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
Musings
I intend to share ideas about processes that support the effective functioning of justice seeking organizations. As an Organization Development consultant, I focus on how organizations function and how departments, programs, and/or people work together to best effect. I explore how people engage or only partially engage with each other and the resulting impact on social change. Because I’m also committed to the issues that my clients work on, I’ll discuss current events, justice, and implications of news stories or community events. And, as a colleague to other OD consultants, I hope to spark conversations among those of us working to advance racial justice and social change through coaching, organizational design, and leadership development. I share my musings in the hopes that they support learning and, therefore, change.
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
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
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
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