My wife and I have spent the better part of the summer going through a major downsizing of our possessions. We moved out of our four-bedroom home to a condominium, and early on it became clear that all of our things would not fit into our much smaller living space. And so, months before our move, we began the process … Read More

Every couple of years my family and I take a trip to Europe. In addition to trying new foods, the thing I like most about traveling in Europe is seeing all the old buildings and bridges. When we visit a new area, we quickly assess and figure out a plan to see as many “old” things as we can. To … Read More

[Excerpt from The Ordinary Leader]  It’s easy for an organization to blame bad hiring experiences on a shortage of talented people to draw from. In recent years, commentary has increased around the notion that talent is in short supply. I have always had a cynical view of this belief. I don’t think there is as much talent shortage as some … Read More

I have always lived my life with a certain level of urgency. All through my school years, I regularly completed my assignments well in advance. As a teenager, I was antsy to leave home to attend university, and by my second year I was ready to graduate and get my first “real” job. Once I started working, it wasn’t long … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] Although we want to encourage relationships, we also want to actively discourage the formation of cliques in our workplaces. When cliques do form, leaders need to deal with them promptly and effectively. Cliques are exclusive groups of people who share common interests. They are surrounded by thick relational walls that are difficult to penetrate. Cliques … Read More

There’s a long-standing understanding amongst our staff that they should be “worried” when I’m away on vacation. The first time new hires learn that I’m taking a vacation, longer-serving staff inform them to prepare for something big upon my return. Their words of warning are related to a pattern that has occurred time and again over the course of our … Read More

As a speaker, I give about five presentations to various groups over the course of a month. Recently I was preparing for an event where there would be 500 people in attendance, and even though the presentation was only an hour-long and similar to what I’ve delivered before, I invested a lot of time and focus to prepare. When it … Read More

I’ve always lived by the principle that if you aren’t five minutes early, you’re already late. When my wife and I are meeting friends for supper, I’m always pushing her to leave a little early, just to make sure we’re on time. While attending university, I never pulled an all-nighter writing a paper. My desire to finish my papers by … Read More

While I only cook about once a week, sometimes I like to try making something new beyond my go-to meals of spaghetti and hamburgers. By no means am I a chef, but I do have some cooking instincts. And given that I’m not very patient, I don’t have the desire to read long and convoluted recipes, and I definitely don’t … Read More

One of my favourite memories as a leader was when a young employee I was increasingly relying on for more important and challenging tasks told me, “You know, Randy, I’m not qualified to be doing half the tasks you’re giving me.” I could tell by her tone and body language that, while she enjoyed the challenges I was providing, she … Read More