Education

A friend has reminded me that “in 1776, most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence.”

If someone stopped by and asked your team today what your performance expectations are for this year, could they give a prompt, specific answer? Could they do the same for values expectations – how they’re supposed to treat each other?

The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States of America. Having experienced the celebrations first hand on July 4, 2014, in Washington DC, it would be fair to say that it was more than a celebration of Independence. It was also a celebration of culture, of beliefs and of values.

16 years ago this week I was lying on a bed in the intensive care unit of Liverpool University hospital. My face looked as if somebody had just exploded a bomb in the middle of my head. Against great odds, I was still alive after some of the most complex surgery that is possible.

Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless Service. Honor. Integrity. Personal Courage. The US Army’s values are clearly spelled out, as core values are in all military organizations.

“And did you get what you wanted out of life, even so?”This wonderful quote used in the ‘2016 Commencement Speech’ at Harvard Graduate School of Education, is poetic, poignant and prophetic. Derived from a poem by Raymond Carver, it captures our imagination, in particular as it is one the major questions in life that we all must answer, according to Professor James Ryan, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Watching the NHL Stanley Cup finals, I am marveling at the success of the first-year expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights. But I probably shouldn’t be.

In my work with clients around the globe, I hear about team members’ frustrations with their leaders all the time. These frustrations are often based on the leader’s lack of consistent authenticity.

These days, I regularly find myself carrying out a review of each day. In a busy life, it appears to be a little mechanism that has evolved to help me keep some kind of check on progress, or otherwise. A daily instrument to help me impose some order on an often hectic schedule.

Each year on April 25, the countries of Australia and New Zealand hold a public holiday to commemorate ANZAC Day. The day remembers the day that the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed on the shores of Gallipoli (modern day Turkey) in 1915.