Al Watts Blog

Change Reflections  Al Watts It’s been a challenging year, mainly in good ways. Beyond 2017’s general challenges that we’ve likely all encountered, my wife and I have been managing the move from our home of 25 years. I couldn’t help capturing some parallels and

Does anyone remember the 1980’s ad: “Is it real, or is it Memorex?” The ad challenged TV viewers to distinguish between the announcer and a videotape of the announcer using 3M’s Memorex brand of videotape. (Perhaps I should have first asked if you remember “videotape”!) The ad has bee

So what have we learned from the 2016 election season? Whether happy, mad, sad or anxious, it can pay dividends to learn from experiences like the bruising 2016 U.S. presidential election. Here are a few of my takeaways. Character counts. Perhaps above all, this election season reveal

I admire chameleons; many can change colors as a means of adapting to their environment, avoiding predators and pursuing their livelihood (insects mainly.) I’ll admit to having a near life-long interest in reptiles of any kind, but what I admire most about chameleons is their capacity

Did you ever suspect that your “true north” isn’t actually true? If so, it could be on account of “variation” or “deviation;” let me explain. Especially before the wonders of GPS and electronic navigation, to sail a true course it was important to know about variation and deviation, t

The first definition of “integrity” in Webster’s New World Dictionary is “the quality of being complete; unbroken condition; wholeness; entirety.” In that context leading change with integrity implies adoption of the broadest possible lens evaluating the merits of change initiatives.

I’ve helped clients with some form of strategic planning for dozens of years and teach it at the college level. Theories, models and tools come and go, but here are a few fundamental concepts that have withstood the test of time, some for centuries; here are a few that I hope serve yo

(This month’s guest author is the founder of MaxPerformance, dedicated to maximizing personal performance, productivity and wellbeing. Nancy and I share the conviction that our “3 Ps:” Purpose, Principles and Priorities are foundational to personal as well as professional wellbeing an

I’ve become even more convinced that change, including positive change, is personal. I’ve been fortunate these last few months to be engaged leading the strategic planning process for an out-of-town higher education institution, coupled with additional teaching loads as adjunct facult

“What if all we had tomorrow is what we were grateful for today?” One of our students in the Master of Organizational Leadership program at St. Mary’s University recently posed this powerful question, prompting me to fortify my efforts cultivating an “attitude of gratitude.” There are

Have you noticed that most of the action happens around the margins of things or across boundaries? Innovative products and medical breakthroughs often bridge biology and chemistry or electrical and mechanical disciplines; many of Medtronics’ products are prime examples. “Mashups” of

You read the headline right; I do mean “Loon culture” (not “loony;” that’s for another time!) A recent trek into Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) provided the inspiration for this month’s newsletter. Among my favorite experiences in the BWCA are the sightings and sounds o