Step back for a moment and take an objective look at your company. Then answer these three questions:

1) Is it performing at a high level when it comes to creating innovative products or services for its customers?

2) Are customers not just satisfied but wowed by your company’s offerings?… Read full post »

Open a book on leadership or management, read an article on the subject or listen to an interview and you’re bound to bump into coaching or mentoring. This inter-related field has exploded in the past decade, with certified coaching programs and mentoring initiatives becoming as ubiquitous a… Read full post »

Retain the power of speech no matter what other power you may lose….Be shunned, be hated, or be ridiculed, be scared be in doubt, but don’t be gagged. The time of trial is always. Now is the appointed time.
– John Jay Chapman (commencement address to Hobart

… Read full post »

Do you like the status quo? Where you can maintain your routine at work, keep the co-workers you like, as well as a boss? If you answered yes then I have a surprise for you: you’re living on some distant planet.

Stability in the workplace was more a feature of… Read full post »

The world economy is in a competitive street-fight, with a no-holds-barred struggle for market share, and indeed for supremacy within a market.

Over several decades, economists have developed and advanced their theories on how to develop cities and regions. When I studied urban economics and… Read full post »

When you were little, what did you dream of being when you grew up?

And now that you’re an adult have you achieved your dream, or on your way to realizing it one day soon?

We live in turbulent times. Technology is rapidly changing how work is done; new types of… Read full post »

How do you perceive the world?

Is your glass half empty, or half full?

When you interact with people, whether at work or in your community, do you inherently trust them?

As human beings we haul around a lot of baggage, the accumulation of years and years of experiences: parents,… Read full post »

I’m a big fan of CBC’s Dragon’s Den and ABC’s Shark Tank. And to let you in on a secret, although I’m a Canadian and have watched Dragon’s Den loyally since its inception, I much prefer Shark Tank. The entrepreneurs who pitch their ideas at the Sharks are consistently better… Read full post »

Boundaryless, horizontality, borderless, cross-functional.

These words, plus more, have been used to describe the need to move beyond traditional organizational designs to a new form that is based on enabling people to perform their work and to serve customers more effectively.

How people col… Read full post »

Are you confused with what’s been going on in the economy and the job market?

Have you had enough of the solutions from the so-called experts?

Would you like some practical leadership tips that will help you adapt to the wild roller coaster ride we’re on?

Then check out my new… Read full post »

The world’s pretty messed up. No great insight there.

Give up trying to predict what’s going to happen and instead build your ability to adapt. If you’re in a leadership position, whether a formal manager or someone who takes a lot of initiative to lead your coworkers, the last thing you… Read full post »

There’s nothing like an extended period of weak economic growth following a nasty recession to subdue environmental initiatives. During my long public service career, I watched as enthusiasm about the environment waxed and waned. Leadership proved fleeting–reminiscent of the attention spa… Read full post »

No, I’m not talking about technology (or even innovation) in this post, which is what being an Early Adopter is usually intended.

I’m talking about figuring out how you lead when shit hits the fan, when top leadership in your organization has taken a vacation, when what seemed obvious now… Read full post »

Your eyes are glazing over, head slumping dangerously closer to the table, upon which lie scattered papers. The coffee’s terrible, as are the fat-laden muffins and pastries. And you’ve grown numb from the incessant drone of your boss, who’s pontificated on the organization’s prioritie… Read full post »

When the Occupy Movement’s battle lines were drawn, it wasn’t just the 99 per cent against the one. Another popular matchup was that of the baby boomers versus ‘the screwed generation.’ The only trouble with that one? It’s complete fiction.- The Ottawa Citizen (Headline to Robert Wrightâ€

… Read full post »

One of my favorite e-newsletters is Strategy+Business (produced by Booz&Company). You can depend on receiving insightful viewpoints and interviews with leading thinkers. A recent issue contained a thought-provoking interview with Margaret (Meg) Wheatley, author of several books, including… Read full post »

It’s not rocket science – or at least it shouldn’t be.

Whether you’re a plumber, a doctor, a truck driver, a nurse, or a cook, you know that if you want to spend money you have to earn money. That’s Economics 101.

I recall past conversations with guys I knew who… Read full post »

If you ask me anything I don’t know, I’m not going to answer.
– Yogi Berra (former New York Yankees manager)

If you’re a young person (in your twenties), what’s your preferred way to learn?

How do you engage with older co-workers (mid forties-plus) in the workplace… Read full post »

I recall when I worked for the federal government the mushroom-like growth of Blackberries. The last department I worked at before retiring at the end of 2010 was Industry Canada, which earned the reputation of being the most addicted to Blackberries, aka Crackberries. Whether in meetings, hal… Read full post »

We’ve heard for a number of years about the importance of learning in organizations. Our world is changing faster because of technology. The population is ageing steadily, distorting the traditional age pyramid. And new emerging economies (read previously developing countries) are changing… Read full post »

Call it a culture of myopia and greed, but there remains a huge tension between organizations led by CEOs who demonstrate little concern for employees, shareholders or the environment through bad leadership and management practices, and those led by CEOs who practice corporate social responsib… Read full post »

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for Changing Winds.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 38,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would

… Read full post »

Got the Christmas blues or feeling a little stressed out?

Okay, we’re all feeling a variety of emotions at this time of year. Me? I hold my breath until January 2. I’ve been raising kids for 32 years, and Sue and I have been through a ton of Christmases.

We’re exceedingly… Read full post »

There’s something happening here.
What it is ain’t exactly clear.
– Buffalo Springfield
“For What it’s Worthâ€

The efforts to create an ostensibly utopian society by those who camped out in parks across North America, Europe and even to far points such as Australia was doomed for… Read full post »

Before I get into this post I’d like you to watch this short video.

No, you’re not looking at a video of Calcutta or Haiti.

This is Canada.

At the time of writing this post at the end of November, the disgraceful living standards of First Nations reserves hit the… Read full post »