Category Archives: Uncategorized

Top 10 Considerations for Leading Across Generations

posted by Lucy Shenouda

Leading across generations in today’s diverse five-generation workforce is a privilege. With expansive opportunities and challenges as multi-coloured as the generations themselves, we have much to explore and learn. We’ll explore the differences that shape each generation, influenced by formative historical, social and economic milestones. Each consideration builds on the one that follows. Ultimately, the […]

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Humility – Manage Like a Mother

posted by WMC

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was an immigrant.  Her followers take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor”. Born in Kosovo she moved to India where her life was spent managing homes for people dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis; soup kitchens; mobile clinics; orphanages […]

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Empowerment – Manage Like a Mother

posted by WMC

Climbing to the top of Mount Norquay is exhilarating. Our guide Keno took this shot of me with my favorite (and only) daughter Morgan and the famous town of Banff far below us in the background. Actually, neither Morgan or I are climbers. Sure, we are athletic and we have been on climbing walls but […]

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When Focus Meets Determination

posted by WMC

My favorite part of my role as a recruiter and coach is that I often meet people who are in-between jobs or in roles that are just not inspiring to them. They often come to see me to get help on finding the ideal role, a cry for a change, a little inspiration, a desire […]

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Planning – Manage Like a Mother

posted by WMC

I took this picture on our trek of one of the most fascinating areas of my beloved Italy, the Amalfi coast. My wife Brenda and I started in Napoli with a steep walk to the top of Mount Vesuvius and a visit to the ruins of Pompei. We then started in Amalfi and walked south to Positano […]

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5 Ways To Stop Hiring Managers That Suck!

posted by WMC

North America spends $14 billion a year on leadership development and over two million leadership articles and books have been published. And what have we got to show for it? The results have been truly staggering, the application of trillions of dollars and countless man hours sees employee engagement falling or stagnant and workplace stress at record highs. Most of us, […]

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WMC Featured in Calgary Herald: Focus on Leadership

posted by WMC

As featured in the Calgary Herald – November 29, 2016 Focus on Leadership series. WMC Offers Trusted Expertise While change might be inevitable, success most certainly is not; that’s why it’s wise to use every tool available in the pursuit of prosperity. With offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver, and more than 70 professionals, Western […]

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MLAM: Manage Like a Mother

posted by WMC

October whale-watching near Victoria, BC in an open zodiac is not for the faint hearted.  By the end of the adventure you are drenched, frozen, rattled and exhilarated. It would have been a lot easier but much less dynamic to join the hundreds of others in the heated enclosed boats!  The decision to take the […]

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Dear Calgary: Letters to the Next Generation of Leaders

posted by WMC

In celebration of their 125th anniversary, The Calgary Chamber released a book called, Dear Calgary: Letters to the Next Generation of Leaders. Many prominent Calgarians were asked to contribute, including WMC Calgary Director Narmin Ismail-Teja. See the Calgary Chamber’s press release below. A city is only as strong as its human capital, and Calgary has been fortunate to […]

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Agile or Waterfall . . . What Really Matters is Fit

posted by WMC

Many companies struggle with the debate about whether to follow agile or waterfall project management methodologies. What really matters in any situation is fit. In one company I worked with, the question of agile versus waterfall became paralyzing. As the company grew in size and complexity, the executives wanted to adopt more formal project management […]

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My Leadership Shelfie

posted by WMC

There are so many books that have played an integral role in my life and career that naming just a few seems…well…unjust! The ones I have chosen stand out because of their lasting impact. Earth from Above – Yann Arthus-Bertrand This high altitude photo essay-style collection unveils the world to fill you with awe, open […]

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Order in a World of Chaos

posted by WMC

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain   A great quote, and so true.  So let’s get started… The process of breaking down complex tasks into components that we […]

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Is Profit All There Is to Strategy?

posted by WMC

Almost every profit-earning organization I meet with struggles with the question of where does profit fit into strategy.  Is it the ultimate driver of strategy? Michael Porter (Harvard Business School) would say that it is.  Should it be a part of the vision, mission and goals?  How are financial targets woven into a strategic plan? […]

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What Makes Your Company Great? Do More of That.

posted by WMC

As companies grow they need to evolve. But with evolution also comes the risk that the company might lose the “secret sauce” that made it a winner in the first place: the work expands, new people come on board and the organization breaks into silos that no longer function as a unit. To scale successfully, […]

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2015: Pulse Check – WMC on LinkedIn Pulse

posted by WMC

From identifying change resistance to visualizing your social capital,WMC’s experts have been weighing in on LinkedIn.   Click here to view our downloadable eBook, 2015: Pulse Check. For more updates, follow WMC on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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WMC Leadership Series 2016

posted by WMC

Days after providing a fiscal update, the Honorable Minister of Finance, Joe Ceci, spoke to a full house at a recent Leadership breakfast hosted by WMC (Western Management Consultants) in celebration of their 40th anniversary. Minister Ceci emphasized that in spite of the most “profound economic challenges not seen in decades”, the Alberta provincial government […]

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Post-Acquisition Integration

posted by WMC

A colleague of mine recently wrote a blog on her coaching practice citing that a key question to ask an employee is “Tell me about the best day you ever had at work?” An interesting way to get at the heart of what one values in the work they do. Now – fast forward to […]

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Good Governance

posted by WMC

On January 25th Accreditation Canada brought forward Governance standards to assess health care organizations effective January 2017. Upon reflection, the guidelines seem to provide a solid framework that all Boards can learn from – both public and private. Accreditation Canada looks at Board standards using four functions of Board accountability: Its own effectiveness as a […]

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It’s Not Just About Followers…

posted by WMC

You often read articles about big Twitter influencers and 99/100 of those articles list user accounts that have large numbers of followers, describing those same people as the “Twitter power houses” of their area. But it’s rather more complex than that – sure if you have lots of Followers then you have potential power, but […]

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Strategy–Art or Discipline?

posted by WMC

There’s a difference between the art of strategy and the discipline of a strategic plan. Why is strategy an art? Because it’s debatable. Because we’re never certain just exactly what is good strategy. Because its definition changes over time. But like art, there are certain properties of strategy that stay relatively constant over time—its representational […]

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What Were You Doing On Your Best Day? Do More of That.

posted by WMC

When I am coaching, the conversation usually starts with a simple question: tell me about the best day you ever had at work. Everyone has had a “best day.” It is one of those days when you feel like you are in control: you understand the goal, have the skills you need and you like […]

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Thriving in the New Normal

posted by WMC

The Oil economy has undergone a transformational change and many of us have found a way to adjust and survive. Now, how do we thrive again? Those who are hanging on and waiting for oil prices to recover are missing a massive opportunity to dramatically change their world for the better. As leaders we must […]

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Identifying Change Resistance

posted by WMC

Can you see Change Resistance?  Before it occurs?  Wouldn’t that be useful?  Imagine the time, energy and cost you could save if you could just identify those resistors, before they resist?  Well, if you are a Project Sponsor or a Program or Project Manager you will probably be familiar with a diagram like the one […]

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The End of the Swim Lane?

posted by WMC

Over the past few posts on Pulse, I’ve highlighted a number of business scenarios where you can use network analysis techniques to derive insights you just can’t obtain from other methods.  Here’s another interesting application – Business Process Analysis. Below is our typical view today – a swim lane of a business process flow, but […]

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Keep Your IT Department at Arm’s Length During a CMMS Implementation: Here’s Why

posted by WMC

No matter how little you think you know about choosing and integrating a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), the most important thing to know is this: do not let your information technology department run the show. A CMMS is really about asset management, not information technology. Such software systems help maintenance teams keep an electronic […]

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Why Am I a CMC?

posted by WMC

WMC is a long-time supporter CMC-Canada, and many of our consultants across the country have earned the designation of Certified Management Consultant. Cathy Tait from WMC’s Toronto office highlights some of the benefits that CMC brings to the table CMC-Canada’s latest video. “We need to get the stories out about the difference that CMC’s have made in the marketplace […]

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What is Culture? Why Does it Matter?

posted by wmcuser

Some time ago I was privileged to attend a presentation that focused on a particularly challenging set of events for a large organization, the changes in leadership that took place at the time, and the dynamic environmental circumstances that this organization faced in overcoming its time of crisis. There were a number of gems of […]

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Three Areas of Focus to Enhance Strategic Planning

posted by WMC

Over the years of involvement with strategic planning, I have found focusing in three activities can make a significant difference to support the success of the strategic plan: Over the years of involvement with strategic planning, I have found focusing in three activities can make a significant difference to support the success of the strategic […]

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4 Functions of Multimedia Content in Your CMMS

posted by WMC

Simply put, your CMMS provides a solid framework on which to record the planning and execution of work and any anomalies experienced. It also provides tools to analyze and report on the data collected, for improving your work program and making management decisions regarding recruitment, training, workplace layout, signage, capital replacement, and so on. Although […]

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10 Steps for Better Asset Management in 2015

posted by WMC

A new year is upon us, giving rise once again to reflect on where we are personally and in business, and what New Year’s resolutions might be helpful. This column outlines a ten-step New Year’s plan to improve how assets are managed at your company. Now if you are reading this and New Year’s Eve […]

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Comparing RFP vs. RFQ vs. RFI Approaches When Purchasing a CMMS

posted by WMC

There are many ways to approach the procurement of software, hardware, or services, whenever you decide to replace or upgrade your CMMS and related systems. Regardless of which approach you use, there is always an element of gathering information, obtaining a price, and negotiating terms and conditions based on user requirements. This may involve multiple […]

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Risk Scoring Using Your CMMS

posted by WMC

David Berger says ensure that you focus on the right work on the right assets at the right time. With growing automation and more complex assets comes growing risk, where risk is defined as the probability and impact of a negative consequence. In the world of asset management, negative consequences can take many forms, such […]

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Performance Management – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

posted by WMC

If you’ve been following posts for the past several weeks thanks for bearing with me as I’ve tried to cover off a lot of territory on performance management. I started the series by touching on the dread and anxiety too many of us – leader and follower alike – feel when we approach what has […]

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Performance Management – The Value of 360 Degree Feedback

posted by WMC

One of the tools that I believe is under-utilized or poorly executed in performance management is 360-degree feedback. I have found it to be worth the effort it requires both as it relates to my own performance assessments and to those that have received evaluations from me. The value of a 360-degree assessment comes from […]

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Performance Management – It’s Not a Magic Act!

posted by WMC

If you are old-school like me, one of the enduring images of magic is the proverbial rabbit out-of-the-hat trick. For some reason I even conjure up images of magic being performed by looney tunes characters – Bugs Bunny turning the tables on Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam. Aside from Bugs making whatever scheme backfire on […]

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Twitter. Valuable or Value-less?

posted by WMC

Well I guess that all depends on how you use it, but what always amazes me is how little thought organizations seem to put into their use of Twitter and especially how they use Followers and Followed. With Twitter it’s important to remember that it’s DIRECTED data i.e. the communications have a definite directional flow […]

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Performance Management – It is What You Make of It

posted by WMC

The subject of team-based compensation systems came round to my attention again this past week and some of the themes that presented out of those discussions included: Are we willing to remove the people or teams that hold everyone else back? How do you get everyone engaged and moving in the same direction? If I’m […]

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Developing Criteria-Based Privileging in British Columbia

posted by WMC

Emma Bloch-Hansen, a director at our Vancouver office, recently had an article published in the Spring issue of The Canadian Journal of Physician Leadership on her work with Dr. Jon Slater and other medical practitioners.  Their article, “Developing criteria-based privileging in British Columbia” is on page 20 of the issue on the Canadian Society of Physician Executives website.  

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Get Emotional About a Culture of Safety

posted by WMC

It was a small terraced house in a northern English city. The young couple did not look old enough to have a son in our apprentice program. They gave me a cup of tea and I sat down on their sofa. There was no TV, just some chairs, a picture of their son and the […]

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Understanding and Celebrating Differences at the Core of this Management Consultant’s Practice

posted by WMC

Narmin Ismail-Teja is a citizen of the world. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, her ancestry is Indian and her life experience Canadian. She grew up in Vancouver after arriving there as an immigrant at the age of nine. Thus, this Management Consultant with expertise in leadership development, diversity, inclusion and cultural competence in Calgary’s Western Management […]

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Continuing a Guinness World Record Mindset into Today’s Process Improvement

posted by WMC

Setting a Guinness Book of World Records for most falling dominoes was the domino effect of Mark van der Meer’s life. Today, a business management consultant with Western Management Consultants (WMC), Mark first distinguished himself at university, back home in the Netherlands. An aerospace engineering student at the time, the then-23 year old was part […]

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