Employee: “What do you mean I can’t tell him to fuck off?” Boss: “No, you can’t. Our new Respectful Workplace Policy requires that people treat each other civilly and politely. Telling him to f-off won’t cut it anymore.” Established construction companies are in transition. Historically, the construction industry, especially worksite tradespeople and workers, more-or-less accepted […]
Love Your Clients: Give Them What They Want
February 12, 2015 by · 2 Comments
It’s “love” week. Valentines Day is this Saturday, February 14. Of course, the love we offer this week need not be reserved for our partner-in-life or partner-of-the-moment. Why not extend it to your clients, in the workplace? If I were a syndicated advice columnist, Dr. Love, here is how I would respond to this readers’ […]
The Three Sisters Approach to Managing Conflict in the Organization
February 5, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
We need to learn more of the old ways, and adapt them to today’s situations. Where I live, the oldest ways are of Aboriginal, Indigenous, Native origin. In Master chef and educator Dan Barber’s agitating book, The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food, he pays respect to the Iroquois’ Three Sisters Strategy, a […]
In Which Corner(s) is Your Conflict?
January 13, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
When in conflict, the source of the conflict can be confusing, never mind the way out! Ken Wilbur’s Integral Vision is a handy, big picture, framework that can be applied to conflict management: Wilbur’s model is not dedicated to conflict. It applies to everything, literally, as I discovered in his A Theory of Everything. Each […]
Apply A Culture Map To Visualize Interpersonal Differences
December 9, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
One of my newest, favourite communication tools is a Culture Map. I first came across this better way to visualize cultural differences in Erin Meyer’s book, The Culture Map (published earlier this year). Here’s a short interview of Meyer, about her book: (video not displaying? watch here, on YouTube) The Culture Map The Culture Map is […]
Diverge Off The Problem Before You Converge On The Solution
December 1, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
To solve a difficult challenge, come up with as many solution ideas as possible. Then “murder your darlings”. Converge on the best idea. Good ideas The story I most often tell myself about ideas is the one Steven Johnson articulates in his book, Where Do Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation. “Good […]
The Thank You Game
November 27, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
A couple of years ago, I learned about The Thank You Game via local mediator colleague, Julia Menard. Thank you Julia! I thought it appropriate to share it, given it’s Thanksgiving Day in the US, today. Julia credits the McGonigal sisters, Kelly McGonigal (health psychologist) and Jane McGonigal (game designer) for the idea. The McGonigal sisters […]
