“It’s all their fault! I did nothing wrong! They’re the ones to blame!” When we feel wronged, it’s natural to focus on the responsibility of the other person who wronged us. Our own behaviours make perfect sense to us. Even if we did something minor to contribute to the conflict, it wasn’t nearly as bad […]
Our blog is a place to deepen conversations around current developments in practices, trends, research and the future of managing organizational relationships.
Being Mindful of Mindfulness
Let’s ensure we start on the same page and explain what we mean when we say mindfulness. “Mindfulness” has been around for centuries and arguably near-millennia. Taking roots from Buddhism and Transcendentalism, the practice of purposefully paying attention to one’s present state and environment without judgment has recently received tremendous accolades from the field of […]
Diversity and Inclusion Training is Failing – and it’s the Presenter’s Fault: Part II
Avoiding the 3 Training Mistakes Having attended and provided hundreds of DEI sessions over 20 years, we suggest the majority of DEI presenters make three common mistakes that can leave participants even more entrenched in their biases, regardless of how well-intentioned, thoughtful and expertly trained in our subject matter we presenters might be: Preaching to […]
Diversity and Inclusion Training is Failing – and it’s the Presenter’s Fault: Part I
Changing Bias: The 3-Legged Stool The middle-aged, white vice-president of human resources, tearfully finding out in an anti-bias workshop that she has “never” felt part of an out group; the middle-aged, white senior partner who had neglected to mute himself in the anti-bias webinar, sighing heavily: “Good lord, this is tedious!” These real-life examples give […]
Allyship in the Workplace
There are numerous descriptions and definitions related to ‘ally’ in the workplace and sometimes defining your role can be confusing. When you want to do the right thing but don’t know where to start, what do you do? KEEP IT SIMPLE TO START Until you gain a better understanding of marginalization and how you can […]
Facilitating a Smooth Return to the Office
Well, here we are. Getting ready to return to the office and get back to “normal.” Excited? Leaders, you have some work to do to ensure we all reintegrate in a positive way. Here are some tips to help you welcome back your team. Allow for opportunities to reconnect socially. Arrange some casual meeting times […]
5 Tips for Leaders’ Mental Health in 2021
Leaders, in particular, are challenged right now. Sandwiched between supporting extra-vulnerable and less-resilient staff, and organizational pressures to boost productivity from a remote workforce while pulling back on spending. Trite advice encouraging people to be kind to themselves sometimes makes mental health feel like a luxury. Here are some practical mental health tips specifically for […]
Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – It’s about PRIDE
June is the start of PRIDE celebrations in many parts of the country, and reflecting on the history of PRIDE, it’s exciting to see how far society has come since the 1969 Stonewall Riots. It is also clear that for many organizations we work with, creating a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion is still […]
Being Mindful of Mental Health: How to Effectively Use the Internet for Good!
As our neighbours to the south acknowledge Mental Health Awareness month, we thought that a roundup of some of the more valuable and evidence-based resources on the web is definitely in order. Too often are we suckered into clickbait ads for snake oil cures and opinion-based “information” about mental health that it can seem intimidating […]
Turn Problems into Solutions by Asking these 3 Questions
One of the most common questions leaders ask is: “How do I help my team become better problem-solvers?” Pari (not her real name) recently told us how she felt the managers who reported to her relied too heavily on her to make decisions that they had the authority to decide. “I don’t want to be […]