Diversity is More than Self-Awareness

John Bennett/ April 8, 2021/ Development, Teaching

“Knowledge is only power if knowledge is put to the struggle for power. Changing minds is not a movement. Critiquing racism is not activism. Changing minds is not activism. An activist produces power and policy change, not mental change. If a person has no record of power or policy change, then that person is not an activist.” Kendi, 2019, How to

Read More

Navigating Difficult Conversations Around the Table

John Bennett/ November 22, 2020/ Change, Development

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I remember with fondness the gatherings around my grandmother’s table for a home-cooked meal that expressed her love for us. I remember conversations and time spent together with extended family and friends. I’ve continued this tradition with my own family, and we often have 12-18 people join us for dinner and “fellowship”, as my father

Read More

Networking at a Virtual Conference? Absolutely!

John Bennett/ September 21, 2020/ Development, Networking

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wrote the blog 13 Tips to Build a Strong Network without comprehending how much of our future daily lives would involve physical distancing. Since then, approximately 200,000 people in the USA have died from the virus and nearly every person in the world has been impacted. While precautions have been implemented to reduce the spread of the virus by physically

Read More

Powerful Lessons and Impactful Shifts for Coaches

John Bennett/ September 13, 2020/ Change, Development, Executive Coaching, Leadership, Teaching

Are you paying attention to what’s happening? Through my own work with coaching clients, and with students who are developing a coaching mindset and skillset, I’ve noticed some reflections that, when explored and reframed, can lead to powerful lessons and impactful shifts. Whether you are an experienced, professional coach or a manager-coach, paying attention to your thoughts and reactions has the ultimate potential for new insights and further development. Below is a chart

Read More

Delivering (and Receiving) Unpleasant Messages

John Bennett/ August 10, 2020/ Change, Development, Leadership, Teaching

I’ve noticed that many people are delivering (and receiving) unpleasant news more than usual — messages that were not expected, contrary to the norm or unwanted, and negatively impacting. Obviously, the current pandemic may be fueling this. The news about job loss, health conditions, layoffs, furloughs, elimination of bonuses and pay increases, possible pay cuts, different expectations, in-person school programs moving to virtual formats, students not able to go to campus for the fall term, and forecasts

Read More

Confessions of a Bibliophile

John Bennett/ July 6, 2020/ Change, Development

I am a bibliophile. But it wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I actually fell in love with reading. I’m not quite sure what happened to prompt the shift. Perhaps it was the first time I remember a friend and me reading and talking about the same book. Or, perhaps it was my 11th grade English teacher inspiring

Read More

With All of This Disruption, What is “Normal”?

John Bennett/ May 30, 2020/ Change, Development

In recent weeks, states and communities have started lifting restrictions on movement and business operations amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. I suspect this will be a slow process. And, as many experts forecast, we may see a return to restrictions in the coming months. As I think about my experience since mid-March and imagine what is on the horizon, I am

Read More

Challenges of Helping

John Bennett/ May 10, 2020/ Development, Executive Coaching, Leadership, Teaching

As human beings, we often strive to be helpful. We may do this in one or more of our roles as a friend, colleague, manager, peer, coach, consultant, parent, sibling, etc. In his book, Helping, Edgar Schein (2007) wrote about the imbalance that occurs when a helping relationship emerges. This imbalance involves the person being helped as a “down” or “subordinated” position (NOTE: this is not “subordinate”). Most of us

Read More