Columns

Column by Elena Yang

We can use Appreciative Inquiry principles for personal encounters.

A group leader’s administrative assistant is a young and competent woman.

But between her various personal needs, grandparents’ and parents’ illnesses, young children’s school delays and days-home, husband’s inability to support, and the organization’s constant demands of this training and that new requirement, she was not reliably at her desk answering phone calls, which made frustrated others trying to collaborate with the group. 

Should the group leader reprimand her? Lecture her? Tell Read More

Many of us have seen the impact of two forest fires on the Jemez Mountains.

The mountains west of Los Alamos form the rim of the Valles Caldera. 

These mountains have had two forest fires, the Cerro Grande and Las Conchas, pass through them in the past 12 years. 

The general impression given by many news organizations is that total and permanent destruction has occurred.

Indeed, half of the grassland of the Valle Grande was burnt and blackened last year. However, there is little mention that the grasses have grown again in spite of drought Read More

Column by Allen Weh

There should never be a time, but particularly now, that Americans should be forced to “Suffer Fools” when it comes to the people who are being paid to serve us.

Yet that is exactly what’s taking place with some currently unidentified staff members in the Obama White House, and their apparently deliberate leaking of classified information for political purposes.

Gratefully, the outcry in Congress has been largely bipartisan … Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers stated “somebody committed a crime against their country,” and Sen. Dianne Read More

Column by Elena Yang

The critical first step of Appreciative Inquire (AI) lies in framing the initial question/inquiry.  Framing provides the foundation; it sets the tone; it signals the direction. 

Today, I will illustrate a couple of examples at the organizational level; next week, I will lay out two examples at the individual level.

The first organizational example is given in the book, “Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the mighty oak in the acorn,” by Tojo Thatchenkery & Carol Metzker. 

Delaware Valley Friends School (DVFS) was established in 1986, designed Read More

 

Column by Ann Shafer

Those of you who have retired recently or those who anticipate a retirement are faced with the same question — how will you spend the rest of your life? 

When you retire, you will probably find yourself even busier than you were at work. But there is one major question — is all that activity you now have actually meaningful to you?

If not, perhaps you need to do some serious thinking about what the activities are that mean a lot to you, or what are your passions.  

To find your passions, first think about what really motivates you. 

If your life were a book, Read More

Column by Elena Yang

People always lament that change is very difficult, especially in an organization. 

They usually don’t mean that they themselves would resist all changes, as long as they are reasonable. 

So, what’s reasonable? That, right there, begins the messy process of change. 

In a crude manner, I break organizational change into three categories:

(1) Change for the sake of making changes. It strikes me that a lot of new managers when taking on their new title feel the need to demonstrate that they are doing something different. They feel compelled to make a few changes Read More

Sherlock Holmes has a lesson for us. It is taken from the story “A Scandal in Bohemia”: “When I hear you give your reasons,” I remarked, “the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I could easily do it myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning, I am baffled until you explain your process. And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours.”

“Quite so,” Holmes answered, throwing himself down into an armchair. “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps, Read More

Column by Bonnie J. Gordon

Knitwit…

I’m obsessed with knitting. I read piles of knitting books and magazines and have nifty knitting equipment, such as a tape measure shaped like a sheep.

This is not even mentioning my garage full of yarn. The thing is, that even though I’ve been knitting for a while now, I’m a lousy knitter.

I’m barely past knit and purl and only recently learned to make cables. I make endless mistakes that I have to take out or choose to ignore.

I’m probably the least detail-oriented person I know. I have ADD, so paying attention over an extended period is a definite challenge. Read More

Column by Robert Gibson

Los Alamos is an extraordinary community. Our quality of life is among the very best in the nation. 

A major component of that quality is our economic wealth, also at the top. Why are we so fortunate? Can future generations enjoy a similar, or better, life here?

Los Alamos is a unique combination of world-renowned science, small town atmosphere, and beautiful natural environment. 

That formula is not for everyone, but it works for most of us. 

The root of our good fortune is the concentration of challenging, important, rewarding work at the Laboratory.  Read More

Column by Jessica Kisiel

You have probably heard that having a strong core is important and will help with back pain, athletic performance, injury prevention, posture and the various activities of daily living.

In your effort to gain strength in this area, you may have started a program of abdominal and lower back exercises, but is this enough?

Before we consider this question we need to discuss the anatomy of the core and why yours needs to be strong.

The core of your body extends from your shoulders to below your hips.

It encompasses muscles of the torso centering around the position of the spine Read More