Good day, team, When I was out for a walk the other morning, I could see the buds emerging on the trees. Meanwhile, the wind was blowing, sleet was falling, and there were alternate moments of bright sun and grey skies. Such is the weather in Portland this time of year. It can be confusing: […]
Good day Team, For the past few weeks, I’ve been observing what appear to be opposites co-existing, that is, seeing bad occur in good and good occur in bad. They say that the most beautiful roses have the largest thorns, and so, in nature we can see many examples of this. We often see opposites […]
Good day, team, The theme of the January 2007 special issue of the Harvard Business Review is “The Tests of a Leader.” In the article “What to Ask the Person in the Mirror,” I found a quote that I want to share with you this week. “While your direct reports know what you are doing […]
Good day, team, This week, I read a magazine article about top chefs in America. One of those interviewed, Thomas Keller, who started the famous “French Laundry” restaurant in Napa Valley and now runs “Per Se” in New York, is known throughout the world for his perfectionism. He’s one of the few chef’s who has […]
Good day, team, It’s always interesting to see what happens when people with different agendas, opinions and viewpoints get into a room and try to agree on what should be done and how to do it. Often, there’s general consensus about what needs to be done in the long term. The greater differences lie in […]
Good morning, team, The word “integrity” is used a lot in business. It’s how we refer to people who exhibit the wonderful qualities of trustworthiness, dependability and honesty. Sometimes we use it to describe a process or purpose, such as “the integrity of a work product” or “integrity of purpose.” Though we esteem integrity and […]
Good day, team, As we approach the end of 2006, I am contemplating the three stages of change: endings, transitions and beginnings. The holidays give us a chance to rehearse the three stages, as we mark the end of one year with parties, enjoy some time off to absorb the transition, and then celebrate the […]
Good day, team, Part of my morning walk includes strolling through the park not far from my home; I especially love the large trees and duck pond there. One morning last week, I could hear music playing somewhere near the duck pond. The sound was faint, so I couldn’t make out what I was hearing, […]
Good day, team, This month it seems that all my clients are involved in some sort of strategic planning sessions. They’re either following up on meetings held previously or presenting plans they’ve worked on for months. My individual clients are also strategizing about what they want to achieve in the coming months. Such activities are […]
Good day, team, I had an experience recently that seemed an appropriate topic for this week in particular, since Thanksgiving is just a few days away. While flying back to Portland, I sat next to a 10-year-old girl named Bailey. She seemed just like any other little girl, but as I sat down next to […]