In the evolving landscape of organizational development, the language we use acts as a bedrock for our culture. Yet, we are often guilty of clinging to terminology that no longer serves our mission, or worse, actively undermines it. To build organizations defined by The Guidant Path, we must be willing to strip away the “noise” in our vocabulary. The failure… Read more →
Ever wonder why so many public safety professionals feel like they are constantly fighting their own organization? The answer might be hidden in ancient history … specifically, in the Roman Army (circa 264 BCE – 146 BCE). Even today, we see ancient structures causing the same problems they did thousands of years ago. To understand why, we have to look… Read more →
Every seasoned hiker knows the moment on a mountain trail when the route hits a brutal switchback, forcing you to completely reverse direction and face a slope you hadn’t planned on climbing. Or worse, a sudden weather front rolls over the ridge, demanding an immediate change of course. In the organizational wilderness, leadership pivots are just as inevitable. A new… Read more →
When a new employee steps into an organization, they are essentially walking onto an unfamiliar trail in the dark. If you ask them what they are most afraid of, the surface answers usually sound like, “I’m afraid of making a mistake on the software” or “I don’t know the filing system yet.” But beneath those tactical anxieties lies a deeper,… Read more →
There is an old survival truth in the backcountry: nobody likes a surprise avalanche. Yet, walk into almost any corporate office or municipal agency, and you will find brilliant professionals operating on what I call the mushroom theory of management—keeping their boss in the dark and feeding them manure, hoping somehow a masterpiece will eventually sprout. In reality, nothing destroys… Read more →