When I was 18 years old, I had no interest in school. So, I went to work at National Steel Car, in Hamilton, Ontario. The company made railway cars. The scale of the operations was huge, overwhelming for me. At the time, I felt a boy among men. Yet, as a (Steelworkers) union member I was […]
Union-Employer Collective Agreements emphasize rights over power
September 4, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
My “Expressing Feelings” Algorithm for Difficult Workplace Conversations and Problem-Solving
August 29, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
“Never mind all that feelings stuff, let’s just do it”. Just do it. Just do the work. If only life were so simple. In the workplace, jointly solving problems often involves difficult conversations, and conflicting views. Difficult conversations won’t go well unless feelings are surfaced. We have to have those conversations. Change happens, finding solutions to […]
CESO support of Aboriginal communities’ development in Canada informs its International work
May 2, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Last week, the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) sponsored an event in Victoria, coinciding with CESO’s 50th anniversary and National Volunteer Week. The event welcomed Volunteer Advisors, local government and community leaders, clients, and supporters. I’m a Volunteer Advisor with CESO. I attended. CESO is an international development organization working in Canada, with Aboriginal communities, and around the […]
The CEO, The Profits, and The Conflict
March 9, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) has been around almost as long as the nation state of Canada. The CPR was incorporated in 1881. The last few years have been good ones, for CPR shareholders. Yet, that “success” may have come at a price, workplace culture, as last weekend’s Globe and Mail feature on the CPR […]
Use diverse strategies to create workplaces that better benefit women
March 8, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Today is International Women’s Day. The UN adopted ‘women in the changing world of work’ as its’ theme for International Women’s Day 2017. On that front, UN Women has a few facts you should know, starting with the wage gap: From the Executive Director of UN Women: “Achieving equality in the workplace will involve governments’ targeted […]
