Category: Articles

Recently, I had the good fortune to be part of an audience where Peter Hiddema was speaking. He said a number of pithy things which I’ll share with you in future articles, but the one that hit me square between the eyes was that most people, upon making a mistake, feel themselves diminished by it.

Your holidays aren’t going to be perfect…and neither are mine. That doesn’t mean to say we aren’t going to experience sublime moments, but to expect each day—each gathering to be only positive, is to invite that dripping icicle of holiday discontent.

Researchers at Harvard have discovered that babies as young as nine months old have a sophisticated understanding of social interaction. After watching two puppets make different decisions about how they share their toys, the babies are choosing to interact only with the puppet who shared. This leaves us to surmise that if the ability to detect social skills is present at such an early age, then surely those skills must be vital to our survival both individually and collectively.

The title of this article is also the title of a tremendous book I have just read, given to me by a dear friend and colleague. You know when you come across something that really hits home, and awakens a foundational voice you had inside of that was just looking for a way to express itself? This book was one of those events for me.

When we think about negotiating, what usually springs to mind is two people sitting down together to discuss a contract or a settlement or a term sheet. Sometimes if we are far-seeing, or if we’ve taken negotiation training, we realize that the ability to collaborate also serves us well at home. So while we will say we negotiate in business, and sometimes recognize that we also do so at home,

One of the most difficult things we all have to do is to forgive someone who has done us harm. Whether it’s an investor who has swindled us; a boss who has taken credit for our work; a neighbour who has labeled our child “a bully”; a family member who has cut us out of the will, or a friend who has made a slighting remark, we all face the challenge of forgiving those who have trespassed against us.

You know the old notion, “That's obvious, dummy! You're wasting your breath." I’m not persuaded it’s as simple as that. In one of the consulting engagements I’m doing right now, this theme rings loud and clear in two ways.

I assume this title is self-explanatory for most of you reading this article. Moreover, my guess is it wouldn't be too hard to agree with this statement. I remember sitting through sleep-inducing "Economics 101" lectures back in the first year of my undergraduate degree, listening to the professor describing consumers as "rational actors" and thinking, "yeah, right!"

It starts when we’re children with the “when I grown up I want to be a _____”. This is career planning in its most innocent form; no worries about education, skills, income just pure passion. As adults, we still try to engage in the “when I grow up” free-thinking but maturity brings us quickly to all the “but’s”. But I can’t quit work to go back to school, but I don’t have any contacts in that industry, but I can’t manage people and on and on it goes.

If you believe we all have experiences and wisdom worth sharing, if you want to unleash the passion of your team or if you want to tap into a new approach to sharing information and solving problem, let Common Outlook and Misha Glouberman, founder of Collective Intelligence bring the tools of Open Space and Unconference to your organization.