Eight years ago my husband and I spread our wings as empty nesters and made what many considered to be an irrational decision to pull up stakes in Welland, Ontario and move to Edmonton, Alberta.

One month before the move, I flew out to find a place to live in a city that at the time had a vacancy rate of less than 1%.

A colleague picked me up at the Edmonton airport and as we exited the parking lot, we looked up to see a stunningly beautiful rainbow. I took it to be an omen that our risky decision… More Posted on 05-22-15

Need Some Vitamin N?

I’m not what anyone would describe as a tree hugger or as even as being the outdoor type. However, this year’s never-ending winter left me with a distinct longing to be outdoors tromping through the woods. It was as if my body and mind were telling me I needed to push myself away from the computer and find me a good dose of what author, Richard Louv, has termed Vitamin N – the N standing for nature.

In his book, “The Nature Principle”, Louv shows that this connection to nature, or… More Posted on 04-18-15

Why You Gotta Be So Mean?

As Taylor Swift has been known to sing, “Why you gotta be so mean?”

While I’m typically much more interested in grassroots leadership, Alberta’s recent provincial budget temporarily shifted my attention to the grasstops. The new budget includes a mean-spirited cut to the sector that can afford it the least, reflecting once again, a major disconnect between the provincial grasstops and the grassroots of our communities.

Until the most recent budget,  Alberta provided a 21 per cent tax credit for individual charitable contributions.  Given the impact of declining oil revenues, the government made the decision to cut the charitable tax… More Posted on 04-15-15

Let Local Businesses Show You What They Can Do

I reconnected this week with a colleague from the past who holds a special place in my heart.

While I can’t say as I knew her really well, she served as an important role model.

At the time I had graduated from Brock University with a degree in recreation and leisure studies and was working for the City of Niagara Falls. My colleague was a director of recreation for a large municipality, had a reputation for intelligence and hard work, and was a leader within our provincial professional association. She was the one who stood up to the old… More Posted on 04-13-15

Please People…Its About the Big Picture

I recently read an email posted by a recreation student on a pan Canadian listserv geared to academics. I taught recreation at the college level and am especially interested in emerging professionals and their areas of study. However, in this case I was left somewhat dismayed.

The student was working on her master’s thesis and was seeking Australians, age 18-35, who had traveled to Canada, and made use of social media.

Really? Call me crazy but who signed off on that topic as being thesis worthy?

Don’t get me wrong, and maybe I’m missing something because there might be… More Posted on 04-07-15

Vice President of Photocopying?

A number of years ago I did some work with a very funny, self-employed motivational speaker. As a one person operation there was a lot involved in getting himself promoted, booked and on the road. As a result he put his daughter to work. At the age of nine he bestowed upon her the title of Vice-President of Photocopying. She even had her own business cards and a pay cheque based on an hourly rate - albeit one quite a bit below the legislated minimum.

While it made for a humourous anecdote he often used in his speeches, it also… More Posted on 02-18-15

Community +  Collaboration = Innovation

I am blessed to have wonderfully fulfilling consulting, coaching, and training work that also provides me with the opportunity to travel and meet with people from diverse communities across Canada. I’ve learned that despite the diversity and decidedly different assets among the communities, even the small ones like Iqaluit in Nunavut have much in common with larger communities such as London, Ontario or Richmond, BC. Regardless of their size, location and unique assets, many communities are struggling to address the same complex issues.

                               … More Posted on 02-06-15

Silver Lining Learnings

I didn’t exactly start the new year off on the right foot.

I had spent an entire day finetuning a webinar to make the complex topic of marketing and branding less daunting for those working in a community development capacity. Although I had delivered it a number of times previously, it was the one webinar I always felt could be better. This time I was sure I got it right.

The content painted the picture on the top of the puzzle box by providing a clear framework and step by step process, sorted out the complexity by providing clear… More Posted on 01-07-15

According to Pink and the Puppets…..

My son disappeared again.

It’s not really a big deal. After all, he is a fully grown adult and has every right to turn off his phone and ignore texts and emails if he so chooses. But, when he did it again between Christmas and New Year’s, both his grandmother and I grew somewhat concerned. That is until we both remembered that when he has time off from his job he often gets totally focused and immersed in a new creative project.

His last project involved him going off the grid to write, direct, build sets, design lighting, and… More Posted on 01-03-15

All About that Boss, ‘Bout that Boss

In many ways it clearly is “bout that boss” and whether or they have earned the respect of others as a leader.

More and more we are seeing an unwillingness to work for someone in a position of authority who hasn’t shifted from a traditional “command and control” model to a form of leadership that is more about sharing power and control.

It is a challenging shift and one that takes courage and heart.

By way of example I often cite what I witnessed several years at a townhall meeting designed to help grow the community by engaging a… More Posted on 12-13-14

Are You a Treasure Seeker or a Trash Collector?

I recently stumbled across a thought-provoking post intended to help teachers cultivate practical optimism in their classrooms. However it became clearer as I read that it contained ideas applicable to every single one of us.

The post was written by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching degree programs at Nova Southeastern University.

The post discussed that until recently optimism was considered to be an unchangeable trait. Now it is understood that optimism is a way of thinking that can be learned and enhanced. Convers and Wilson are developing tools to help… More Posted on 12-11-14

What kind of Workplace Would Make Gumby Happy?

This week I wrote a blog for a government website. To be honest, it made me a bit nervous.

Unlike my typical writing where putting forward my own opinion is a given, in this particular case, I had to apply, pass scrutiny, and be given permission to blog. As a result, I felt a bit of pressure to behave.

Clearly it was not the kind of workplace structure where a Gumby could flex, respond, and innovate.
                                          More Posted on 11-16-14

Maybe the Question is the Answer?

I recently received an email from an associate saying how thrilled she was to be part of a group that supports difficult conversations. It was significant to me because it was an acknowledgement of an organizational culture that embraces questions.

Unlike some organizations where questions are seen as complaints or as being disruptive or disrespectful, I like to think we have created a culture that reflects an understanding that asking the right question is often the answer.

Without a culture that encourages questions, it’s virtually impossible to achieve results of any significance because being inquisitive and challenging the status quo… More Posted on 08-29-14

Is Real Innovation More Social Than Technical?

I am a community builder. And, if there is a gene that contributes to being a practical community builder, I definitely received a double dose.

While community building clearly needs both wings and landing gear to fly, I am without a doubt a landing gear kind of woman. So, while I’m always intrigued by new concepts, ideas, and solutions for building communities, my real test for innovation is whether or not something really makes a difference for people.

As a result, for me innovation needs to be about challenging the status quo as well as believing that we… More Posted on 08-25-14

What is Disruptive Technology and Why Should I Care?

It seems everyone these days is talking about innovation or the lack thereof. Although I was never exactly sure what it meant, the latest buzz phrase seems to be “disruptive innovation”.

This past week, amidst the chatter surrounding the pending launch of the new iPhone 6 (anticipated to be a smaller version of the iPad mini), I heard a pundit suggest that while the phone may bring new features, it wasn’t likely to be considered disruptive.

Instead, he explained, it was the first iPhone launched in 2007 that would be considered disruptive technology—not because of its attributes as a… More Posted on 08-21-14

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