The success of any organization or team hinges on the strength of the relationships of its employees
Xerox Corporation, in the 1980s, was looking for a way to boost the productivity of its field service staff. An anthropologist from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) travelled with a group of tech reps to observe how they did their jobs – not how they described what they did, or what their managers…
Business administration, engineering, nursing, and biological and agricultural sciences ranked in top three in Canada and top 50 worldwide
University of Alberta programs in business, engineering, nursing and agricultural sciences rank among the top three in Canada, according to new global rankings. The U of A’s business administration program was ranked the best in Canada and 30th in the world, according to the 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, or GRAS, after climbing steadily in…
I've seen how ghosts can haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company was also haunted
I not only believe in ghosts, I've seen how they haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company were haunted. In fact, I'd be surprised if it weren't! I even wrote a (almost true) story about a young woman chasing a ghost through a parallel universe located in the ventilation system…
Student clubs offer a taste of what it means to work together on a multifaceted design project
Engineering clubs are created by students and for students. They provide a sandbox that lets future engineers make new things, sometimes starting with mistakes. COVID-19 jeopardized the clubs, but they’re coming back strong and punching above their weight. “It’s not something that you expect a group of students to take on because of the technical…
Hanna Daniel has made it her business to foster diversity by empowering others
Like an itch that needs scratching, when Hanna Daniel sees something that cries out to be done, she doesn’t regard it as optional. So when the business student arrived at the University of Alberta and realized there was no campus group for black students, she got down to the business of starting one. After a…
Yusef Yousuf’s dream is to serve Toronto’s immigrant communities as a family doctor
When Yusef Yousuf was 10, he had a health scare that set him on a path to improve medicine. He was playing soccer at lunch with his friends and took a tumble, fracturing his arm below the shoulder. His mother rushed him to the local hospital, where the doctor noticed something unusual on the X-ray:…
See it as an opportunity to expand your network and build your personal brand
The Wall Street Journal says that the reunion season is about 25 per cent busier this year due to the class get-togethers postponed during COVID. Here’s the story With this larger-than-usual attendance, a pent-up desire for in-person connection, and an increase in social anxiety, comes a wonderful opportunity to expand your network and build your…
Juanita Gnanapragasam plans to use her career to help people achieve good health and wellness
Juanita Gnanapragasam isn’t the type to restrict herself to one interest, to study just one topic. She believes her varied passions and expertise will figure in her work toward her career and life goal – to build a community where everyone can thrive. She knows now that she doesn’t have to limit herself, something she…
Your audience isn't only evaluating your words; it is also “reading” your voice
In 2002, a Stanford University professor made audiotapes of physicians and their patients in session. Half of the doctors had previously been brought to court for malpractice. She then played the tapes for her students, who were able to determine which physicians had been sued. But here’s the catch: The recordings were “content-filtered.” All the…
Fergus McSween is applying his new knowledge of forests, plants and animals to help protect them
Fergus McSween loves the outdoors. Growing up in Calgary, he spent much of his youth outside the city, roaming Alberta’s forests as a Scout, on school outdoor education trips, or camping with friends and family. “Nature is so peaceful and tranquil. It’s a place where I can be myself, turn my brain off and just…