Artificial intelligence (AI) is an exciting, emerging technology that offers both incredible possibility, but also potential risk.  At its simplest core, the goal of AI is sensemaking: it can help in making decisions; solving complex problems; enhancing lifestyle; and facilitating commerce, education, healthcare.  We’ve all seen and used it: it’s embedded in Siri and Alexa; it’s [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a local association’s Leadership Academy, a forum to explore best practices with 60 or more local leaders.  It was a great conversation, full of insights and useful ideas.  In the middle of the session, I found myself responding to a question with a [...]

PEN hosted our annual conference -- PENworks 2023 -- three weeks ago.  As it (somehow) has become tradition, I walked on stage in costume -- this year as a mountain climber, reflecting the conference theme of ASCENDING TOGETHER: Connect, Discover, Imagine.  Yeah, it was hot in four layers of clothing.  And I felt a little [...]

2022 Performance Excellence Awards Presented at PENworks 2023 Conference ST. PAUL, Minn., May 5, 2023 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN) honors seven recipients of the 2022 Minnesota Performance Excellence Award.  The Award is based on the Baldrige Framework and is the culmination of a rigorous evaluation of an organization’s management and performance system.  The [...]

In the wake of the last “Great Recession” in the 1980s (though we didn’t call it that back then), America was in economic trouble.  The country suffered a two-phase recession in 1980-82 -- one that left unemployment high and interest rates even higher (recall credit cards and mortgages well beyond 20%!).  The economic challenges were [...]

Last week I had the privilege to visit with an undergrad class at St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York about best practices in leadership and management.  So, I figured if the conversation was valuable enough for a couple dozen college students (who are young & emerging leaders), maybe it would be worth sharing with [...]

So, yeah, it happened again: the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII earlier this week.  I know the Vikings and Packers fans reading this (actually, probably anyone outside of Kansas City reading this) may not care, but that’s two championships in four years and another major milestone in this half-decade run.  After 50 years [...]

Everyone is trying to do more with less these days (or maybe just more with the same): the world has become more complex, and professional demands seem to be ever-increasing.  In response – and to kick off PEN’s 2023 webinar series earlier this month – we decided to focus on personal productivity, exploring ways that [...]

Dear Santa: The last couple of years have been extraordinarily challenging for organizations, for communities, for leaders (and for us all as people).  The combination of the pandemic, staffing issues, supply chain disruptions, growing economic constraints, shifting work environments, among other things have created what might be the most challenging period for leaders and professionals [...]

The year was 1623.  About half of the Plymouth colony died that year.  And while the community was about ready to head into another difficult winter, recent fall rains ended what was a challenging and persistent drought.  So Governor William Bradford called a gathering – a three-hour “staff meeting” of sorts.  The main purpose of [...]