There are a million topics I could have chosen to explore this month. But as we approach the Fourth of July and our country’s annual reflection on what it means to be a democratic republic, I’d like to share some insights from another democratic republic, Ukraine – a country that is entering its fifth month […]
Continue ReadingCharting the Course Forward: Insights from PENworks 2022 – May 2022
It’s been an incredible last couple of years. The convergence of so many historic events (the pandemic, staffing shortages, supply chain issues) have put considerable pressure on our organizations, our communities, and on us as leaders and professionals. But we’ve all learned a great deal. We’ve learned more about agility and the need to quickly […]
Continue ReadingPerformance Excellence Network Recognizes Two with Award
2021 Performance Excellence Awards Presented at PENworks 2022 Conference ST. PAUL, Minn., May 16, 2022 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN) honors two recipients of the 2021 Performance Excellence Award. The Award is based on the Baldrige Framework and is the culmination of a rigorous evaluation of an organization’s management and performance system. The evaluation […]
Continue ReadingLove them First: Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary — Apr 2022
Minneapolis is a great place to live — great outdoor attractions and park system, a world class theater scene, all major sports, higher than average income and population health outcomes, world class educational institutions, a vibrant business community. I could probably go on. But the last couple of years have been extremely difficult for the […]
Continue ReadingLessons in Extraordinary Leadership: Shackleton and Zelenskyy – Mar 2022
Much has been written about the extraordinary leadership displayed by the explorer Ernest Shackleton; not as much has been written yet about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (but certainly will be over time). The Shackleton story took place over a 100 years ago; the Zelenskyy story literally is being written as we speak. Both stories were […]
Continue ReadingThe Silver Bullet(s): 86 Ideas to Address Today’s Staffing Challenges — Feb 2022
I have good news, bad news, and mixed news. First, the bad news: every size and type of organization continues to experience staffing shortages, some more than others. I believe there are four main reasons: 1) Americans are retiring in record numbers (many of them taking early retirement); 2) immigration to the US is down […]
Continue ReadingSustaining Excellence, Resilience during Challenging Times — Jan 2022
We’ve all just experience an incredible two years, with layers of unprecedented challenges that have impacted our organizations, our communities, and ourselves. But in every crisis, there is opportunity –opportunity to learn and discover new (and better) ways of doing things, of more effectively managing change and navigating challenges, of maintaining stability and resilience. Winston […]
Continue ReadingFinding Your Ikigai: Aligning Your Career & Your Purpose — Dec 2021
We’re all dealing with a lot: a continuing global pandemic; significant changes in work environments and other organizational challenges (staffing shortages, supply chain issues, workplace toxicity); and the stresses of constant work/life pressures. The events of the last nearly two years have compelled many to reexamine how their professional lives align or harmonize with their […]
Continue ReadingA Season for Reflection: Gratitude, Generosity, Goodness – Nov 2021
So this month’s column was to be about gratitude, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. And it still is. But an article on gratitude seemed somewhat cliché, overly simplified, and quite honestly, a bit insensitive given the circumstances. The pandemic continues to rage — maybe accelerate to our fifth wave, to be more accurate. I know […]
Continue ReadingThe Future of Work – Oct 2021
Work is changing. I mean really changing – a shift as big as the Industrial Revolution. In fact, many have called this current shift the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a label first used by Klaus Schwab in 2016 to describe the rapid advancement of technology into human knowledge work. But technology is only one factor that’s […]
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