I’ve been working on a piece of homework assigned during a presention by my Australian buddy Donna McGeorge at the 2011 IFVP Conference. One of her recommendations to us was to make a list of fifty declarations: statements that we know, through our professional expertise, to be absolutely true. This list can then be turned […]
Whether or not we are satisfied with an experience or event depends a great deal upon what our expectations were ahead of time. If the experience meets or exceeds our expectations, we are happy; if it does not, we are disappointed. In my life and work with intentional communities, I have noticed that those who […]
Recently, I spent a weekend camping near the coastal town of Mendocino with my sea kayaking club. This event is very loosely organized. Each morning, folks wander from campsite to campsite, coffee in hand, trying to organize their daily paddling itinerary. Eventually, cars start departing as groups head out to local launching points, windows down […]
A recent blog post by Daniel Pink alerted me to a hilarious Wall Street Journal piece by Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. Adams suggests that one of the best ways to generate good new ideas is to generate a bunch of really bad ones. He gives some pretty silly and/or outrageous examples of ways […]
There are many ways to influence people’s behavior, and the best strategy is to incorporate multiple pathways. In order to change, people must have both the motivation and the ability to do so. Social and environmental factors are often overlooked. One of my favorite books on creating change within an organization is Influencer: The Power […]
Comments Off on Truth or Consequences, Part Three
Sylvia Lafair’s November newsletter used a great metaphor for dealing with consequences: gravity. If you sit under an apple tree, an apple might fall on your head. The apple wasn’t out to get you. The apple doesn’t wish you ill. The apple isn’t sorry it hit you. The apple isn’t mean. The apple just […]
Tags: Accountability, Consequences
I live in a cohousing community and work with many others as a facilitator, trainer, and consultant. The most common issue for which communities hire me has to do with work – or more accurately, how to get members who aren’t doing their agreed-upon share of the work to get with the program. What is […]
Recently I was given the valuable opportunity to practice what I preach! A client was not entirely happy with the work we’d done together and gave me very frank, specific and detailed feedback about it. While grateful for their honesty, I was somewhat taken by surprise. This conversation was an excellent chance to review these […]