by Brooks Mendell | May 8, 2024 | Communication Skills, Forestry, Thinking/Analysis
The growth of ESG investing – which screens investments and firms based on environmental, social, and governance criteria – and markets for forest carbon and other environmental “services” highlight the importance of clear communication skills and the value of those...
by Brooks Mendell | Feb 18, 2024 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing, Thinking/Analysis
Simple approaches can focus the mind. When thinking through the means and mechanisms by which disruptions could affect my business, my community, or the economy, I often ask two simple questions rooted in economic fundamentals[1]: Big or small? In other words, how...
by Brooks Mendell | Jan 20, 2024 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing
A new manager, whether promoted from within or hired from abroad, must learn to communicate and model the values and expectations of the organization. For the internal hire, that person has the advantage of in-house experience and a demonstrated potential to manage....
by Brooks Mendell | Dec 13, 2023 | Communication Skills, Learning, Thinking/Analysis
We homo sapiens seem overwhelmed by information, technology, and choices. We sadly struggle to manage the daily deluge, cycling through frustration, indignation, anger, and melancholy. A simple scan of news headlines, op-eds, and online comments can fuel a sense of...
by Brooks Mendell | Oct 8, 2023 | Books, Communication Skills, Leading/Managing
My Dad taught me and my brother, “There is no premium for complexity.” He emphasized the value of keeping it simple, focusing on the most important things you can control, and getting it done. You don’t get paid more to sound like a robot or technocrat, or...
by Brooks Mendell | Sep 20, 2023 | Communication Skills, Learning
After delivering the keynote at AgWest Farm Credit’s “2023 Forest Products Summit” in Portland, I parked myself in a seat on the side to listen and take notes during presentations on geopolitics, macroeconomics, and cybersecurity. This final talk, by Rachel Wilson,...
