As we got started in one of our Campus community leadership webinars this week, I invited participants to share (1) an example of a silver lining provided by COVID-19 and the resulting physical distancing or (2) what they're doing to cope with the challenge that is providing a positive impact. 

While their sense of humour was clearly intact, some of their comments were thought-provoking. While the responses were diverse, there were some common themes that make for a good read. There's "gold in them thar community builders!" 

Family Time

• I discovered free zoom meetings a couple weeks ago, and every day my mom, dad, sister, and brother connect by zoom for 40 minutes. We 

A number of years ago while working for a municipality, I was part of a of a task force responsible for putting emergency measures into place across the city. At the time, planning for potentially catastrophic events felt as if it might be a make-work measure. Knowing what we now know, they may actually have been ahead of the curve. In essence, we were working together to build the community’s capacity for what my futurist colleagues would call, a Black Swan event. 

What's a Black Swan Event? 

The 9/11 attacks in 2001, the 2008 global financial crisis that wiped out over $10 trillion dollars

Truth be told, there has been some kicking and screaming over the years in getting me to spend as much time as I do these days in thinking and talking to others about outcomes and measurement.

Mostly, it is the result of my fervent belief that we’re not doing enough to measure what matters most in our communities because we’re too often focused on economic growth at the expense of our overall quality of life.  The reality we all need to keep in mind is that what gets measured matters. What we count, quantify, measure, and evaluate influences public policy, decision-making, and investment.

Planning for the future never used to be quite so complicated.  

Whether I was planning to improve my personal life or business, or working with other organizations, neighbourhoods or even entire communities, it typically was a matter of determining the current situation, where you wanted to go, and then determining how to address the gap in between. 

A review of top trends and predictions, a situational analysis, a review or development of a vision, mission and strategic priorities and, badda-boom-badda-bing,

I can't recall how we were first introduced, but I can tell you that when we first sat down over coffee, I learned Yvonne was an intelligent, energetic woman who was passionate about supporting entrpreneurs. At our first meeting she handed me a strangely titled book called Ripples from the Zambezi and suggested I read it if I wanted to know more about the work she was doing with others to support business enterprise.

Seth Godin's suggestion that A+ students might not become good leaders definitely rings true in the case of my family.

Although it was many years ago, my mother distinctly remembers the reassurance of a kind guidance counselor during report card time. The counselor comforted her by saying that even if none of her five children managed to bring home great A+ report cards, they were on track to become solid, all-round, good citizens. 

Alberta’s newly elected provincial government recently tabled its first budget.

It generated an overwhelmingly negative response from the tech sector who viewed it as being short-sighted and reflective of a lack of regard for the importance of creating jobs for the knowledge economy.

Brenda Herchmer is Alberta-Bound as she will be presenting for both EverActive Schools and RhPAP (Rural Health Practitioners Action Plan). Always mindful of being as practical and effective as possible, she would be interested in presenting in other communities while she is there during the first week of February. If you're interested in the possibilities, please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

This month was somewhat surreal for me.

I’ve been teaching online for over ten years but despite the fact that I was sitting in front of a computer in Welland, Ontario, the audience shifted in a very big way.

This time round, my online community leadership course had participation not only from Canada - including NWT,  New Brunswick,

There is nothing more rewarding than teaching a group of motivated adult learners.

They are quite different from the students I used to teach in a face-to-face college setting where it was sometimes necessary to channel my inner tap dancer to get and keep their attention. Instead, these adult learners are generally much more motivated and eager to learn.

As I sat down to write this blog, I didn’t have a starting point. I wasn’t even sure about the topic. But, being good at procrastinating as well as being ready to be distracted, I did a quick scan of some old blogs on the topic that I wanted to address - trust. And, wouldn’t you know, I found a blog I had written some time ago.  Although it was 7 years ago, it seemed to hold up and might even more relevant today.

My work at the Campus for Communities of the Future involves delivering a lot of training sessions focused on the how-to’s of strengthening community building. As a result, I’m gaining traction in terms of becoming more comfortable and confident with both the content and delivery. However, I wobbled a bit recently when I started to prepare for a session for economic developers.

Partnerships are somewhat on my mind these days as the Campus for Communities continues to morph and grow. With proof of concept regarding the impact of our training, after many years, we’re poised to scale. In large part, it is the result of paying attention to, and learning from those at the

The times they are a’changin and that’s good news for my hometown of Welland, Ontario especially Downtown, because

While it really isn't anything I can explain, every once in a while I stumble across a transformative concept that simply feels right.

Campus for Communities was delighted to collaborate with Alberta's RhPAP (Rural Health Profession Action Plan). What an exceptional group of staff, elected officials, and volunteers!  Read the full article here. 

Although I am an admitted information junkie I must confess that recently I’ve suffered from a bit of data overload.

Normally I can handle it and even enjoy it, however I do think data is like food – best when served in reasonably-sized portions from several food groups leaving one satisfied but not stuffed.

I am blessed to have maintained a precious relationship with three colleagues with whom I worked over a number of years as part of an exciting community development initiative called ACE Communities. Although we are all now self-employed we continue to connect via monthly group Skype calls.

Author's Note: This week a good friend told me that I would always struggle to be understood because typically I was ten years ahead of my time. Thought I'd test that theory by going back

Sometimes an oldie can still be a goodie.

The SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a straightforward and useful tool

Much of my paid and volunteer work over the years has focused on community development and community leadership in various voluntary and nonprofit organizations. Yet, regardless of where I

There’s a lot of talk these days about the need for innovation. Unfortunately, when tackling complex social issues we too often overlook

I am an excessively optimistic person who was blessed with a genetic tendency to look on the bright side of life. As a result,

Today's workplaces are rarely straightforward. It is especially true of organizations that are looking to grow and innovate. As my colleague Rick Smyre has stated, "We're preparing for a future that hasn't yet been invented". As a result, my community building work typically results in me working with organizations where solutions are complicated and messy.

Who would have thought a Facebook post would bring back memories of my own grandmother?  The post in question was from a good friend who shared a beautiful photo that included a comment about how there was nothing better than canning with friends. 

I just read a blog by the insightful American author and former business executive Seth Godin that got me thinking even before I'd finished my morning coffee. 

Technology is a lot like communities. In both communities and technology there is no one best way of doing things, instead there are many ways.

Five years ago, as the result of years of experiencing collaborative learning alongside brilliant colleagues, 

Great article by Kathleen Kelly Janus. We do need to equip the next generation with the tools if they are going to deliver on good intentions and fulfill their desire to change the world.. 

While many towns and citiescommunities have lost their sense of community, its presence still exists in Saskatchewan.

In a future where traditional employment will no longer be the centre of our lives, we will need to redefine how to have a good life. 

Read this inspiring story about what happened when a hospital made a decision to do more to address the underlying root causes of high health care costs. It began with a decision to treat its local neighborhood like a patient. 

While I like to consider myself as one who loves change and embraces trends, tattoos are something I’ve personally never been able to get behind. In part

On an intellectual level I understood the community leadership learnings I planned to share were solid, innovative, and grounded by boots-on-the-ground experience.