Sunday I spent a good part of the day reading. I started with good intentions - I would begin reading the paper I have been assigned as a reviewer for the Academy of Management Organization Development and Change Division.

I thought I would read through the paper once without making any marks or comments - you know, just to get an overall sense of the meaning and the flow. It didn't work out that way. From the abstract forward, I needed Wikipedia open at all times so that I could make sense of the philosophical references. I like to think I'm somewhat intelligent and relatively well read in my field - this paper made me feel not so much!

Of course, being an academic paper, the author made reference to many other works. Some of these I have in my own library. One I had been meaning to read for over a year. So when I got to page 17 of the paper (about halfway through after 2.5 hours of "reading"), I set the paper aside and picked up that book.

I didn't get back to reviewing the AOM paper that day. I will. But thank goodness that the AOM has the sense to assign 3 (differently abled) reviewers per paper!

Write or Wrong

Each morning I approach the computer, ready to start the day by writing a post on my blog. Lately, though, I've been stopping off at Bloglines first to see what all my favorite writers have been up to since I last checked. It seems like a good idea - I really ought to know "what's going on" before I try to join the fray, right?

Trouble is, I get distracted and end up spending all of the time that is supposed to be committed to writing to reading what others have written.

A key reason for the existence of this blog is as a writing practice for me, and I have not been writing. I'm writing this post to remind myself of my purpose. If I don't discipline myself a little bit and get back to actually writing, I will have to abandon the whole blogging thing. It is supposed to support the writing practice, not replace it.

TGIF

This week was soooooo busy. (That sentence reminds me of when the kids were babies, and we said they were "Sooooooo big!") But the Meg Wheatley lecture on Tuesday was a huge lift and so sustaining that the rest of this stressful week was also extremely productive and positive. So, I am grateful.

I am also grateful that my favorite artist was able to attend the Joel Meyerowitz lecture at Otterbein the next evening. He, too, was apparently renewed by his "brush with greatness."

The cherry on the top of the week: the artist brought home a 4-pack of organic Cru D'or. Heaven.

Margaret Wheatley Lecture Today

This weekend, in the most roundabout of ways, I heard that Margaret Wheatley is lecturing here in Columbus. I had some time to publicize it to my friends and colleagues, so you can get more of the details over on the Green Buckeye or CCODN blogs.

Several friends have told me they're dropping everything to get to the lecture, Mary M., Lisa K., Nancy P., Melissa P., and Cindy C. among them. I'm planning to attend the lecture today, too. Maybe I'll see you there!

Reflections on My Tribe

The last few weeks has seen a small flurry of communications from MPOD friends. Former classmate Chris speculates that people made renewed commitments at the new year to work harder at keeping in touch. I don't know if that is why, but it sure feels good, as Joanna said in her new year's email, to see the familiar names in my Inbox!

Significantly, and perhaps surprisingly, David Cooperrider of Case wrote an extensive email to faculty, staff, and alumni of the Organizational Behavior (OB) department at Weatherhead. His message invites us to help develop a more robust OB alumni community that will include more and more varied opportunities for networking and ongoing education. I'm excited by that prospect, and I'd love to participate in developing that community.

I find that I truly cherish my MPOD friends and the overall community of organization development researchers and practitioners. They value and cultivate open communication and hope for the future. OD as we experienced it as Case is more than a discipline - it's a worldview.

John Lennon wrote:

You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.

Being in the OD community helps me recognize that "I'm not the only one."

BlogHer Terms of Service (TOS): Say What?

I was thinking about registering on Blogher.com, the site whose tagline reads, "Where the women bloggers are."

So, I'm reading thru the TOS as I'm registering and I find this clause :

By submitting content, which shall include your user name, to any "public area" of the BlogHer Network, including forums, comments and your account, you grant BlogHer a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right (including any moral rights) and license to use, license, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, communicate to the public, perform and display the content (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, for the full term of any Rights that may exist in such content.

I've always had a good feeling about Blogher. They have that clever name and that nifty little logo. Other women bloggers I admire and respect are registered there. I thad always planned to join, and I thought the time had come given the commitment to "professional" blogging I've made at Green Buckeye. Now I'm not so sure.

Maybe I'd better doublecheck the TOS at Blogger and del.icio.us and Feedburner and Google and . . . need I go on?

What Are You Optimistic About?

Edge asks this question of some of the great scientific minds of our era in The Edge Annual Question - 2007.

There's lots here to explore.

Since Time Magazine has made you the person of the year . . .

What are *you* optimistic about?