Many of you have probably heard the famous quote by Joseph Campbell to “follow your bliss.” So what is bliss? And how do you follow it, especially at work? Ecstasy, paradise, heaven are a few of the synonyms used to describe bliss. I’ve heard bliss being described as the ultimate level or intense happiness. We …

How One Typical Facilitator (Mistakenly) Concluded the Client Wasn’t Doing Strategic Planning I got a call last week from a facilitator, asking for advice about an aspect of strategic planning. He kept asserting that his client, a manufacturer of outdoor recreational equipment, wasn’t doing strategic planning. I asked how he came to that conclusion. He …

Here’s an Example of a Disconnected Conversation A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine and I were talking about a particular consulting project. We just weren’t connecting in our conversation somehow — I kept repeating my points and he kept repeating his. It felt like we were disagreeing somehow, but neither of us …

One of the most vexed issues when talking to people who aspire to company directorship is the simple question, ‘What does it take to be a director?’ There are few satisfactory responses. There are courses (some of which are very good and comprehensive) but none of these are accepted as proof that an aspiring director …

Julie Garland-McLellan has been internationally acclaimed as a leading expert on board governance. She is the author of Dilemmas, Dilemmas; practical case studies for company directors and All Above Board: Great Governance for the Government Sector and a frequent contributor to governance conferences and publications. Julie has a degree in Civil Engineering, an executive MBA, …

The last blog looked at why Public Relations should never be confused with “spin” and “hype.” Today’s edition serves up something more tasty and nutritious — one of the best resources enjoyed and highly appreciated by publicists, marketing communications folks, reporters, and others. I’m talking about Help a Reporter Out — fondly known as HARO …

Warning this may get winded… Thinking of the recent developments with British Petroleum and the current mess they have made out in the Gulf Coast I thought about how training and development / performance improvement might have been able to help prevent such a disaster from ever occurring in the first place. I realize that …

When the question of major gift fundraising first arises, many unsophisticated board members, volunteers and staff immediately begin talking about the “rich and famous” — with Bill Gates being the name at the top of almost everyone’s list. The wrong assumption that many people make — and one that can become a major time waster …

I recently encountered an organization that’s on the cusp of a big change … a change about which its huge constituency is feeling a bit uncertain. The agency has never had a chief executive, and that’s part of the new picture that has some supporters skeptical. After all, things have gone okay without one, why …

Whenever we plan, there are unlimited opportunities for us to make assumptions (consciously or otherwise). Highly successful project managers (that rare breed?) recognise this acutely and most importantly, the potential impact that even the simplest looking assumption can have on a project. Recognising and capturing assumptions, thereby enabling us to test selected assumptions, can be …