Peter Drucker was a legendary management consultant, professor, and writer who, like quality improvement’s W. Edwards Deming, guided the corporate world for more than 60 years. As a consultant to corporate managers, Drucker broke down common business habits, myths, and hunches so that managers and their organizations could rightly center people—both employees and clients. He […]
Comparison and benchmarking: related, not identical
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” so the proverb tells us. This saying discourages us from side-eying others’ accomplishments and minimizing our own. It also warns us against envy, the kind of attention to others that corrodes our ability to embrace them and share in their joys without suspicion or spite. There are great reasons to be […]
Join the Intersections family as executive director
One of my partnering organizations, Intersections International, is actively searching for its next executive director. With a philosophy of recognizing and respecting individual identities and diversity, Intersections brings individuals and communities together to find shared humanity and expand shared interests and understanding. This uniting of those who are parties to a tension or conflict is […]
When good doesn’t want to be great
When I first heard Maya Angelou teaching Oprah Winfrey, “When people show you who they are, believe them,” I said amen with the rest of the viewers. Believe them! They know themselves much better than you do.” —Maya Angelou Just as Winfrey said, though, it’s a lesson that can be easy to affirm and challenging to apply. People and organizations set the […]
Investing in imagination
Whatever our philosophy on money, however much we give or save, and regardless of how we rationalize, we’re still left with some basic practical realities. No matter how lofty your spiritual ideals may be, no matter how many powerful affirmations you can speak by rote, you still have to pay your bills.” —Eric Butterworth, Spiritual Economics We still have […]
Systems and Sustainability
Classic passage from W. Edwards Deming, the management consultant whose knowledge model inspired the total quality management movement. What is a system? A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is no system. […]