Thanks to a class in Critical Theory that was offered as part of my doctoral training in Organization Development (shout out to Stephen Brookfield!), I’m one of the few people who had more than a passing awareness of Critical Race Theory before it became a ideological cudgel for the far-right. In my critical theory class … Continue reading Have You Heard of Critical Race Theory?
Author: Lisa Meyer
Minnesota-based author and consultant helping organizations helping organizations create value through safe and equitable workplaces, creativity, innovation, and change.
A Case for Critical Pragmatism in OD
Here is a link to my latest publication from the December 2021 issue of the OD Review. The Abstract reads: To respond to the grand challenges of epoch-defining phenomena like a global pandemic, climate change, and social justice movements, the multi-disciplined, problem-driven approaches of organization development (OD) must come to the fore. In this article … Continue reading A Case for Critical Pragmatism in OD
I’m Reckoning With Reckoning
I've noticed that reckoning has become the go-to word for talking about extreme situations that expose some disturbing reality that had previously been hidden from view. It's often used in discussions involving racial and gender disparities and in activist movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo. Increasingly, we see reckoning used in the context of … Continue reading I’m Reckoning With Reckoning
Advice for the Day
My horoscope printed in today's StarTribune.... Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) There's no shortage of disagreeable ideas, though insulting their endorsers with an opposing opinion holds no appeal. If you have nothing to prove, you'll forgo 100 arguments to save your energy for what matters. In other words, I don’t have to attend every argument I’m … Continue reading Advice for the Day
Forget About A New Normal
In the early spring of 2021, following the first rush to get vaccinated, I was experiencing a sense of excitement, anxious to emerge from the restrictions of the COVID 19 global pandemic and to resume some sense of normalcy in my daily life. Yet, after more than a year of perilous uncertainty, there is a … Continue reading Forget About A New Normal
Socially Significant Science
The concept of “social” is undergoing constant redefinition, and with that, so is everything else. Even before the coronavirus pandemic introduced us to social distancing, new forms of social media were disrupting everything from how we define relationships, how we communicate, how we educate and learn, how we influence, or are influenced by others, how … Continue reading Socially Significant Science
What the WSJ Doesn’t Know about Woke
A few days ago I wrote in a blog entitled The Dark Side of Nice about the concept of "Minnesota Nice" and how I saw niceness as a barrier to acknowledging systemic racism. In an interesting coincidence, a recent Wall Street Journal editorial addressed this same topic, but in a much different way. The editorial … Continue reading What the WSJ Doesn’t Know about Woke
Testing My Views
Anti-racism is an active and conscious effort to work against multidimensional aspects of racism I have had significant exposure to diversity, equity and inclusion methods, critical race theory, and other social justice movements as part of my work in organization development. But it is only in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd and … Continue reading Testing My Views
The Dark Side of Nice
During the weeks following the death of George Floyd my email box exploded with messages from individuals and organizations condemning the actions of the police, acknowledging the enormous amount of work that was needed to eliminate inequality and injustice, and pledging to provide support to members of the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) … Continue reading The Dark Side of Nice
My Shot
The Broadway musical Hamilton with its inspiring re-telling of the story of the American Revolution is widely credited for reigniting energy into the ideals of American Democracy. Its songs are about history, but they are also about the world today and inspired by the challenges and opportunities of the present. It was Alexander Hamilton’s revolutionary … Continue reading My Shot
Hello, I'm Lisa Meyer 