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Coming in FEBRUARY
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Eating Disorder Awareness
Month and Creative Romance Month
1 Car Insurance Day
2 Groundhog Day
2 Tater Tot Day
4 World Cancer Day (UN)
7 Send a Card to a Friend Day
8 Laugh and Get Rich Day
11 Make a Friend Day
13 World Radio Day (UN)
15 National Flag of Canada Day
16 Chinese New Year
16 Innovation Day
17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
19 Louis Riel Day
20 World Day of Social Justice (UN)
23 Banana Bread Day
24 Open that Bottle Night
26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day
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Shout Out!
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A big thanks to some who made my life better in
January!
MaryJane Alanko
Bonnie Andriachuk
Jennifer Bertrand
Barry Cavanaugh
David Cheoros
Brian Edwards
Liz Garratt
Marg Hartt
Marilyn Hooper
Ken Melanson
Gina Moe
Erin O'Neill
Peter Portlock
Laura Raboud
Judy Stelck
Donna Stonehocker
Theresa Tsoukalas
Elana and Jason West
Peter & Helga Wood
"I am a part of all that
I have met."
-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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Links/Websites
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Karakoram Hwy 1300km
Impact 2018 (Great video about Edmonton)
Click Here
How Psychopaths Work
(Because they walk among us)
Click Here
Highest Note Ever Sung at Metropolitan Opera
(Hear it!)
Click Here
End of Night
(Impact of Light Pollution)
Click Here
Dancing with Grandpa
(Tell me you don't want to learn this dance)
Click Here
LUE-42 Enterprises
(Mine)
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Heard in the Boardroom
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We absconded him to a new position (They meant seconded)
Cardiac Coherence (5min YouTube by Zen & Co.)
1. Breathe 2. Put things in perspective 3. Let go.
Is the emotion you carry from so long ago helping you now? (Yup, boards can be deep)
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Reader Notes
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Great newsletter - especially enjoyed the part on Board Micromanagement. JJ
What does a guy have to do over the next 48 hours to make the good list in your newsletter? PR
The links are great, thanks. SC
Contributors to this issue: Leo Ezerins, Helena Hill, Darren Jacobs, Karen MacKenzie, Sandra Marin, Laureen Regan
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"A clear vision backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and power."
"Peace begins when expectation ends."
"I don't care how much power, brilliance, or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants."
"P is positive emotion, E is engagement, R is relationships, M is meaning and A is accomplishment. Those are the five elements of what free people chose to do. Pretty much everything else is in service of one of or more of these goals. That's the human dashboard."
"We seem to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
"In fast-growing companies, there can be a tendency for senior managers to view regulatory controls as 'obstacles' that need to be overcome and proper operating procedures can easily become overlooked. This lack of regard could leave the organisation exposed to a wide-range of compliance-related issues that could have serious financial and/or reputation repercussions."
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3 Habits to Give Up Now
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A few ideas from
Heather Mathews for a better life immediately.
- Social media use. Set a time limit.
- Bad financial habits. Don't spend money you haven't earned yet AND save.
- A lack of gratitude. You and everything around you is amazing. Say thank you for that.
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Why We Don't Do What We Are Supposed to Do
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The short version of the
reasons are here:
- Fear
- Perfection
- Break in Momentum
- Comparison
- Stuck in the Rut
- Lack of Planning
- Information Bias
- Seeking Validation
It's worth reading the whole article. She is very good and her art is fun. Click Here
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| Rest in Peace |
Simon Shelton Barnes
aka Tinky Winky
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| Books by Moi |
| Understanding Bylaws: A Guide for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations ISBN 978-0-9866030-0-6 (There's good stuff here, but this book isn't aligned with the Federal NFP Corporations Act or the new BC Societies Act. Email me directly with your bylaws questions about NFPs registered federally or in BC) Exceptional Board Members, Exceptional Boards ISBN 978-0-9866030-1-3
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| With fond acknowledgement to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy |
| Join Our List |
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Spread the Word!
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To forward this to a friend click below
To use the content, please include this blurb: Linda Wood Edwards and LUE-42 Enterprises produces "Life, the Universe, and Everything" for her clients and subscribers. Visit www.lue42.com for more information
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One-twelfth of 2018 is already behind us! How did you spend it? I am pleased to say I got to see some
theatre and also got to roll up my sleeves and get working on some
scripts.
I saw a staged reading of Blaine Newton's THE THIN GREY LINE, a humourous behind-the-scenes story of actors in a ridiculous play. THE HUMANS at Citadel Theatre was spot-on with the complexity of families, especially at holiday meals. Sometimes you have to laugh so you don't cry. SOILED DOVE: A BURLESQUE WITH BOOTS ON gave us four great stories of women in the wild west, whose stories never get told (until now). INNER ELDER, written and performed by Michelle Thrush, was an absolutely touching and funny piece that shows how one person can build bridges towards truth and reconciliation.
For my own writing, you'll be able to see ALMOST THE PIONEER BREWING COMPANY and GIBBERISH V. GENIUS in Canmore March 16-18 at
Canmore's 10-Minute Play Festivus: Theatre for the Rest of Us and at
Edmonton's Stage Struck! Festival April 06-07. It's great to be in rehearsals again. We laugh. A ton.
I went with a friend to have
tarot cards and
tea leaves read. We compared notes on last year's readings and some of it is pretty astonishing. I didn't like everything I heard, but I'm not surprised by it. I also attended a (drag)
variety show in Calgary with friends and had a great time. There are some talented people out in this world!
I attended a planning meeting for my
high school reunion. The years have worn down some of the rough edges, so I trust come September people will feel safe in coming out and and having a good time.
Shared experiences -- even the bad ones -- can be a great way to
connect. As I stare at my cheerleading uniform, I know it will never fit me again, but it still makes me smile.
Transitioning from a wonderful Christmas break back into work was not too difficult and it has been great to hear that so many had truly delightful holidays. I guess were were all ready for some down time. And now we are ready to work. Right?
I had the privilege of participating in some
indigenous cultural awareness training in Calgary. I learned so much, but here are just a few of my important lessons:
- There is no cheat-sheet and no shortcuts on protocols (or how to not offend). The respectful thing to do is ask every time what is required, expected, etc. (This is universally a good idea, don't you think?)
- Build relationships, and do so in good faith and with a happy heart. This will help when you screw up -- and you probably will. (Again, universal!)
- Many of the things we've come to believe about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people in Canada are patently untrue. Go find the truth, and then have courage to stop the misunderstandings and stupid rumours.
- Truth and reconciliation in the Canadian context is going to require huge systemic changes, strong will, and compassion. It will take a long time. I have to believe it will be worth the effort.
/lmwe
"The work of community, love, reconciliation, restoration is the work we cannot leave up to politicians.
This is the work we are all called to do."
-- Shane Claiborne
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The Answer
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Q: DO BOARDS REALLY NEED TO CARE ABOUT DIVERSITY?
A: Yes! Let's look at cultural diversity for a change
We've talked quite a bit about the research on gender diversity on boards (i.e., boards perform better when women are added), but I haven't found much about cultural diversity other than that we should DO IT. I have had three boards facing this in the last few months. What does it even mean?
As I was struggling with this column, my prayers were answered by Lawanda Horton-Sauter of Mission Incorporated. In the latest Generocity.org blog Horton-Sauter collects all the culture-related buzzwords we've been using and then makes sense of them for us. Not only that, she makes a solid recommendation on a path forward.
She says, "Research suggests...that cultural identity shapes the way people participate in and engage with their community and the organizations that shape them."
For years we've been talking about cultural diversity, but Horton-Sauter points out that diversity is just one component of cultural competency. The light came on for me! She speaks about barriers to becoming culturally competent, both for our boards and for the people served by our organizations:
- Cultural incapacity: "Make cultural competency a priority in staff training and onboarding, and stay aware of changes in the political and social environment that could have an impact on cultural values and behaviors among their target population."
- Cultural blindness: Allow for flexibility in program design and a customizable approach to service delivery that recognizes and honours cultural differences.
- Cultural diversity is not cultural competency: Culturally diverse means there is a variety of cultural/ethnic groups in an organization. Culturally competent (and ultimately cultural proficient) means that the organization has and applies a set of principles, beliefs, and attitudes about cultural differences and experiences. These are written into policy, and reflect inclusiveness in hiring, training, day-to-day operations, program outreach/design/delivery, and "regularly assesses its responsiveness to the cultural needs of its staff and the people it serves."
- Inclusive leadership: There are many barriers to including diverse populations on our boards and our staffs (e.g., vehicle requirement, years of managerial experience). Our systems need to be examined.
Horton-Sauter concludes with the following action plan (which I have included in its entirety, with my sincerest thanks).
Steps to building a culturally competent organization:
- Cultural humility - Confront your bias.
- Cultural curiosity - Activate your cultural education.
- Collecting data - Get all the facts (internal/external, objective/subjective).
- Program outreach design implementation - Know who to serve, how to find them, and give them what they need.
- Program measurement considerations - Learn how to analyze data with cultural considerations.
- Workforce diversity and competency - Recognize that diversity without competency is not enough.
- Cost - Recognize that part of a commitment to cultural competency is allocating resource to building cultural capacity.
Click Here to read the article and also let me know what you're doing about cultural competency.
/lmwe
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Challenges of Being
an Executive Director
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In a recent online Huffington Post, Rebecca Fishman Lipsey wrote about the Unspoken Challenges of Being an Executive Director. Did this every resonate! If you're an ED/CEO and think you're alone in how you feel, this might help you see that you are in excellent company!
Here are the
9 challenges she says EDs face regularly, yet seldom mention:
- Your identity becomes intertwined with your job. (You can never let go because the organization's reputation is yours to protect)
- Your salary per hour is actually not very good. (The job never ends and only you can do it)
- You will rarely be alone but you will often feel lonely.(The job may be socially active but the isolation is real)
- It's exhausting to constantly have to inspire people.(Keeping the spark alive after the 400th delivery of the message is tough)
- You will have to make tough choices. (Some choices are loaded, some will make someone else feel badly, some you can't even talk about)
- You will fail publicly. Regularly. (Some of your choices will blow up in your face. Own them)
- You will get thrown under the bus. (Even if it wasn't your doing, you are the visible dart board)
- Sometimes you will not agree but you will have to lead the charge. (You have a choice how to navigate. "You're not a victim, you're a leader")
- Even when it's time to go it's impossible to leave. (It's hard to separate and you worry you didn't develop the bench strength)
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Boards Getting it Wrong
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I was disheartened to read about a quarrel between the Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic School Boards about busing students. I'm not going to do a "he said/she said" summary, but am including the link as an example of how turf wars derail good work and how respect is always important. It's a quick read.
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Board Opportunity
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Here's a great opportunity for some Edmonton people.
Dynamic, fun, ambitious team is looking for volunteer board members with backgrounds in business, fund development, finance, accounting, marketing.
Click Here
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| About LUE-42 Enterprises |
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I help associations and boards with tasks that can't be done in-house due to lack of capacity, time, skill, or a combination. I spend most of my time with governance, facilitation/training, presenting, planning, bylaws, board development, interim management, and writing. I'm also a playwright, a funeral celebrant, and a big fan of the Canadian Football League. I am grateful for my good life. If I can help to improve your life, let me know.
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Contact LUE-42 Enterprises lue42@shaw.ca www.lue42.com |
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