“...touched by the soft hand of grace”.

Many of you know I am an early riser.  This past Saturday my eyes opened wide at 4:05 AM.  I knew I was planning to write this blog as I had given myself that assignment. But I didn’t feel up to it so I picked up the novel a cousin gave me to read.  An Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle.

A light summer’s read about a young woman’s trip to Positano on the Amalfi Coast, perhaps a coming of age story. Not literature but a quick read that got me thinking.  When I came across “...touched by the soft hand of grace” I knew I had the bones of this blog.  So let’s begin….

Grace has always been one of those words I couldn’t get my arms around. Perhaps appreciating it comes with the knowledge and wisdom of age. As many of you know I have been working on a synthesis of my life's work.  Creating a tapestry for all to see that weaves together the threads of my work life experiences. A Labor Economics major, social caseworker for HRA, a degree in Social Work from CUSSW where I learned to listen, create a trusting relationship, and always start from the client’s presenting issues. A small private practice helped me to realize I wanted to “play” in a larger arena. Networking I learned about the field of Organization Development (OD) and Training. I moved to a small not for profit organization conducting training for school teachers and administrators and within a few years became executive director there. Although the agency was small the ED role was a general management role requiring working with an active Board of Directors, fundraising, policy, strategy and program delivery. Ravaged by the untimely death of a significant founding member of our Board, preceded by the unconsciousness or lack of commitment by another Board member, I recommended the agency close allowing for members and staff to go on to new, different and perhaps more satisfying assignments. I consulted for a year, before landing my first corporate position. When I left there to start my own business, I’d been managing a small management consulting and training unit in the Pension line of business.  Independent ever since, I have been navigating the world of work attempting to make people’s experience of work at whatever level in the organization a satisfying one.

Last Thursday, I was interviewed by Adam Torres of Mission Matters. I'd been invited to write a chapter for their upcoming Business Leadership book, to be released in September of 2022.

During our great conversation, we discussed how to build a work-life experience with an unshakable foundation. I told Mr Torres that one's work-life experience should be like a tetrahedron. A what? A huh? If you'd like to know more, you'll have to stay tuned for the interview link--which will be posted this week.