There is a place for blame, particularly if it’s a place that’s visited briefly, on the way to somewhere else. The key is to remember that when we judge someone (or ourselves) for blaming, we’re not improving things.

More often than not, blame is a tiresome game we catch ourselves and others using to avoid […]

Thinking about jump-starting a living knowledgebase at work (or elsewhere)? Some readers like nice, long explanations. Most like that and a quick bottom-line read. Here are seven quick sparks for “Getting Your Hands on Wisdom”:

1. Look for and value chances for cross-departmental interaction
The more relaxed, the better.

2. Get yourself […]

We learn so much from challenging projects. As thinking beings, we take those lessons and apply them to the next project, as well as (hopefully) to other areas of our lives. How do we share what we’ve learned so that the information and experience is available when and where it’s needed?

Elizabeth over at

‘But it’s a competitive world!’ I am told again and again. Certainly it is, and a very messy one I should say. Look around. And I should add, ‘It was also once a disease-ridden world and we are curing it.’
—Dorothy De Zouche 1945, teacher

with thanks to […]

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be exploring life beyond competition. I’m not exploring life without competition (for now)… just beyond it.

Among the many reasons I am suspicious of competition is its pervasive presence in Western world view. Biologists see it among cells; astronomers see it in celestial interactions. Starts to feel a little […]