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

I recently participated in a panel discussion about leadership.  The conversation was specifically focused on a leaders role in creating an inclusive organizational culture, and the whole thing just made me very scratchy. I tried to not make a big stink during the conversation, but I felt that we were way off base. The golden   [Read More…]

The 2011 SHRM Leadership Conference was my last conference for the year, and it was a good note to end on.  It proved to be a nice opportunity to see friends that are involved in some of the many things that SHRM does. I also had the opportunity to present on cognitive diversity, which has   [Read More…]

I have over the past few weeks found myself engaged in a number of open conversations with primarily HR folks about diversity and inclusion.  I love it that I continue to find robust conversations involving lots of people in different roles around this set of issues. I think that there is a growing awareness that   [Read More…]

I think that there are two kinds of organizations. Living ones and dying ones. We seem to have this idea that organizations, especially large ones are around forever, or at least for a very long time, but they are not.  With few exceptions, organizations have a pretty short lifespan. A big part of what gives   [Read More…]

Long overdue blog post… Most of the work that I do is about content first and process second.  I speak at conferences, deliver learning programs to client organizations and I bring specific content to those engagements.  How it is presented depends on objectives, size of the group, amount of time, etc.  I also used to   [Read More…]

I talk a lot about diversity of thought.  I get some interesting responses to this message, which is for another post, but most of the people that I talk to find this to be a valuable, important and actionable topic.  Some people even tell me that it is just good, common sense. But. This is   [Read More…]

In an effort to get a little leaner and meaner, I have recently started running again.  This weekend we went to visit my parents on the family farm, and I got out for a run while we were there.  I ran four miles around the square “section” that they live on and while doing so   [Read More…]

Call it a knowledge economy.  Call it an information economy.  Call it an innovation economy.  Call it an idea economy a technology economy or a fruit salad with a kick stand.  Call it what you will, social process is the engine that drives it. Sharing and interpreting information, good decision making, problem solving, ideation and   [Read More…]

People are strange. For real. I love them and I hate them and they are just out of their mind as a general rule and truly bizarre creatures. One unique aspect of my job in that people are generally not happy to see me.   A lot of what I do consists of designing and delivering   [Read More…]

Organizational and community inclusion is not simply about what you do not do, though that is often what I hear about.  When talking about issues related to diversity and inclusion, people regularly tell me about how they do not discriminate, do not judge, do not exclude, etc.  Admirable aspirations certainly, and I hope that we   [Read More…]