And it just started Snowing !

Timing is everything.

Janice and I have been working all morning to decorate for the holidays.
We have been crazy busy with work and stuff.

We purchased a nice tree (real of course) which makes the house smell great !
We seem to buy more or different lights for the tree every year, but then when we go to use them they seem never to do the job. Janice had to go and get some more.
Can you relate to this ?

I have the lights up out side.

I even cleaned the garage out to get both cars in before the winter really hits.

Our daughter comes home from University on Tuesday.

And it just started snowing. How good is all that ?

Happy Holidays Everyone !

The MacDonald's

Jonathan Haidt

With all the Tea Party discussion these days, remembered Jonathan Haidt's amazing discussion on Moral Judgment and Moral Politics.

I heard him speak at a conference in New York in 2007.

Take a listen. Starts a little slow, but I think you will be intrigued.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/conference/2007/haidt

"What the Tea Partiers Really Want" Jonathan Haidt

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550243700895762.html

Dan MacDonald

Happy Thanks Giving Canada!

Canadian Thanks Giving Weekend 2010

We have so much to be thankful for, I don't know where to begin.

Is everything perfect?
Of course not, but just think about all we have compared to the 100's of millions of people in the world who can only dream of what we have in Canada.

A key element of every conversation we have seems to be some sort of complaint about the weather, about service, the traffic, our busy lives, etc. We all do it unconsciously.

Just imagine if one of our typical conversations was over heard by a child who is literally starving or a family who is stuck in a refugee camp.

Don’t mean to preach.
Just reflecting on all we have compared to most.

Happy Thanks Giving Canada!

Irving Schwartz

RIP Irving Schwartz

An amazing individual.

Irving Schwartz was been involved with more than 30 different companies over the years, from the Schwartz Furniture Showrooms and Seaside Cable, to nursing homes, computer software & oyster fishing, to Bio Medical products . Irving was also co-founder of the Canadian International De-mining Corps. He says his proudest accomplishment was being appointed to the Order of Canada.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/09/18/ns-cape-breton-businessman-death.html

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2010-09-18/article-1773069/Irving-Schwartz-dies-at-81/1

You were there when we needed you. Thank you!

You were there when we needed you. Thank you!

Almost two weeks ago now, we were relaxing at the end of a long day. My wife and I were looking forward to our 18-year-old daughter returning from South America the next evening. The trip was something she had been working towards for over two years. We were happy for her but also very concerned for her safety.

We were expecting to hear from her before midnight to confirm that all was well for the long journey home the next day. Quito/Ecuador, Miami, New York, to Halifax would be enough to make even the experienced traveler unsettled.

At about 10 pm, I sent her a text to see when she would call. She asked if it would be ok if she called a little later. Approximately 30 minutes later I received a txt from her stating “call now. it is an emergency”.

My heart skipped. I immediately dialed her number. Of course it rang and rang and no body answered. I looked at my wife and told her about the message. I called four more times no answer. We were both trying to be calm but were very concerned. Her extensive travel was supposed to be coming to an end and now this.

I sent her a text to try and connect. She responded to call now. I called, she answered.

“Are you ok? What’s going on? Why didn’t you answer? Are you safe? I said frantically and realizing I was not even giving her an opportunity to answer. She responded obviously very upset, “I am safe.” “Dad, I don’t know what to do now, our passports have been stolen. We have a flight in the morning at 6.30 am and we have no passports. What am I going to do?”

While I knew we were in for some complications, my fear that she was harmed settled. We chatted about the fact that she was safe and we would help her figure things out the best we could.

I grabbed my laptop and typed “canadian passport emergency Ecuador” into the google window. Within less than 10 minutes I was connected with a government of Canada Foreign Affairs Passport specialist. I told her the story and she calmly walked me through our options.

Now it is not appropriate to go into all of the details of this scenario, but as a worried parent with a daughter in a foreign country with no passport and a flight out in less than twelve hours, etc, etc I was blown away with the treatment we received.

Our daughter was serviced by the Canadian embassy in Quito/Ecuador and then by the fine folks at the Canadian consulate in Miami the next day so as to obtain temporary travel documents.

The professional service we received was truly amazing and included an official actually driving her and her friend back to the airport so as to ensure they made their flight.

My daughter was back home in her own bed in less than 36 hours later from her realizing her passport was stolen. This was part luck but mostly because of the efforts of others.

My wife and I sat up in bed that night and stared at the ceiling, I said, “Ok from now on no one leaves the cul-de-sac without an escort.” We laughed that off and recanted the whole scenario from the beginning.

Our daughter, my wife and I played a role in the successful return by being calm and working with the officials to get them every thing they needed as fast as possible. We were glad to have had a copy of her passport here and one in her luggage. We were glad to reach 4 non-family references that agreed to sit by the phone to wait for the embassy to call. We spent hours on the phone, provided info via email, fax, worked with the airlines, etc, etc.

That being said, I am so grateful for the fine Government of Canada folks in Ottawa, Quito Ecuador, and Miami that were so proficient in helping us.

You were there when we needed you. Thank you!

Dan MacDonald

Age

Had an interesting week when it comes to the topic of age.

Met with a very bright up and coming marketing expert this past week. He was probably half my age, yet we seem to connect over a hour long meeting on several levels especially around the social media mega trend.

Went cycling on Saturday with some friends and some folks I hadn't met before. The age range of riders literally went from 25 to 65. There was a 20 something guy joined us after we had already riden 20K or so. He sort of looked at us with a "hmm wonder if i will end up waiting for these guys along the ride" stair. The 65 year old set the pace (30+ Kph avg) for most of the 50 Km ride. On a couple of the larger hills, he dropped us behind, then like a gentleman looked back and waited up. We appreciated it.

One can get old, or one can be young as they age.
I am looking seriously at the latter.

Age only matters if you let it.

Piling On - Dog piling - Late hits

I find it quite interesting how some social media participants "pile on".

Piling On: An illegal play where several players jump on the player with the ball after he's been tackled. Also Known As: dog piling, late hit.

There is no doubt that brands deserve the criticism they receive - most of the time.

When people pile on to criticize, when they have themselves not been affected nor even understand the issue at hand, it is far from genuine.

Just saying.

Mixed Feelings Impacted

Mixed Feelings Impacted

Like many Canadians I have mixed feelings on Canada’s role in conflicts around the world.

I know there are people who are unable to defend themselves who need the world to help. As the father of two teenage daughters, who I am confident will have bright futures in whatever they decide to do, I can only imagine the pain and despair of girls their age in parts of the world where they are not able to go to school. As we now know, this is only one of the many injustices they face.

I do NOT however have mixed feelings when it comes to my support for and genuine respect of those Canadians who serve in the military. While I cannot really relate to the commitment they make to serve, I know that the commitment and impact on their lives is huge.

Over the last couple of months, I have met three unrelated people who have amplified my respect for those who serve. I thought sharing a little about these people would in some small way make a difference.

1. My wife and I have befriended a couple where the guy (father of three girls) is a military chopper pilot who has served in the middle east.
Update: Father is preparing to Afghanistan in March.

2. Our new neighbours are spending lots of family time together these days as the dad prepares for his third tour (this time for 7 months) in the middle east.
Update: Father has returned from Afghanistan with injuries.

3. I purchased a 2nd hand road bike this week from a guy I never met before. Through small talk on line, on the phone, and finally when we met, I find out that he is in the military and has already served in the middle east, will be returning in the next 12 months, and is currently caring for his two children under 5 while his wife finishes her 7 month tour.

These three military family stories (which I have only summarized at a high level for obvious reasons) have really opened my eyes and my mind about the types of Canadians who are literally putting their lives on hold and on the line to help others. It was only through the process of getting to know these people that I realized the unbelievable sacrifice they have already made and are making.

I found myself being at a loss for words. What could I possibly say to these amazing Canadians which could do justice to their commitment and sacrifice. The only thing I could come up with was: “Thank you”.

As I heard myself say these words I felt somewhat guilty and lame, but in all three cases I believe those simple words were truly appreciated.

So what have I taken from all of this?

-When we hear and discuss the merits of Canada’s role in conflicts around the world we must always remember and realize the impact of on lives on both sides of the conflict.

-We must appreciate all what we have in Canada and realize that we are among the luckiest people on earth. We all find ourselves complaining about everyday things like the traffic, the weather, the length of a line up, yet these things are so so trivial in the big picture.

-We have a moral responsibility to help those in the world who are unable to defend themselves.


- Our role on the ground in these conflict areas is important.

- The people who have decided for their own reasons to serve our country and make a difference need our support, respect and thanks.

-A genuine “Thank you” is appreciated.

Dan MacDonald
danmacdonald100@gmail.com

Update:
November 11, 2010

Lest We Forget.
Remembering all those who have served and their loved ones.
See updates above.

What is Mentoring ?

I was scheduled to speak to the topic of "Mentoring" to a 4th year University Class in April. Have a work conflict that evening, so the prof asked me if I could record my thoughts so the class could still benefit...
Here is what I came up with:

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is an important part of personal and professional development.

Mentoring is about sharing patient, constructive, feedback and guidance.

There is three classic types of mentoring relationships; General, Subject Matter Expert, and Workplace.

Mentoring relationships are developed overtime, are natural, and most importantly built on mutual respect and trust.

Part 1 of 2 Mentoring - Dan MacDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HcSX_u4xzw

Part 2 of 2 Mentoring - Dan MacDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39hhdthAVo

Dan MacDonaldHalifax,
Canada
danmacdonald100@gmail.com

Leadership and Innovation

“Leadership and Innovation”
Dan MacDonald
President and CEO, Innovacorp, Halifax Canada
Mount Saint Vincent University February 4, 2010

I have been invited to share some insights on these two concepts.

Leadership and innovation have been the topics of 1000’s of books, speeches, programs, and articles over the years.

So what the heck is Dan MacDonald going to say that has not already said ?

Well, I would like to like to humbly share with you how these two things, leadership and innovation are critically important to us all, especially when they come together.

Leadership:

When we think about “leadership”, we might immediately think about people of power like the prime minister of Canada, the US president, a military general, or maybe a CEO of a company.

Yes, I suppose these are examples of leadership, but I believe “leadership” is not about a title.
Leadership is not really something you just claim, are appointed to, or obtain through some kind of certification.

Leadership is not only a concept that is relevant at the top of an organization; I believe it is relevant at all levels of an organization.

Leadership requires two key things; perspective & courage.

Perspective:

A leader knows where they are trying to go and what they are trying to achieve.

Leaders can articulate the end game and what success looks like.

While a leader knows where they are trying to go and what they are trying to achieve, it is NOT important for the leader to have to know every specific step or how they are actually going to specifically achieve the objective.

Leaders break new ground, where is no defined path or process to follow.

Yes, leaders of course have a view of generally how they will move forward and are confident they will achieve the objective, but at the same time they do not know exactly how they will reach the end point.

Courage:

A leader has the courage to move forward toward the end goal, without knowing the exact path.

Many people and stakeholders around the leader raise issues, risks, what-abouts, showstoppers, warnings, biases, etc.

A leader looks to understand and deal with this input while she\he moves forward, rather than getting paralyzed by them.

Leaders combine perspective and courage to confidently (not over confidently) move toward the objective.

-Leaders know full well they will rarely take a straight forward path, but instead make course

corrections along the way.

- Leaders understand there will be challenges but keep focused on the end goal while navigating the issues that arise.

- Leaders step up.

- Leaders are not always right, welcome constructive challenge and solutions oriented debates

- Leaders respect the team and more importantly are respected.

- Leaders are not afraid of failure.

- Leaders are ready to take the blame but not the credit.

- Some of the best leaders, lead from the back.

- Leaders achieve excellence while striving for perfection.

Everything I have said about leadership is as true for a CEO as it is for the manager of team of 6 professionals.

So let’s pause the leadership angle and move to innovation.

Innovation

Innovation is about creating value out of new ideas, whether it’s new ways of doing things, new products, or new services.

Example: When we think of examples of innovation we think of the iPod, space travel, the Internet, the blackberry, etc. Yes these are innovations, but innovations are not just for the multi nationals they are for any size company or organization.

Take the drive thru window, while we take it for granted today was a significant an innovation. Significantly increase the top line of an establishment with minimal investment and maximizing the leverage of what you already have.

Organizations must continually innovate to remain relevant and competitive, let alone grow.

Failure to innovate inevitably causes organizational malaise, and invites the competition to come and take market share.

Innovation – straight forward, right?

For many organizations, it is not so straight forward.

As organizations grow, many migrate from being the challenger attacker to being challenged and attacked.

The problem usually lies in inadvertently allowing a culture to emerge that does not foster innovation.

Strict policies, procedures, and product and project management styles put in place in the name of consistency and best practice often lead to a culture of risk aversion and dampened creativity.

In 1948, William L. McKnight, then president of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, directed the management of his company as follows:

"As our business grows, it becomes increasingly necessary to delegate responsibility. This requires considerable tolerance and mistakes will be made. Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made will kill initiative. It's essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow.”

While many turn to the latest best selling business books and industry gurus for advice on just about everything, Mr. McKnight’s wisdom after 50 years still makes good common sense.

Later renamed 3M, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing’s innovative culture is today the envy of companies around the world. From Post-it Notes, to Scotch tape, to health care and highway safety, to office products and optical films for LCD displays, 3M’s annual revenue tops $24.5 billion USD and its market capitalization is $52.72 billion. Mr. McKnight’s focus on creating and maintaining a culture of innovation is core to 3M’s continued success.

Organizations of all sizes need to enable a culture where innovation is encouraged, continuous, and recognized.

Further, an innovative culture is one in which risk is managed, mistakes are learned from, customer and stakeholder input is welcome, and management is open minded to changes to established business models.

To some this might sound like anarchy, but it simply describes a business culture where

progress, positive change, and innovation are embraced.

Management must encourage and harness innovation across the entire organization.

Processes, policies and procedures should be constantly evolved to ensure relevancy, competitiveness, and increased value add. Organizations can effectively leverage innovation and attract and retain top talent.

Whether you are trying to increase yield, decrease costs, increase customer loyalty, diversify into new market sectors, or all of the above and more, having a culture of innovation will help position you for success.

Innovation, while not straight forward, is next to impossible if you do not have the right culture, the right leadership.

Leadership and innovation together create the magic.

These two qualities, leadership and innovation, together are the key ingredients to building a healthy dynamic organization.

These ingredients make a job, a role, a team fun, challenging and rewarding.

These ingredients are what separate a company who is attracting employees, from one who is losing employees.

Look for, observe and learn from innovative leaders.

As you all chart your course forward, I recommend you look for roles, situations, careers, where leadership and innovation exists or where you believe you can play a role in creating it.

Thank you,

Dan MacDonald

Dan MacDonald is the president and CEO of Innovacorp based in Halifax. www.innovacorp.ca