up and down screaming, “Wanna bet, wanna bet!” 

My experience is that the public is pretty smart when it comes to knowing what’s working and what’s not working. They also know how best to address those issues while leveraging existing assets.

Additionally, when we trust the public and empower them to lead or, at the very least, co-lead and co-create with government, the resulting solutions are far more comprehensive, realistic, and innovative than anything I’ve seen any government, at any level, come up with on their own.

If we want the comprehensive community transformation that Lenihan suggests is essential for good policy, we need to transform government. That isn’t going to happen by “engaging” the public. It will only happen as the result of something he didn’t touch upon at all.  Just a little something called “power”. While some politicians and public servants already understand this, innovation demands that governments figure out how to empower the public and get over the egotistical idea that they are somehow smarter and need to retain control and power rather than giving it or sharing it with the public. 

Government at all levels also need to understand that if we want different sectors and silos to work together we have to provide resources and funding to make it a priority. That of course will also require a new and different kind of leadership that understands the need to shift from a primarily grass-tops approach to one that is far more about grassroots leadership.  Prioritizing grassroots leadership will require an investment in the community building and trusted relationships that will result in the networks and webs essential for nimble, entrepreneurial, and innovative communities that have the capacity to respond to any issues or opportunities headed their way.

I would respectfully suggest to Don Lenihan that it isn’t engagement we need but rather community empowerment that will shift control, power, influence, and responsibility away from the existing centres within government and into the hands of communities and individual citizens. That means we focus on community building strategies that will connect and reenergize communities by building on their desire to give back to their community in an effective way.  Ultimately it means we all need to work with government to foster the conditions that will convince the public that taking responsibility will be the hardest but most meaningful work we’ve ever done.

This learning was first reinforced for ACE Communities by a woman who had lived in a small Alberta town for some 40 years. During a meeting held to determine community strengths and priorities, she said it was the very first time citizens had ever come together to talk about the kind of town they wanted to be.

The importance of communication was stressed again this week when another town shared a report from a series of community conversations they’ve been hosting. This particular community café focused on the topic of recreation and had participants from all sectors answering three questions: (1) What is recreation? (2) What recreation opportunities does our town offer? and (3) What do we lack for recreation? The first two questions helped participants think in a unified way so the third, and most important question, could be pursued and discussed.

The resulting animated conversations that took place at small tables conveyed once again how much wisdom there is within each community. No doubt their grasp of recreation needs would also align with the much more expensive scans and needs assessments that are typically commissioned as communities plan for the future.
 
For instance, participants identified a need for more culturally diverse programs or events; programs for young adults without children; more programs that stress social recreation or activities that are non-athletic or non-competitive in nature; clubs and events for teens; and park enhancements such as an off leash dog area, neighbourhood green areas, continuous and connected walking trails, and a local splash park. They also wanted to see more low-cost or free programs and social groups for single parents.

But perhaps the most interesting revelation was that, regardless of the need identified, it was almost always already available in one form or another in the community.

Clearly there was a breakdown in communicating to the public the availability of existing programs, services, events, and facilities. And, from what we’re seeing in other communities, they are not alone as it is the rule rather than the exception.

Too often people are simply not aware of what already exists in a community. For example, in this particular case residents weren’t aware that a local Lion’s Club bus was available for all, not just seniors or those with disabilities, that the Town had a program to support neighbourhoods in creating block parties, the recreation guide was available online not just in print, and the high school gym could be booked for use by the public.

It would appear organizations and municipalities need to communicate more effectively.

While there is no one best way to communicate, there are many community options. In the communities where we have been working, efforts are being made to ensure the availability of a website that promotes community programs and events. The best are those that allow organizations and businesses to post their own updates to a community calendar and a database that lists contact information for local clubs, events, programs, services, and facilities.

When websites, databases, and guides already exist, it is often a matter of promoting them more widely.  Social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs also need to be considered as options.

It is especially important to think about the target audience for each program, event, or service. Consider the places they frequent, their daily activities, and their media consumption. In addition to websites and social media, a list of potential outreach options could include print materials (fact sheets, brochures, newsletters); presentations for use at group meetings; posters (placed in settings relevant to the targeted audience such as parks, schools, bus shelters, doctors’ offices, factory lunch rooms, grocery stores, libraries, senior centre, gyms, etc.); ads in newspapers, magazines, or on the radio; an article, editorial, or op-ed in a newspaper or magazine; banners at shopping malls or events; promotional items such as t-shirts or key chains; or a staffed table at a community event or trade show..

Of course we also know that, just as in a marriage, the very best way to ensure strong communication is to make time for those all important one-on-one conversations.

Despite what you may think, my nephews are not at all nerdy. It’s more a case of them being raised by parents who see value in being well-rounded and make it a priority.

What my sister and brother-in-law may not have fully realized is how their sons’ interest in robotics will ensure they are poised for growth in the up and coming industry of Bots. A bot (derived from ‘robot’) is an automated or semi-automated tool that carries out repetitive and mundane tasks. While that may initially have us thinking about things like robotic car washes or vacuum cleaners, the reality is that the future will be about far more complex machines.

According to futurists, nearly every physical task could conceivably be done by a robot at some point in the future. Bots could potentially replace soldiers, farmers, miners, inspectors, and fisherman.

This growing field is just one example of an area of job growth being predicted by futurists like Thomas Frey. On the other hand, he is also predicting that over 2 billion jobs (roughly 50% of all the jobs on the planet) will disappear by 2030.

Some may see that as a gloomy prediction but it should instead be viewed as a wakeup call illustrating how quickly our world is about to change. Of the industries that survive, few will be immune to the need to transform.

The power industry is another that will undergo drastic changes. Frey suggests power generation plants will begin to close down – even wind farms, natural gas, and bio-fuel generators. Manufacturing power generation units the size of air conditioners will go into full production and ultimately the entire national grid will be taken down to be replaced by micro-grid operations. 

Frey also anticipates driverless technology and vehicles that will allow you to kick back, listen to music, have a cup of coffee, connect to the Internet, make phone calls, and even watch a movie while you’re enroute. Most importantly it will increase our travel safety.

He also predicts major changes in education as the movement toward free and open source learning takes hold. OpenCourseWare, or OCW, is a term applied to course materials created by universities and shared freely with the world via the Internet. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) now has over 2000 courses available and Apple’s iTunes U platform offers over 500,000 free lectures, courses, videos, books and other resources on thousands of subjects. College and university tuition is expensive and will need to be rethought in order to compete with “free”. Additionally, the shift will be toward learning rather than teaching and therefore it is coaching that will become more predominant.

Creation technology will also be something to watch.  One example gaining significant interest is that of 3D printers that shape objects through the process of building up layers of materials.  Three-dimensional printing will make it as cheap to create single items as it is to produce thousands of items. As such they will be undermining economies of scale as we know them. Frey suggests it may have as profound an impact on the world as the coming of the factory did during the Henry Ford era. Think what will happen if we are able to print our own clothes, shoes, and even construction materials.

As mind-boggling, exciting, and promising as this technology can be, it also has the potential to create new problems because it will be resisted by the many among us who don’t like change or who don’t have the skills and knowledge necessary for the higher demands this technology will place on the labour market. This means we will need to place an emphasis on upgrading our workforce to match the labour demand of the coming era.

But perhaps most importantly, we aren’t especially well-equipped culturally or emotionally to have this much technology enter our lives. That will demand a need for greater leisure literacy – meaning being able to manage our leisure time and make choices that are positive for both ourselves and the communities we live in. 

For today’s kids it will also mean we need to do more of what my sister and her husband are doing with their boys – nurturing their curiosity and creativity, ensuring a basic foundation of traditional learning, keeping them physically active and eating well so they will be healthy and fit, and teaching them about being good citizens. 

While it isn’t all that unusual to forget to turn off one’s cell phone, most people would have simply turned off their phone, and conveyed their apologies. But, no such luck in this case. 

Not at all embarrassed when everyone turned and stared, the workshop participant simply proceeded to answer the phone with a very loud, “Hello”.

It soon became apparent that this elderly gentleman was not only rude in terms of thinking he needed to answer his phone in the middle of the session and then carry on a conversation, he was also somewhat hard of hearing. While everyone in the room, including the speaker, struggled to stay focused, the guy on the phone kept talking. Managing to ignore the glares from the 75 plus participants in the room, he proceeded to carry on an annoyingly loud conversation for a number of minutes before he eventually got up and, talking as he walked, went out of the room to finish the call.

Let me be clear. I think cell phones rank up there with the invention of panti-house and sliced bread because as we all know, cell phones play an amazing role in keeping us safe and connected. It’s clearly not technology and its many benefits that are the issue. It is instead people and their lack of manners.

Rude use of cell phones seems to be out of control. People have reported phones ringing at weddings and funerals, job interviews, and even during surgical procedures. No event seems to be immune. New York City Council actually had to pass a bylaw banning cell phone use during “any indoor theater, library, museum, gallery, motion picture theater, concert hall or building in which theatrical, musical, dance, motion picture, lecture or other similar performances are exhibited.”  Violators risk being fined.

Clearly it’s time to get serious about mobile manners. Here are some suggestions gathered from the experts.

Don’t use loud and annoying ring tones that destroy concentration and eardrums.

Use an earpiece in high-traffic or noisy locations. That will let you hear how loud you sound at the other end so you can modulate your voice.

Try to maintain at least a ten foot or about a three metre zone from anyone while talking. Tell callers when you are talking on a cell phone so they can anticipate distractions or disconnections.

Modulate your voice. Cell phones have sensitive microphones that can pick up a very soft voice while blocking out ambient noise. Yelling into a cell phone is rarely necessary. When people are nearby, be considerate and keep your voice low, your tone even and unemotional, and your conversation private. Emotional conversations, arguing, or airing dirty laundry in public are never acceptable.

Avoid personal conversations when others can hear you. Intimate public settings such as elevators, restaurants, public restrooms, dentist or doctors’ waiting rooms, buses, or anywhere a private conversation is not possible is a bad place for a cell phone conversation. To practice good cell phone etiquette, put the ringer on vibrate or silent mode and let the call roll over to voice mail. If it’s an important call, step outside or to a private area to return the call. If that’s not possible and you must take the call, keep your voice low and the conversation brief. Let the caller know you’ll get back to them when you’re able.

When the lights are out, your phone should be off. Phones should be turned off in movie theatres, playhouses, or any other public place that is designed to transport the imagination of the audience.

Lastly, love the one you’re with by being fully present and refusing to take calls when you’re with someone else. It’s rude to interrupt conversations, meetings, or social engagements with others by taking calls or reading texts or emails.

In the end, cell phone etiquette is just a matter of being considerate of others, and that pays off for everyone.