So far this vacation really sucks.

Much as I like Canadian Tire it’s never been on my list as a vacation destination. And yet here we are sitting in yet another waiting area in a third location during the first two days of our precious week of vacation.

Three hours away from home our van sputtered, stuttered and eventually lost all power. One tow, five hours and four hundred and fifty dollars later we were back on the road breathing a sigh of relief. Not for long however, as forty five minutes later we were once again stranded at… More Posted on 08-02-09

Positive Play

Today we hiked.

The heat was blistering but the lead hiker kept a steady, fairly brisk pace for the first 30 minutes. After that she stopped a few times in an attempt to take close-up photos of butterflies alighting on flowers. Shortly thereafter, she vacated the lead position and, having decided a rest was in order, hitched a ride on her Mom’s shoulders for the next few moments before eventually resuming the hike on foot.

The lead hiker was Madison, our almost three year old granddaughter. While much of her independence is innate, research suggests that natural environments increase… More Posted on 07-27-09

The Importance of Third Places

A couple of weeks ago, 30 funky-looking pianos were placed in public spaces around London, England with “Play Me, I’m Yours” printed on their sides. Despite their reputation for being a tad starchy, Londoners responded enthusiastically as professionals and amateurs alike stepped up to the piano while others gathered to sing along. The talent seems to be as diverse as the people who play. One pianist dressed as Chopin and a musical comedy duo played on 24 pianos within eight hours. 

The innovative, interactive art project was designed by artist Luke Jerram… More Posted on 07-18-09

Finding Our Unique Gifts

I’m learning to take better care of myself these days. One woman in particular has been influential in helping me to understand the importance of that self care as an investment in my health and quality of life.

She’s the massage therapist I started to see initially as the result of a workplace injury but now visit on a regular basis. Although she would hesitate to use the term, she is without a doubt a healer. She has this innate intuitiveness that allows her to unerringly zero-in on the part of my body that has absorbed the most stress,… More Posted on 07-05-09

Finding Community

This evening my husband and I enjoyed a lovely barbecue dinner on our back patio. Afterward as we sat in the beautiful late evening sun, we watched kids, adults, and their pets walk by or play in the park across the street. As beautiful as it was, and as much as we enjoy living where we do, the truth is that even after living here two years, we don’t know the names of even one of our neighbours.

It made me think about the street where I grew up where everyone knew everyone. On the same kind of evening… More Posted on 06-29-09

Connecting Passion to Possibilities

Some time ago a colleague forwarded me an email he had received that contained an insightful review of a book about community. Not only had the author of the review summarized the key messages within the book, he had also provided an analysis suggesting why it would be important to us in our day to day work.

Although I had never met the guy, there was something about that review that reflected a passion for the subject and made me flag it for follow up. While it did take me a while, I finally got around to connecting with… More Posted on 06-15-09

Velvet Leadership

This week I spent three days with a group of very impressive local community leaders. Despite their tremendous accomplishments, most of them would never think to label themselves a leader.

One of them said she never thought of herself as a leader. “After all”, she said, “I’m a nurturer, I take care of people. I see my job as getting everyone to work together”. 

Another, when asked if she saw herself as a leader was uncomfortable even answering the question.

And yet, these and other remarkable individuals like them, have raised thousands of dollars and worked shoulder… More Posted on 06-07-09

The Other Sector

I grew up in a household supported by my Dad’s GM paycheque. While there were lean times, particularly during labour strikes, we generally did pretty well, even in a family of seven with one wage earner. Thanks to GM, my Dad also has the benefit of a comfortable retirement and a generous health care plan.

This week GM made headlines as they announced negotiations had resulted in concessions that would save $22 per hour. The union was especially excited about having saved the pensions. One union negotiator said something to the effect that when someone from GM retired after 30… More Posted on 05-24-09

Do’s and Don’ts for Job Interviews

We recently had some interesting experiences with job interviews as the result of a new hire. 

One of the candidates for the communications coordinator position was a young man with extensive experience in online technology. He arrived on time and strode into the interview room dressed in a nifty suit and tie. He started off strong exuding confidence and calm as he shook hands with each of us. Unfortunately from there it was all downhill.

He proceeded to talk at us non-stop about totally unrelated experiences failing to engage anyone on the interview team. When asked his opinion… More Posted on 05-18-09

Stress on the Job

I work with an amazingly talented team who somehow manage to pull rabbits out of the hat every day. Even better, they do it with a smile on their face!

However during a quick update this week with Heather, a bright and very capable member of our team, she mentioned that she was juggling a lot of different balls and was afraid she was going to drop one of them.

Strangely enough, she also shared that she had spent time the previous evening designing her own rules for the stress-free Christmas day she wants to host at her… More Posted on 05-10-09

The Importance of Workplace Learning

I recently met with a young woman who had been referred as a potential candidate for a position within our organization.

Likely about 25 years of age, she had an undergraduate and a masters degree, an award winning thesis, and several years of relevant experience under her belt. She was also clearly looking for the kind of challenges, learning and growth our organization could provide. There was no doubt that as a bright, articulate, technology-literate hardworking young woman, she would be a perfect fit within our organization.

The only problem was we couldn’t afford to hire her.

There’s nothing like challenging times to bring out new books and blogs about leadership.

Being something of a junkie when it comes to information about community leadership and change, I try to read or at least scan as many as I can.

Unfortunately, it’s become an increasingly frustrating exercise for me as most seem to be written by a guy who is either an academic or is working in a corporate setting at, or near, the top of the hierarchy. And while there’s nothing wrong with those distinct set of lenses, it just doesn’t resonate with the realities of… More Posted on 04-26-09

On Being Innovative

Much as I try to turn my brain off while on vacation, sometimes the extra time to think makes it next to impossible. This week in sunny Cabos San Lucas even the tangy margaritas fail to keep the synapses from firing.

I’m especially struck by the innovation, resourcefulness, and drive I see among young Mexican entrepreneurs.

On the beaches they hawk eye-catching purses woven from strips of recycled juice box containers as well as bracelets made from plastic stir sticks wrapped with thread and then custom embroidered with one’s name. 

Since my current work is largely about innovation… More Posted on 04-20-09

Good Things About Bad Times

I drove by a flea market today and cars were spilling out of the parking lot. It struck me that there just might be an up side to this down economy. Flea markets, second-hand, and consignment stores seem to be doing well. It means we’re buying less, recycling more, and contributing to a greener environment. Good news for sure.

So because I’m a glass half full kind of person who’s tired of the doom and gloom I decided to spend some time mining the silver lining in the cloud of this recession. As a result here’s my top ten list… More Posted on 04-12-09

Collecting Hallmark Memories

It’s a good thing I’m into lists.

In between delivering four workshops at the Parks and Recreation Ontario provincial conference in Niagara Falls last week, I tried to deal with the challenge of keeping up with my job from a distance while fitting in family visits and a lot of errands. While I ultimately managed to get everything done, the very best of the visit were two items not found on any of my to-do lists.

Somewhat spontaneously my mother, son, and I decided to go to Toronto to see the Sound of Music. Although I am the… More Posted on 04-05-09

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