When our second daughter was 12, we rented an RV and toured around Alberta, Canada. Family vacations were not her favourite at the time. Famously, at one point she sneered at us with derision and said, “YOU want ME to go hiking in the Rockies??!”
Today, at 22, she is in Banff, Alberta and sent us the following text: “I am having so much fun. How did I not like this before?”
No one wants to be held to the opinions of their 12-year-old self. Continue reading “Allowing for Change”
You can always choose your reaction.
True. And your mindset. And when you sleep and what you eat. As Lisa O’Neill reminded us at TLBS this past week, we need to “control the controllables.” Lots of things lie within our sphere of control.
But there sure are a lot of things that don’t, and the uncertainty is taking its toll. As one client said to me recently, “My people just can’t seem to find much relief from the stress these days.” Continue reading “Certain in Uncertainty”
We’ve heard a great deal about “essential workers” in recent months. Our understanding of who falls into that category is shifting to include not just first responders and front-line health care workers, but now manufacturers of disinfectant wipes and face shields!
As I sat enjoying an evening porch visit with a long-time friend recently, she reflected on some of the things she’s learned during the pandemic. “I now know that I must do two things, even if I have to do them differently. I have to connect with people, and I have to create. Non-negotiable to me being fully me.” Continue reading “The Sweet Spot of Essential Work”
One of the things I miss most in my facilitation practice during COVID-19 is the ability to vary our venues. Where we hold a meeting affects what happens in that meeting, and working from home has limited our options. Switching our virtual background or moving from our dining room to our family room are poor substitutes.
Place matters, in so many ways. Continue reading “Environmental Protection”
This is one of the questions Derek Sivers poses in his quick read on entrepreneurship lessons called Anything You Want. His point is that it’s not all about the money — it’s about whatever your “personal dream come true” looks like — but you’d better be clear on what a win looks like for you.
I’ve been thinking about this for boards of directors, because sometimes they behave as if their win lies in having a complete policy binder and quorum at each meeting. Or they develop elaborate board assessment tools that can be thorough without being particularly meaningful. Continue reading “How do you grade yourself?”
