In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell discusses the idea that practicing something – anything – for ten thousand hours will make one an expert. I don’t know how much science there is behind that magic number, but I don’t think anyone would argue that practice is important in building any skill. Art Every Day Month […]
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 […]
I love this little video. (The narration is transcribed here.) I get two big lessons from this. First, if you are going to be a leader, you need to BE EASY TO FOLLOW. If what you are doing is too difficult or complicated, it will be too hard for folks to understand you and join […]
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When I was a kid, my list included: teacher doctor first woman president artist nun (I went to Catholic school, OK?) It occurred to me recently that I have managed to incorporate elements of all of these roles into my work life! I lead workshops and I teach at two local colleges. I worked […]
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>In a recent blog post, Harvard Business Review writer Peter Bregman calls PowerPoint the “#1 Killer of Meetings.” I’m not sure if I agree it’s number one – I’ve been to any number of sucky meetings that didn’t involve PowerPoint – but it is definitely in the top five. I personally am on a one-woman […]
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>Just as visual artists know that white space is a key element in a good design, good facilitators know that break time is a key element in good meeting design. When there is a lot of work to be done or information to be conveyed, it is tempting to schedule every minute, but this will […]
> When Kim Coontz first asked me to lead a workshop on strategic planning at the California Cooperative Conference I was a little surprised; I usually teach meeting facilitation, communication skills, or conflict resolution, so it seemed outside my area of expertise. She pointed out that as a facilitator, I am frequently hired to help […]
> I have long felt an attraction to the poetry and teachings of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi. I recently stumbled upon a delightful book that condenses Rumi’s spiritual practices into a short, simple easily-remembered list. Rumi’s Four Essential Practices: Ecstatic Body, Awakened Soul by Will Johnson explains the practices and connects them to the larger body […]
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My workshop “Meetings That Don’t Suck” offers tips, tools, and tricks for planning and facilitating better meetings. Most folks who take the course are in some kind of leadership position in which they have responsibility for meetings. But what can you do if you are low on the office food chain, and are stuck as […]