7 basic questions that lead to an actually useful strategy, and how to answer them with a Wardley Map

If you want to figure out the best solution to a given problem, you have to first understand the situation you are in. Most people skip the “situation” step, and wind up with a strategy that isn’t anchored in reality. I’ve been working on a leadership development program about understanding, communicating, and executing strategy for … Continue reading 7 basic questions that lead to an actually useful strategy, and how to answer them with a Wardley Map →

3 ingredients you need to use the “stone soup” approach to creating relevant value with your community (with examples)

My grandma told me a story about an early winter afternoon during the Depression in her small Ontario village. A drifter had come into town, and been asking for food to eat. Times were tough, no one would share. So he let it be known that he'd be making a big pot of delicious stone … Continue reading 3 ingredients you need to use the “stone soup” approach to creating relevant value with your community (with examples) →

7 things you need to use a podcast as a communications vehicle

In a crowded communication landscape it can be effective to use multiple vehicles to make sure that you’re reaching your target audience where they are. I often get asked for advice on starting a podcast by communications professionals who are looking to engage an audience with their message. I’ve been running an monthly internal podcast … Continue reading 7 things you need to use a podcast as a communications vehicle →

Using email to make decisions asynchronously and deliver projects with distributed teams

Over the last couple of years I've seen a rise in remote and distributed teams. Sometimes they span pretty big timezone gaps (my own team is a prime example, covering US Eastern, Central European, India Standard, and Australia Eastern). With smart people working on things together but separately and asynchronously, reliable coordination becomes extra important. … Continue reading Using email to make decisions asynchronously and deliver projects with distributed teams →

The one productivity tip that broke my heart and left me weeping for days

I looked at my phone, and she looked back at me, in black and white. So delicate and beautiful. Like a ghost. It was the beginning of summer, and we’d been trying to take a little time away. At the last minute we’d found a reasonable AirBnB on one of the lesser visited islands off … Continue reading The one productivity tip that broke my heart and left me weeping for days →

4 takeaways from 2 years of running virtual events and experiences

In the last 2 years I’ve run all kinds of events and experiences using a virtual, distributed delivery method. Many of them were originally designed to be delivered in meatspace. I’ve run a virtual conference for over 1200 people; twice. The strategy summit that was to bring together 300+ of my company’s most senior leaders … Continue reading 4 takeaways from 2 years of running virtual events and experiences →

What I learned from creating a global distributed team building exercise for thousands of people with no budget

Think back to the last team building exercise you were involved in. It probably involved bringing your team together for a challenge of some kind, maybe with food and drinks during or afterwards. Even the best team building exercises can both expensive and at least a little bit awkward. That’s because a lot of team … Continue reading What I learned from creating a global distributed team building exercise for thousands of people with no budget →

How to identify and nurture impactful communities in the workplace

A big part of what drew me to open source was the idea that the movement was built around a community. Having grown up in church, summer camp, and hostels, I knew that participating in communities made me feel like I was at home (I also come from a big family). In the 2020s the … Continue reading How to identify and nurture impactful communities in the workplace →