Reducing blind spots takes attention. We have to catch ourselves in the act of drawing a conclusion based on incomplete information, assumptions, or proxy information. Proxy information means we substitute in one set of information for another. We infer quality, potential, or trustworthiness from information that is not in fact that information. It may be only patterned that way in our minds, or we were taught to make the associations. And then we stopped questioning them. They become our personal shortcut to decision-making. These little things matter. Whether it's grading a paper, evaluating an oral exam performance, deciding about a [...]

Request from a recent webinar: what shall I read? I offered a webinar recently where a participant asked what books I would recommend, books that might give a window into the topics I was speaking about. That is the book that I am writing myself. But until that is published, I offer a selection of books that I draw from, books that inspire me. Each of us are going to put the ideas together in our own ways. Each of us brings something to a text. It is sacred ground between the reader and the writer. Maybe some of the [...]

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Ian MacLaren This era of the Coronavirus brings to stark light a recommendation that has always been useful: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. The original quote is actually[1] “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.“ Published in 1897 and credited to Ian MacLaren (aka Rev. John Watson), Scottish writer and minister, born in 1850 and died in 1907. And what is meant by “pitiful” is an older meaning from the last century: compassionate, merciful, tender. How beautiful is this advice. [...]

Ever tried something completely new? And gotten resistance? Have you ever been in charge of a meeting and right away, you get resistance? What do you do about it? I recently led a faculty retreat for about 20 colleagues. Recalling with grim the past retreats with hours and hours of sitting and discussing and nothing gets resolved, I wanted another way to begin the day of working together on some core problems we face. I have experience with groups and facilitation, and I brought those skills with me. It did not go as planned. My plan to begin [...]