One of the pleasures of my life is the people I work with. In this case, a room full of warehouse workers kicked me out for an hour while they figured out leadership simply and clearly. What they came up with is amazing! See what you think . . .

"Wicked Problem" describes any situation that can't be solved in the traditional sense with a single answer. 2 + 2 = 4 is a "tame problem" with a single solution. Learning and education are wicked problems - they need lots of different perspectives without the goal of "the correct answer." When we think we've solved a wicked problem, we're relying on too narrow a kind of thinking. As teachers and learners, we can start looking more at possibilities rather than searching for "the answer," and encourage our students to expand rather than contract how they see exploring solutions.

One of the qualities of every effective leader (regardless of her/his title) I have met is a willingness to laugh, especially in self-deprecation. Laughter releases endorphins, boosts our immune system, activities the deep learning part of the brain (watch kids!), and engages everyone around us. When we laugh with rather than at, we enlist those around us, an act of courage and trust.

Among the myriad buzzwords in OD (itself the king of buzzwords) are two that raise my hackles: "unintended consequences" and "empowerment." I'd like to suggest we reframe both, as they imply a kind of control we need to abandon.

How often do we confuse intent and impact, thinking that how others' behavior or words affected us is what they intended? When we react instead of considering the possibility of cluelessness as the cause, we remove the possibility of learning rather than blaming. We can give others the benefit of the doubt and move forward with feedback rather than getting stuck in our own assumptions.

There's nothing inherently good or bad about structure. We trainers, facilitators, teachers and leaders can make space for more excited and effective learners. An important key to improving our class rooms and retreats is to embrace bass ackwards planning.

Richard and I go way back. He's a consummate drummer, and he knows vinatge hardware like no one else, which is why the Rolling Stones called him when Charlie Watts had a drum emergency. Without the beat, the music doesn't move. Richard IS the beat.

Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” has been around a long time. We know that when people are fearful, their ability to think and perform at higher levels is compromised, so why is anxiety still so much a part of our schools and businesses? The podcast (and newsletter) contains three suggestions for reducing fear in schools and the workplace.

Though there are data to suggest a connection between grades and achievement, there are no compelling data to suggest a link between grades and lifelong learning. Grades and performance appraisals link learning to anxiety, a very non-productive connection in a post-assembly line world. Grades depend on a standardized approach to education, which hasn't worked effectively for decades, maybe longer!

I recently worked with a group where the word "tolerance" caused a wonderful, chaotic conflict. We finally reached agreement that tolerance (which comes from a word meaning 'to bear pain') is a tepid way to see others' differences. We agreed that acceptance and celebration are much better words, and much better thinking.