This summer has so far been chock full of great fiction and nonfiction, about crossing and/or understanding cultures. Here are some fun, provocative, informative, and inspiring books. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (2010, Riverhead Books) tells the fictional but real … Read More
Musings
Starved for Appreciation
I showed appreciation for someone and he cried. As I told him about the qualities that make him a valued part of the team, he welled up. As I moved on to discuss acts and products that he contributed to … Read More
Tags: Leadership, Organizational change
Leadership and Accountability
Who holds the top accountable? As a leader, whether of a unit or an organization, it’s easy to get trapped by the illusions of the office. Check the news for accounts of people who used their offices unethically. The leader’s … Read More
Tags: Coaching, Leadership
Reader’s Review–Fall 2010
I recently read several books that you might find interesting: A Nation of Strangers: Prejudice, Politics and the Populating of America by Ellis Cose. Though written in 1992, Cose provides a thorough review of immigration debates and policies from the … Read More
What are you for?
People respond to a positive proposition with energy that’s optimistic and sustainable. That is, people will strive for something compelling even, or especially, if it’s challenging. On the other hand, identifying something wrong or objectionable and fighting against what is, … Read More
Facilitating for Transformation
The course I taught was, finally, a success. It took a lot to reach people, to get the concepts across, to get them to take ownership of their learning, their class, and their process. My colleague and I didn’t break … Read More
Tags: Facilitation, Learning
Yoga and karate: Recognizing the present
I used to study martial arts. I loved it. It was the ballast to my activist life. It was where I discovered my athletic self. Then, after about 18 years, I fell while hiking and hurt my back. There went … Read More
Tags: Coaching, Self-development