Headshot of woman in plaid shot, arms crossed in a black plaid shirt.

HEY, I'M ERIN

Professional problem solver, business developer, coach, cheerleader and optimist.

Founder of The Positivist Group, a band of merry seasoned professionals transforming visionary organizations across Canada.  #people #culture #performance 

The Magical Quest of Trust

The Magical Quest of Trust

From Business Philosophy to Epic Reality! Hola, business trailblazers! Join us as we unravel the mysteries of turning business philosophy into wondrous reality—the magical power of trust! What is this elusive trust thingy, and why is it so darn important for companies? Trust: The Magical Ingredient In the world of business, trust is what transforms philosophy into reality! It's like the "abracadabra" that binds teams together, fostering collaboration, creativity and a sprinkle of unicorn...

On being the dumbest person in the room.

On being the dumbest person in the room.

"Sometimes it’s the dumbest things that end up being the most profound." Me (Erin), from episode #1 of podcast Weirdos in the Workplace In a world where social anxiety can overshadow our confidence, I'd like to stretch our thinking a little bit. What if feeling like the "dumbest person in the room" was not a disadvantage but an opportunity for growth and transformation? Today, we'll explore the role of the learner in a constantly evolving world, the advantages of being a generalist, and...

An every day reminder to be kind.

An every day reminder to be kind.

Girls are cruel. As the mom of two teen girls, that statement feels as true today as it was 30 years ago. Why? Today is #internationalwomensday and my mind can't help but think that one of the best measures of progress must be how our girls treat other peoples' girls. Girls grow up into women, and if we want to create strong thriving communities of successful women who are lifting each other up, we can't afford to be afraid of each other and we can't afford to tear each other down....

“Management” isn’t a dirty word.

When the whole world is talking about inclusive leadership, it feels like managers have been completely forgotten or worse... that management is a dirty word. Because we all know managers are bossy and directive and leaders are collaborative and visionary. Right? Ummm... that's not how this works in real life. We know how important leadership is, but most of us need to wear more than one hat and sometimes the way we talk about leadership it feels a little bit... privileged. As...

#ManagingMillennials – why transparency is so important

I could probably summarize this entire post in one word. Values. We were born in the 80s to mid-90s as the third industrial revolution was well underway; the evolution of the internet and communication technologies punctuated our young lives and as technology advanced, so too did we grow and mature. The more information we aggregated and shared, the more we recognized that we'd all been lied to. We'd been built into people who lacked faith because it was demonstrated over and over again that...

Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.

It’s interesting how the loss of identity feels like a death, even when you’ve made it a conscious choice. But the beautiful thing is, with your identity, you will always reincarnate, and with a little work, your next version will be even better.

Stop being so selfish.

Stop being so selfish.

Here's your pep talk for Week 1 of 2023. We need to flip the script (the one in our heads) and stop selfishly hiding ourselves away. It's 2023, and if we haven't figured it out by now, the world is in desperate need for all of us to stop being so damn *intentional* about everything and just get the heck out there, guns blazing. There is room for all of us to shine in our most expansive and terrifying forms... the universe is literally limitless. If you're waiting for an invitation. Here it...

10 Questions for Business Agility in 2023

If your goal for yourself or your company is to thrive, not just survive, this year and long into the future, take some time to consider the following 10 macroeconomic trends when you're setting big hairy audacious goals this year. Here are some questions to consider now and in the future, to develop business agility, organizational sustainability and a thriving culture. Climate change and sustainability If you're a business operating in 2023, you have probably either intentionally or...

Developing an innovative culture.

Developing an innovative culture.

Holy hells bells, everyone wants to innovate these days, but guess what that means... innovative people. What are some qualities of innovative people? Innovation commonly comes alongside independence (gross!), passion (ugh!), emotion (nooo!), obsession (eek!), non-conformation (come on! is that even a word?), resistance to being managed (doh!), among a veritable kaleidoscope of other beautiful characteristics. If words like "intrapreneurship", "disruption", "revolutionary", "pace of change",...

Just one breadcrumb.

Just one breadcrumb.

I dare you to take 2 minutes - right now - to sit and think about something that you greatly desire for yourself but haven't started to make real. Let's call it a "glimpse"; a whisper of a vision......What is holding you back?Are you too old? Not old enough? Not educated or knowledgable enough? Not brave enough? Not financially independent enough? Too invested in other priorities? Does it feels selfish to consider it?Is there one tiny breadcrumb that you can leave behind you today, to guide...