One of the items on my initial 2025 actions list - helping produce a newsletter for the complex I live in - came to life this past week. I also crossed a (small) Rubicon by submitting a letter-to-the-editor to the local Evanston newspaper. The letter (unpublished as of today - but I share it at … Continue reading Small actions, crossing small Rubicons and visibility

One of the things I am motivated to help all of us get better at is moving away from hurling opinions and ideas at each other and moving toward more reflective inquiry. And I mean "inquiry" as more than just a question, but instead a process that leads toward resolving some challenge or problem. More … Continue reading Inquiry vs. hurling opinions

My interest is in helping develop or improve ways of community listening: How a group listens to the community members it serves. How a group makes sense of what it is hearing from community members. The above three lines are what I wrote as my profile description on a volunteer organizing site for the community … Continue reading Community listening and co-creation

I see the world as a set of overlapping communities with leaky boundaries. The physical communities in which I reside (neighborhood, city). Professional and personal communities that are anchored in the workplace (Northwestern University is one for me) or through shared activities (like working out at the local YMCA). Everyone has their own unique set … Continue reading The value of leaky community boundaries

I asked this question at a meet-the-candidate event yesterday for someone running for my Ward's city council seat in Evanston. The candidate is really solid. An empathetic, self-proclaimed policy wonk whose career includes a rich mix of community roles and work. At this point, he certainly has my support and vote. I asked the question … Continue reading At what point does your spidey-sense tell you that you have the right amount of community input?