by Brooks Mendell | May 31, 2025 | Leading/Managing, Books, Communication Skills, Forestry, Learning, Sports, Thinking/Analysis
As a kid, I learned that the “knee bone connected to the thigh bone” thanks to the School House Rock song “Them Not So Dry Bones.” The lyrics remind us how things “really fit” and “it’s a framework… holding you together.” This idea, that we are combinations of...
by Brooks Mendell | Feb 28, 2025 | Thinking/Analysis, Communication Skills, Forestry, Leading/Managing
Introduction When it comes to managing positive and negative risks, I think in terms of “transparency” and “competence.” Many risks are relative, and we have the abilities to enhance resilience, mitigate unwanted exposures, and leverage our best opportunities. Years...
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 | Mar 19, 2023 | Forestry, Leading/Managing, Thinking/Analysis
As leaders, parents, investors, and coaches, we often make decisions with imperfect and incomplete information. Therefore, we benefit by having an approach or philosophy for dealing with uncertainty. When screening and evaluating analysis, I start by confirming that...
by Brooks Mendell | 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...
