Trying to get everyone on the same page? As long as your team members stay in their silos, your job will be next to impossible. To break down the thick walls between silos, build on the things all silos have in common: the sky above (vision) and the ground below (values). The silos metaphor is […]
It takes a system to change a system
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
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
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 […]