A recent conversation I had with a Senior Manager of Learning and Development for a national organization went something like this: “Our leaders need to be accountable for people development in our organization. It can’t be HR’s responsibility because it’s the leaders...
This is Part One in a series where I explore how a Lead with Learning approach to team development addresses challenges organizations and leaders face. I’m writing my next book, Lead with Learning, and admittedly, using this newsletter to write different chapters....
This was a challenging year for me, with the natural ups and downs of self-employment and some personal challenges. I started the year busy with work and trying to stay on top. My spring was quieter, so I took a course through Sauder School of Business. I realized in...
I want to start this month’s newsletter with a cautionary tale. In creating the Model T in 1908, Henry Ford proclaimed that he wanted to “build a motor car for the great multitude.” He achieved his vision, and by 1921, he was producing 56% of all passenger...
I spent a week in Fiji earlier in October with a group of colleagues whom I've known for two years online. We're in a business leadership community and we gathered for a conference and workshop. As I landed back in Toronto after 21 hours of travelling, my tired brain...
I was in Algonquin Park last weekend. Every year, we stay at the Blue Spruce, go for hikes, play board games, and eat delicious food. We went on beautiful hikes, and as we navigated roots and rocks, we started talking about curiosity. My mom declared that she just...
I recently had lunch with a client who manages a Learning and Development department. As our conversation unfolded, she shared how her team created a change management program for their leaders. The program focused on how people respond differently to change and how...
I worked at a life insurance company in my mid 30’s. In my first few weeks, Mark, who headed up product development, told me that he thought my boss Neil had made a poor decision in hiring me. Before joining the company, I worked as a consultant, and Neil was my...
When I was little, my family had a large vegetable garden in our backyard. It seemed to get larger over the years, and my memory is that it was half the size of the backyard by the time I was a teenager. We grew various vegetables – some more successful than others...
My daughter plays The Sims, a life simulation video game. She builds houses and buildings and creates cities. She makes characters and guides them through their video game lives. The characters make noises and talk, but because the game is international, it’s a...