Yesterday, my sister-in-law and her husband, decided to remove a liquidambar styraciflua tree from her backyard. This tree, commonly referred to as the American Sweetgum, is known for its beautiful leaves and fall colors. This particular specimen was fairly large, and I was surprised that they were removing it. I could tell that it provided good shade for the house and so I inquired about the purpose for its demise.
Ankle Breakers
While the tree is known for its beauty, it is also known for its spiked fruit. These “gumball” shaped droppings are very unpleasant to walk on, and they do not decompose. If left on the lawn, they turn it into an uneven surface full of lumpy pock marks. Here in North Carolina, they call the the fruit “ankle breakers” because both the fruit, and the holes they create in the lawn, are known to cause many ankle injuries.
As a newcomer, it was hard for me to understand why this tree was being removed. Continue reading » »
Many (many) summers ago, when I was in training to be a lifeguard on New York’s Lake George, the first principle I learned was how to safely approach a swimmer in distress. A safe approach included talking to them, letting them know I was there to help them, and giving them instructions.
The second principle I learned was how to get out of harm’s way if I didn’t successfully execute the first principle. Good to know. If the victim locked his arms around my neck, my automatic moves were: my right arm over his arms, right hand under right side of his chin, strongly Continue reading » »
As a 10-year board member of the Peter Drucker Foundation, I had many opportunities to listen to this great man. Among the myriad wise things I have heard him say, the wisest was, “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”
Very true, indeed. Think about your own organization. Have you ever attended a corporate retreat or executive training session that was titled something like Stupid Things We’re Doing That We Need to Stop Doing?
Continue reading » »
As a nation, we have projected a sense of righteousness and superiority attitudes that are deeply resented in world. Separateness and superiority have become our way of life, rooted deeply in fear. A question– is our way of living necessarily “right”? Many aspects of American life are unraveling before our very eyes (such as, the ability to live and lead from truth and the ability to care for the whole, our health care system, our economic foundation). I wonder who are we to put forth our superiority? Collective responsibility expressed through empathy and understanding would benefit us all. Therefore, one of the most important things we need in the world today is for each of us to have a sense of what it is like to walk in the shoes of another. Continue reading » »
Middle managers have a tough job and they are the engines that fuel stretegic implementation. Great middle managers engage their employees and create an environment where people are focused, results oriented, and interested in helping the business thrive. Middle managers are a key lever (maybe THE key lever) that a senior team can pull to ensure their intentions come to fruition. So you would think that organizations would know to invest in the care, feeding, and development of their middle managers. I find that the opposite is more often true.
Many of the organizations I worked with using improvement processes and philosophies like Lean. They make HUGE investments in money, time, and other resources to do Lean well. When I ask why they are willing to make this investment, most of my clients talk about how Lean has helped them manage their business, do things more effectively, and involve everyone in quality improvements.
Hmmm…somthing seems amiss here.
Continue reading » »
