When Managers Can't Collaborate Effectively -- What Is the Main Cause?

Earlier this month, Andrew S. Humphries and Linda McComie published a book entitled Why Managers Don't Collaborate: Revealing the Myths and Truths. The purpose of this book is to dispel the baseless myths that are preventing managers in organizations from moving forward and reaping the benefits of collaboration. 

When I spoke with Andrew this past week, I asked him: "What has been the main cause preventing managers from collaborating effectively?" Here is his complete answer:

The main cause preventing managers from collaborating effectively is their belief that no special arrangements, skills, or structures are needed to collaborate. Our book makes this point repeatedly and forcefully.

Across the underlying research, managers consistently claim they are collaborating, but in practice, they behave exactly as they always have: “they have claimed they are collaborating, but in reality, it was not happening,” and this false confidence forms the First Big Myth. Managers assume that existing processes, governance, and attitudes will somehow deliver collaborative outcomes, even though these were never designed for joint working.

The Second Big Myth reinforces the problem: managers “believe that they do not need to make special arrangements to collaborate successfully.” They fail to recognize collaboration as a professional discipline requiring investment, leadership, relationship management structures, and new ways of working. This leads to avoidance, excuses, and a reliance on habitual practices that undermine joint performance.

The book explores the deeper drivers behind this misconception:

• Short‑termism and management myopia, where immediate operational pressures overshadow long‑term value creation.
• Organizational resistance to change and fear of losing control, especially in governance-heavy environments.
• Vested interests in functions like sales, commercial, and finance that resist new ways of working.
• Over‑reliance on technology as a substitute for relationship management.
• Lack of champions and leadership, leaving alliances without direction or accountability.

In conclusion, the real fault lies with senior leaders “who do not understand the power of collaborative management,” leaving managers unsupported and unprepared to adopt the additional responsibilities collaboration demands.

In short, the main cause is a pervasive misunderstanding of what collaboration requires, leading managers to believe they are already doing it -- or that it is unnecessary -- while failing to invest in the structures, skills, and leadership that make collaboration succeed.

Do you agree with Andrew's perspective that managers fail to collaborate effectively because they do not understand that collaboration requires a distinct professional discipline? That is, a discipline that demands long‑term thinking, structural investment, behavioral change, and dedicated leadership, and instead relies on myths, assumptions, and excuses that keep them locked into traditional, siloed management practices.

If so, have you seen managers make this mistake in your company? Were these mistakes corrected?

Has Navigating Change Become More Difficult?

Mitchell Kusy co-authored a book with Mike Valentine and Gilles Benoit entitled The Playbook for Leading Change: Proven Strategies for Success, which was published this December. This book explains how leaders continually receive multiple messages on how to lead successful organizational change. The confusion created by these multiple messages has contributed to a high failure rate in change initiatives, as organizations struggle with watered-down approaches that offer generic solutions instead of tailored, practical guidance. This book functions as a compendium of simple, easy-to-implement change strategies that work.

When I spoke with Mitch earlier this month, I asked him, "Why has navigating change become more difficult? What are the major challenges?" Here is his complete answer:

Ever tried spreading peanut butter on toast? You know how it goes. Every inch gets the same layer, whether it needs it or not. That’s the way some organizations approach change: a one-size-fits-all method that doesn’t consider the unique textures of the situation. But change isn’t toast, and a blanket approach rarely works.  We created this book with three goals in mind: 

• Beat the odds for change success. Too many change efforts fail. We help you succeed. Even in unfamiliar change territory, we help you understand what's needed, why, and how.
•  Cut through the “noise” of change with confidence. Change can be messy. Let’s bring some clarity to the chaos and give you the confidence to tackle it.
• Keep it practical with strong evidence. No heavy theories—just real, research-backed strategies that we distill into everyday practices you can actually use. 

One of the many experiences we have had helping organizations and teams lead change is that leaders sometimes bypass three important dimensions of change: 

• Self as the Instrument for Change. How can each person’s commitment fuel success? 
• Team as the Instrument for Change. What’s the team’s role in making the change happen? 
• Organization as the Instrument for Change. How well is the change aligned with the system that needs to carry it? 

Some researchers have demonstrated a 60% to 70% failure rate; others have 50% to 75%. “Why does change fail so often?” Sometimes, leaders don’t realize how complex change really is. Other times, they may fail to link their big vision to real execution. Maybe they forget to involve the people who need to bring the change to life. In some cases, they include people too late. And often, they miss the chance to connect change efforts with larger business goals. Sometimes leaders focus so heavily on the change itself that they neglect the transition people must go through to make it work. These are just some of the many issues that fueled our book. 

In the Playbook, we share how to address the four major change challenges leaders face:

• Organizational and team transitions/restructures. 
• Strategic alignment.  
• Team development and the capacity for change. 
• Work culture change, especially toxic work cultures. 

What has been your experience with change management and team building? Do you agree with Mitchell's points? What were some of the mistakes you saw with the initiative within your organization? 

Brain Science -- How Can It Help An Organization Succeed?

Just this past week, Christianna Hayes published an innovative new book entitled Wired for Excellence: Harnessing Brain Science for Organizational Success, which brings together the fascinating world of neuroscience with the practical tools of organizational excellence, giving leaders a fresh, science-backed way to build thriving workplaces. Essentially, it’s a real-world guide to understanding how the brain shapes behavior, decisions, and culture, and how leaders can use that insight to drive performance, trust, and long-term success.

When I spoke with Christianna recently, I asked her, "How can brain science actually help an organization succeed?" Here is her complete answer:

When organizations talk about improvement, they often focus on tools and processes. But those systems succeed or fail based on one thing -- the human brain. Every decision, reaction, and relationship runs through that three-pound organ we all bring to work each day. When leaders understand how it functions, they can design environments that bring out people’s best thinking instead of triggering defense mechanisms.

When people experience uncertainty or unclear expectations, the brain’s alarm system -- the amygdala-- interprets that as a threat. Energy shifts from problem-solving to self-protection, and engagement drops. The solution isn’t to push harder; it’s to design clarity, safety, and progress into the work itself. When the brain perceives purpose and predictability, it releases dopamine and oxytocin -- chemicals that reinforce focus, trust, and motivation. In other words, success happens when people’s brains feel safe enough to contribute and rewarded enough to keep going.

In Wired for Excellence, I use a framework called the BRAIN Model -- Belonging, Resilience, Autonomy, Insight, and Nurturing -- to help leaders translate neuroscience into daily practice. These five elements remind us what the brain needs to stay engaged. When organizations meet those needs, performance isn’t forced -- it flows.

As I often tell clients, “The brain is both the barrier and the breakthrough.” Once we learn to work with it rather than against it, excellence becomes less about control and more about design.

What do you think of Christianna's perspective? Is "brain science" a consideration in your organization when process-improvement initiatives are implemented? Do you think it could affect the overall workplace culture? 

Change Management and Continuous Improvement -- Is There a Disconnect Between the Two?

This past month, Kyle B. Stone published an interesting book entitled The Change Agent’s Field Guide: Mastering the Intersections of Change Management and Continuous Improvement, which helps anyone involved in leading continuous improvement within an organization better understand when to apply the change management techniques necessary to achieve successful outcomes. Many continuous improvement efforts fail because those leading changes do not recognize when to pause and evaluate critical intersections needing change management tools. This book provides clear guidance on when to pause, what to do, and how to navigate these intersections successfully.

When I spoke with Kyle this month, I asked him, "Why is there a disconnect between change management and continuous improvement?” Here is his detailed answer:

My premise on why continuous improvement efforts sometimes “stick” and other times do not is that many leaders of these efforts fail to understand the importance of change management and the critical intersections between people and process improvement.  My desire with this book is to offer a guide for leaders of continuous improvement and how to anticipate, manage, and measure change while engaging in continuous improvement. There are seven intersections that I describe that help close the disconnect between change management and continuous improvement.

1. Develop systems thinking skills
2. Triage Change
3. Make a plan
4. Manage the handoffs
5. Communication
6. Counselor
7. Political engagements and interactions

Managing these critical intersections is key to successful outcomes for planned or unplanned change initiatives. My intent is not to address all the various types of externally managed continuous improvement methodologies since most externally managed “accreditations” are based on alignment with standards generally designed to drive continuous improvement within the organization. The goal of this book is to provide a foundation of knowledge in both change management and typical continuous improvement methods so leaders of change can navigate the nuances and triage the challenges typically encountered whenever you are asking people to change the way they perform their work, which is a common outcome of most continuous improvement efforts. 

Following the foundation-building chapters, examples of how to identify and manage the intersections between those affected by change and the continuous improvement efforts are provided, assisting the leaders with anticipating and addressing critical junctures. Ignoring these intersections and plowing forward is a common failure during many continuous improvement efforts, often resulting in a lack of engagement, resistance, and sometimes sabotage. 

What do you think of Kyle's perspective on the relationship between continuous improvement initiatives and change management? For those who have led Lean and continuous improvement efforts in your organization, how was change management addressed? Did it improve buy-in and understanding among colleagues? 

"Elemental" Leaders -- Can They Benefit Your Organization?

Last week, Tyler Comeau released his new book, The Elemental Leader: Unlocking Your Potential Through Values, Perseverance, Adaptability, and Innovation. This comprehensive leadership development guide reimagines the classical elements -- Earth, Air, Water, and Fire -- as metaphors for foundational leadership principles. Designed to help leaders unlock their full potential, the book grounds leadership practices in these elemental concepts:

• Earth represents core values and a grounded mindset.

• Air symbolizes perseverance and the ability to overcome adversity.

• Water reflects adaptability and skillful navigation of change.

• Fire embodies innovation, motivation, decision-making, and risk-taking.

Through a blend of personal anecdotes, case studies, research, and actionable strategies, Comeau offers a holistic framework for leadership growth that is both practical and inspiring.

When I spoke with Tyler this week, I asked him, “What are elemental leaders, and how do they benefit organizations?” He began by sharing this passage from his book and then distilled his thoughts:

“As you ignite this journey, remember that the most effective leaders are not those who rigidly adhere to a set of rules but those who are adaptable, resilient, and open to new ideas. They are the ones who dare to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and constantly evolve their practice. They are the elemental leaders, the ones who understand that leadership is not just about imparting knowledge but about igniting a spark within each colleague that will burn brightly for a lifetime.”

At its core, elemental leadership is about cultivating versatile, grounded, and deeply human leaders. These individuals:

• Create organizations where values are not just words on a wall but active guides for decision-making (Earth). 

• Foster cultures that treat setbacks as opportunities for growth (Air).

• Lead teams through transitions with openness and flexibility (Water).

• Embrace bold opportunities and calculated risks (Fire).

Organizations benefit from elemental leaders because they model wholeness rather than rigidity. Rather than relying on a single leadership style, they bring a dynamic toolkit that adapts to diverse challenges. This versatility fosters trust, strengthens workplace culture, and sustains long-term momentum.

In a world defined by complexity and constant change, elemental leaders don’t just endure -- they empower their organizations to thrive.

What are your thoughts on Tyler’s approach? Does your organization cultivate leadership that enhances engagement and builds a resilient, values-driven culture?

Leadership Development -- What Is Lacking?

Back in January, Geoff Ribbens, Mark Abraham, and Alistair Cumming published a new book entitled Team Leadership: How to Define, Apply, and Measure It, which presents a unique, people-centric, and scientifically researched theory of leadership linked to an accurate data-based assessment and diagnostic product. For individual leaders looking to maximize personal development and results or for organizations wanting to analyze leadership and its effects across an entire structure or business, this book redefines understanding and development.

When I spoke with the authors this month, I asked them a series of questions starting with "What is currently lacking in leadership development?" Here are their responses:

In our book, we start by identifying four major errors that have held back leadership development and understanding for many years. No doubt all of us have made some, or all, of these errors in the past.

The first error is looking at the leader to understand leadership. Eminent social psychologists have stated that this "leader-centric" approach is “deeply flawed” and not at all useful. We expand on why it is so flawed in the book. We conclude that it is much more useful to concentrate on the perception of those being led.

The second error is to assume that the term "leadership" means the same in a multitude of different contexts such as political leadership, moral leadership, organizational leadership, and team leadership. Different contexts obviously require different definitions and approaches. This is why the book concentrates on the "leadership" of teams.

The third error is to assume that "business success" equates with leadership. This approach only states what the writer hopes leadership will deliver, not what it is. It also assumes that the only people who have leadership are senior managers and CEOs.

The fourth error is simple. Nowhere in our research do we find a definition of the term ‘leadership’ that was objective and measurable.

MS: “So what is the solution to all these myths, assumptions, and lack of definition?”

All the assumptions and errors above have been solved by our innovative approach called Emergent Team Leadership (ETL). We focus on the leadership of teams, whether it is the executive team or the team on the factory floor. We show that all team leaders at every level, have the potential to have "leadership" and it is now measurable.

ETL measures the degree to which team members "willingly and enthusiastically accept their team leader." By examining how team members perceive their leader we created a 12-point profile. The profile is created by the team members, it might not be how the leader perceives themselves or is perceived by the organization. The profile is a simple radar graph and is easy to understand.

MS: “So why focus on teams and team leaders?”

The relationship between the team and the team leader is fundamental to team and organizational performance. If team members "willingly and enthusiastically accept their leader’" then the team leader is more able to deliver positive results because the team supports them. Also, team and team leader well-being is achieved, and there is less disagreement and conflict.

MS: "I can see the improved well-being of the team and team leader but are there any other benefits?

The simple 12-point profile indicates to the team leader what they need to do to move from merely managing their team to the true leadership of that team. The profile is not based on the leader’s personality but on the team’s perception. What is important is that the leader can change that perception. The leader is not a ‘servant’ of the team but can increase their influence by understanding how their team perceives them.

There are many benefits for the team, the team leader, and the whole organization. One obvious benefit is that for the first time leadership training, coaching, or appraising can be tested and retested, and progress can be measured. Our research also found that team leaders themselves found the 12-point profile powerful and relevant, more relevant than other leadership assessment processes they had experienced. If an organization uses ETL this can have a profound positive effect on the organization’s whole team leadership culture.

What do you think of the authors' (Geoff Ribbens, Mark Abraham, and Alistair Cumming) view on the current state of leadership development? Do you agree with what the authors perceive as errors and their proposed solutions?

Mentorship Programs Within Organizations -- What Are the Benefits?

In December, Matthew Aslett published a book entitled Fundamentals of Effective Mentorship: How to Develop Intellectual Capacity and Healthy Workplace Culture, which discusses the facilitation of mentorship programs and the development of mentorship relationships based on experiences from a practitioner lens. The ability to encourage two-way learning relationships through mentorship can help organizations to improve effectiveness. A mentorship program can empower mentors, mentees, and program leaders to share best practices. The mentorship process is integral for promoting the professional and personal growth of stakeholders within an organization. 

When I spoke with Matthew this month, I asked him, “What are the prime benefits of mentorship and how can managers start mentorship programs within their companies?”  Here is his detailed answer:

The prime benefits of mentorship can be considered from three perspectives. First, mentees can establish new relationships with diverse individuals who may provide opportunities to accumulate knowledge, skills, and experiences. Mentees can increase self-belief with encouragement and personalized guidance from counterparts. Mentees can enhance goal-setting abilities with the exploration of priorities, specification of action plans, and co-construction of success strategies.

Second, mentors can develop communication skills in verbal and written domains to convey critical perspectives in understandable terms based on counterpart needs. Mentors can delve deeper into introspection with an awareness of novel viewpoints and personalized philosophies for decision-making. Mentors can engage in talent identification of candidates for prospective positions and opportunities through knowledge of unique abilities. Mentors can achieve self-actualization or personal fulfillment through participation in the vocation and bidirectional exchange of diverse best practices.

Third, communities can proceed with lifelong learning as individuals, teams, and organizations may explore perspectives in collaborative inquiry activities. Communities can improve equity and inclusivity, which represent fairness and belongingness, through active listening, examination of taken-for-granted assumptions, and recognition of improvements. Communities can cultivate intellectual abilities for engagement, productivity, and creativity when members participate in dialogue and pinpoint actionable recommendations.

A manager can start a mentorship program within the company using seven steps. First, initiative goals based on the values, vision, and assembled data can guide the focus. Second, selection criteria about mandatory or voluntary participation and manual or automated matching can influence planning. Third, resource strategy considers financial, human, intellectual, physical, and technological elements for implementation. Fourth, data collection mechanisms can capture quantitative and qualitative insights for decision-making. Fifth, an opening message can specify formal expectations and announce an orientation meeting. Sixth, an ideation session can explore aspirations and success factors. Seventh, interaction norms about frequency, relationship length, and modality can clarify learning preferences.

What do you think of Matthew's views on organizational mentorship programs? Does your company have one? Has it been effective in improving employee engagement and workplace culture? 

Humility -- Does It Affect Leadership Effectiveness?

In August, Andrew J. DuBrin published a book entitled Leadership Humility: A Characteristic that Enhances Professional Effectiveness, which describes an opinion about the most relevant aspects of humility as it applies to leadership and professional effectiveness, yet the emphasis is on leadership. Humility as it relates to leadership and professional effectiveness is covered from many angles. Among these topics are the many meanings and components of humility and how leadership humility impacts group member performance and behavior.

When I spoke with Andrew this month, I asked him:  “How does humility actually increase leadership effectiveness?” Here is his complete answer:

An appropriate degree of humility is essential for leadership effectiveness because today’s effective leader is expected to demonstrate humility in addition to standard leadership attributes such as self-confidence, high-level cognitive skills, creativity, charisma, and the ability to articulate visions. Leadership effectiveness is enhanced when interspersed with other key leadership attributes including assertiveness, a sense of humor, and strategic thinking ability. Many brash, aggressive, and successful leaders would be even more successful if they sprinkled their leadership approach with humility.  

Another way in which humility increases leadership effectiveness is that being a little humble has an impact on performance. The performance, or results, could be at the individual, group, or organizational level. Leadership humility can improve a leader’s decision-making. Intellectually humble leaders are likely to gather multiple inputs before making a decision because they do not think they have all the answers. Leaders who express humility often enhance the creativity of group members because they set up a climate conducive to imaginative thinking. A humble leader will often create a psychologically safe environment, meaning that staff members feel safe to take the risk of making a mistake. The person who feels psychologically safe believes he or she will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

A leader with humility helps establish a group climate in which people can learn and develop. A climate of this nature enables group members to invest more of themselves into their jobs, and therefore be engaged in their work. Leadership humility often has a big impact on team performance. The humble leader seeks the cooperation of all team members, shows openness toward their ideas, and encourages them to become actively involved in solving problems the team is tackling. One of the many ways in which leadership humility improves organizational performance stems from workers observing that their strengths are appreciated.

What do you think of Andrew's perspective on humility and leadership? What role does humility play in your company's leadership and management training?

The Mental Well-Being of Colleagues and Continuous Improvement Culture -- Are They Intertwined and Mutually Reinforcing?

At the beginning of June, Chris Butterworth published a new book entitled Why Care? How Thriving Individuals Create Thriving Cultures of Continuous Improvement Within Organizations, which contends that to create a sustainable culture of continuous improvement there must be an organization-wide focus on mental well-being at the individual level. A culture of continuous improvement nurtured in the right way, however, will indeed support mental well-being and help create a thriving organization.

When I recently spoke with Chris about his book, I asked him: "How are mental well-being and a culture of continuous improvement intertwined and mutually reinforcing with an organization?" Here is his complete answer:

Today’s ever-increasing VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) environment means that organizations must be more adaptable and flexible than ever.  Organizational performance depends on the collective psychological capacity (emotional and cognitive energy) of everyone in the organization.  Without high levels of mental, or psychological, well-being individuals suffer, organizational performance is stifled and continuous improvement (CI) is throttled.

Creating high levels of mental, or psychological, well-being means starting with an inside-out perspective focused on mental well-being at an individual level.  Like the nucleus of an atom, high levels of individual psychological well-being unleash psychological capacity. This precious resource is critical for people to be able to do their work effectively and continuously improve their work. It provides the organization with the energy and agility to prosper. 

However, individual psychological well-being is not enough on its own.  High levels of psychological well-being without a robust CI system limit people’s potential to fully utilize their psychological capacity. Both systems are essential to a thriving organization. Psychological well-being and CI working together create a thriving high-performance environment, where individuals feel they matter, are cared for, and can grow and develop.  Together they create environments where teams can solve problems, innovate, adapt, and grow generating sustainable organizational success. In our book Why Care? we explore how to do this at different levels – individual, team, leader, and organizational and the foundations needed, such as diversity, equality, inclusion, belonging, and an understanding of the brain.

The CI system must be co-designed to leverage the available psychological capacity of everyone in the organization.  In Why Care? we illustrate how the CI system and tools can be reorientated to engender and maximize psychological well-being and how continuously improving work also increases levels of psychological well-being.  Not only are the two intertwined but they are mutually reinforcing.  We believe this is not just a nice thing to do. It is critical to the future of every organization and its people.

Do you agree with Chris' statements? Does your continuous improvement initiative include the psychological capacity of colleagues? 

Implementing Change through Projects -- What are the Common Mistakes?

An impressive new book by Jeremy Nicholls, entitled The Everyday Project Manager: A Primer for Learning the Principles of Successful Project Management, explores the key attributes and skills of successful project management and describes the practical skills that will enhance project delivery regardless of your level of experience. In addition, Jeremy posits that success and survival in business relies on change and the way that business implements change is through projects.

At the beginning of the month, I spoke to Jeremy about his book and asked him: "What are the common mistakes made when trying to implement change through projects?" Here is his full answer:

Understanding the Context for Change

In the enthusiasm to get going and DO SOMETHING, organizations frequently fail to set a project within the wider business and strategic context.  Change via projects is easiest to implement, and more effective when it aligns with the overall background of change.  By considering the broader organizational goals and – importantly – how your project aligns to those goals, you will be better able to articulate the drivers for change.  This increases buy-in and significantly improves your change implementation.  When you think about it, this applies to personal projects too – your project to decorate the bedroom might be a great idea, but if your partner’s plan is to sell the house next year, they won’t support your change.

Identifying Champions

For change to be implemented most effectively, you require support up and down the organization. It seems to be stating the obvious to say that the more people who are championing your project, the more likely it is to succeed, but it is frequently overlooked. When people deliver projects, they tend to get very caught up in the nuts and bolts of the delivery itself.  It’s a different skill set, but one that the best project managers have, to get out there and engage with stakeholders and bring people along for the journey.  Your project sponsor is the key here; if they are not excited about the project outcome then there’s no reason anyone else should be.  But the main point is don’t just be a project manager – be a project cheerleader!

Get the Basics Right

There will be certain points during a change project where things get exciting.  This can be for a good, expected reason (the much-anticipated go-live), or a not-so-good, unexpected reason (an issue that threatens to derail the project).  In either case, when the temperature of the project gets to fever pitch, the first things to get side-lined are often the good (but not quite as exciting) practices that keep a project on track.  Stay focused on the objectives; remember the reasons for doing the project in the first place.  Avoid the tendency, to throw the baby out with the bathwater when the project hits a bump.  Go back to first principles, take a breath, and keep going.

What are your thoughts on Jeremy's perspective? Has your company been successful implementing change through projects? What attributes do you think compose a successful project manager?

"Greening Solutions" = Healthier Workplace?

How much have you considered the "health" of your organization's work space in regard to the success of your organization? Sustainable design is proven as an effective approach to the development of productive and healthy work spaces. Sustainably designed and redesigned work areas not only benefit practical aspects such as energy costs, but longer-term social issues such as reducing employee absenteeism and recruiting a wider pool of talent. 

Just recently, a forward-thinking book book entitled Green Up! Sustainable Design Solutions for Healthier Work and Living Environments by Stevie Famulari was published addressing this burgeoning topic. During this past month, I had the chance to discuss this new book with Stevie, and I asked her directly:  “What are ‘greening solutions’ and how do they contribute to a healthier workplace environment?” Here is her complete response:

There are many ways to look at healthier work place environments.  Greening solutions is one approach that improves the air quality, as well as the emotional health of the people who work there.  Let’s consider this -- we spend notable portion of our time in a work environment.  The views, air, colors, scent, lighting -- all these factors influence the health of the space and affect how we feel about it.

Greening solutions look at using natural resources, including plants, composting, recycling, and other sustainable resources to create a sense of ownership in how each person can improve the space.

One greening solution is to use plants that improve the air quality of work spaces.  Most people have read that any plant benefits a space for air and psychological effects.  That is true, but there are also some plants that can be used to clean contaminants of work spaces -- such as the off gassing of furniture, the VOCs from paints, and the cleaners used throughout the office.  Some plants specifically can be used to uptake those contaminants.  They are called plants for phytoremediation.  Using those can be specific for a site.

Then, go a step further -- Use plants for fresh scents, for color accents, and for soft shapes.  With growing plants, people can experience unexpected moments of joy, change, hope while watching something one cares for flower, leaf, die, and then return again.  These changes allow people to remember that we move forward each day and can make new choices.

Greening solutions come in a variety of scales, and can be specific for each site -- for each budget, lighting, space, users, materials on the site, contaminants, and message the company wants to share.  Greening solutions can help the employees have a work space in which they are healthier and the clients who visit the site to expand their practice of healthy spaces.  Greening solutions experts can help any person look at their space with fresh eyes to find new ways to practice a healthy lifestyle.

What do you think of Stevie's perspective? What is your company doing to improve the health of its office and work space?