Excerpts & Excuses

Here we are again. Beginning a post with an acknowledgement of inactivity. Happy 2015. Happy February. Whoa, February.

Despite the lack of action around here I actually have been doing some extra-curricular writing over recent months. So I figured I’d take out two birds and share a few highlights to corroborate my excuse. Here are a few quick snapshots of things I’ve written since my last post here.

01 On Growing Genetic Literacy | In an example of this blog’s founding purpose coming full circle, I offered up some unsolicited advice on the DNA Exchange to the Genetic Counselling community about how they might raise their field’s public awareness. A quick reminder, the DNA Exchange is an industry blog Allie co-created in 2009 that has emerged as the go-to source of dialogue among Genetic Counsellors online (and also her largest distractor from contributing here!)

For all of genetics recent [media] popularity, public understanding is still very low. This gap between interest and understanding will likely only continue to widen, at the rate at which new findings are being reported. Today the Genetic Counselling field has the opportunity – and you might even argue the responsibility – to help to interpret the latest ongoings in genetics for the general public. It’s an opportunity for GCs to repurpose your one-to-one counselling skillset to help to inform public discourse and grow mainstream literacy. [Full Post]

02 On Innovation & Reputation | Last fall the very talented Jennifer Janson (full disclosure: my lovely sister-in-law) launched her first book. The Reputation Playbook sets out a strategy for the C-Suite to protect corporate reputation in today’s connected age. Jen kindly asked if I’d contribute – which I was honored to – alongside a roster of senior business execs, including Conrad Black (didn’t ever expect to be in print next to Lord Black). The book has received some great coverage from the Globe & Mail and The Sunday Times among others. Below is one of my bits.

The principles of community are no different online or offline. However today’s social technologies allow for unprecedented size, access and visibility. For businesses this means a more complex consumer culture to navigate; but it also means an opportunity for increased involvement. Today marketers have the power to identify what their products mean to the masses, alongside how they are relevant to very diverse sub-cultures… [Amazon]

03 On Parenthood & Performance | For my maiden post on Medium I offered up a piece on the relationship between parenthood and workplace performance. Using a personal project where I logged daily insights during my first year of fatherhood, I tried to paint a picture of how becoming a dad has helped my work. The feedback has been pretty awesome. Clearly its struck a chord with some folks, including a bunch of non-parents, whom I’m particularly happy to involve in the conversation.

Parents tend to get an unfair wrap in the work world for being less focused and less committed than child-free peers. But, as we continue to learn about the benefits of lateral thinking and thought diversity, perhaps there is also a good deal of value in parental perspective that does not get enough attention. Yes, we may sometimes be time-crunched and pre-occupied, but, from my experience, the role also has the potential to make us more motivated, efficient, empathic, creative and constructive. [Full Post]

Writing aside, there’s no shortage of change personally or professionally. I’ve now moved into a VP role at Idea Couture, as we continue to experience very rapid growth. And Allie and I are expecting another little bundle in the spring, which should make for some even more compelling exhaustion… err, I mean insight. Over and out.