I did some interesting things in September, that's for sure! I repeated the Edmonton Eskimos Football 101 course for the fourth time and, while I know quite a bit about football, this class had a new element on officiating. A couple of referees attended and explained their jobs. We watched game film to see who looks for what, learned how the command centre and replays work, and discussed the fallibility of people despite them doing their best. Every sports fan on social media should hear first-hand from a referee to get a little perspective!

      Theatre Alberta launched its Blue Bag Book Club wherein they send members a canvas bag containing 10 Canadian plays; when you're finished you just zip it and mail it back to their library. We were asked to Tweet our photos with the plays in locations around town. I enjoyed the plays and I love this member engagement strategy!
     I was also privileged to spend a half-day with them on a capacity building project for arts organizations facilitated by EmcArts. The work they are doing on challenging assumptions and tackling complex problems is really fascinating. One of the things I learned is that innovation can also mean letting go of something (it doesn't always have to be something new!). I can't wait to see how this shakes out for the Alberta organizations involved in the pilot.

     Edmonton held its first Nuit Blanche and although I was downtown only a short time, the vibe was amazing! I went specifically to tie my wish to a Wish Tree. This installation is part of Yoko Ono's Imagine Peace project. The 121 trees held our wishes for one night; the trees now get planted around Edmonton and the wishes go to the Peace Tower in Iceland. It was a glorious event.
Click here for info on Wish Tree/Imagine Peace

       During RCAF/Aviation Week my family and I attended a really nice ceremony outside the Alberta Aviation Museum to dedicate memorial stones for my mom, dad, and 10 others involved with Aviation in our province. I'm so glad we did this.
      On a lighter note, you know how sometimes the TV news goes to commercial with a song? Well, recently I heard an old song that was new to me -- Bananaphone by Raffi (Yeah, Canadian talent!). I didn't grow up with Raffi, but I get his appeal (pun intended). I heard only 15 seconds of it and it was stuck in my head! It's a fun, clever song so just click the link and you can have it stuck in your head, too!
Bananaphone by Raffi

You're very welcome. Have a great month!
 

 

Q: IS A PROFESSION MORE PROFESSIONAL IF IT EXCLUDES PEOPLE OR INCLUDES PEOPLE?

      

A: I USED TO THINK A CLOSED SHOP WAS THE BE-ALL-AND- END-ALL. NOW I'M NOT SO SURE...

 

     I work quite a bit with regulated professions and lately I've enjoyed heated debate on whether the public is better served by being punitive or inclusive with professionals (my descriptors). Specifically, is the public better protected if we keep the bad "members" out (i.e., make the circle smaller) or work to keep them in through continuing education, supervision, etc. (i.e., make the circle bigger)?
     The more experience I gain (OK, maybe it's an age thing!), the more inclined I am to make the circle bigger. Sure, I hear occasionally about a member/applicant who sounds too risky to be worth the trouble but that's not my normal go-to position.
     So I was pleased to find this article by Christopher Bauer, PhD, CSP, CFS on LinkedIn called Why Your Ethics & Compliance Culture Initiative Is Probably Failing (And Two Things To Do About It). Granted, Bauer is talking about employees but I suggest it works as well for regulated professionals.
     Bauer says, "Sometimes in the world of ethics, compliance, and accountability we get so focused on catching and dispatching the bad guys that we start thinking of our doing so as a victory...(but) they're also failures." I had to stop and thank about that.
     Bauer reminds us that dispatching the bad guys is not really why most of us are in business. He argues that, "The bad guys are only out there when we have failed to create a strong enough culture of ethics, compliance, and accountability to prevent wrong-doing. (Or, at the very least, our controls and oversight have been inadequate to prevent them.)"

     He goes on to say if we are only reacting and catching people and not preventing ethical and legal problems then we've missed the mark. Therefore, through good hiring ( registration) practices, training ( continuing education/competence) programs, and oversight we should be able to minimize those who slip through. And when they slip through, we need to make sure we have a discipline ( conduct) policy to deal with them.
     Bauer argues that while discipline may be required, a "more effective tool for developing and maintaining the culture you're after is to notice, point out, and conspicuously reward good behavior when you see it." He argues:

1. If you are looking to shape behavior, rewarding positive behavior beats the pants off negative consequences for inappropriate behavior pretty much every time.

2. Consistent reinforcement moving to intermittent reinforcement has been shown time after time to be the most potent tool for shaping pretty much any kind of behavior you can imagine. Why not put that to use in shaping the ethics, compliance, and accountability within your organization as well?

     Being a tad dramatic for my tastes Bauer says, "The road to hell is paved with disciplinary actions. The road leading away from it is paved with raves for employees doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time. Catch 'em being good."
     That sounds pretty good for HR issues, but we must keep in mind that regulators of professions need to wield a pretty big stick, too.
     To read Bauer's entire article:    

Click Here  

 

     So notwithstanding legislated requirements for professionals around entry criteria, continuing competency, and conduct I think there is a solid argument for keeping people in the circle in order to monitor and regulate them. What do you think?

/lmwe

     In Costco Connection (Sept/Oct 2015) David Ward offers tips to maintain continuity when disaster strikes your business. We're talking about earthquakes, tropical storms, explosions, fire, etc. -- all in Canada! We have a tendency to think it won't happen to us, but there's evidence that both the frequency and severity of disasters are on the rise.
     A 2012 survey by the Canadian Red Cross indicated that 66% of Canadian business were not prepared in any way for a disaster. Small business experts recommend that at a minimum, you know the value of your data and what it would cost if it were lost. Here are Ward's Tips:

• Have an emergency plan and practice it regularly. The emergency plan and business continuity plan should be linked.
• Make the plan all-encompassing (i.e., not separate plans for floods, fires, etc.). Anticipate several things.
• Use every communication tool to keep employees, customers, and vendors informed of your business status.
• Check out some free resources to help you get started
• Guide to Business Continuity Planning from Public Safety Canada Click Here 
• Get Prepared (Gov't of Canada; includes many downloadable items) Click Here
• Canadian Red Cross for pre-and post-disaster information at Click Here

It really could happen.  

 

     I like these ideas (from MindValley) to increase happiness:

1. Clean up and simplify your life.

The first (& most effective) step to real beauty in any area of life is to clear out all the crap, clutter, and garbage that's holding you back and slowing you down. Let go. Simplify. Move on. Start fresh. This applies to beliefs, habits, emotions, regrets, fears, clothes, relationships, projects, people, ideas, possessions. Everything. 

2. Give it. Share it. Exchange it.

Energy is a medium of exchange. The more you give, the more you receive. Smile at random strangers and see what happens.

3. Get some sun.

The sun is the ultimate source of power and energy. Use it.

4. Practice meditation.

Use meditations that disengage & calm down your mind and/or engage & stretch your mind (depending on your needs). 

5. Eat more (raw) food.

The stuff you eat either gives you energy or takes it away from you. Eat fresh veggies, fruits, seeds, nuts. They don't drain your energy because they are easy to digest and absorb.

6. Go to bed early and wake up early.

You'll be more energized, productive, and better off if you sleep between 10pm-4am or 10pm-6am than between 12pm-6am or 2am-10am.

7. Go to bed hungry (or with light food in your stomach).

Sleeping time is meant for healing and recharging, not for digesting the heavy stuff you ate last night for dinner.

8. Hang out with positive and empowering people.

You don't even have to think of who gives you energy and who drains you - you feel it.

9. Start creating. Start that project (already).

The hardest thing about getting started is getting started.

Just start it! Don't wait for for your situation to be "perfect." It never will be.    

10. Go beyond your comfort zone every day.

Both your spirit and your mind need novelty to grow and expand. The new experiences you get from doing something outside your norm is what helps your spirit and mind grow. How do you know something is beyond your comfort zone? You feel the adrenaline, the butterflies, your heart starts pumping.  

11. Be grateful and thankful every day.

No matter where you are, who you're with, or what you're doing, there is always something you can be grateful for.  

12. What else?

What else gives you energy? What would you recommend to others?