Halston Consulting

On Hold

2011-10-17T11:28:00.001-07:00

Sorry! Halston Consulting is temporarily on hold... I will start blogging again soon :)

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Video on TED.com

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action Video on TED.com

Millennials

2011-07-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of discussion these days about our aging workforce and ideas around how to 'fix' the problem. But one discussion caught my attention the other day and it was the number of young consultants that jumped ship after a few months / one year of working. Reasons given were work/life balance, not getting paid enough, and not having enough responsibility. This age group is called the "

Never let your fear overwhelm your desire.

2011-06-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

This 20min speech given by the COO of Facebook is both inspirational and moving. I think she has a great message, espcially for the younger generations who still need to her it. Please take some time out of your day to listen to this and spread the message! "never let your fear overwhelm your desire. Let the obstacles in your path be external not internal. Fortune does favor the bold and

Competency Models

2011-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Most organizations understand the need for job descriptions and periodic performance reviews of employees. However, most organizations do not necessarily detail out competencies for their job categories and therefore lose various aspects of organizational effectiveness because they are unable to measure performance on a standardized baseline. Also, talent attraction and retention is impacted

Is your company fit for human beings?

2011-06-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Good Day! It has been ages since I have been posting - mostly due to life (excuses, excuses...). Today as I was scrolling through some online articles this heading caught my eye "Is your company fit for human beings". It doesn't matter who I talk to - everyone has a story about Organizational Development issues within their companies. It has been written about, researched, blogged, tweeted

Uncertainty

2011-05-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Lately it seems that the hot topic in my life is the element of uncertainty or ambiguity. Things that are out of your control... So what do we do about it?! Here is some food for thought: Tony Schwartz, HBR Blog, Monday May 9, 2011 A few weeks ago, I found myself in a conflict with someone in my work life. I felt he had clearly violated an agreement we'd made. My first reaction was

CoP

2011-04-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

"A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. The group can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members

Moving On...

2011-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed to see that my last post on this blog was March 13th. But I have been quite busy with completing one contract, being unemployed, networking, searching, packing and then moving to another city! I am about to embark on an adventure as an employee with a professional services firm continuing to specialize in Organizational Development and specifically Change Management. Looking

A Conversation with Tom Peters (Auckland 2011)

2011-03-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

From Tom Peters: "Auckland Seminar23 February 2011"

Reflecting

2011-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

It is always interesting to discuss your particular work history with people. I think this is an important exercise that enables you to gain perspective and really identify parts that you could have done better as well as your particular successes! I just wanted to share something a colleague said to me the other day, that really resonated with me. The context of the conversation was a past

Public Speaking

2011-02-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

It is always surprising to me when someone mentions that they are uncomfortable speaking in public. I only say surprising because this particular skill is one that I actually enjoy! For the most part this fear of public speaking is situational. In general, people seem to be okay speaking with a group of direct report employees or speaking up in an educational environment. However, when it

Are you being Proactive?

2011-02-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

In the world of consulting, we have a fine balance of actual work we are doing for clients on a day to day basis and also continuously looking for leads to generate new business. One of my most successful colleagues once told me that he dedicates anywhere up to 1 hour per day on networking activities. This could be in the form of organizing his contacts for the coming week through to spending

How Employees Listen

2011-02-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever implemented a change, planned it perfectly and then executed to no avail? This article from HBR's Blogger John Baldoni tackles just this issue. When change initiatives fail, the culprit is often a lack of good communication from management. But that's not always the whole story. Communication isn't just about what management says; it's also about how employees listen. This

Who Before What

2011-02-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

This post is based on Jim Collins: Good to Great. This past week one of his quotes stuck with me, so I went and found it on his website: "You are a bus driver. The bus, your company, is at a standstill, and it’s your job to get it going. You have to decide where you're going, how you're going to get there, and who's going with you." This article was brought about through a coaching

Creating Space

2011-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

One great aspect of working in Vancouver is the variety of groups and experiences offered. One of the groups I belong to is the British Columbia Organizational Development Network. This great group of OD Professionals is very open/excepting and all about creating exceptional experiences. During a recent event, the speaker addressed the idea of "containers" and creating/holding space for

Strengths based Leadership

2011-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to a Women in Technology Group Meeting to participate in a Leadership and Management Session about Strengths. Prior to the session I filled in the survey to determine my top 5 strengths based on a Gallup Tool. The overall results of this survey were not surprising for me or unexpected. One of the questions that was asked at my table was - what good is this if you are not a leader

Whiteboard-It.

2011-01-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, I admit, I was a little bit disorganized. I had a good idea of what I had to do but really didn't have a great starting place. So, I took the first 20mins and filled out a whiteboard with all of my tasks and was able to get a bigger picture going to work from. Then, a collegue of mine who I am working on this particular project with came over and we were able to go through things

Recharging

2011-01-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

This morning I conducted a short session using the Myers Briggs analysis for a team of people in IT. This team had an interesting profile and of course the jokes started about being an introvert vs. an extrovert. One of my main points is that being an I or an E isn't about being loud or quiet but it is about how each one of us is able to recharge. E's - get their energy from the people

Asking for Help

2011-01-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have developed a good habit over the past few year and that is to take some time over the first week of the new year to take stock of my life and really think about what the next 3 years are going to look like. As someone who is an organized planner my list has 3 'buckets' - financial, work and personal. I am not going into the details but these give me something to strive for and if

2011-01-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Checking In

2010-12-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

So, I have been off the radar lately. There are a few reasons for this, the least of which is the fact that I have moved from the Middle East back to the West Coast of Canada. (no culture shock there)... Besides moving home I have started working with a great IT company that has some awesome people! The other day we were in a marketing meeting and discussing the development of a 'sales

Framing Working Relationships

2010-11-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

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ROI on Employee Wellness

2010-11-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

In HBR Magazine this month, they look at the return on investment for employee wellness programs. These programs really help people with their overall lifestyle, health and drastically reduce overall health costs for corporations. The proof is in the numbers: "Since 1995, the percentage of Johnson & Johnson employees who smoke has dropped by more than two-thirds. The number who have high blood

Utilization Rates

2010-11-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

The title of this entry is enough to drive any manager or consultant crazy. With the current state of the economy companies are looking closely at how their employees are working and what they are doing all day at work! (social networking or solitaire doesn't count as work) With any type of work there should be some downtime and a utilization rate of 80% is achievable; however, what happens

Priorities!

2010-11-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Picture This: You are starting a new position as a project manager at a company and are handed about 10 projects to manage. 6 of them are mid-project and 4 are in the pipeline. To compound this you are told that all are important and you don't have enough resources to handle the load (sound familiar?!) Yesterday, I was discussing prioritization with a client. The situation was quite

Moving and Growing

2010-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since my last post. This is due to one major happening in my life -> moving from the Middle East back to Canada. There are mixed feelings about this because I am leaving a place that provides a very easy life without much hardship and going back to a place where everything is DIY (Do it Yourself). Things I am going to miss about the 'sandpit' Warmth (well the 5

Handling Stakeholders

2010-10-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Lets start with the definition of a stakeholder.... Person, group, or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives, and policies; Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions,

MEETINGS!!!

2010-10-06T02:52:00.000-07:00

I know that putting the title of this post in ALL CAPS is a bit obnoxious but really, unnecessary meeting are even more annoying! How many times have you left a meeting shaking your head and wishing you had that hour back of your life? or even better, how many times have you completely zoned out to play with your PDA and answer emails because the meeting either was really boring or had nothing

Ritzing it Up...

2010-09-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I admit that I check the HBR website every other day. I get a vast variety of articles that engage and make me want to share. Today was no exception with: What Happens When You Really Meet People's Needs. The article focuses again on the Ritz Carlton and how they meet customer expectations, empower their employees and ultimately create a positive working environment. A few examples

Attention PLEASE!

2010-09-28T02:24:00.000-07:00

In this world of digital overload I have started to trend towards low-tech presentations. I am not really abandoning Power Point, just giving it a rest for a while. I am also starting to insist people turn off their PDAs, Mobile Phones, Laptops and any other digital device that causes distraction. What is allowed? Simply Pen & Paper. To some this is a bit harsh. After all, we

Transition

2010-09-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me when I hear a story about someone being 'dumped' by an organization and how it happens. Currently, the organization that I am working with is going through some right sizing activities. This is due to major organizational change, budget constraints and also government regulation. People are being brought into a room on the 'last day' and handed a cheque and being told that

Napping

2010-09-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back to reality after some time off and I thought I would start things off with an article on napping from HBR! Source Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps by Tony Schwartz But here's the reality: naps are a powerful source of competitive advantage. The recent evidence is overwhelming: naps are not just physically restorative, but also improve perceptual skills,

Changing Project Management

2010-09-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to a seminar with a group of IT Project managers to hear a prof. from SFU (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver) speak about his research into project management. Surveying project managers in the UK, US & Canada there were some surprising results. Interestingly enough, the big take away for me from that lecture focused around change management and creating business value

40 Years

2010-09-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a short note on staying power. This weekend was my parents 40th wedding anniversary. They have been together for over 40 years and it is amazing when so many people I know have divorced parents. So, what does it take to stay together 40 years? Apparently a great sense of humor and patience. :)

On Vacation

2010-09-01T19:25:00.001-07:00

Thank you for your visit. I am away from the office right now and will return shortly!

Reblog: Prevent Taking a Bad Day Home

2010-08-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

(source) Feeling frustrated at work, especially late in the day? Most of us feel this way from time to time. The challenge is what to do about it. Do what competitive divers do: get up on the diving board and execute a dive in which you excel. Then call it quits for the day. That advice was given to my daughter, a drop-in diver in a collegiate program. She was a competitive diver in her teens;

Corporate Security

2010-08-10T02:11:00.000-07:00

Keeping track of employees and information in this business climate is a wee bit of a challenge to say the least. Employees are subject to internet policies, non-disclosure agreements and logging in to various terminals all in an effort to maximize security and handle information flow. For Example: Telus has come up with a key card that operates everything from computers to parking lot access

Education, Recovery and Demand

2010-08-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

Right now we are on the upswing from the great 2008 Economic Crisis. This upswing, like others in the past is starting at a snails pace amongst speculation from business experts from around the world. As the engine gets going again firms are looking for 2 things. #1 is new talent. #2 is advisory. The race for new talant is not unheard of. Recruiters everywhere are buzzing about

Spilling It Out….

2010-07-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

On April 22nd this year possibly the worst oil related disaster occurred in the Gulf of Mexico when a BP Platform sank and a well started spewing oil into the surrounding waters. In May, the blame game started with the three main contracting companies involved in the drilling operation blaming each other for the disaster. In June a cap was put on the well and BP announced it was putting together

Job Titles

2010-07-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Titles are funny things. They can say a lot about a person and nothing at all. They really don't define who you are but they can add weight. On HBR today there was an article by blogger Bill Taylor on Job Titles. I am reposting it for your amusement! Enjoy! ---------------- Nobody does a better job than The Economist at skewering the excesses and absurdities of organizational life. In a

The Value of an MBA

2010-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a conversation with a college about his intentions to do an MBA. I naturally asked him what his goals were and what he wanted to achieve. From this information I initially recommended an executive education management course. It met all of his criteria and I think would set him up much better for the future. But then we started to discuss situations.

Scoping it Out!

2010-07-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

Working with other project managers, I have noticed a distinct lack of time and attention on scoping activities. Back in March I wrote about Managing Expectations and in order to be able to do this effectively, one activity that demands attention is scoping. Firstly, what is scoping?? Better Projects defines scoping as “as the body of work that will be done to deliver a working product (or

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the long weekend!

Egypt, and the Art of Selling!

2010-06-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

This past week I had a short holiday in Egypt. Due to the food poisoning, paying off the police, watching the world cup, unexpected tomb visit and a few other hiccups; the planned relaxing week was more of an adventure! However, besides all of this there is one incident that stood out for me. We were at the Valley of the Queens and walking up to the entrance when I stopped to look at a scarf (

Sustainable Change

2010-06-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I touched on the subject of Sustainability. Sustainability in that scenario looked at the Environmental, Social and Economic impacts in a broad sense. This post then got me thinking about the concept of sustainable change within an organization. How should an organization approach change so that it sticks?! Lets start with Change Management. The overall concept of Change

The Changing Face of Business -> Sustainability

2010-06-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, through a friend I met Sustainability Guru Ann Duffy, who was the Sustainability Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Games. Our conversation got me thinking about organizations here in the Middle East and how simple processes such as recycling have just started to gain attention (I still do not own a 'Blue Box' here). I also want to share a blogpost from HBR that talks about getting to

Managing Effectively

2010-06-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

It literally takes all types to work in an organization and because of this everyone has a slightly different leadership style that they bring into the mix. However, the processes that these managers use to engage their employees and provide them with direction can become a little more formalized... Taken from an article Are SMART Goals, Dumb the following looks at a process of goal setting

The Basics!

2010-06-07T00:16:00.001-07:00

You will have to excuse the next few paragraphs because they are a bit of a personal rant. My rant stems from the simple fact that organizations need to open up their eyes and realistically take stock of where they are instead of trying to go with the latest and greatest change management project just because it is the ‘in’ thing to do! Organizational Development or Transformation within a lot

Virtual Teams

2010-06-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

The concept of teamwork is not a new one to business units. Most jobs require multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex problems that touch on various aspects of an organization. However, what if the members of a team are geographically dispersed? What then? How do these virtual teams function? How can these people implement solutions? How can you lead this team? Team Types Executive Teams are

Where have you come from?

2010-05-31T00:30:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I took 2 colleagues up to a resort in Oman and certified them as open water scuba divers. During the weekend one of them asked me what my background was… I went on to explain that I started out in Outdoor Recreation & Tourism and progressed through Project Management and my MBA. One of the comments that came up was – wouldn’t it be great to be a dive instructor! My answer to

Voluntary Information Transfer

2010-05-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today, reading the HBR Blog, I came across a post looking into the topic of employees not speaking up when they know something is wrong. (link). This topic goes right to the heart of organizational culture and how organizations need to change the way that they do things in order to get the best out of their employees. "In short, savvy (or simply fearful) employees may be speaking up only about

Mistakes

2010-05-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone makes them. This simple fact is the first thing to recognize, the second is to know when you have made one! Mine, came the other day over a decision that I was going to make and someone called me out on it before I had the chance to execute on it. The first instinct is to come up with every excuse in the book as to why I was going that way. The second is to justify and reason it

Project Simplicity

2010-05-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

This morning I have to put together another project plan. I start with a document and then moved onto project management software and then add in some stuff through a spreadsheet. Phew! enough already. So I looked at everything I did and decided that a simple spreadsheet was the way to go! I think that sometimes our skills and education get the better of us and we over utilize the tools at

Organizational Communications 2.0

2010-05-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a conversation with a colleague about an idea they had. My natural position was to ask a few questions about the idea and one of those was "how will this be received by the Senior Executive Committee when we are doing x right now?". To which this person replied "I didn't know that!". There is a lot of information and emphasis put on communication within the workplace; however,

Canadians Hug

2010-05-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

I have given a lot of thought lately on how people greet eachother. This was initally prompted the other day by a hug from a fellow Canadian - she was a new aquaintance who I only had contact with through a few emails. My inital reaction was "Wait a minute, we don't do that in the Middle East" and my second reaction was "I miss hugs!". Greeting is an act of communication in which human

Word of the Day

2010-05-03T01:41:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia: Heuristic (pronounced /hjʉˈrɪstɨk/, from the Greek "Εὑρίσκω" for "find" or "discover"): problem solving, learning and discovery. In Greek it is derived from the verb called heuriskein which means "to find". Archimedes is said to have shouted "Heureka" after discovering the principle of flotation in his bath, which is later converted to Eureka. A heuristic method is used to

Informal Groups

2010-04-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

(Re-Blog) Informal groups almost always arise if opportunities exist. Often, these groups serve a counter organizational function, attempting to counteract the coercive tendencies in an organization. If management prescribes production norms that the group considers unfair, for instance, the group's recourse is to adopt less demanding norms and to use its ingenuity to discover ways in which it

Causes

2010-04-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

This morning I was online and stumbled across a posting on Facebook about a young women who recently blogged about dying from a disease called Cystic Fibrosis. Little did I know that when I clicked on the link - I know this girl. About 6 years ago I was coaching rowing at the Deep Cove Rowing Club in North Vancouver I met an amazing women named Margaret Benson. She also has CF and in 1999

Specializing or Segmentation

2010-04-19T02:08:00.000-07:00

I started Halston Consulting in 2006 out of a typical Gen X frustration about not wanting to work for a company - consulting sounded like an exciting way to go! 4 years on I have realized that building a consulting firm is about a lot of networking, outcome-based successes and reputation building over the years to be able to go consulting as a full-time job. However, there is also one other

Crowd Sourcing

2010-04-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Currently I am at the Grenoble School of Business Management for a post-grad diploma in Management Consulting. One of the concepts we have been discussing this week is Crowdsourcing (Wikipedia). An example of crowdsourcing would be the graphic design site 99Designs. Where companies can post a design project and pay for the number of submissions that they feel they would need for the job. For

Working Technology

2010-04-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

For the past year my laptop has been giving me verying levels of grief. It is a 4 year old PC that decideds in the middle of the last slide of an amzing power point presentation to freeze.... or when you are downloading something from the internet - it gives you the blue screen of death. Needless to say that it is high time for a new system. Two weeks ago I took the plunge and ordered a new

How to Build a Better Business Culture

2010-04-01T02:41:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of work around organizational development and organizational culture recently and came across this blog-post on an alternative business blog called Trizle. Enjoy.... Peeps put themselves into groups: The jocks. The nerds. The goths. The yaddas. When you're part of one group, you think of your group as being soooo freeeaaakishly much better than the other groups. So,

Innovation

2010-03-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sitting in an organization that I can compare to a lumbering elephant, I am always impressed by the large companies out there who allow space and time for innovation and change within their organizations. A friend of mine who works at Yahoo is encouraged to not only to spend time on personal projects that add value to the organization; but, to present them on a regular basis to their working

Negativity in the Workplace

2010-03-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

I really don't think anything saps your strength as much as negativity. For example, this morning I started work with a to do list that was going pretty good and some hurdles that were being overcome. Then I facilitated a meeting. This particular meeting went from a working group discussion to a full out negative - everything is wrong - type of discussion. During this meeting I tried to

Keeping Time

2010-03-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is going on this week but it seems as though everyone is cancelling appointments or changing them - I have had an investor presentation changed 4 times and another appointment rescheduled 3 times. As a consultant you have to expect a certain level of change and poses the ability to go along with it no matter what; but, when a client or other party keeps changing times it sends

Happy at Work?

2010-03-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

There is a lot to be said about being happy and productive in the work place. There is also something to be said about clocking in every day and collecting a paycheck! As an employee you have to decide where you are going to fit in the overall paradigm of the working world and contrary to popular belief - you have the power to shape how this is all going to fall out. If you are in the latter

Landscaping Memories

2010-03-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

After a long day I came home to discover a posting on facebook. A friend of mine had sent me a link to a song that we used to sing every day during a summer of landscaping - a silly memory but one that prompted me to download the link, crank up the volume and re-live the moment! I think that we need to do this more in our lives. Sometimes we get so wrapped up with everything that is going on

CEO Leadership

2010-03-07T00:55:00.000-08:00

Leadership is a truly tricky concept! You can argue the point that someone can lead from many positions in an organization (and you would have a valid point!). For me as a consultant I often speak with my clients about leadership and how they show up as leaders within their organizations. This can range from the silent/action type through to the vocal type. At one stage or another we all have to

Managing Expectations

2010-03-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

I belong to a Project Management Group that meets in Vancouver and participates in lively discussions, debates and presentations about various topics relating to our jobs (most are IT Project Managers). Today I recieved the email for the March meeting and the topic is Managing Expectations "both what you SAY and what you DON’T say, as well as other challenges that make this more difficult than

Planet Garbage

2010-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today, as I was back at work (after a trip to the Andaman Islands in India) everyone was asking me how the trip went and I told them about the amazing scuba diving, the cellular jail in Port Blair, stopping by the Ghandi memorial and the random Golden Temple experience. Overall a great trip that I would be more than happy to go on again! This trip made me realize how too much of a good thing

Inspiration

2010-02-17T03:13:00.000-08:00

I admit it - lately I haven't been inspired to do anything.... literally. So naturally I started to speak with some of my co-workers and friends and found out that I am not the only one out there with this issue.... This afternoon something changed. I was on a friends blog and she has just completed writing a children's book. The reasoning behind this wasn't anything other than to do the

25 Lessons from Jack Welch

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Lead Managers muddle – leaders inspire. Leaders are people who inspire with clear vision of how things can be done better. Manage Less “We are constantly amazed by how much people will do when they are not told what to do by management.” Articulate Your Vision “Leaders inspire people with clear visions of how things can be done better.” The best leader do not provide a step-by-step

Lost Knowledge

2010-02-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

This month I am headed to a small set of islands that belong to India called the Andaman Islands. The attraction, for me at least, is scuba diving in warm seas with a variety of marine life from sharks to nudibranches! However, a friend of mine, knowing that I am going there, just sent me an article about a women who has just passed away of old age in the Andaman Islands. There is really

Excellence

2010-02-02T02:40:00.000-08:00

Recently I have had a struggle with the terminology of quality. I came across this blog post on Tom Peters! and I think that it really speaks to what excellence and quality is supposed to be in the context of an organization. Part of organizational change and culture is about motivating people to find that balance. I think that in order to accomplish this we need to start getting more

Lessons Learned

2010-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Project Management is always a difficult thing. Even more difficult is managing the closure process where little time and effort are usually spent. Yes, most projects celebrate closure and most of the time a lessons learned document is produced, but rarely is anything done with that final report. An article from PM Perspectives highlights just this issue. They came up with two key

Jugaad

2010-01-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

In business there are many situations that I have come across where resistance from co-workers or clients takes the form of "we can't do that - there is just no way". This line of thinking is to be expected, after all, our first instinct is to try and get out of something. However, in the new paradigm of business we need to start using positive language in order to overcome barriers and create

Time-Out

2010-01-13T03:37:00.000-08:00

There are times when in order to get perspective in a situation, you just have to take a day off! Someone reminded me yesterday that my number one priority is myself. And when you are so overwhelmed with everything that is going on, removing yourself from the situation might be the best thing possible! Rest, Reflect, Rejuvenate!

Incompetent Leadership

2010-01-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

An “incompetent” leader by definition is someone whose action destroys camaraderie, instill gossip, encourage dishonesty, and prevent people from speaking freely. “Incompetent” leaders tend to use their own weapons to get noticed and promoted. They usually lack vision, interpersonal communication skills and confidence to resolve conflict. You might think the term “

Perspective

2010-01-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

Recently I have noticed that it is very difficult for some people to gain perspective. I made this observation with about a colleague who really gets into all of the details of things and when you ask about long-term or strategic plans this same person gets very defensive about things and goes off about everything they are doing. So how do we keep perspective and objective when the pressure

Organization 101

2010-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

There are a number of things that can get me frustrated at work and sometimes there is just so much going on that I need to stop and ORGANIZE! It is sort of like spring cleaning for my brain. I go through everything on my desk and determine what needs to be completed, then I put anything away that I have either finished with or can wait for a while. After that the pile gets down to urgent

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T03:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some questions that I found for reflecting on your year: 1. What did I learn? (Skills, knowledge, awareness', etc.) 2. What did I accomplish? (List of my wins and achievements.) 3. What would I have done differently? Why? 4. What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me? 5. What were the most significant events of the year past? List the top three. 6. What did I

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T03:58:00.000-08:00

This year has been a tough one. From the highs of finishing my MBA and moving to a new country to the reality of living in the Middle East and dealing with my job. I have to say that I have learned a lot about myself and I believe that this is a test in resilience and with the help of a few friends - will get through it with style! And when in doubt - throw in 'Christmas Vacation' to remind

Leaders vs. Builders

2009-12-21T03:57:00.000-08:00

A new paradigm of thinking for the next decade? or crazy blog ramblings? you decide. • The boss drives group members; the leader coaches them. The Builder learns from them. • The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will. The Builder depends on good. • The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The Builder is inspired — by changing the world. • The boss says "I";

Building Relationships

2009-12-16T23:40:00.000-08:00

Living and working in the Middle East has definitly highlighted many nuances of business - the most important is the ability to network and create relationships. This was highlighted to me the other day when there was an issue between 2 departments (let's call them John and Peter). John was from the technical department who ordered a piece of equipment that was necessary. Peter worked in

Something to Think about in 2010

2009-12-14T21:06:00.001-08:00

As the year draws to a close here are a few words to think about and reflect on for the coming year: What Matters Now

Since the Golf Open.....

2009-12-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while - things have been getting interesting. During early November I met a group of women who play Gaelic Football. After a couple of days of training - I was off to Abu Dhabi for a tournament. The game is very fast with self passing and running - didn't make any sense until I actually played it that weekend. Two weeks later we headed to Bahrain for another

How to Benefit from a Freelancer's Mind Set

2009-11-18T03:08:00.000-08:00

I love when other people hit the nail on the head!!! (Article Source) After watching longtime colleagues get laid off during a painful downsizing, a friend of mine is putting together her résumé. She realized she could be next, and she wanted to be ready. "It's scary," she confided in me. "It's been a long time since I've been on the hunt, interviewing, marketing my skills. Even though I'm

Rememberance Day

2009-11-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

I would like to take a min to reflect on Rememberance Day. A holiday often overlooked in our busy lives when I was at home, has taken on a new meaning being so far away. There was a post on the CBC site pondering the question "if the circumstances were the same now, would I be brave enough to step up for my country". I think my answer would be yes; only if Canada was threatened by an

Human Resources Development

2009-11-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

As a person to always keep my options open, from time to time I apply for random jobs to see what the market is like and also to refine my CV. Earlier last month I filled out an online application for McKinsey - I have always thought it would be beneficial to work at one of the biggest consulting companies in the world. In the almost 3 weeks since doing this I haven't given it a thought until

AAGC Open

2009-11-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

Today I won my first golf trophy! This was partially due to the fact that I was playing with some great players on the first day and they gave me a 36 handicap to start! The first day of play started at 12:30pm in 35 degrees, I was play with Doug (scot), Peter (scot) and Mike (kiwi). By the time we all finished at 5:30 it was finally starting to cool off. After a quick run home for a shower

You know you are Canadian when...

2009-11-03T21:11:00.001-08:00

You have to explain AND google the word touque for your work mates!

Jim's Top 12 for Gen Y's

2009-11-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

1) Realize that this economic mess is not your fault…but don’t get a chip on your shoulder over it either. 2) Own your morale and attitude on how you perceive the world. 3) Never stop learning. When you think you’ve had enough, find another area in which to learn something new. Read a book – don’t just web surf. 4) Follow Slava’s rule: have two trades or professions 5) Working after high

More on Confict Management

2009-10-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is so true - we deal with so much conflict on a day to day basis, it seems more productive to embrace it and deal constructively with it than fight it. (Making Conflict Management A Strategic Advantage) Conflict Handling Modes: Competing is assertive and uncooperative. You try to satisfy your own concerns at the other’s expense—to win. Accommodating is unassertive and cooperative—the

Communication

2009-10-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have to take a very deep breath, sit back and reflect on the impact of what someone else has just done or said to me. The other morning someone walked into the office and without even a good morning, they started to demand something from me. Initially my reaction was defensive, which quickly turned into 'are you nuts'? However, to my credit, i didn't respond in that manner. I

Sorry!

2009-10-25T08:58:00.001-07:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet! I just had a rough week. Infected foot and then some cold/flu type thing that really took me out. I am back in action ... hopefully there will be something fun to report this weekend!

Stuff to do

2009-10-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, to help with the "I have nothing to do!" mindset - I have started running every morning at 5:30am. I head over to the RugbyClub and do the loop there (about 5.6km). So far 3 mornings this week and feeling good. Tonight had a round of golf (with 2 pars!) and tomorrow heading to Dubai to meet up with Aly! YEA. Apparently this weekend is more golf, a BBQ with the Drapers and cleaning the

To Change Effectively, Change Just One Thing

2009-10-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Again, I found this on the Harvard Busienss Review Blog, enjoy! I lost 18 pounds in the past month and a half. I didn't exercise harder or longer than usual. I didn't read a new diet book supported by evidence and filled with rules and recipes. I didn't eat prepared meals from a diet organization. I've done all those things in the past and some of them worked but none of them lasted. They

Nothing

2009-10-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is what has been going on in the last week and a half since returning from Malaysia! Really, I have returned to work, started back at the gym and last weekend the highlight was going to beerfest on Thursday night and having a hang-over all weekend! ha. Yesterday, I had a pretty good day. Started off at 5:30am with a run and finished the day with a round of golf. I

Back To Work

2009-09-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

Finally got my first full night of sleep in at least 3 days! So good! Back to work and already planning my next exodus...