“At the risk of repeating myself, …” How many of us have irritated an audience with ill-judged or unthinking repetition? For myself, I plead guilty as charged. By way of penance then (not pedantry of course), this post explores some of the ways repetition can either enhance or undermine communication. Repetition as a rhetorical tool… Continue reading Rhetorical repetition, reiteration, and redundancy
Month: July 2024
Reactive, Responsive, & Proactive Leadership
A recent exploration of thinking styles (see The [mind] map is not the territory) included a reference to automatic thinking. It suggested that unconscious (usually emotional) reactions to triggering events or circumstances can benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. But that was only a small part of the automatic thinking story. Reactiveness, Responsiveness, or Proactiveness Part… Continue reading Reactive, Responsive, & Proactive Leadership
Cultivating cultural competence & social cohesion
Divisive contributions to public discourse about overseas conflicts and immigration can cause our social fabric to fray at the edges. When we think about the tone of such discourse, it encourages us to consider whether our own contributions will foster social cohesion or promote further conflict. Social identity, cultural competence, and social cohesion are related… Continue reading Cultivating cultural competence & social cohesion
Divergent Thinking a Pre-requisite for Convergent Thinking
Whether we call it analysis/synthesis or differentiation/integration, we swap iteratively between divergent and convergent thinking while undertaking most governance and management tasks. While divergent thinking is often associated with informal and creative processes, it plays a crucial role in the formal and structured context of decision-making by directors and managers. We can’t carry out effective… Continue reading Divergent Thinking a Pre-requisite for Convergent Thinking
Counting What Matters: using non-financial accounting
Einstein’s observation that “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” rings true for most nonprofit leaders. This is not to dismiss the importance of responsible financial management, but rather to acknowledge that there is more to governing a nonprofit than staying ‘in the black’. Key non-financial metrics… Continue reading Counting What Matters: using non-financial accounting