LUE-42 Enterprises July 2022 Ezine

I Believe In Fairness, Fun, And Sharing What I’ve Learned With The People Who Make This Planet A Great Place To Live

Issue 138, August 2022

July kicked off with a relaxing Canada Day bonfire, meal, and fellowship at a friend's out in the country. Despite it being just what I needed, I hit the wall and my slump lasted nearly 3 weeks. My rallying mantra was: New Day, Do Better. Also, quit complaining. It has been working. Grief remains and hits me in unexpected ways and at unexpected times, but I'm making progress. I don't complain, but I do observe.

Among July's productive activities: I got rid of the storage locker so everything I own is in one place. I listed more items for sale or give-away. I asked for an extension on my lease because, this time, 6 months is not enough time for me to catch my breath. To that end, I hung some pictures so the place is starting to look like home.

Among July's cool activities: I saw my football team win a game and attended Fan Day, I hosted a US visitor on his tour of all CFL cities (fascinating perception on my city and country), I helped friends celebrate birthdays/anniversaries/promotions/life, I saw terrific theatre productions, I sat on several patios, I had road trips to Red Deer and Calgary, I visited long lost cousins, I scored big in thrift shopping, I ate mass amounts of ice cream. To cap it off, friends and I went to K-Days to eat crazy carnival food, take in the fireworks, and see a show. It was time well spent plus excellent people watching.

I am helping a friend transition from her fiercely independent life to one that needs extra care. Through the sadness we continue to find humour and that helps sustain us both for what will be a long and difficult process.

I have been blessed with many friends who are older and wiser than I. When I picked up one friend for lunch, she was manicured and coiffed, sporting her best jewelry and a sexy bra, and poised to order dessert first. We talked politics, love, family -- no topic is off side. She'll be 101 in August. A neighbour is 97 and she although she told her doctor she doesn't want to be a centenarian, she is impressed every time "god allows me another breath." She walks the halls every day for exercise, gets outside at least daily, and talks to all her neighbours. I can see how good habits, fresh air, and socializing improve life.

If I do nothing else, I will keep working on those three things in August (without complaint). I am confident my life will be better for it. I hope you are enjoying your summer!

/lmwe

“Who you are is a mystery no one can answer, not even you."

-- Jamaica Kincaid

THE ROAD TO D&I

A Business World article offered these tips on how to start your Diversity & Inclusion journey:

1. Figure out your “why” and identify what you want to achieve.

2. Use company data to measure, monitor, evaluate, and improve policies and practices on D&I.

3. Dive down to the team level (i.e., diversity of teams, not just the company as a whole).

4. Lead change from the top.

Here is the article.

Boards and Sustainability

I read a fairly heavy, corporate-focused article on Lexology.com on boards and sustainability. I found a few things to take away for my world of work.

"(Consulting firm) Russell Reynolds advocates ten actions to help boards enhance their engagement with and oversight of sustainability:

“Proactively engage with external stakeholders about sustainability to ensure you understand their priorities and concerns
Embed sustainability into all discussions with the CEO and executive team
Establish a purpose-driven culture at all levels that looks at issues through a sustainability lens
Educate directors on sustainability
Apply a sustainability lens to corporate strategy decision-making
Identify key material factors based on the business, setting goals and establishing clear metrics for tracking progress toward them
Structure the board to engage meaningfully on sustainability
Change compensation models to account for sustainability targets
Prioritize a sustainability mindset when hiring directors
Prioritize a sustainability mindset when hiring CEOs”

These sound like what not-for-profits have been focusing on in their strategic planning sessions for a long time. I think director education, embedding sustainability into culture, and engagement are key. I also think engaging with external stakeholders is something we're not too good at so far.

Here is the article.

/lmwe

Creating a Day Worth Living

Get up early.
Express gratitude for what you have.
Do something productive.
Do something fun.
Do something for someone else.
Get some sunlight.
Exercise -- it doesn't matter what -- just do some exercise.
Put a smile on someone's face.
Express gratitude or compliment one.
Learn or do something new.

A meme I liked. Source unknown.

This exchange made me laugh because I'm guilty.

Some People Who Made Life Better in July

MaryJane Alanko, Patricia Darbasie, Janis Dowe, Andy Drohomirecki, Liz Garratt, Julia Kopala, Donna & Lyle Kuzik, Lynn MacAskill, Karen MacKenzie & Bill Cogan, Kelly McClung, Sherrill McGilvray, Andy Northrup, Hector Pothier, Lori Schmidt, Tracey Soroka, Carol Suder, Christy Swanteson, Ethel Thorne, Theresa Tsoukalas, Gord West, James/Sarah/ Tatum West, Lil West, Spirit of Edmonton, Turf District Podcast

"People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely.”

-- Hans F. Hasen

Some Links

I Like

Values of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice (Fascinating White Paper from the Chartered Governance Institute)

Normalizing Inclusivity in the Boardroom (From Forbes)

Replacements for "I'm Sorry" at Work (On my soapbox about apologizing when none is needed)

Innovation in Board Structure and Dynamics (From BoardSource)

Benefits of Story Telling (Agency leaders talk to Forbes)

Some Quotes I Like

"For a thorough use of ice cream cones, buy two; eat one and drop the other."

-- Claes Oldenburg

“We're all one beat away from becoming elevator music.”

-- Don DeLillo

“My least favourite phrase in the English language is 'I don't care.'"

-- James Caan (RIP)

“With the new day comes strength and new thoughts.”

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

“I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise

is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.”

-- Juansen Dizon

Airline Travel in 2022 -- A Flight Attendant's Advice

You may have already seen Kristie Koerbel's New York Times article. It warrants repeating because people aren't paying attention. Here's a summary.

"Flying this summer is ROUGH!!! I feel like as a Flight Attendant I should attempt to share some tips to get you through airline travel for the foreseeable future.

1. Things are not good..... if it's less than 7 hours - DRIVE! ... If you must fly, keep reading.

2. Download and use the app of the airline you are flying. You can do everything on it ... It sure beats waiting in the long line to talk to an agent!

3. Fly MUCH earlier than you need to - a whole day early if its important!!

4. ALWAYS fly the first flight in the morning so you have all day to be rebooked.

5. ...Summer is thunderstorm season. A single storm can shut down a whole airport.

6. Schedule long layovers - Your 1 hour layover is NOT enough anymore ... 3 hours minimum.

7. We are short staffed and overworked. Not just pilots & flight attendants, but ground crews.

8. When flight crews get delayed we time out. We can NOT fly longer than 16 hours. It's illegal.

9. Avoid connecting in Newark (Or any New York airport for that matter).

10. Be nice ... We will not help you if you are mean.

11. Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it.

12. Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested.

13. Flights are FULL. If you buy the cheap seats you will not be able to sit with your family ... Flight Attendants aren't there to rearrange the whole plane just so you can sit with your family because you tried to save $100 on a third party website.

14. If a flight is oversold, and no one volunteers to give up their seats, who do you think is the first to be bumped? You guessed it, the family that saved a few $$ by using sites like Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire, etc.

15. Pack smart ... Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead.

16. Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food (caesar salad and tuna fish I'm talking to you!), and bring headphones.

17. Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold.

18. That's not water on the bathroom floor ... wear shoes to the bathroom!!!

19. Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired. We are and we know.

20. Happy Travels!

These all sound reasonable, but let's pay special attention to #10. And yes, happy travels!