tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100480402012-02-16T01:34:19.420-05:00An alternative perspective on life, work, and meaningMark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-29619640619201124082006-12-25T22:32:00.000-05:002006-12-25T22:34:53.006-05:00

I am going to make a new year's resolution to cut down on my blogs...I have been using different platforms for a few years now and am settling in on what I like at typepad for now.This may be my last blog post herePlease sign up and register on www.markdowds.comThank you Blogger...

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-14323994010963301342006-12-15T12:28:00.000-05:002006-12-15T12:33:08.158-05:00

I know that finding a washroom in London or any major city can be a hard thing to find but surely this goes one step too far...WC1 is the place to be and be seen in London. It is the first time hanging out and powdering your nose are being promoted together. Us men know that women often "go" together so I suppose this is just some form of coming out celebration.

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-56242792572735146712006-10-08T12:02:00.000-04:002006-10-08T12:09:40.582-04:00

Mark Oestreicher blogged on this one and thought it was classic and worth sharing. The design and execution of any decent sized project so often matches these series of pictures unfortunatley...

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1160258561360985862006-10-07T17:58:00.000-04:002006-10-07T18:02:41.370-04:00

I meet a lot of people who still don't blog. I find that sort of strange. Why would you not sit back and reflect and force yourself to read and stay up on trends and digest this for the odd reader here and there? I do know that some fear disclosing something that will get them into trouble at work. Lame excuse really. The simple answer is just to not write anything that will get you into trouble

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1156082474063672592006-08-20T09:48:00.000-04:002006-08-20T10:01:14.080-04:00

The financial district in Pudong must be getting wild to be building a beer opener of this scale. This 101-story highrise will be the world's tallest building when it opens in 2008. Well it will be the tallest just long enough for them to claim it for a season before other parts of the world compete with their phallic symbols.All jesting aside. The reason there is a big cut-out at the top is to

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1156038762979312502006-08-19T21:47:00.000-04:002006-08-20T00:36:38.010-04:00

MarkO just laid down the gauntlet on a book list and tagged a few of us to respond.Here is the best I could come up with this evening1. One book that changed your life: Dialogue by William Isaacs. This is a book that not only changed my life but one that I wish I could have read ten years earlier in my life as it could have helped me to remain more open and resolve more conflict.2. One book that

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1154240045765174872006-07-30T01:58:00.000-04:002006-07-30T02:15:15.103-04:00

I stood in a small park by the ocean today in Vancouver staring at an outstanding sculpture by Dennis Oppenheim called the device to root out evil.In some aspects it is not a surprise that Stanford rejected the piece of art as it can be viewed through a very negative lense. An upside down church to some could be as heretical as an inverted crucifix but at the same time it can tell a dozen other

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1153533325408328192006-07-21T21:54:00.000-04:002006-07-21T21:55:25.420-04:00

I regularly consider that I have the best job in the world. It is too exciting to explain, too confidential to disclose, and so unpredictable to define. I am sitting on plane from San Diego heading back to Toronto listening to the Kill Bill soundtrack on my iPod and enjoying every moment of it. It triggered a comment from Mark Oestreicher last night as we watched Nacho Libre (classic Jack Black)

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1153069028758949482006-07-16T12:51:00.000-04:002006-07-16T12:57:08.810-04:00

I am off today to the Wild West of California. I will be staying with MarkO and family this evening and then we drive up north to Forsest Home for a 4 day retreat with the rest of the executive team at Youth Specialties.I have to admit that working with YS and helping in any way I can is always a treat to my schedule. They are a group of the most quality and brilliant people I have ever had the

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1152991421189902682006-07-15T15:22:00.000-04:002006-07-15T15:24:10.400-04:00

God dreams. He sees things differently. His eyes burn with hope and anticipation. He stares into nothingness and pictures life and colour, beauty and magnificence. His presence breeds excitement and spontaneity, belonging, love, and purpose. He doesn't fear the darkness because he himself is the light of life itself. He doesn't worry about the chaos but steps into it as an opportunity to express

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1152500736406131312006-07-09T22:58:00.000-04:002006-07-10T01:24:13.896-04:00

Today I got to watch the Indy Grandprix in Toronto for the first time. It was fantastic and it reminded me that I am very lucky to be living in a great city. I find it easier to write about this today than I do about the worldcup...Zidane needs a kick in the assThe photo of Toronto comes courtesy of Kylah McGlade

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1152458976134507262006-07-09T11:28:00.000-04:002006-07-09T11:29:36.153-04:00

Today is the Indy Grandprix here in Toronto...I have always wanted to see it but it is the World Cup final at 2pm here...I think I will have to try to do as much of both as possible.

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1151935441299214862006-07-03T09:39:00.000-04:002006-07-03T10:04:01.320-04:00

After 6 weeks of travel it is nice to be home again in Toronto. The last couple of months has been a wild ride. I was with my friends in Youth Specialties at the beginning of May in San Diego. The company was recently acquired by the long-term publishing partner Zondervan. It was great to be with everyone there and to see how everyone is adapting to the change and ramping up for some great things

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1151694285750038802006-06-30T15:01:00.000-04:002006-06-30T15:04:45.753-04:00

For those who take the time to read my random musings and thoughts on this blog may be glad to realize that I am going to take this Blogging thing more serious. I have started a second blog called Learning to Work in a Relational WorldThis new blog will be more related to what I do in life and my passion for Organizational Therapy. I intend to keep both blogs going and target the content

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1150192008944016742006-06-13T05:46:00.000-04:002006-06-30T15:00:59.946-04:00

I am on my holidays in Spain and catching up on a series of books I bought a while ago. Douglas Coupland, when asked last year at a book reading in Guelph, who is main influencers were as writers he named Kurt Vonnegut. Here is a short review of what I have read so far:Sirens of Titan:This reads in cycles and random stories which includes a martian earth battle and Tramaldofian time travel. It is

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1148951327514167102006-05-29T21:07:00.000-04:002006-05-29T21:12:20.506-04:00

This is a picture I couldn't resist taking. If you are ever going to ignore anything, it would be best not to ignore that which is deemed couteous...cour·te·sy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kûrt-s)n. pl. cour·te·siesPolite behavior.A polite gesture or remark.Consent or agreement in spite of fact; indulgence: They call this pond a lake by courtesy only.Willingness or generosity in providing something

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1148243412806433952006-05-21T16:30:00.000-04:002006-05-21T17:15:51.013-04:00

My parents have been in town from Ireland over the last 2 weeks. Last night we visited with a good friends and introduced them to my parents. Before long we were talking about the past and the gag of me being a compliant child was being bantered around, obviously in jest as from my own memory and from the memories of my parents I could be deemed as a "spirited child". In the midst of many stories

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147926512249608272006-05-18T00:23:00.000-04:002006-05-18T00:28:32.260-04:00

Rob Hyndman, one of the Mesh organizers just posted some of the video coverage of Mesh on his blog.Kedrosky and Rubel at meshPaul Kedrosky’s keynote mesh conversation with Mathew Steve Rubel’s keynote mesh conversation with StuartIn addition, there is a great post Mesh interview with Stuart onhttp://twit.tv/itn22The other videos (some shameless self-promotion) are on http://www.storystream.com

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147797941198358732006-05-16T12:18:00.000-04:002006-05-16T20:08:19.260-04:00

I am currently sitting in a main session at http://www.meshconference.com. It has been referenced as a gathering of web 2.0 enthusiasts and has a strong emphasis on social networking and the use of blogs. I got connected into the Mesh a couple of months ago as the founders were planning the details after stumbing into a much needed gap in Toronto. What has surprised me is the level of interest

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147667342602301072006-05-15T00:23:00.000-04:002006-05-15T00:29:15.836-04:00

For centuries there has been an ongoing debate about whether human perception is primarily a physiological or a cognitive function. Perception is the mind’s link to the external reality and for some it was suggested that what we see can be deemed as that which is true. Philosophers like Plato and Democritus had differing opinions but these were mostly on whether we have an innate capacity to

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147496460213874682006-05-13T00:57:00.000-04:002006-05-13T01:01:00.226-04:00

Matthew Stewart, a former management consultant and the author of the recent book The Courtier and the Heretic, has a good article about the dubious science of management theory in the new issue of The Atlantic. Stewart went into the consulting trade with a degree in philosophy and managed to avoid taking management classes or reading management books during his career as a business advisor. "I

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147496106764323672006-05-13T00:47:00.000-04:002006-05-13T00:55:06.776-04:00

On Monday and Tuesday next week in Toronto there is a gathering of thinkers and pratcitioners in the world of Web 2.0The conference is sold out and is the first occurence of something of this style that I am aware of in Canada. It is an exciting time to meet some of the people who are making a significant difference in the world we live in today. The speakers and organizers are a quality and

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1147047168485950542006-05-07T20:08:00.000-04:002006-05-09T12:04:18.290-04:00

He pioneered the way for modern child psychology. He looked at the world differently than his predecessors and had the capacity to watch, play with, and question children with a unique intelligence. His focus was on the development of mind as a child matures, experiences the world and adapts to it. Unlike other psychologists he got involved in the world of a child and had a way of questioning

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1146891069204559902006-05-06T00:38:00.000-04:002006-05-06T00:51:09.216-04:00

3 days and nights in NY is quite the experience. I have never had the opportunity to have as much time to wander around aimlessly in the city until this week. I have been here quite a few times but each time it is normally short and sweet. A couple of nights ago I walked for 2 hours in the city from 10.30 til 12.30. I came to realize that this city doesn't sleep. I can be as nocturnal as the next

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1146105859298236672006-04-26T22:39:00.000-04:002006-04-26T22:45:35.900-04:00

Today I met with a good friend called Michael Bungay Stainer. His blog link is: http://www.getunstuckandgetgoing.com/blog/Michael rates as not only one of the most decent guys I have got to know in the past year but one of the most creative and brilliant. His book called, Get Unstuck is an extremely helpful tool and his workshop is entertaining and quite genius. I would highly recommend signing

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1145919480486408292006-04-24T18:52:00.000-04:002006-04-24T18:58:00.500-04:00

When considering the world of the web in context of our lives it doesn't take a computer programmer to recognize how it is shaping the potential for independant work, remote work, and self-managing teams. It doesn't take long to find a client facing project management tool, a sales tracking tool, an invoice and time tracking system, along with all of the means to collaborate with a team that

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1145842754608791152006-04-23T21:34:00.000-04:002006-04-23T21:41:44.103-04:00

I have been studying IQ testing as part of my Masters in I/O Psychology and have been considering the influence of many historical figures. The information below may not connect with everyone who has not researched into the history of psychology but may give a hint towards the way our perspectives and visions in life can have harmful results for large portions of the population.If we were to

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1145508615635877882006-04-20T00:13:00.000-04:002006-04-21T22:17:53.956-04:00

This is a paper I wrote a while ago that reflects more than a rant on my beliefs on staffing and the current workplace environment. John Lennon wrote the following lyrics that are still worth listening to today:http://www.esnips.com/webfolder/52135549-69c0-4a9b-8c71-10cac7d5f02f/?refresh=1Power to the peoplePower to the peoplePower to the peoplePower to the peoplePower to the peoplePower to the

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1145335095336089172006-04-18T00:28:00.000-04:002006-04-18T00:44:37.953-04:00

Today I was reminded of the continuous need to remain curious in life. I don't know who coined the term "curiosity killed the cat" but they have a lot to be responsible for. It would appear that in a constantly changing world like we live in that belief in some form of fatalistic determinism that leaves us devoid of choice and play would make sense. At the same time it is worth considering great

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1145231458556655652006-04-16T19:32:00.000-04:002006-04-16T19:50:58.566-04:00

Claire and I ventured outside today here in the great white north. Now that spring is in the air and all of have had our seasonal flu, it seems reasonable enough to subject our Irish bodies to the sunshine. Shaughan and Eirann rode their bikes while Claire and I did the parental panic as they nipped across streets and curbs to eventually arrive at the park.I spent the morning reading about Freud

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1144987899302823992006-04-14T00:01:00.000-04:002006-04-14T00:49:43.200-04:00

Introspection was by no means a new word coined by Wundt, known to some as the founder of Psychology. The term itself was common as far back as St Augustine and Descartes who used this technique to find the essence of God and certain truth respectfully. In addition, his approach stood in contrast with the empiricists and sensationalists pure introspection that focused more on ideas and

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1144520899066978852006-04-08T14:26:00.000-04:002006-04-08T14:28:19.090-04:00

When building a case for the importance of nature against nurture, Socrates (469-399) is worth considering not only for his thoughts but for modeling this action. In a culture dominated by perception-based theory he stepped out with a contradictory belief. Socrates demonstrated his philosophy through a method of education known as dialectic. Instead of lecturing to his students, he asked

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1144367801329458402006-04-06T19:53:00.000-04:002006-04-06T20:03:10.036-04:00

I went to a training day with Margaret Wheatley quite recently (author of Leadership and the new science and other excellent books). The best part about the day was all the pictures she showed on the screen. She had captured some interesting sights and scenes that helped her to tell her stories.I decided that day to bring my camera with me everywhere I go.Today I was happy to be packin' the

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1144288677040247282006-04-05T21:52:00.000-04:002006-04-05T22:09:33.526-04:00

This is a philosophical rant I wrote a year or so ago. In many ways it is a manifesto of what Creationstep is all about. I was talking with someone yesterday about this document and they were trying to understand the details of what we do as a company. I then remembered why this was written. It was created in the hope that we could turn off many clients who would not want to work with us. We

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1143493300182652042006-03-27T15:58:00.000-05:002006-03-27T16:03:39.190-05:00

This weekend I watched a very beautiful movie call Water. I have no idea who the directors and actors are, so apologies if you are looking for more info. It was a Hindi movie about widows being locked up and kept in a commune, yes, sounds gripping. The sort of bastardization version (my version) of the story is this:A woman belongs to her husband even after his death. Any interaction with another

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1143225489826661212006-03-24T13:23:00.000-05:002006-03-24T13:38:09.843-05:00

I get asked on a frequent basis what I do...my answer always depends on who I am talking to. It is similar to a response I got a couple of nights ago sitting at the Hilton Palmer House Hotel bar in Chicago. As I was sitting there an older chap sat down on my left. Since I was also a loser who was sitting on my own I took it upon myself to say hello and make some conversation. Once he had shared

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1143175177122932972006-03-23T23:33:00.000-05:002006-03-23T23:40:38.630-05:00

After a long season of slumber I am back at the blog. The last season of life has revived my passion for creativity and thinking differently. I think for some reason I got busy and stopped thinking enough. I have been surprised how fast life can go by without noticing it.Enough about me. Here is an interesting article that a friends sent me today.http://portalcenter.wilsonlearning.com/pls/portal/

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1110284436152736992005-03-08T07:18:00.000-05:002005-03-08T07:20:36.153-05:00

www.inc.com/magazine/20050301/pursuits.html

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1107384353186949762005-02-02T17:44:00.000-05:002005-02-02T17:45:53.186-05:00

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/02/are_you_looking.html

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105631602129299612005-01-13T10:53:00.000-05:002005-01-13T10:55:47.723-05:00

http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/gold.html The American workforce is becoming more and more diverse with an increasing proportion of women, persons of color, and older employees. Trends in Canada and the European Union are similar. Besides more diversity, two especially important and contradictory workforce characteristics are (1) the impact of generation X or "Gold-Collar" workers (those born

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105303105550149912005-01-09T15:38:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:41:32.340-05:00

To do or not to do, that is the question Emily was forever putting things off. She never seemed to have much time and anytime she did she found herself worrying about all the things she had to do. Today was to be no different. As soon as she got home her mum sentenced her to clean up her room and to get her schoolwork in order. Being the compliant child she was, she made her way upstairs,

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105302630693326662005-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:42:09.983-05:00

Life for David was living in the repeat of Groundhog Day, or in the words of Maxi Jazz, he was contained in the hum between voice and drum. This morning before opening his eyes he hoped for something more in his fleeting unconscious moment. He fought the smell of the coffee in case this day would be the same as all the others. With eyes wide shut David pulled up his knees, rolled to the edge of

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105302114244709322005-01-09T15:21:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:23:03.616-05:00

I almost died last night. My dream was stranger than going to work with no clothes on. I was sleeping in bed and woke up but didn't wake up, if you know what I mean. I was afraid but did not know why. There were no demons waiting to haunt me or zombies hoping to eat me. I knew something was going to happen but didn't know what it was. Someone told me that the anticipation of death is worse than

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105301800565976402005-01-09T15:16:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:18:10.203-05:00

What makes a high performance organization? According to Coffman and Gonzalez-Molina (2002), the hope of sustained growth and real profit increase is in developing an engaged employee (p.14). This has been built on the Harvard's research into the customer service profit chain, where focus on the internal customer is demonstrating long term gain and exponential business growth. This contrasts

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105301261063837852005-01-09T15:07:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:11:01.870-05:00

According to Tom Peters (2003, p17) many of the new challenges facing business and corporations are similar to current military challenges, and in the words of General Shinseki, "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." Fluidity, flexibility and adaptability have become essential attributes to survival and growth in the 21st century. This applies to people, groups,

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105300792458415852005-01-09T14:59:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:00:25.590-05:00

The relationship between workforce diversity in relation to common perceptual distortions. When I grew up in N.Ireland there was a significant amount of common perceptual distortions when it came to the protestant and catholic divide. I grew up hearing that people from the other side had eyes that were closer together, they did not wash and also that the kicked with the left foot. It was

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105300402732564722005-01-09T14:53:00.000-05:002005-01-09T14:54:36.090-05:00

Flexibility and adaptability are essential to survival and growth in the 21st century. In order to successfully navigate in an unpredictable world, individuals, groups, and organizations alike need to be agile and take risks. According to Schermerhorn et al, “people in the new workplace must be comfortable dealing with adaptation and change.’ (P398). People have a great capacity to change if

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105300082052396842005-01-09T14:48:00.000-05:002005-01-09T14:49:14.726-05:00

Leadership is a commonly used term in business and life that is not commonly understood. There are so many understandings and meanings conjured when someone mentions leadership that if everyone hearing the term was to leave the situation and write down what it meant to them, there would be as many perceptions as there were people participating. Not only does the word mean different things to

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105299407042213322005-01-09T14:36:00.000-05:002005-01-09T14:38:29.713-05:00

Growing up in a small farm town outside of Belfast in Northern Ireland was eventful in itself, so the thought of life beyond climbing trees and jumping bales of hay on a self-customized bicycle rarely entered my mind. At least it did not take any form of pre-eminence in my mind until I began grammar school (a posh, all boys, high school) located in Belfast City centre. I think it was the reality

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105298729077821072005-01-09T14:25:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:33:41.570-05:00

After many years of formal education and theoretical learning I have come to a deeper appreciation and need for insight in my life and work. The word "insight" in many ways speaks for its viability - in-sight - or looking inside. For a long time I perceived myself and others as empty vessels needing filled with information to make effective choices. In recent days I have come to the realization

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105298414520822152005-01-09T14:20:00.000-05:002005-01-09T14:39:54.080-05:00

Wilhelm Reich is a man worth talking about. He was the man behind Orgone therapy (or Reichian therapy) that paved the way for several forms of holistic body-mind psychotherapeutic disciplines such as Bioenergetic Analysis (developed by Alexander Lowen, a client and disciple of Reich). Wilhelm Reich was born in March 1897 and died in November 1957. He originated and developed a new science

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10048040.post-1105291960266916012005-01-08T13:32:00.000-05:002005-01-09T15:55:58.226-05:00

Smile its Friday, let's all get our denims on... "The next day at work was Causal Friday, a repugnant custom that permits the men to dress like teenage boys and the girls like tramps." (from Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland) It sounds like a great idea to many managers but casual friday really is an insult to adult workers. It somehow puts the boss in the role of a parent that specifies who

Mark Dowdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07533254139847635687noreply@blogger.com2