Category Archives: professional development

(#422) Ask. Listen. Act.


Noise abounds as people tell us what we should and should not. Perhaps we do the same to others. I stood in the back of an auditorium in New Mexico.  In ten minutes, I would be introduced to an audience … Continue reading

Posted in assumptions, awareness, Civility, collaboration, Communication, conversation, faculty development, Life lessons, professional development | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#401) Improv and Leadership


Incompetent and fear-based managers rely on rigid scripts. Sam Wasson’s Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art provides lessons for transformational leadership. As early Improv players experimented and developed the art form, they learned the power of two … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, Appropriate Behavior, Choice, Civility, collaboration, collegiality, Communication, effective meetings, generativity, growth, improv, professional development, resilience, self-awareness, self-regulatory behavior, Teaching, teaching and learning, vulnerability, wisdom, Words | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#312) Organizational Climate and Culture


Those who don’t understand the importance of relationship building to affect culture change are not leading but simply taking a meandering walk. At the end of this month I’ll address an audience in Austin, Texas on strategies to motivate people … Continue reading

Posted in faculty development, institutional climate, institutional culture, professional development, Relationship, relevance | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#265) That’s Not Teaching. That’s Talking!


Teaching and learning need to remain inextricably connected. A few weeks ago I had the honor of being placed in the songwriter’s spotlight at the Atlantic Beach (FL) Songwriters’ Night.  I was humbled to get the invitation and once I was … Continue reading

Posted in effective teaching, faculty development, leadership, Mindfulness, professional development, Teaching, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

(#247) Applications and Reflections


Just consider the hourly wage of each person tied up in a workshop.  Is the R.O.I. worth the lost wages and service? I have written elsewhere on this blog about the benefits of meaningful professional growth opportunities and collegiality.  Today, … Continue reading

Posted in faculty development, life success, Making a Difference, Mindfulness, Personal growth, Personal Wellbeing, professional development, Reflective practice, resilience, self-efficacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(242) Reflecting on a Significant Event


The power of this reflective practice exercise lies in its ability to help us discover not only what we do but why we do it. Regardless of our calling, we can all point to those critical (or significant) events that … Continue reading

Posted in Critical Thinking, effective teaching, faculty development, growth, habits, Personal growth, professional development, Purpose, Reflective practice, resilience, Success | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(#240) A Blogger’s Retrospective: 2014 In Review


May your 2015 goals lead to your actions and your actions lead to your dreams. In May of 2010 I made the decision to begin my first blog. I had 3 goals: Experience a new (for me) aspect of social media … Continue reading

Posted in Dreams, faculty development, Goals, Gratitude, Life lessons, Mindfulness, Motivation, professional development, Reflective practice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(#239) Reflecting on Meaningful Professional Development


Professional growth benefits the organization and the people it serves. Just as importantly, the growth can stimulate and sustain personal resilience. The end of every semester brings with it a balance sheet of sorts.  What went well? What could have … Continue reading

Posted in faculty development, leadership, professional development, resilience | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#237) Core Values


What guides your personal and professional life? This week’s blog post challenges us to examine what guides our actions. For the past several years I have become a lot more intentional about my direction.  I have always been goal directed—but I … Continue reading

Posted in core values, Goals, life success, Life's purpose, professional development | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

(#196) On Collegiality and Collaboration: Reflections from San Diego


It takes more than exchanging an email address or a business card to build meaningful connections. It’s early morning and I’m sitting in the San Diego airport as I write this week’s blog. For the past few days I had … Continue reading

Posted in faculty development, professional development, Relationship | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments