Investing in Yourself

It was a first for me.

And, while I knew it would likely be a good experience, I didn’t anticipate that it would also be quite so emotional.

The occasion was my first ever therapeutic massage.

A badly broken ankle several years ago has managed somewhat insidiously to impact my gait and hip, ultimately throwing the right side of my body off kilter.

Over the past few years I’ve flirted with physiotherapy, orthodics, and acupuncture all of which provided some, but not a lot of, relief.

Although not a good thing, over the last six months,… More Posted on 06-28-08

Can Leadership Be Shared?

My brain hurts.

I’ve just come off a very intense three day think-tank with a small group that included individuals I’ve known and admired for years as well as a number of talented new colleagues.

Incredibly diverse in their thinking, experience and skills, they all came together to help advance an initiative focused on improving the quality of life in communities.

As I was the only one who knew everyone, it was a tad stressful. Going in, I crossed my fingers and hoped they’d all play nice.

Mostly they did.

However there were tense moments along the… More Posted on 06-22-08

Only You Can Prevent Data Smog!

Although I am an admitted information junkie I must confess that recently I’ve suffered from a bit of data overload.

Although normally I can handle it and even enjoy it, I think data is like food – best when served in reasonably-sized portions from several food groups leaving one satisfied but not stuffed.

Today it seems the amount of information is enough to choke the heartiest of eaters, even when chewed properly.

The constant spew of email, voice mail, phone calls, meetings, newspapers, magazines, memos and more is overwhelming.

While there are experts giving us lots of information on how… More Posted on 06-07-08

Becoming a Community of Practice

I’ve just come back from helping to facilitate a three day leadership retreat. Rather than feeling drained as a result of the advance work and long days on site, I feel absolutely rejuvenated.

The participants, a very special energetic group of leaders, brought a great deal of wisdom as well as their passion for strengthening communities. One couldn’t help but learn from their experiences and be buoyed by their enthusiasm.

In addition to this keen group of participants we had an amazing team that planned and implemented the retreat. It was fascinating to watch as the team members took turns… More Posted on 06-01-08