Blog

Ready-gation

Impactful work is always complex. It's always difficult. And it's always too much! When we choose to do impactful work, we absolutely must do it as a team. What happens far too often is that the leader sees where the work and workflow should be going, but some (or...

Graticism

Over the years I've often heard leaders posit the strategy of pairing criticism (usually of employee performance) with doses of gratitude/praise. I think of it as "graticism." The best, and usually the smartest, team members I've worked with recognize this...

ListenLeverage

Attention spans seem shorter than ever. Droning on is one of the surest ways to lose our audience(s). The best communicators I know engage some very intentional strategies when they have opportunity to speak. They leverage: Connections -- Folks listen best when we are...

ContinuousBetterment

Most people think of their job as continuous work. Folks who are committed to excellence, however, think of their work as continuous improvement. ONLY when our work is that of service -- making the world a better place -- does that continuous march toward excellence...

Stuckedness

Ever work in an organization that felt like it was "stuck?" Some of the best leaders I know interdict this state of stuckedness by engaging in the following strategic moves: Make perfectly clear to all stakeholders -- internal and external -- WHY the organization...

Rural Renew Initiative: 2023 Rural Renewal Symposium

Rural Renew Initiative: 2023 Rural Renewal Symposium

The Rural Renewal Initiative began in 2019 and includes a team of diverse researchers and external partners committed to improving quality of life in rural Oklahoma communities and beyond through interdisciplinary research, student involvement and community...

Transmission

Most of us have a license to drive vehicles. Virtually ALL vehicles have a transmission. What is a transmission (in simple terms)? It's the part of the vehicle that takes the power generated from the engine and transfers that power to the wheels. Only then does...