An entire season has passed since I last posted, so it is time for an update! I pressed the pause button this summer and spent the time rejuvenating my own health and well-being. I also reflected upon the past two years at Viswali Consulting and our practice of fostering systems change. I am amazed
Faced recently with personal uncertainty, I decided to take my own advice noted in my December 2021 blogpost “Practices For Managing Uncertainty.” However, this time I took more time to recognize the feelings of fear and vulnerability that also emerged. As the saying goes, “The best laid plans… often go awry,” and over the past
I spent the past seven months writing—from proposal to manuscript—what may become my first book. It is a different kind of manuscript than what I have written in the past, and my approach to it was also further afield from my previous academic work. I drew from a combination of approaches based on meticulous
I frequently speak about empathy in action, when I am invited to speak about equity, diversity, and inclusion in different contexts, including planning, post-secondary education, governance, research, and systems change. What can empathy in action look like? Empathy in action can involve: building a critical awareness of dominant culture and its impact on our
Spring is a good season for renewal and reconnection with nature, and with each other, In Real Life (IRL). As the snow melts and the ice thaws, and we find surprises underneath—detritus and hibernating plants to learn from [1]— I generate new thoughts and ideas for business and personal renewal too. This winter felt
I am often asked by urban planning students for career advice. Here are my top recommendations: 1. Become a lifelong learner Building career resilience facilitates work security and requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Be open to learning new skills, new experiences, and to fostering rich and purposeful relationships. 2. Figure out what matters
About one year ago, a couple of colleagues from across the country reached out to me. We agreed to meet the next month for an hour-and-a-half, and then the month after that, and voilà! Our Community of Practice is born. Etienne C. Wenger with colleagues Beverley Wenger-Traynor and William M. Snyder have referred to
When it comes to wrestling with uncertainty, planners are pros. Just this past week, with the advent of the Omicron variant, and my current home, Kingston, Ontario reaching the highest case rate of COVID-19 in the country, due to Omicron spread, I was reminded about the importance of being nimble to navigate the everchanging landscape.
Over the past year, I have been invited to facilitate some truly difficult conversations. These conversations, whether inspired or called on by an organization’s members and staff, by residents, or by educators, have been a first step towards desired systems changes. Along the way, I was engaged to design training on how to integrate equity
In May 2021, I was inducted into the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) College of Fellows. Being named a Fellow of the CIP is the highest award that the Institute can give to a planner. I am grateful to my nominator and to all those who submitted letters of endorsement. I was asked by
