This past week marked the final session of a 5-session course based on The 8 Essential Skills and delivered for ONEplace@KPL, a nonprofit resource center based in Kalamazoo, MI. With 40 supervisors, managers, and nonprofit executive directors participating, the course was lively and interesting. The work that Bobbe Luce and Monica Priest do in assisting [...]
Retreating to the Front
This summer has provided several opportunities to leave work behind for several days at a time. Some time to myself to relax and reflect. Some time with colleagues thinking, planning, and collaborating together. The experience reinforced for me the wisdom of stepping backward to go forward. The opportunity to gain some perspective on the past [...]
A PCAM Thing
Delightful. It’s the only word I can think of to describe my afternoon on Thursday at the West Michigan Forum of the Professional Coaches Association of Michigan (PCAM). Twenty-five professionals who coach people in all sorts of situations, professions, and organizations. Along with two MCG colleagues – Mary Jo Asmus and Jean Johnson – I [...]
A Shift in Focus
As you can plainly see, this is my first post in quite awhile to this blog. In the past the blog’s focus was directly linked to the content of my 2010 book, “The 8 Essential Skills for Supervisors & Managers.” Now that the book is getting wider recognition it’s time to reactivate the blog and [...]
What Are You Thankful For?
It’s been awhile since my last post and I’m thankful to have a few minutes to write a little. The past several weeks have been a series of rewarding, interesting, frustrating and exciting days filled with what has become my temporarily bifurcated life. Living in an old (1876) house is an adventure sometimes, and what [...]
3 Leadership Traits
What leadership traits will be needed 10, 20, 50 years from now? Recently I was part of an audience of business and community leaders, faculty, students, and others who attended the first event in the Frederik Meijer Lecture Series at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center. Distinguished author, thinker, and businesswoman Dr. Jill Ker Conway. [...]
What’s Different About NPOs?
Consider several questions posed to the group of 30 executive directors, managers, and staff participating in the Nonprofit Supervision & Management Series at ONEplace@KPL: Is managing in a nonprofit organization (NPO) different than managing in the private sector? Is it different than managing in a governmental organization? If so, what is different? The major difference [...]
Employers and Employees
The Kalamazoo Gazette on Friday, September 10, contained a Viewpoint by Karen Momber titled “In today’s work environment, employers hold all the cards.” In her Viewpoint, the writer paints a thoroughly negative image of employers as nasty, mean-spirited, scheming, abusive, unethical, and downright evil. I have no idea where Ms. Momber has worked in her career, [...]
A Delightful Afternoon
I recently had the opportunity to speak to the faculty and staff at the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley State University as part of their fall Kickoff gathering. My topic was “Maximize Your Productivity” which of course relates to Skill 1 – Managing Yourself; the first of The 8 Essential Skills. A [...]
An Irritating Guy!
Communications Stories from the Trenches – III Once upon a time I worked with a colleague – we’ll call him Ralph – who seemed to have a great deal of difficulty in looking directly at me when we talked. The moment I walked into his office he stood up and did not sit down until [...]
