Three suitcases. Two stuffed animals. A bag full of typically Canadian gifts. And we were off! My ten-year-old and eleven-year old children and I are traveling along the East Coast of the US on a two-week “epic adventure road trip.” The journey is a response to my growing urge to show them more of life. […]
This is a story in two parts: the first a few years ago involving a beautiful client organization; the second yesterday involving a convicted felon (also beautiful, it turns out); both related to the concept of “serving life.” It’s a story of the surprising depth of meaning and possibility that has unfolded for me within […]
What if companies had mission questions instead of mission statements? How much more engaging and inviting would this be than the typical bland pronouncements about “being number one” or “being the best”? Why do you want to be number one? What learning, discoveries and milestones — what unfolding story — is to be found on that path? […]
I’m at the end of three head-spinningly rich days with Peter Pula, the founder and CEO of Axiom News. We’ve been exploring what he and his team mean by “generative journalism” and what more it might come to mean. The gist of our discussion has been that there’s tremendous power in aligning their work with […]
I’ve just had a remarkable experience. For the first time, I presented at a business conference where all the other speakers were saying nearly the same thing that I was. Each in our own way, we all spoke of living systems principles in organizations — things like self-organization, emergence, resilience and wise stewardship. And the audience […]
June 2, 2014 On Wasan Island, a few days into a week-long exploration of the Soul of Place. Already so full of richness… trust and connection…. heightened awareness of what’s possible and what’s really needed – for each of us, in our work, in the world. Today, we’ve been exploring the patterns of homecoming, asking: […]
“Placemaking” was the official topic of the week-long retreat that has just come to a gentle close. But the phrase has never felt quite right. Volker Hann, the host of 5-acre Wasan Island where we gathered, hinted at the inadequacy of the term: “Am I a placemaker? Or am I placemade?”
I spent a nourishing day recently learning about social labs — an extended process to solve complex challenges by gathering diverse stakeholders in an alternating rhythm of meetings and on-the-ground prototyping. In one example, a lab to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources brings together utility companies, alternative energy providers, regulatory bodies and end-users. Representatives […]
For the past two days, 12 of us gathered in Montreal to explore what happens when the spirit and practice of thrivability meet the world of impact investing. The group consisted of local business leaders committed to the practice of thrivability; impact investors in search of what else is possible “outside the lines”; and thoughtful explorers and supporters […]
This is part of a series of harvests from the Thrivable World Quest, a learning adventure across multiple cities to explore how organizations must be if humanity is to survive – and thrive. On the first “island” of the Thrivable World Quest, we explored the need for Heroic Cause in organizations. And one of the things […]