I Believe In Fairness, Fun, And Sharing What I’ve Learned With The People Who Make This Planet A Great Place To Live |
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I feel petty good about October, which means I feel pretty good about facing November, too. October's weather was moderate and it was great to be out in the world a bit more than I've been in several months.
Theatre opened up again, and I saw "The Garneau Block" by Belinda Cornish, based on Todd Babiuk's novel, which I read and loved years ago. It was a wonderful play that (hopefully) helped my creative juices kick into gear. Rehearsals also started for my play at Northern Light Theatre. It feels SO GOOD to be back in a rehearsal hall with seriously talented people!
My football team, also full of talent, somehow cannot get the job done this season. My hunch is that corporate culture is at play here. I have quite a bit to say about culture and the success (or failure) of a team, and for now I'm just letting that idea simmer. Stay tuned.
Beer School started again through University of Alberta, plus I went to Canmore twice and Banff once to try out some new breweries -- and get some fresh air, of course! I have been studying hard for my Certified Beer Judge exams and intend to have myself back on schedule in the next month. To keep myself "practiced" I also attended the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival for a few hours. So much talent in that industry, too.) In other professional development, I attended an on-line workshop on working through grief which was very interesting, a little surprising, and somewhat helpful. I knew before I started that I wouldn't cure grief with a 2-hour workshop, but one always hopes...
Thanksgiving was low key, as we still can't gather as a family (the right number of people, but the wrong number of households). Instead I ordered some takeout dinners from a local church and delivered them, visiting in driveways as I dropped them off.
My vehicle cost me quite a bit recently, yet I am ready to hit the road again and trust that I will be safe.
More boards are starting to meet in person again, and this is taking me some getting used to. Just a reminder that you should set aside 2-3 times as much time for a face-to-face meeting as for a virtual one because people have a lot of catching up to do with each other!
I am really looking forward to catching up with YOU, too. Have a great month!
/lmwe
”Where's the thing that I haven't seen myself do before?”
-- Carmen Gimenez Smith
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How About Some Theatre?!
I am beyond thrilled that Northern Light Theatre is opening its 46th season with my play The Great Whorehouse Fire of 1921. Opening November 19, the play can be seen live-&-in-person (and eventually, digitally), so no matter where you are, you can catch it sooner or later! Click the title link for the NLT website, play info, an interview with me, and box office info. Thanks!
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Organizational culture is top of mind for me these days. I know that a board is responsible for setting the desired tone (culture), and management is responsible for carrying it out and through the organization.
I also know that culture can go sideways at any level of the organization. In my experience, Peter Drucker's famous quote, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" is absolutely true. To give that quote some context, I offer this from the Feb 26/20 blog by thealternativeboard.com:
"...no matter how strong your strategic plan is, its efficacy will be held back by members of your team if they don't share the proper culture. When it comes down to it, the people implementing the plan are the ones that make all the difference. If your employees aren't passionate about your company's vision, they won't be enthusiastic about executing the plan, and then your strategy stands no chance. Your company will struggle to execute daily strategies, and implementing a new one would be doomed to fail."
This is what I'm seeing with my football team, and that's why I think the team's failure this year is about culture, and not talent.
I think the worst place for a disconnect on corporate culture is at the board level. Most troubleshooting articles I've read talk about when ONE board member is out of step with the rest of the board regarding culture. I've experienced that both as a director and as an Executive Director, and it's plenty difficult.
But what if the ENTIRE board is out of sync with the organization's culture? This is where I'd like to do some digging! Sure, the team name changed but that shouldn't mean that everything about the organization needed to be thrown out along with the old name.
To provide some definition, consider this from "Taming the Troublesome Board Member" by Katha Kissman (BoardSource.org).
"Organizational culture can be defined as a relatively unstated, undefined set of beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and/or traditions that operate as subtext under an organization's formal structure and operations...it may be exhibited as negative or positive...it maybe actively promoted or indirectly followed."
The passage goes on to say that when a board member's beliefs, etc. don't align with those of the organization, the board has a problem, especially if that board member sees himself as as a change agent.
"Failure to integrate into the established organizational culture can be a confusing and frustrating experience...when a board member who strongly believes that the 'old way of doing things is wrong' and that it is up to them to make a change, then the other board members may be influenced causing factions or cliques, and breaking apart the communication and teamwork ethic."
Do you have a culture story to share with me? I'd love to hear it.
/lmwe
“We believe that it's really important to come up with core values that you can commit to. And by commit, we mean that you're willing to hire and fire based on them. If you're willing to do that, then you're well on your way to building a company culture that is in line with the brand you want to build.”
― Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos
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(Here with image of his father,
Wilfred "Wop" May)
Denny was a man who made a difference in many lives, including mine and my mom's. Rest in Peace, Denny
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Some People Who Made Life Better in October |
MaryJane Alanko, Liz Allison-Jorde, David Cheoros, Janis Dow, Bobbi Fitzgerald & Chris Wood, Theresa & Isla Chorus Folkerson, Connie Fornier, Marg Hartt, Rhonda Hjorth, Joe Howdle, Sue Huff, Dave Hughes, Kimberley Hunter Lee, Lynn MacAskill, Karen MacKenzie, Twilla MacLeod, Kelly McClung, Erin O'Neill, Carole Ross, Lori Schmidt, Trevor Schmidt, Joan Seath, Annette & Don Sieffert, Donna Stonehocker & Jim Gwartney, Janna Tominiuk, Theresa Tsoukalas, Lil West, Cathy & John Wood
“It is actually up to you to decide whether you will have fun or not, that is the bottom line of it.”
-- Anonymous
(but it kind of sounds like me)
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Some Quotes I Like
"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving,
and that's your own self.”
-- Aldous Huxley
“You always pass failure on the way to success.”
-- Micky Roonie
"The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.”
-- Sarah Brown
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Five Beers I Enjoyed in October
1. Bang A Gong Trinity IPA, Longroof Brewing (Edmonton AB) 6.4% ABV
2. Pinery Pilsner (King Edward), Three Bears Brewing (Banff AB) 4.8% ABV
3. Oktoberfest Lager (Marzen), Sheepdog Brewing (Canmore AB) 4.9% ABV
4. Tripel Karmeliet Belgian Tripel, Brouwerij Bosteels (Belgium) 8.4% ABV
5. Varsity Hall Red Ale, Snake Lake Brewing (Sylvan Lake AB) 5.5% ABV
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“Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret." -- Don Miguel Ruiz
#BeKind
Linda & LUE-42 Enterprises
(With fond acknowledge to Douglas Adams & The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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Linda Wood Edwards
P.O. Box 11021, Station Main,
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3K3
780.918.4200
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