She left They came To say goodbyeAll had storiesSo many storiesStories of how sheSaw themSaved themShowed themShoved themLoved them When did you last see herYearsIt’s been yearsYearsYearsThey wished for one more timeYes that would have been goodOne more timeTo say thank you I love youI am sorry She was lonelyNo oneTo see herSave herShow herShove her Love her So she…
Read MoreWhen you try to lead from where you sit but your open and collaborative style is out of sync with the boss’s! I’ve recently coached a competent and talented young leader who was beyond frustrated in her workplace. She was in a role where heart-based leadership skills were required to bring colleagues together to form…
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What’s the next role? Are you considering the Chief Executive Officer role for your organization? I recently worked with an executive who spent their career with one organization, thinking they might be a viable candidate for the CEO role when the time was right. They did all the right things: worked hard, continued their professional…
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There is something about the smellIt’s not particularly like the ocean And it’s not just the smell of the landbut the combination that kickstarts the memory that calls forth from the deep, deep within It’s the blue sky at the edge where it meets the trees The heat rising off the land with a hint of…
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2023 What invitation do you see me offering you in the silence of the momentWhen the talk stopsWhen the moment stillsAnd the silence looms larger than life itself What do you see as the opening that creates the moment of ‘us’ here now in the going forward Can you stop the spin of…
Read MoreTHIS POST FIRST APPEARED IN Workplace.ca Winter 2019 Success with the Difficult ConversartionManaging the employee you suspect deals with some of life’s challenges through regular and predictable absence from work can be frustrating, expensive and tiring. There’s an impact on colleagues, clients, your team’s productivity and profitability and to insurance agencies like WCB and LTD…
Read MoreAugust 30, 2022 The words that cannot, will not be spokenFear they may wound the heart you carry insideMaybe the heartbreak will open you to the healing of the younger tender oneThe one punished not askedThe one scorned not protectedThe one shamed not heldWhose only response was to cower, cover the self the inquisitive curious…
Read MoreThis post first appeared in Workplace.ca Fall 2020 Edition Every wondered what employees really want? If you google search for leadership or management skills thousands of results are catapulted to your computer in a nanosecond. Models, theories, articles, books, podcasts, You Tube, the list is endless. How complicated is it? We know employees expect a…
Read MoreTHSI POST WAS FIRST SHARED IN Workplace.ca Winter 2020 Gail Boone and Carmen Theobold What makes an exceptional leader?In the Fall issue of the newsletter, you were introduced to the Five Roles of the Master Herder, in particular to the roles of the Leader and Dominant and also the concept of predatory and non-predatory power.…
Read MorePart One (Gail Boone and Carmen Theobold) THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED in Workplace.ca Fall 2019 Q: What makes an exceptional leader?A: The answer is someone who has access to all the five roles of a “Master Herder” and knows when to use them. Part ONE This article is the first of two to introduce…
Read MoreTHIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED on Workplace.ca Winter 2023 Edition Q|You have finally gotten rid of a toxic boss. You notice that the remaining team members aren’t as exuberant as you anticipated. How do you make things right? A|Toxic workplaces are unfortunately all too common. Their effects are profound. Some employees need a paid or…
Read MoreTHIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED on Workplace.ca Summer 2023 Edition Understand who you are as a facilitator. Think about your values, beliefs and assumptions at play when facilitating. How do these influence your style? Understand your preferences for process, group size and structure and think about how these might affect people in your audience. Consult Diversity,…
Read MoreShe makes this sound using her fingers against the curl of her tongueIts pitch causes our ears to stand up and our heads come to full attentionShe walks towards us calmly, slowly, arms by her sideHer gait reassuring Her breathing in her belly letting us know that there is nothing to worry aboutThe sound she makes…
Read MoreI don’t know if it is the nature of people I meet or if the stories I tell about equine-facilitated coaching are so compelling that they move people regardless of who I tell them to. Stories such as when Oliver and SD worked together so she could learn how to set a boundary and ask…
Read MoreNavajo was born at my mother’s place in Newfoundland in 1995 and lived there until he was seven. As seniors, my mom and stepdad Frank couldn’t keep him till the end of his life, assuming he would become a senior. As one ages, you run out of the physical ability to look after horses. Mom…
Read MoreMiss you Dad! Your picture rolls up on the frame and I see the head of striking white hairYour tall frame bent slightly forward with ageI miss you My mind wanders through the memories both the good and the other Those that linger in the deep recesses of my mind and come forward to the light of day…
Read MoreThe Bear….. From Fight Flight to Back to GrazingGail Boone September 2023 He was close enough to pick me out of a lineup had he been human. I got the fright of my life the other night. It was a quiet evening, and I had been hanging out in the barn with my four horses…
Read MoreTHIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED ON Workplace.ca Whether you’ve been managing a team for some time or are new to the role, you need to champion the development of a team vision. Establishing a meaningful team vision involves more than creating and writing words on paper. When the vision is clear and commonly understood, it…
Read MoreSometimes I can barely stand to lookThe photos, the paintingWhatever form the still takesIt takes my breathStalls my heart for the moment The fullness of the sensations feltThickness in the throatTightening of the plexusHeat risingThe warning shot of grief It will be my companionForeverA constant reminder of the absence of the physical you As tears…
Read MoreDiscover the critical success factors to make this transition a positive one for all concerned. Figure out who you are first and then be intentional and deliberate in taking steps to ensure everyone succeeds. THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED on Workplace.ca Spring 2023 Q|You’ve just become the new manager of the team you left behind.…
Read MoreWorking with a mentor coach is a great way to improve your coaching competency. If you are a coach who wants to take your coaching to the next level…… reach out and we would be happy to help. brian.duggan@marathonhrcg.com OR gailboone@ns.sympatico.ca It’s been said that if you love what you do, you’ll never work…
Read MoreAre you a coach or HR professional looking to get CCEs or CPDs? We would love to invite you to a 2-day workshop on June 2 and 3, 2023. This experiential workshop will give you professional development credits. For further details or to register please email gailboone@ns.sympatico.ca or brian.duggan@marathonhrcg.com
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Whether it’s navigating this pandemic and the changes that have come with it, marriage, divorce, birth, death, a new job or a retirement, full house or empty nest…transition is a way of life
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Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the words resilient and resiliency. We hear the terms used with respect to individuals, teams, organizations, cities, towns, countries, cultures and so on. According to Oxford Languages, resilient means ‘able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.’ Resiliency is ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.’…
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The Lisa LaFlamme termination experience from CTV News (Bell Media) is an unfortunate example of an organization’s blindness to the potential impact of a bad ‘business decision’. It perfectly shows what not to do and will be a case studied for years to come. The President and CEO, Mirko Bibic of BCE Inc. & Bell…
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THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED on Workplace.ca Spring 2022 Edition If you are a middle manager, you have a really tough job. You are among the many if you were promoted without any professional development to help your transition into the world of management and dealing with people. Managers are the meat in the middle…
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Facebooks asks what’s on your mind….. ? I have a clear answer to that question today. It comes about as Nova Scotia is working hard to prevent or curb (you decide the verb) a third wave of positive COVID19 cases in the province. This last experience (outbreak) in a province that has been doing SO…
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