Recently, during a meeting at our Church, I talked to Alice, our pastoral associate, about my wife Joyce and I offering to give a special major contribution for a program she heads. Alice is in charge of a group who regularly review the cases of fellow parishioners in desperate need of money to pay overdue …

This past weekend I attended a retreat at Yogaville, south of Charlottesville VA. It was fabulous. We had time to slow down, take yoga classes, eat healthy, sleep, and walk in the woods. Best of all for me was the meditation in the LOTUS shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the spiritual principle: ‘Truth is …

If you are currently employed: begin to write even if it is about a simple process or procedure that you perform daily. write about your job and what the requirements are for that position. write about all your daily tasks and how long it takes to perform the job. This is a good way to …

I don’t mean Brad Pitt or Brad Paisley. I mean Brad Berntson. You don’t know him and I barely do. But after hearing from loved ones recently at his funeral he is a man whose character we could all learn from and aspire to. Despite suddenly passing at 51, he lived a life of true …

If you’re the only staff person devoted to grantsmanship at your organization, then you’re the one on first … and you’re also the manager! But, you have a great team, and each member plays an important role in helping to win the grant. As in baseball, each member of your team has specific responsibilities and …

I have been so filled with joy at the beauty of spring opening up all around me. Last week the Japanese Cherry trees were in full bloom. They are the ones Washington DC is so famous for having by the Jefferson Memorial. This week the dogwoods are out in full bloom. The azaleas and redbuds …

Last fall I wrote a blog on connecting that struck a chord with one read who wisely noted: “Being connected may just be the tip of furthering anything, even with ourselves…the real work comes in relationship. Do you suppose that the connectivity is the driving force/thread that maintain the relationship with our groups/teams? What is …

Your company is restructuring and many roles and jobs are changing. The “new organization” may make sense for the “new strategy” but where will it leave YOU? Restructuring can affect everyone. Some people may change departments, others may change responsibilities, and yet others may be asked to relocate. So does this mean good news or …

Here are some of the words starting with the letter G that we can use to describe a highly effective speaker. See which ones you resonate with, and then let me know if you can think of others. Gracious. I know it sounds obvious, but when we are speaking we often become terribly self-focused. Instead …

Protect your business, be prepared for social media crisis management Let’s face it, social media isn’t going away. People love to talk about what’s going on in their lives, and now that they can do it with millions of others right from the smart phone in their pocket, it’s practically irresistable. What this means to …