It takes a system to change a system. I love that phrase. I came across it a couple weeks ago when reading British Columbia mediator/lawyer Nancy Cameron’s excellent book Collaborative Practice: Deepening the Dialogue. This book is a road map for family lawyers making the journey from traditional litigation to collaborative practice. Now, I’m not […]
The good farmer: An expert in relationships and sustainability
March 13, 2010 by · 6 Comments
There is a view of farmers that I believe seriously undervalues their value, in the bigger scheme of things. I’ve thought this for a long time. It goes back to my early years living on my late Dad’s farm. He grew crops and raised pigs for market. Yet; he was also a German Jewish intellectual, […]
Gift the "open source' spirit to your next collaboration
March 7, 2010 by · 1 Comment
Open Source is both a way of working together and a state-of-mind. Typically associated with an approach to software development, it’s also a philosophy, and something I think aligns with a spirit of generosity and authentic collaboration, even if your project is not focused on software development. The Open Source spirit Brian Behlendorf is a […]
Shipped: Collaborative Maxims – Principles for working together in an organization
February 23, 2010 by · 5 Comments
A few weeks back, I passed my 1-year anniversary as a blogger. Knowing how important it is (so Seth Godin says in Linchpin) to ship, to execute, I thought I’d do some (humble) shipping of my own. Yesterday, I published an e-book Collaborative Maxims: Principles for working together in an organization (You can purchase the […]
Two books on workplace creativity and collaboration to help jumpstart your organization
February 16, 2010 by · 8 Comments
I recently finished a couple of excellent books about workplace collaboration, authored by people immersed in creativity and the arts. Amen! I found these two books complement each other nicely. The Collaborative Habit The first book is The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together. It’s written by Twyla Tharp, a leading and innovative American […]
Curling: Bringing a touch of community to the 2010 Winter Olympics
February 8, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Curling may be the perfect Canadian game said Stuart McLean. I heard him say that yesterday, on his weekly, nationally-syndicated CBC Radio show the Vinyl Cafe. And how appropriate is it that this community-oriented game is given a high profile, as an official athletic event, in the corporate-influenced 2010 Winter Olympics, which start this Friday […]
West Coast Wave Collaboration Project: An innovative cross-sector partnership
January 25, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
I live on an island (Vancouver Island) surrounded by ocean. Oceans make up over 70% of the Earth’s surface. Our proximity to this abundant resource is obvious. The energy-giving capacity of that resource is less clear. To better understand what that capacity is, the West Coast Wave Collaboration Project (WCWCP) kicked-off in June 2009. This […]
Be a better mediator: 5 jazz learning techniques worth investing in
January 18, 2010 by · 7 Comments
Jazz is America’s music. It roots are in America. Two things I always liked about jazz. One; the swing rhythm, identifiable in the music of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and many others, always gave me a high. Two; jazz has long been associated with social justice. That sold it for me! Earlier in my […]
