Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

Part IV: Imbalance in the Force In the first post of this series, I presented the idea that there are two primary forces present in every interaction between human beings; difference and commonality. In the second post, I presented the idea that difference and commonality are not independent of each other, but rather complimentary opposites   [Read More…]

Later today I will be conducting a workshop in Indianapolis called: Why (and how) Difference Matters Now Why (and how) Difference Matters Now View more presentations from Joe Gerstandt.  

This is a guest post from Igor Noveski, masters candidate at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The 5th Element – Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Two studies show that hope, resilience, optimism and efficacy produce higher work performance and job satisfaction (Fred Luthans et al., 2004 & 2007). These four elements constitute Psychological Capital (PsyCap). Here are   [Read More…]

I have the privilege of presenting to the Diversity Roundtable of Central Indiana this week and will cover a lot of stuff in this workshop, but the key theme is “making the case” for diversity.  Unfortunately there are a lot of people wandering around the business world claiming that there is no business case or   [Read More…]

Part III The Soup Pot and the Soup in the Pot You think because you understand one, you must understand two, because one and one makes two. But you also must understand and. -Sufi saying Social beings we are. In the first post of this series, I presented the idea that there are two forces   [Read More…]

Part II The Yin Yang of Being with other Humans Years before Louis Pasteur came along and proved to the world the existence of germs; Ignaz Semmelweis was trying to convince health care providers to wash their hands. Semmelweis was trying to reduce mortality rates in the obstetrical clinic he directed and he strongly believed   [Read More…]

Part I The Final Frontier Social beings. We share many types of interactions with others, especially today. We talk on the phone, some still actually write letters to one another, we have myriad “in person” exchanges, formal and informal, functional and dysfunctional. For many of us, e-mailing for personal and professional reasons is a standard,   [Read More…]

I am well into a big fat love affair with Web 2.0. For the sake of this post, I do not care what Web 2.0 and other associated buzzwords mean to you, only what they mean to me. The love affair started innocently enough many years ago, in a galaxy far, far away when I   [Read More…]

Mary Schaefer and I found each other on…(wait for it)…Twitter. Where else do people find each other these days!!?? Mary and I orbit around some of the same ideas and hopes for the world of work. On her Twitter profile she describes herself as an “HR/OD Consultant, Fierce Idealist, Farmer’s Daughter,” who Tweets about “People   [Read More…]

A difficult week for our family, and also a great reminder of how blessed we are with friends and family.  Thanks to all of you that sent e-mails, called or posted comments here or elsewhere…it is very much appreciated.  I feel like I am in exile from many of you because my Twitter account is   [Read More…]