I’ve just returned from an exciting conference where I sat through three days of sessions delivered by great presenters, heard two fabulous keynote speakers, and collected piles of reports and brochures providing terrific resources. As enjoyable as it was, if I were to be really honest, the most useful information was collected from my colleagues during the coffee breaks. 

Something like this happened to American management consultant Harrison Owen back in 1983. He spent a year of his life immersed in the details of organizing a large, international symposium. The day finally came and went, hailed as a triumph.

I sure do feel crummy. My throat hurts, my head aches, and I’m craving chicken soup.

I don’t do sick. In fact, I can‘t remember the last time I was ill as it’s been years. While I often credit my good health with my strong, Ukrainian peasant genes, it is probably due just as much to the fact that I’m pretty happy, don’t like being sick, and enjoy my quality of life. 

I’m blessed and grateful to have an excellent quality of life. If I was pressed to explain exactly what that means, I’m not sure I could do… More Posted on 10-17-10

Can Pajamas Increase Productivity?

I swear I heard a collective sigh of relief this past Friday as people geared up for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Everyone seemed to be anticipating the extra time away from work that would allow them to unwind and focus on fun, family, and giving thanks. At least, that seemed to be the ideal.

However, somewhere along the line, I realized that my long weekends weren’t as relaxing and fun as they used to be. When I stopped to reflect, it occurred to me that it was because, for the most part, I telecommute and work from a home office.… More Posted on 10-11-10

Shifting Our Thinking About Shaping Up

It happened quite gradually so I’m not exactly sure when things changed. What I do know is that over the last few months I’ve actually found myself looking forward to exercise.  Never thought I’d see the day, but most weeks I find myself planning, anticipating, and enjoying my workouts.  It is somewhat surprising for me because while I have always known fitness fanatics, I have never been one of them. For me, exercise has always been a necessary evil for keeping the creeping pounds and the effects of gravity at bay.

Six months ago I made a decision to… More Posted on 10-03-10

Alpha, Beta or Both?

It’s hard not to notice the alpha males among us or, in some cases, the alpha females. By that I mean those who are attractive, confident, assertive, and usually holding the highest ranking position of authority.

As one who typically hasn’t had those qualities, I used to envy their swagger as well as their ability to get things done by wielding their power and control.

Today, I’m not as convinced being an alpha is a good thing, or even something I aspire to be. It seems to me that an alpha persona might just come with a lot of… More Posted on 09-26-10

Just Google It Daddy

It wasn’t a secret sauce but there was a secret in the sauce.

This past weekend a high school student from Warsaw, Ontario named Alyson Bell, won a prestigious Manning Young Canadian Innovation Award for her project called “Another Tale My Grandfather Told Me”.

Her water filter used oregano to clean bacteria from contaminated water. She came up with the idea of using oregano to filter water as the result of testing her Grandfather’s spaghetti sauce.  Bell always wondered how her Grandfather’s spaghetti sauce could last over three weeks in the fridge without spoiling. Thinking it might be due to… More Posted on 09-20-10

Ambiguity Impacts Action

Yesterday I overheard a customer ask a young sales clerk about her plans for school. She replied that she was majoring in arts until she could get a handle on what she wants to do with her life.

With a deep sigh the young woman went on to say, “There are just so many options”.

While I don’t plan to go back to school this year, I too often flounder as the result of the many options that present themselves to me each day on my never ending to-do list. Even though I know it is somewhat irrational,… More Posted on 09-12-10

I Didn’t Really Want to Go

Even though I didn’t really want to go, I attended a full day session this week simply because I trusted and liked the woman who invited me as well as the facilitator who would be designing the process. The intent of the session was to bring together a number of organizations and individuals who were knowledgeable about board governance and have them help design a series of modules that would be made available for self-directed learning for board members of service and utility boards and community non-profit organizations.

While board governance is important, and I’ve been lucky to have… More Posted on 09-06-10

Recreation Vexations

It really hit me this week as I worked on yet another proposal. I am just so tired of having to explain and justify the field in which I’ve spent most of my career - recreation and parks. 

Yes, it is a field and a profession. To prove it, I have a degree in recreation and leisure studies from Brock University, and a resume that includes recreation jobs at a Boys and Girls Club, the city of Niagara Falls, a provincial non-profit association, self-employed consulting work, and teaching the subject at Niagara College.

Most of us in the… More Posted on 08-29-10

Kid Wrangling Involves Planning for Play

Our typically quiet household was turned somewhat upside down this week as the result of a visit from my sister, her husband, and my eleven and nine year old nephews. This was compounded by three days of additional visits from their eight and twelve year old cousins and friends of ours who visited with their eleven year old. All in all it made for a noisy, joyful, busy, and sometimes chaotic environment.

Undaunted, we put our collective kid-wrangling experience to work and managed to keep everyone busy with activities that included visits to a museum, wave pool, concert, and the… More Posted on 08-22-10

We are enough…just the way we are

My father recently found and gave me a photo I had thought long lost. As per our high school practice at the time, a professional portrait was taken when an athlete or team won a provincial championship. The photo was then framed and hung on the school wall of recognition. Since my gold medal was the result of being a 400 metre runner, the photographer had posed the 17 year old me in my track uniform - very brief shorts and a tank top -  crouching in a starting block. 

While one would think the photo would have surfaced… More Posted on 08-16-10

Simplifying Learning and Growth

Debra is part of a conference planning committee but is concerned because there doesn’t seem to be any way to prioritize the many potential sessions that have been submitted for consideration.
 
Susan is keen to continue her self-directed learning and growth but isn’t sure where she should be directing her efforts.

Tom’s organization has been contracted to develop training materials for a specific list of topics but he doesn’t have a clue as to where he should begin.

Sound familiar? My guess is the above scenarios might be fairly common given that every one of… More Posted on 08-02-10

Preparing for Tomorrow

It would be so nice not to have to work in July and August.

Unfortunately for many of us it is unavoidable if we want to collect a paycheque. Regardless, there is something to be said about the generally more civilized summer pace. Typically it seems there are fewer meetings, a more manageable level of emails and, most importantly, time to think and reflect.

Our team did just that this past week, spending two days focused on our annual strategic planning session. Wanting to ensure a relaxed environment most of the meeting time was spent at my house… More Posted on 07-26-10

Recreation Matters

This week I talked to yet another young person who is totally convinced that making money is the route to happiness. Despite working and doing a great job this summer as a special event organizer for a non-profit recreation organization, he is also certain his path includes a university degree in business. In the ensuing conversation we talked about values, learning about what is important to one’s self, and how money doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. 

I also ended up sharing with him the reasons behind my choosing to work in the field of recreation and parks. Mostly I… More Posted on 07-18-10

Knowing Your Community

I talked to a friend last week who is seriously considering a move west in her search for new opportunities for both herself and her family. While I was genuine in my support and encouragement, I thought afterward how responsible I would feel if they did actually pack up and move. While a move from Welland to Edmonton has worked out well for us, it is definitely a challenge getting to know a new community before and after a relocation.

In our case I was fortunate to have worked in Edmonton on a consulting basis so before we moved I… More Posted on 07-12-10

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