A CEO was once asked how many people worked in his company and he responded by saying "about half of them."

Many companies today employ a variety of efforts at "engaging" their employees and much like attempts at Lean, Six Sigma, ISO or any other active effort directed at improving performance they are met with varying degrees of success. When it comes to "engagement activities" I'm going to suggest to you that too often the focus is on the wrong things. I'll also suggest some of the right…

As parents, we try to teach our kids to be tolerant and accepting of other kids, regardless of their appearance or nationality. And when one of our own kids is feeling unconnected in their peer group, we encourage them that it's okay to be different because we all have different strengths and talents. As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being a nation of diverse cultures, and we celebrate this diversity intentionally. We say it gives our nation's fabric its inherent strength. Yet, with our…

There's a small greasy spoon in a small port town on Georgian Bay, a block from the town dock. It's a great place for breakfast, especially after a night spent on the boat. Over the years, I've noticed that the waitresses are all 30 to 40, thin, tattooed, and looking like that they have had some tough years. Many of them are naturally beautiful though, and despite the evidence of "living hard", there seems to be an emerging joy; a new sparkle in their eyes; a steely resolve to live the next 10…

Little Current, a beautiful and historic maritime town that serves as the gateway to the Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario, is aptly named. Or perhaps it's inaptly named, because on some days it should be named "Big Current".

The Manitoulin Island is the world's largest fresh water island, and it serves to separate Lake Huron from Georgian Bay. If it wasn't for a small strait on the north part of the island, Georgian Bay would actually be considered a lake, but that's another story. Little…

I know it's my pride that often gets me in trouble, and is often the cause for the pain I feel or inflict on others. But, pride has its place in our ego-systems, and if kept in proper check, is a good thing. Pride makes us pay attention to the things we do so that we are seen in the best light in front of those that matter. It helps ensure we do the best job in anything we choose to do. It makes us sometimes push ourselves beyond our current limitations. It keeps us from quitting when quitting…

We received over fifty applications for an administration position, a couple dozen for a mechanical position, but only a trickle of applications for the software development and firmware development positions. It was very perplexing.

I can't claim to know why this is - perhaps it's an acute condition to my region (London Ontario) - but I do have my theories. One is that young people interested in programming and technology today are interested specifically in game development and entertainment…

Looking forward is what most leaders do instinctively. It's the reason that many of them are leaders - they are looking ahead at where they want to be, not satisfied with where they currently are at. Often they look forward into what appears a fog to others, but they are fixated on a point on the horizon that they are aiming for. In their mind's eye, they have a picture of what their company looks like 2 years, 5 years and even 10 years off. Without a forward looking perspective, it's tough to…

Many people have told me that my tendency is to see situations "through rose coloured glasses", and personally I take that as a compliment because it means I see the best in people, or have an optimistic enough attitude to soldier on in tough times. But, we don't always see the world through our own lenses. When we rely on other people for their outlooks and perspectives, we see the world through their lenses. This hit home for me recently when I had to deal directly with a couple of…

In the last few months, I have done an extensive amount of travel to the different industrial regions in North America, including the southeast, the Midwest, the southwest, the "rust belt" and Ontario and Michigan, for the purpose of building up my own company. Through my role in the London Region Manufacturing Council ("LRMC"), I have participated in numerous "round table" discussions and have listened to industry and government leaders speak of their plans, or opinions, on rebuilding or…