CBMC International

We sometimes hear people talking about the importance of finding work you love. This may be a little overrated, but it is important to do things that do not destroy your joy, your sense of satisfaction and meaning. You may be doing physical labor all day that is not very much fun, but coming home … Read more

We live in very uncertain economic times. It probably has always been that way, but for a variety of reasons, economic conditions seem especially unpredictable now. The question is not why this is so, but how we should respond. Do we take a defensive posture, or should we choose a proactive approach? When recessions are … Read more

For a moment, imagine a top executive calling a special meeting and after bringing in a wash basin and towels, proceeding to wash the feet of his or her staff members. Such a scene in the corporate would be considered very strange at best, if not unbelievable. Nevertheless, as we read accounts of the life … Read more

Some time ago I engaged in a fascinating discussion with members of a CBMC group in another city. I had written an edition of Monday Manna about the importance of leaving a legacy, and they were curious to know the distinction between four seemingly similar terms: Heredity, heritage, inheritance, and legacy. There is some similarity … Read more

Several years ago, a high school football team in Michigan, U.S.A. cancelled the last five games of its season after going 0–4 and having not scored a point at the start of the season. Going winless and scoreless has a sting to it, but my heart hurts thinking that someone gave up on that group … Read more

Back in the mid-1800s, essayist, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau made a statement that has become familiar to many of us, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” In Thoreau’s extended quotation, he said, “What is called resignation is confirmed desperation…. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are … Read more

The work world can be filled with stress – deadlines to be met, quotas to be filled, goals to be achieved, profit margins to be maintained. Because of these demands, many workplaces become unhealthy environments, potentially detrimental to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of staff members. The Harvard Business Review, which has been a … Read more

Although I enjoyed a successful career in real estate for a number of years, the influence of growing up on a farm has never left me. My family still owns a ranch in Pierre, South Dakota, U.S.A., and I return there often. In that relatively quiet agricultural setting, among cows, bulls, horses, and other livestock, … Read more

Recently I re-read the classic book, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D. First published in 1998, this allegory still resonates for many of us today. With the pace of change in our world seeming to escalate daily – perhaps more in the marketplace than anywhere else – this little book continues to live … Read more

Among the indirect effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic – we might term it “collateral damage” – has been a dramatic increase in people of all ages who experience feelings of hopelessness. During the pandemic many people did not know where to turn. Hopelessness and despair became constant companions. For some, this prompted a return … Read more

The global pandemic affected virtually every one of us, and even though the dire warnings have ended, its impact was still being felt many months after health officials declared the health crisis had ended. Among them has been its impact on the employment market. At the peak of the pandemic, businesses like restaurants and retail … Read more