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

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.

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

I asked myself that question after attending a recent book launch event by John Taft, CEO of RBC U.S. Wealth Management. John’s new and second book, “A Force For Good,” on one hand strikes an encouraging note about the potentially positive role that the financial industry can and shou

We are conditioned to wanting a Standard and Poor’s “AAA” or Moody’s “Aaa” rating, those agencies’ highest level of confidence that organizations can repay their debt. Those traditional ratings are lagging indicators, however, after-the-fact reflections of what organizations have or h

(July’s guest blog post is by Stephanie Klein, PhD. I met Stephanie at a gathering of Minnesota Professionals for Psychology Applied to Work (MPPAW,) and I was happy to learn about her interest in the connection of environmental stewardship to organization effectiveness. –

I am struck by how often two “C” words appear in the press: “compliance” and “crisis,” as in crisis management or crisis communication. Corporations, particularly publicly held financial services organizations, are spending billions of dollars just assuring compliance with ever-increa

What does Labor Day mean to you? For many, it is mainly marks the end of summer vacations, an extra long weekend, time for family cook-outs, great sales and the start of football season. I propose that this Labor Day we take some time to reflect on its origins and its meaning today. L