In 2002 I read a book, called “WHO MOVED MY CHEESE“, Spencer Johnson~ Author

The characters in the Story are:

• 2 little mice with people type brains, instincts and beliefs                 Hem & Haw
  • 2 little mice with nothing major to offer                                                Sniff & Scurry

Hem & Haw used thinking ability, learning ability, beliefs and emotions, while Sniff & Scurry used trial & error and teamwork.

The search begins in a maze.  The search is for Cheese

They all start out looking for the cheese using their own individual resources.  There are mistakes, and backtracking, but eventually they find what they are looking for in Cheese Station C.  CHEESE.

Every morning after the discovery they race back to Cheese Station C and eat their fill.  Sniff and Scurry would always follow the same routine, racing through the maze, taking off their shoes and tie them around their necks and eating their fill.  For a while Hem and Haw did the same thing.  After a while Hem and Haw started to wake a little later, race a little slower.  After all they knew where it was and how to get there.

Sometimes Hem and Haw would take their friends by to see their cheese.  They were even getting a little proud of their cheese.  Eventually they began to get very comfortable and arrogant about their deserving of the cheese.

Then one morning the cheese was not there.  Sniff and Scurry were the first to discover this because they were always there at Cheese Station C first.  When they discovered no cheese, they were off and running in search of NEW CHEESE.

Hem and Haw arrived late as they usually were.  They were dumbfounded to find that the cheese was gone.  What?  No Cheese?  It’s not Fair?!!!

The story unfolds and these two very different pairs attack the same problem in very different ways.  The story describes how the Sniff & Scurry find the NEW CHEESE by exercising a proactive approach to the problem of no cheese, and how Hem & Haw struggle through breaking down their paradigms and learning to think outside of the box in order to discover their cheese.

Hem finally ventures out in search of new cheese, despite the protest of his partner who chooses to remain in Cheese Station C and wait until the cheese is put back in there.

Hem’s journey proves to be full of learning’s that can be applied to any business that get’s comfortable with it’s own cheese.

From beginning to end of the journey, Hem documents his observations :

First

• Having Cheese Makes You Happy
• The More Important Your Cheese is to you, the More you want to hold on to it
• If You do not Change, You can become Extinct
• What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid
• Smell the Cheese Often So You Know When it is Getting Old
• Movement in a New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese
• When You Move Beyond Your Fear, You Feel Free
• Imagining Myself Enjoying New Cheese, Even Before I find it, Leads Me To it
• The Quicker You Let Go of Your Old Cheese, The Sooner You Find New Cheese
• It is Safer to Search in a Maze, than remain in a Cheeseless Situation
• Old Beliefs Do not lead you to New Cheese
• When You See that You Can Find and Enjoy New Cheese, You Change Course
• Noticing Small Changes Early Helps You Adapt to the bigger changes that are to come

In summary

• Change Happens – They keep moving the cheese
• Anticipate change – Get Ready for the Cheese to move
• Monitor Change – Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old
• Adapt to change quickly – the quicker you let go of old cheese the sooner you can enjoy new cheese
• Change – move with the cheese
• Enjoy change – savour the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese
• Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again – they keep moving the cheese

According to a 2020 study by Psychometrics called PEOPLE TRENDS, Change Management was in the top 3 Human Resources concerns of organizations.  In fact, only 20% of organizations feels they are successfully connecting change to their strategic goals, and the effectiveness through out change dwindles from there, with only 9% of companies able to sustain continuous support and implementation of changes.

That needs to Change.

Since the outset of this virus pandemic we have been watchfully, and thoughtfully seeking out the best guidance.  Certainly guidance is sought through CDC, Dr Henry & the Ministry of Health, Worksafe BC, and other reputable sources.  We most definitely WANT to be safe throughout this, and we certainly WANT our clients and customers to be safe. 

So we sanitize, socially distance and we wear masks where appropriate to do so.

Seems reasonable right?  It does to us.

For the first time I encountered a mocker.  Assistance was required, distancing was compromised so masks were donned and requested.  Our efforts at safety were met with mockery complete with rolling eyes, and a crumpled up discarded mask.   Far be it from us to force our opinions on others.  However, in the interest of safety we will err with the experts, and continue to do our part.

STILL KIND, STILL CALM, REMAINING SAFE

HAPPY BC DAY PRINCETON AND SAFE WISHES TO ALL THE TRAVELERS – MASKED OR NOT.

The headlines have done it to us again.  We are absorbing the federal political scene play out around expense claims, recusing votes, who’s right in the approach to COVID 19 and a myriad of other issues locally, regionally, provincially and all the way.  Issues seem to roll out in a never ending stream of questionable activity, and we are reminded that we control very little outside of our own behaviour.  The “devil made me do it” just won’t cut it anymore.  People want better….we all want better.

We want better behaviour from those we elect, those we work with/for, those we raise in our homes, those we neighbour with in our community, those we do business with, and those we don’t know, but whose actions affect us nevertheless.

Opportunity will always come our way to opt for the easy route, the route that serves us well, (but not others), and the route that serves us, with some perks for those in our groups.  But just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

I have spent some time involved with Rotary International and have always admired their guiding principles:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Take a moment to filter the issues in the headlines today, and consider how different they would be if the people involved had governed their actions through these guiding principles.  Different headlines might be filling our news feeds.  Moving forward, consider your actions, and adopt these principles, we might find a kinder, gentler, more honest world is waiting for us.

Biases are a hot topic these days so we thought we would check in on our understanding and highlight the potential pitfalls of unconscious bias.

If a bias is an inclination or preference that influences judgment from being balanced or even-handed, those of us living in this world have plenty of opportunity to exercise bias, consciously and unconsciously. 

This is not a discussion of the conscious application of bias, this writing is intended to highlight where unconscious bias might lie so we shed light on it, and it can no longer be unconscious.

It is important to note that just because it’s a hot topic now, we cannot simply give everyone cultural sensitivity training and wash our hands of it.  If this is to be systemic change, then our training, discussions, and policies have to have a long term and regular application and need to seek out these unconscious biases.

In BC/Canada there is very specific legislation around what are called Protected Grounds.  It is against these Human Rights Laws to discriminate based on:

• race
• national or ethnic origin
• colour
• religion
• age
• sex
• sexual orientation
• marital status
• family status
• disability, and
• a conviction for which you have been granted a pardon.

Bias in the workplace can impact hiring, promotions or advancements, job security and compensation to name a few.

Gender bias, or sexism, is one of the most regularly appearing biases in the workplace.  The gender bias can touch on the protected grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital and family status.  It can manifest through:

• A person being selected less for interviews
• Having work/work contributions devalued in comparison to peers
• A person can be interrupted more frequently in discussion
• Result in a lower initial salary & decreased salary growth in comparison
• Being perceived as less capable for leadership roles
• Have stunted career growth opportunities

A racial bias will touch the protected areas of race, national or ethnic origin, color and religion.  The same manifestations as Gender bias can occur in the workplace, and spill over into other areas of mainstream life, such as health service availability/treatment, treatment in stores and restaurants, applying for loans and mortgages or rentals and in dealing with law enforcement.  I don’t think too many people will be uninformed of the accounts that are being brought forward at this time.  If you are, a simple google search will produce many news accounts.

As part of a study by Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, in 2011, researchers sent out almost 13,000 fake resumes to over 3,000 job postings.  The data was revisited in 2017 and the findings are disturbing.  The data showed that people with Chinese, Indian or Pakistani sounding names were 28% less likely to get invited to an interview than the fictitious candidates with English sounding names, even when their qualifications were the same.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra began hiring musicians blindly in 1980, by putting them behind a screen. The results were profound — the orchestra which was previously made up almost entirely of white men in the 1970s, is almost half female today and much more diverse.

An interesting bias is called Confirmation Bias.  If we don’t work to challenge our thoughts, we will remain on the same path without moving towards a diverse conscious.  Confirmation Bias happens when we:

• Neglect seeking out objective facts
• Interpret information only to support an existing belief
• Only remember details that support your belief
• Ignoring information that does not support your belief.

Here’s an example.  Your unconscious bias, tells you that women aren’t suitable for management positions because they aren’t strong enough emotionally.  FACT or BIAS?  If you hold that bias, then any interaction with that female co-worker or subordinate is colored with this perceived weakness.  So you seek out confirming behaviour, you only recall behaviours that supports the belief and you ignore all demonstrations of strength.  Unconsciously/consciously you have marginalized the potential of a worker, based on non factual information.  A bias.

So what’s the solution?  Here’s the big start.

AWARENESS: Have a solid truthful look at yourself and then your workplace.  Look for areas where unconscious bias can occur and strengthen those areas to remove opportunities for bias.  Use numerical scoring systems to screen job applicants based on skills and abilities, remove identifying markers during an assessment phase. 

Not every organization can afford screening software that is trained to remove bias markers, so it will start with you.

Slow down and recognize bias in yourself.  Encourage Supervisors and teams to challenge their own assumptions and biases, seek out opportunities in the workplace to identify and eradicate bias.

Workplace Diversity is a GOOD THING, and this is proven.  A diverse workforce brings forward more creativity, productivity and harmony.  While systemically and culturally we are conditioned to appreciate that which is similar, we need to challenge that conditioning and step forward into a new way of being. 

Go ahead… make it a double!  Investing in this will leave you far more healthy and wealthy thank- you very much!  We like to say, “Happiness is an inside job”  but we know its also in the inside of really nice glass of tea ???   How you fill your soul and spirit is so important and we know that inner exploration “Ain’t for the FAINT of heart”.   It‘s true… you don’t always find what you are looking for, but with a little nudge, you tend to find what you need.  Happiness is that magic and  joy you feel in the pursuit of your path… Knowing you, without fear of judgement are critical to true happiness. How bout that for a Rock em- Sock em Slugfest of Inner Exploration? But… your worth it and the pay off is Priceless… You become Unshakable, Fierce and Fearless in the Pursuit of your purpose in Life and your Career.  Ahhh Yes Please… I’ll have another!  And you should… daily, weekly and monthly rituals of Self reflection are foundations to living your life with Purpose. 

We often recommend Self Reflection as a key to mastery in the fear of doubt, change or need for growth.  Self-reflection is defined as “meditation or serious thought about one’s character, actions, and motives.” It’s about taking a step back and reflecting on your life, behavior and beliefs.  Many Olympians, Boss Leaders & Spiritual Gangsters see Self-Reflection as a critical element in success, and the TIME is RIGHT!  As our world slows down, have you? It’s giving us full permission to take a little time to breathe, lean into discomfort and perhaps make more meaning in your life.  With so much Chaos and Disruption, we believe our World needs a little more Peace and THIS part is on you;  Still Mind, Peaceful Heart and Wild Eyes are desperately welcomed into our families, communities and workplaces.   

It’s up to you to put yourself on the TO DO list and create time for Stillness, Reflection & Growth.  In doing so, your blueprint will be custom and engineered just for you.  You will have a solid idea of who you are, how you operate and the values, people and activities that are essential for your own growth.  You’ll become soul rooted and you won’t get easily side tracked when life hands you a fist full of Lemons.  You’ll create true G.R.I.T. in that rebel heart of yours that’s full of pride about who you are and where you’ve been.    

Here are a few leap off questions:

A Quick Google and We Found a Few Questions To Guide Self Reflection:

1. How do I feel overall about this area of my life? On a scale of 1-10, how would I rate my levels of satisfaction and success?
2. What’s working? What’s not working?
3. What do I want more of – or less of?
4. What are my accomplishments/wins/successes? (People often default to what’s wrong or hasn’t worked – it’s just as important to focus on what’s going right!)
5. What do I want? What are my hopes or goals?
6. What am I grateful for?
7. How would I improve this area of my life? What actions can I take? 

So to reflect is good, to reflect with humility is… More on that here:  The Virtue of Humility

BONUS POINTS:  Activities to Cultivate Humility

There’s a revolution happening in skilled Trades!!!

The revolution is being sparked by automation, low-carbon economies, digitization, and other emerging work trends. These new technologies need skills that are not usually at the core of a trade school education. 
On behalf of the Future Skills Centre,  The Conference Board of Canada is researching Canadian apprenticeships as part of its work on experiential learning. Check out more by clicking the below link to the full article. 

Conference Board of Canada

In the Okanagan there is some really big shifts happening as well… Below are the latest numbers from WorkBC and the Canada Job Bank.  The supply and demand trades chain has impacted the Thompson Okanagan data somewhat. We believe economic shifts in the Oil and Gas industry have returned a good supply of trades people home while the market corrects itself. (Hopefully)  

SOURCE: WorkBC and Job Bank NOTE: Many of these trades are experiencing high demand in one region, but not in another region.

What can we say… Shift happens!

We learned much about ourselves since March 18, 2020.  On that day, we were forced to close our doors for the first time in our 25 years of service to Princeton.  We certainly did not take that decision lightly and it was the last thing we wanted to do.  At that time there was much we did not know about the virus, and how to protect our staff and our clients.  These were…and are unique times.

The work did not stop, in fact it accelerated.  During the last 8 weeks we have worked with our partners to establish a virtual service for our clients including online workshops, labour market newsletters and updates, job postings, and virtual services direct to each client.  The learning curve was intense.

To pivot a direct service organization and create a virtual service required hard work, creativity, collaboration, and technology.  We assembled working teams addressing collating and interpreting Government announcements, creating virtual workshops, providing clients with virtual access to information, and transitioned how we interacted with our customers.  Goal setting & Teamwork accomplishes much.

We needed to check our resiliency.  This pandemic was about to create a myriad of difficulties for our operation, and perspective and balance was important.  Our ability to be resilient protected our mental health capacity which was challenged and we felt it.  We understood that in order to make it through, not only this current state but the “new normal” state that faces us at the other end, we needed to protect ourselves.  We needed to be able to absorb a tremendous amount of information and that required mind health.  Dr Bonnie Henry’s steadfast advice was the underpinning of this learning.  Be calm, be kind, stay safe. 

Moving forward, we don’t have the big picture…yet.  As most may not.  We know we are here to serve our community, and we will be figuring out how that can be done and what our next steps are.  We know challenges lie ahead for us, and we will continue to creatively solve our problems, one step at a time.  After all, that’s a tried and tested process for getting through difficult times.  Find what’s in your control, and work that angle.

Power Skills: Self- Care & Wellness

If we could truly enact our super powers to save the world in this Pandemic the evidence is clear; Social Distancing is Top Priority.  Sounds easy right? We are not so certain; after the first week of Netflix, Clorox Deep Cleaning, Hand washing fatigue, home cooking and yet another trivia game from your aunt on Facebook we suspect Social Distancing comes with a psychological fallout. Experts warn prolonged isolation during the pandemic may worsen or trigger mental health problems. Covid-19 universally boils down to Uncertainty, Unpredictability and CHANGE; and we know that Change especially when it’s unsubscribed can mean Stress!

While being Socially Distant Super Hero’s Self Care and Wellness need to be Job #1.  We know Stress can be made worse if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.  Now’s the time to lean on social supports, try to get enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise and engage in enjoyable activities.  Self care can no longer be a destination that we are constantly putting on our To-Do list, in these coming days its a matter of public service that we keep grounded and well!

Our hope is that you can access the tools and resources to self manage many aspects of your health and wellness so that you can continue to work or return to work, sharp and well. With the time to Amp up our mental health, Check out this easy to use and FREE guide from Peak Performance.

I know what your thinking… Self care and staying Calm sounds a little easier than it truly is. That’s why we have these additional resources and are happy to share them with you.  

BC’s Here to Help 

Canadian Mental Health Association 

Calm Blog

Mindful Exercises

Have you ever felt alone in your job? Craving input, interaction, direction, assistance to be better at what you do? Many people do, but many companies fail to recognize the benefits. Fear of collaboration, letting someone else in on your plans, is an excellent way to limit your effectiveness. The pie is big enough, in fact collaboration can create new pies where you didn’t know a bakery existed. Stephen Covey called this Synergy. Building on “two heads are better than one”, Covey believed that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Synergy requires a mindset that believes in the benefits of collaboration. Synergy puts aside the need to win, the need to be right, the need to have recognition, and creates a new and separate entity that is “its own”.

Consider these benefits of Collaboration from an INC. article we read recently.

1. Self-awareness. Nothing crystalizes what you bring to the table more than when you’re forced to articulate your competencies Collaborating challenges you to articulate and distill what you are great at, and what you do poorly. That honesty about your strengths and weaknesses can force you to ask for help when necessary and be brazen about how you can help others.
2. Scale. The old adage, “two heads are better than one” has been around for over four centuries for a reason. More effective problem solving happens when you combine resources in talent, experience, finances and infrastructure. Sharing and leveraging those resources means that your reach to new markets increases and re-energizes the connection you have with established customers.Ecosystems rule, and as in nature, our social organizations thrive where there are diverse and complimentary systems that enhance the lives other firms. Understand that your firm is part of a greater whole, and that there is power in that.
3. Creative Abrasion. This term was coined by Jerry Hirsch when he was an executive designer at Nissan. “Abrasion” is a process of wearing down through friction. We typically associate friction with something negative, but friction in its purest form, is energy. So why not convert that energy that comes from working with people who are different from you, into something positive? Leverage the differences and work to identify what can be complementary about them. Which leads me to this next point…
4. Take the long view. Sometimes things don’t work out well when you collaborate with others, no matter how hard you try, how patient you are, and how well you listen. But does that necessarily mean you never attempt again to work with that organization? Take the long view about perceived failures, as Dave Gloss from the creative agency Here’s My Chance reminded the group: while an initial project may not do well, the partnership may still be salvageable.
5. Learn, learn, and learn some more! Collaborating propels your firm to become a learning organization, a popular phrase right now that refers to organizations which have cultures of ongoing learning, and structures that support that learning through safety nets for failure, and opportunities for growth in all aspects of employees’ lives. Each time your firm collaborates with others you optimize the capacity of your associates to extend beyond their comfort zone, grow, and in turn, stretch the boundaries of the organization.

Collaborating may not be easy, however worthwhile things never are. Forever Learning!