Do Men and Women See Leadership Differently? Generalization is risky. But we humans cannot resist searching for patterns. And there are interesting patterns around women and leadership and gender and leadership. Gender Some of you have already noticed that I said “men and women” in one paragraph and gender in the next. Gendered perspectives and […]
Is focus always a good thing? Middle managers focus on success in their slices of the organization chart. Researchers focus on patterns and themes in their data. In quantitative research, we look for statistically significant patterns and themes. In our society, we are pushed to narrow and clearly define our boundaries. In research, this is […]
When I hear the word “diversity” in organizations, it is usually about gender, ethnicity and disability. Are there enough women in senior leadership positions? Do we hire visible minorities? Are there wheelchair ramps? (This is an answer to that question of: “people with disabilities.”) There are two variations on the theme. Have we met targets? […]
“Social” as Learning, Improving and Celebrating Some time ago, I sent out invitations to join an asynchronous five-day conversation about “Do it Yourself” (DIY) learning and how to support it. The event was in the CPsquare community: one of my online “homes.” Like all CPsquare activities, this event emerged from intersecting member interests; not from […]
Have you ever observed people watching old, working machinery at a fall fair or antique museum? It doesn’t seem to matter what it is: an antique tractor or steam engine or oil derrick or stone-ground flour mill: people are intrigued. Why? My guess is that in our modern world, we almost never see how things work; it […]
On April 12, I (@4KM) was guest facilitator for an online twitter chat about boundaries. Specifically, we looked at whether the topic of boundaries is underplayed in leadership development and what that might mean for organizations, communities and the world. If you care about the nature and implications of boundaries. The chat was hosted by […]
If you read my last post, you saw that we held a “twitter un-chat” as part of our efforts to include our offsite friends, colleagues and extended networks in our f2f #OCE2o12 event. It would be a bit strange to have a gathering of online community enthusiasts (OCE) without some online experimentation. The idea of […]
Yes, it is a weighty title, but I have searched for a term for years, and this is the best I’ve come up with. Most of us design learning opportunities. They might span an hour in a boardroom, months in a university environment, or years with children. Almost all workplace training I have seen for […]
Are you a systems thinker? Do you regularly encounter pressure to fragment? Do you get questions like “But what is your area of specialization?” Or comments like “But that project was never intended to include THAT.” I do. So–even though I rarely write blog posts–I started a new blog: www.IslandHealth.Info It’s explicitly about things like […]
In organizations, we strive for specificity and certainty. Set a goal, carve into objectives, document metrics, and watch for progress. We know what we find, but what do we miss? Since moving to the country, I have adopted a different approach in my personal life (or perhaps I’m simply more aware of it now). For […]
I help people in organizations and communities gain new insights, adapt to changing environments, lead and learn.
