Part II: Fostering Urgency & The Systems Imperative
We need a crisis.  Last week, I highlighted four elements required to accelerate progress toward a more vibrant and resilient city. But these alone are not enough. Whether working on water, energy efficiency or climate issues, entities striving for progress are climbing the same increasingly steep hill of indifference. While we might have the means to achieve the impact, there is no external, stasis-shifting urgency. Continue reading »

Developing a Meaningful Career
It seems simple. Many of my acquaintances are undertaking career transitions. A specific discontent usually motivates the change. Rarely do we consciously consider the multitude of elements required to provide the fulfillment we ultimately desire. Professional satisfaction is usually not dependent on just one element, although we tend to reduce it to such, be it a salary or set of responsibilities. Having held my share of roles in a variety of sectors, Continue reading »

Communication Impeding Progress
Translation is everything. Yet one must first realize the need to convert someone else’s language into their own. It is not always obvious. During a recent meeting that I attended, representatives from two disparate fields spent ninety percent of the time using different words to talk about the same things. Having a foot in both sides, I tried to formulate some harmony, but it was a lost cause. Continue reading »

Sustainable Sustainability
We fool ourselves. The life/work balance is a myth. If your work tends to be your life, as does mine (happily), then this popular equation evaporates. Which isn’t to say there aren’t other tensions to be resolved. I vacillate between a desire for greater control and the need to compromise. Pursuing effective sustainable innovation, activities on which I spend the majority of my time, requires flexibility. Navigating the path to greater sustainability requires assimilating ideas; a predominantly dictatorial approach will be doomed to failure. Continue reading »