This blog is one of the primary ways we share core ideas and new developments in the Building A New Reality movement.
School is Optional – Part 3
Editor’s Comments by Ted Wachtel Just because young people don’t want to go to high school doesn’t mean they don’t want to go to school. Many North Star members go…
School is Optional – Part 2
Editor’s Comments by Ted Wachtel Kenneth Danford’s new book, Learning is Natural, School is Optional, shares his more than two decades of experience in providing an alternative to school. Made…
School Is Optional – Part 1
Editor’s Comments by Ted Wachtel I’m not against schools. Rather, I am against the continued monopoly that schools have over the resources for learning. I applaud the many students who…
Power Corrupts
In case you haven’t noticed, our society is not functioning well. We all feel uncomfortable about it. Our greatest discomfort comes from our system of governance. Political governance isn’t working for us, because it causes eternal bickering and divisiveness.
Be Radically Transparent: Leading Conflict Principle 5
For the first time in our thirty-year history, we were headed toward layoffs. We held a meeting with several hundred staff to discuss the state of the organization and our plans to right the ship.
When to Drop the Big One at Work
When in doubt about whether to share what’s on your mind or engage a tough situation, it’s usually best to lean towards taking the risk. The core concepts, principles, creative strategies, and toxic behavior profiles covered on this blog are here to help you do that.
Leadership Lessons From a Teenage Gang Member
by John W. Bailie, Ph.D. When I saw the large knife clipped inside his waistband, my first feeling wasn’t fear. It was disappointment. I was walking up the stairwell to…
Creative vs. Toxic Conflict at Work
All workplace conflict is potentially fruitful. However, there are two broad categories of conflict that happen within teams that must be understood in order to provide effective leadership: creative conflict and toxic conflict. Both types are similar on the surface. But each requires a very different response and skill set from leaders.
Restoring the Workplace
A deliberately developmental organizational culture persistently pushes team members to the edges of their current competencies. By definition, that is not a place where most people feel comfortable. Fear, insecurity, and conflict live in that place. It’s a reach into the unknown. How do you get your team to go there? The first step is to convince them that no one will be asked to journey alone. You’ll go together.
The End is the Beginning
We had officially entered the adjourning stage in Tuckman’s framework for team development. During the adjourning stage, which Tuckman added later, team members have grown close and feel a loss now that the experience is drawing to a close.
