Finding the One-In-The-Many in 2015

‘Tis the season for family and friends, reflections on times past, and those still to come. New beginnings. One fond remembrance I have of Christmas past, time spent with my kids when they were small, was searching for Waldo. The Where’s Waldo? books (Where’s Wally? in the UK) placed Waldo in a very crowded scene, of Waldo look-a-likes […]

Apply A Culture Map To Visualize Interpersonal Differences

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 […]

The Life Cycle of a Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Action Team

Solving big challenges often requires putting a team of diverse people, skills and interests together. It takes a system to change a system. Yet, getting everyone rowing together for collective impact is never a slam dunk. And, when the people are from different organizations,effective collaborative action often feels just beyond our reach. When I’m having […]

Diverge Off The Problem Before You Converge On The Solution

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 […]

Family Caregivers Network and Facilitating a Support Group

Life was going along swimmingly. Your kids were growing, fast and healthy. Your partner was action, incorporated. Your parents seemed unusually fit, for folks their age. Then, it happened. Out of the blue, that important person in your life had an accident, a stroke, a calamity… A need had arisen. Or, maybe it didn’t happen […]