The Power of Formats
Hal’s Blog- We like to think that people create solutions and fresh paths to reach them. In organizations, who among us is not firmly convinced we are open to new ideas? Yet look at our expressions: stay within your lane, color within the lines, follow the instructions. My favorite: tell me what to do and I will do it.
The Legacy of Black Pioneers
Hal’s Blog- I saw a great exhibit on this subject at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg Florida recently. It told through contemporary quilts the stories of Black individuals and families who went west. I first learned that while these stories are seldom told they are plentiful. About 25% of cowboys, for example, were Black.
Boys will be boys. That’s a problem.
Hal’s blog- For many years I have considered this expression as a miserable excuse for male bad behavior. A new book gave me a very different take. Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves speaks to just how males struggle and fall behind in education.
The Report or the Change?
Hal’s Blog- My partner Robyn and I had a great discussion the other day about how nonprofits typically hire consultants to do one of two things. The first is to study an organization and provide observations and recommendations in an area the organization wishes to improve.
Are Assumptions Always Good?
Hal’s Blog-I have written extensively about how groups can test assumptions through prototype projects. This assumes that assumptions are an important starting point and need to be made explicit. It is hard to test something you have not defined. But there is another view.
Through the looking glass
Hal’s Blog- Back when airlines published magazines for their seat backs, I read an inflight article nestled among the ads for cars and credit cards that I put in a file of stuff to think more about. This one finally rose to the top. I know it has been a while since it was printed in the last year of US Air!
Starting Big. Ending Bigger
Hal’s Blog- In Results1st we often speak of trying things at a small scale and building on what works. Some ideas, however, need a significant critical mass even for the first application. My partner Robyn Faucy illustrated that while CEO of Neuro Challenge, a multicounty leader for persons with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers.
Innovation at the top and the bottom
I have been revisiting recently one of my favorite subjects, innovation. Two abiding challenges stand out for me when it comes to harnessing the power of fresh approaches.
Learning…at rest or in motion?
But first a revisit to my blog entry of October 216 titled Issue Forth. It included examples of how trite the words selected for highlighting in articles boxes can be.