[Bus Stop Conversations] Quick Notes on How Things Work: Making Change Happen

The conversation with fellow grade-school parent Amy Eliot at the bus stop this morning could have been anywhere about any company or organization: it just happened to be about the grade school our kids attend. The lessons on what works apply to all.

There is no shortage of good research and study on change and how to accelerate it. Rossabeth Moss Kanter,  author of Change Masters is a great place to start for contemporary work.Read the rest

[Trick or Treat] The Trouble with Incentives

As a senior at Tigard High School, the Prom Queen was selected by a canned food competition between the three high school classes. The goal was to incent students to both show school spirit and bring in canned foods for people who were less fortunate and needed the food to eat to live.

Both competitive and adventuresome sorts, my class’ winning solution was to tin-cup class members for cash, and then ditch school to go buy canned foods at discount retailers that sold marred (but perfectly eatable) canned goods at a discount.Read the rest