Strategic opportunism is at the heart of innovation
A wise old sage hosted a dinner. Toward the end of the meal, everyone was given fortune cookies and told they were holding their future in their hands. The guests eagerly opened them to read the words of wisdom they contained. The paper slips inside each cookie were blank. “Is this a joke?” they asked.…
The whole employee rating process is a recipe for disaster
I was 23 when I got my first promotion to Acting Assistant Labour Relations Manager in the UK’s Health Service. My boss’s gift to me was my one and only report, Megan, 20 years old, grumpy, difficult and the department’s secretary. My first task in my new position was to deliver her end-of-year review. My…
Every year, 200 to 250 Canadians die while waiting for an organ transplant
In an unprecedented surgery, a 57-year-old American with serious heart disease had a heart transplant with a genetically-modified pig’s heart on Jan. 7. Almost two weeks later, the patient is reportedly still doing well. This surgery was a first, performed by a team from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. It’s among the first…
Partnerships with First Nations needed to overcome systemic racism, researchers say
First Nations patients were less likely to be prioritized for the most urgent treatment than others with the same ultimate diagnosis at emergency departments in Alberta, according to a study published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “We were surprised to see differences for things like long bone fractures, which seem pretty obvious. You would expect…
The most effective communicators come across as both confident and caring
A few years ago, I conducted research in the United States, Europe and Canada to see how gender differences in communication were displayed in the workplace. The first thing I found was that both men and women identified the same sets of strengths and weaknesses in themselves and each other. Top three communication strengths for…
First in our webinar series "CHINA NOW"
When it comes to China, separating fact from friction is no easy task. But that is the task of our CHINA NOW series. Each of our four episodes features an expert exploring China today, including frank discussions about doing business there and about emerging opportunities. The series moderator is Doug Horner, former Alberta Deputy Premier…
The solution to the housing crisis is to build more homes, not raise taxes
By Franco Terrazzano and Kris Sims Canadian Taxpayer Federation The federal government is using tax dollars to dream up a new way to hammer homeowners. In 2020, the online news site Blacklock’s Reporter discovered the federal government funnelling $250,000 through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to figure out how to improve housing affordability. The…
It certainly isn't any sense of national purpose
As long as I’ve been following politics (which is almost as long as I’ve been alive), the question of what defines Canada has provided unsatisfying answers. Polls typically tell us that some combination of the Charter of Rights, our health care system, and the fact that we are not American top the list. Canadians generally…
Health reform has been talked about enough
The need to reform Canada’s health-care systems has long been a hot topic of debate. After all, Canada is an easy target: It has one of the highest price tags among countries with universal health systems in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, but its performance has lagged for years. The effect of the…
Oh, the weather outside is.... wonderful! Ontarians are making the most of a huge snow storm
There’s no day like a snow day. In that same vein, there’s no column like a snow day column! On Monday, Toronto and most of southern Ontario got hammered by one of the biggest snowstorms in this region in many years. Toronto was originally supposed to get 25 to 35 cm of snow, according to…