by bmendell | Sep 11, 2021 | Books
When visiting family or eating with friends (or interviewing job candidates), I often ask “what are you reading?” I find books or other long form writing a better source of conversational kindling than discussing the weather, recent doctor visits or the op-ed pages. A...
by bmendell | Aug 17, 2021 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing
According to the late author and management expert Peter Drucker,[1] “one either meets or one works.” While our sympathies agree with this, we’ve also experienced effective, well-run meetings that got things done. Meetings either leverage or waste company...
by bmendell | Jul 24, 2021 | Communication Skills, Forestry, Thinking/Analysis
In 2012, the Forest History Society published “Wood for Bioenergy: Forests as a Resource for Biomass and Biofuels,” a book I co-authored with Amanda Lang. It serves as a primer on the markets, policies and technologies associated with wood pellets, liquid...
by bmendell | Jun 24, 2021 | Communication Skills
This post introduces an essay on leading and facilitating effective teamwork and meetings. Meetings fail for three primary reasons. One, the purpose was unclear. Two, meetings fail because they are poorly planned. Three, meetings fail because they are poorly...
by bmendell | May 19, 2021 | Communication Skills, Forestry
The late Dr. Alex Shigo, author of accessible books on trees and former Chief Scientist of the U.S. Forest Service, described trees thusly: “Trees are superior survival organisms. They live longer, grow taller, and become more massive than any organism ever...
