On July 18th, 2014 my staff honoured me with a farewell luncheon. We spent 3 hours eating, drinking, laughing, telling stories, remembering unique experiences and expressing the impact we have all made on each others’ lives. After 7 very rewarding years as their President & CEO, the time had arrived for me to say good bye.
Read MoreWe sat waiting for the few remaining tardy guests to be seated so the wedding ceremony could begin. It was my nephew Matthew’s and his fiancé Kayla’s wedding day. In the stillness of the moment I decided to check my smartphone for email and text messages. One had arrived. It was from a friend who advised that her father had just passed from this life into another. While he lived a long a full life, regardless it was sad news.
Read MoreThe story is told of a group of 12 members of a support group who were all suffering from the same life-threatening health issue. Conventional treatments were failing, so they decided to follow the advice of a friend to visit a doctor who used unconventional methods to heal incurable diseases. To their surprise, the doctor’s unusual treatment was successful. After travelling some distance, two of the groups’ members realized they had not thanked the doctor for his help and for saving their lives. The two decided to travel back and see the doctor who upon their arrival was not only shocked, but also thrilled because these two were humble and honest enough to say “thank you.”
Read MoreWe sat in the hospital room waiting for my son to wake up from his four-hour surgery. It was a family gathering. The surgery had a fifty per cent chance of success and, if the outcome was negative, he would require a major change in lifestyle and activities. The doctor finally arrived and informed us everything went much better than expected; the odds worked in my son’s favour. As he began to wake, though still under a good dose of morphine and in quite a trance of tranquility, we told him the good news.
Read MoreThe time arrived for me to lead a workshop on “Building a High Performance Organization,” the second element of my agreed upon participation in the American Society for Training & Development – Middle East North Africa Conference. I was well prepared, quite anxious to start and confident my audience would be engaged. However, a few minor preparations were required before I could begin. The AV team had to attach the lapel microphone. I had to switch from the previous presenter’s computer to my own and test the visuals.
Read MoreFor many years, I have kept a photograph that was taken of my father and me back in 1958. I was only two years old. My Dad is dressed in a suit and tie, looking very dapper. This was unusual attire for him, since he was a cabinet maker by trade and I can only remember him in overalls covered with wood dust. I was also dressed in a formal outfit that made me look like a miniature Sherlock Homes (a very English looking coat and hat). It’s no wonder I have taken such a liking to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery writings. My Dad was holding my hand and we were walking away from an airplane that had its single main engine exposed. I later learned that the picture was taken at the then-existing USA Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland.
Read More"Who do you say that I am?" If you or I were to ask that question to our friends, family and professional colleagues, how would they answer?
I find interesting the various approaches used to answer that seemingly simple question. How do you take a 37-year professional career and summarize it in a one-page biography? Or record it properly on LinkedIn? Or provide the relevant details in a CV or résumé? Or communicate history to impress the listener in a 60-minute interview?
Read MoreIn a few weeks 2013 will come to a close and a new year will begin. We are always encouraged to set new goals. But what about taking some time to reflect back on the past year. Did I finish stronger than when I started?
To help answer that question, there are four aspects of finishing strong we can examine.
Read MoreThere are a number of various cultural, religious and secular celebrations at this time of the year. Some of these include:
November
National American Indian Heritage Month – November
All Saints' Day (Christian, Roman Catholic) – November 2
Dia de los Muertos "Day of the Dead" (Mexico, Latin America) – October 31-November 2
All Souls' Day (Roman Catholic) – November 2
Birthday of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i) – November 12
Diwali (Buddhist, Hindu) – November 3
Hijri New Year – November 4-5
Day of Ashura (Islamic, Muslim) – November 10
For most babies, the first two words out of their mouths are “Mama, Dada.” I believe for me it was “I forgot.”
Merv, did you pick up your toys? I forgot. Merv, did you brush your teeth? I forgot. Did you make your bed? I forgot. Merv, did you have your parents sign your grade report? I forgot.
As I got older, matters didn’t improve. Merv, did you call your mother? I forgot. Merv, did you pick up the laundry? I forgot. Did you put out the garbage? I forgot. Did you buy milk? I forgot. Did you sign those cheques? I forgot. Do you know what day it is today? It’s our anniversary. Oops . . . I forgot.
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