When Canada’s world-renowned vocal ensemble, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC), encountered some challenges recently, the organization wasn’t sure where to turn. Founded in 1894, this musical icon has established quite a presence, both at home and abroad. Comprised of the...
Introduction Establishing a project management office (PMO) is a challenging endeavour. Many organizations that have tried to establish a PMO have either not been as successful as they could have been, or they have failed entirely. It is not uncommon...
I have a number of umbrellas in my closet that I pull out depending on my mood. My favourite is bright pink, a perfect antidote to a gloomy, rainy day. Another one lies dormant next to the bag of used...
More than 260,000 people immigrated to Canada from around the world in 2005. They came here for a better life, a chance to start over, escape from persecution and a multitude of other reasons. For many newcomers, getting here is...
Woody Allen once said that: "Eighty percent of life is just showing up." The other 20% is where it gets complicated. Success demands learning, knowledge, creativity, hard work, and pragmatism...more than 'just showing up'. So it is with the demands...
Can our all-volunteer charity pay board members for time-consuming non-board duties on behalf of the organization? Should we? We are located in British Columbia, and our issue involves extensive consultation sessions with the provincial government. Normally, minimum ethical standards include...
Is it ethical for the chair of the board to become the executive director? If the executive director position is vacant or about to be vacant, the board of directors must try to find the best new executive director they...
A previous article - Changing of the Guard - examined what happens to organizational memory when people leave. In response, one reader e-mailed a story about his cousin who died of cancer while an employee of a satellite communications company....
Our last column about international aid dealt with the views of front-line workers, NGO's and charities with regards to Canada's international aid role. Today's piece takes a look at what our government thinks about where Canada is and should be...
Generally speaking, Canadians are proud of being a courteous and helpful people, almost to a fault. We are taught that we're a cultural mosaic, accepting of everyone in a spirit of inclusiveness. For much of our history we have taken...
