The Myth of the Open Door Policy
My husband and I owned and operated a commercial farm for thirteen years, and we had an “open door policy”. There are a hundred different ways to die on a farm, so we insisted and relied on our workers to tell us when anything, ANYTHING, was out of place, not working right, seemed unsafe, or was confusing. Day or night. Whether they fixed it or not. Whether it pertained to their job or not. I…
Emotions, Attachment, and Change Management
I pulled this shirt out of the dryer this morning. I’ve had it for exactly 30 years. First of all, shout out to #patagonia for making high quality clothing that lasts for decades. Second, I was overwhelmed with memories and emotions when I looked at it. It’s been all over North America with me on so many adventures: dogsledding in interior Alaska, rafting the Grand Canyon, skiing the spectacular…
Early Adopters: Your Friends in Change Management
My husband and I recently bought a 100% electric car. Meet Eva. That's us in the photo: me showing her some love in a snowstorm. As is typical for me and my husband, we took on the adventure of electric car ownership before we were completely set up to own one. No 240V outlet anywhere near our carport, no heated garage to keep her battery nice and warm, and sketchy Canadian winter mountain roads…
An Iris In a Dark Forest
It's a Sunday today, and I am busy. I'm working, even though I really try hard not to work on weekends. All I see for the month of January is endless Zoom meetings, and I’m trying to get some paperwork done before I don’t have any time to do it. I sat at my desk, looking at my to-do list and trying to decide what to tackle first. I decided instead to procrastinate just a few minutes longer and…
Leadership and Rest
Leaders are always in the hot seat. Whether you are an owner, manager, politician, or executive director, you owe it to your team and your community to be a solid and consistent leader. But continually being in the spotlight can be exhausting. I was an elected official for four years and I was always wearing that hat, even in the grocery store. I once heard a BC Premier say that when he needs a…
Discipline: Your Enemy or Your Friend?
I recently attended a writing workshop during which we were asked to write about discipline: What does it mean to you? Is it an ally for you or an antagonist? As entrepreneurs and leaders of organizations, it can be critical to be disciplined in our approach to work. My own relationship to discipline as a business owner has been varied. At my best, I’ve stayed focused through a sense of constant…