Mike’s Blog
This is for everyone who is interested in Leadership, teams, and people.
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It’s only stuff
Growing up, I vaguely remember this lamp in my grandparent’s home. I remember it being a curiosity in my mind. Once my grandparents died, my parents acquired numerous pieces of their furniture, including the lamp. From that day forward, my Dad insisted I take it after...
Don’t let stage fright stop you
You get on the stage, and ego rushes in to say, "Don't mess up." That's when the nerves would start to kick in. You'd know it as you'd likely see me pacing about if you were backstage with me. While I had nearly 35 years of experience performing in a band,...
It’s always a people problem
A software team once told me they spend two hours refreshing their testing regions daily. I asked if this situation seemed reasonable to them. "No, it's a complete waste of time as it keeps us from working on the new features." When asked why they did not change this...
It’s at the back of the store near the dog food
"The ginger beer is near the back of the store near the dog food." I nearly fell over when my son, Scott, said this to me. The thing is, he's gone blind in the past year and has only been in this store while blind. I asked him how he knew this. Scott explained that...
What if everyone is doing the best they know how?
“You know what your problem is? You have too much money.” I explained, “What you’re doing is working, as evidenced by your profits and share value. So, you have no real reason to change. You can keep doing what you’re doing, and it’ll work … for now. After all, it did...
Are people your best assets?
While I tend to not get too hung up on language. However, I always try to improve my language to honour our differences and be more inclusive. For example, one of the phrases I’m trying to change is my habit of saying, “You guys.” It’s a long-standing habit of mine to...
What’s your proof about the best place to work?
There isn't a day that goes by when I don't see an article about returning to the office. It's become such an extensive discussion that we've even assigned the acronym "RTO." Most articles I read explain how executives claim innovation, collaboration, and productivity...
What is my Uber driver doing
"What is my Uber driver doing?!?" I stood in front of a hotel this week, looking at the Uber app and quietly asking myself this question. After several minutes, I was getting mildly annoyed as the driver wasn't moving in my direction. (The Uber app shows their...
Returning the office – it won’t be what you think it is
Are you caught up in the debate about the merits of returning to the office? There are plenty of differing opinions out there about what is the best choice to be making. Now, people do jobs for which the only option is to be in an office, warehouse, or other location....
Where are you living with expectations
“Being a good citizen means you have a post-secondary education and a stable job.” At least, that’s the expectation I was taught while growing up. Now, I don’t believe my parents, teachers, and others had any bad intentions in teaching me this. They passed along what...
The power of the ‘but’
How many times do you confuse the universe with a ‘but’? I’m not talking about the but that follows you everywhere. I’m talking about all the ways you say you want something, then find a way to say why you won’t do it. For example, I’ve wanted to get my weight back...
A 90-second masterclass in how to destroy trust
By now, you’ve likely seen the video of Andi Owen, the CEO of MillerKnoll, ranting about her people’s concerns that they wouldn’t receive a bonus this year. If you haven’t seen the video, search on your favourite social media platform with her name and you’ll quickly...
Who do you put first?
"Put yourself first. After all, no one ever put ‘They should have worked harder’ on their tombstone." — Fred Stein
Where do you hear what your heart is telling you?
Find the place where you can hear what your heart is telling you, then return there often.
Creativity never happens by force
Creativity happens with acceptance and can never be forced to happen.
Take the time to sit still and listen
It’s amazing how much you can hear in and around you when you sit still.
Live life on purpose
What if we were to stop worrying about the purpose of our lives and live every day on purpose?
Solving problems is heart work
You will solve problems to the extent you hold everyone equally in your heart.
Be mindful how you weild your authority
Wielding your authority will get what you want but at the cost of obligation.
Are you burning yourself out?
The world will keep spinning long after you’re gone. So why are you wearing yourself out for your job?
You don’t have to save the world
You don’t have to save the world. Just do something to make it a little better every day.
Most people never pick up the phone and call
“Most people do not ever pick up the phone. They never ask, and that is what separates the people that do things from the people that just dream about them." — Steve Jobs
Do you trust the people working from home?
When you wonder whether you can trust people working from home, it’s time to question how much you trust your own leadership.
Transformation and familiarity are like oil and water.
Transformation and familiarity are like oil and water. No matter how hard you try, you can’t mix them.