Anniversaries abound this week. Today is July 4. In the “United States of America” it’s their Independence Day. July 1 was my country’s national anniversary, at least from the settler perspective. More personal for me is that today is my wedding anniversary. And, my partner and I are still together after 35 years! No matter […]
Data tells the stories that we just can’t see
April 1, 2020 by · Leave a Comment
For the last ten months, I’ve been coordinating, on a part-time basis, a program that provides advocacy services, for seniors. I also do a bit of the advocacy work, myself. The program operates out of a vibrant local community centre and serves seniors in five municipalities, including Victoria and Saanich. (Aside – as a veteran mediator, […]
Upcoming Victoria workshop to help you embrace and implement a culture of “speaking up”
April 24, 2019 by · Leave a Comment
It seems to me that every workplace employer I’ve interacted with over the last couple of years has mentioned how challenging it can sometimes be for their employees (and sometimes, themselves!) to authentically “speak up”. Speaking Up Speaking up is more than just “speaking truth to power”. It’s about improving team performance by engaging in […]
Premortem Analysis: The pathway to better team chemistry and project outcomes
February 4, 2019 by · Leave a Comment
“Why didn’t you speak up about that, at the time? This project has turned into a disaster.” Having spent a good chunk of my professional life in the project world, I’ve both asked that question, and, sigh, been the one having to answer that question. Projects fail, often, if not at a spectacular rate. One […]
Summer before Fall: A technique to cool things down when team conflict gets too hot
November 19, 2018 by · 3 Comments
How often have you been in a team or group meeting of some sort, conflict flares, and before you know it, there’s too much talking and not enough listening? Summer before Fall Summer before Fall is a (non-gender-specific) technique to cool things down when tensions rise in your group. The technique promotes active listening […]
