Blog

There’s a popular social movement in schools these days, compelling teachers and coaches to minimize competition on the playground while increasing collaboration.  It’s gone so far that one school I heard about even removed the scoreboard from their high school football field, insisting that keeping score put too much pressure on the students and inflated […]

A few days ago, I watched a fascinating movie from 2008 — “The Wave” — available widely on DVD, Netflix, etc.  Although the film takes place in Germany (with an all-German cast), it’s actually a dramatization of the true story of an unusual teaching experiment conducted by Ron Jones at his Palo Alto, CA high […]

When I’ve asked this question to clients, they’ve responded with a broad variety of answers, such as: –Team building helps people bond –It raises morale –It lets us blow off steam –It allows folks to get to know people with whom they may not work on a regular basis –It breaks down boundaries that may […]

It’s a long climb from central Thong Pha Phum, Thailand, to the hill-top temple towering high above town.  First you cross a rickety rope bridge, then you pass through a monastery, and finally there are these steps…countless steps…straight up for close to forever. The journey is worth it though:  a glass-encased seated Buddha, a small […]

The following is a great little advice article by Ari Emanuel, co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor (WME), a leading entertainment and media agency.  Ari’s blog can be found here. Enjoy.  See my comments below.  Db. The Six Lessons I Live By   1. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and move out […]

From time time over the years, I’ve given periodic shout-outs to my friend up in British Columbia, Gary Harper, and his terrific little book:  The Joy of Conflict Resolution.  If you work in a team and wonder why ‘s always so much “drama” in your group, I highly recommend you give Gary’s book a look-see. […]

  I watch a lot of action and sci-fi movies, and inevitably there’s a scene where the hero, preparing to rush into a gun fight, turns to his right-hand man (or woman, or Droid) and says, “You cover me”.   On the silver screen, this is a great “trust moment” for the protagonist — yes, they’re the one playing […]

I was rereading the first book in the Harry Potter series the other day and got to pondering:  What makes J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world so compelling?   I think it’s the fact that the author has created this whole secret universe, furtively co-existing alongside our own mundane, non-magic “Muggle” reality.   By joining Harry, Hermione and Ron […]

Back in 1987, I was in the process of wrapping up a two-year stint in Shimonoseki, Japan as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher when my path took me up to big-city Tokyo.  For the last few months, I’d been living in kind of a dark place, emotionally:  frustrated both by my struggles […]

It’s October of 1987 and I’m anxiously waiting in the “poste restante” line of the Singapore post office – two months and untold miles into my worldwide backpacking trip — absolutely starving for word from home.   Back in the day – well before email, texting and twittering downsized our world – the only way to receive correspondence on the […]