Collaboration from a CIO’s perspective

Over the last few months, CIO Magazine has been posting snippets of a video interview of Sheila Jordan, SVP, Collaboration and Communication IT, Cisco Systems and Jim Love, CIO, IT World Canada.  (Note: CIO stands for Chief Information Officer) The last snippets of that interview were aired this week.   Having spent a previous career as […]

12 Things you should know as a Facilitator of effective “communications”

As a mediator and facilitator of various types of conversations, in-person and virtual, I’m always learning when it comes to being a better “communicator”.    In 2013, I added to my list of  insights on that front. For instance, did you know… Inter-personal communications is essentially the process of sending  and receiving messages. The word […]

Why virtual conversation facilitators need to get comfortable using social technologies

Do you facilitate conversations?  And, do you work virtually, or want to, yet need some convincing as to why virtual facilitation skills matter?   Here is my logic case for why and how you should invest some personal learning equity in social technologies.   Communication is about sending and receiving messages. Living beings communicate their message […]

Independence or Interdependence: What’s your default when calamity hits?

Disasters happen.  The people of the Philippines know this acutely, right now.   Typhoon Haiyan was a mega-storm.   It had no precedent.  How do people survive in a situation like that?  What will they rely on for survival, in the storm’s aftermath? Reliance on family Well, it didn’t surprise me to read in this weekend’s Globe […]

Infusing a Culture of Mediation into your organization

Organizations with long-standing success often have difficulty in shifting their members culture, when the need arrives.  Bridging the old and new ways requires skilled facilitation and ‘bridging’ skills.   Mediators are specialists in facilitating conversations and building bridges between people. The need for mediation The attributes associated with mediators are often the attributes in short supply […]