On My Mind
As they say, timing is everything. I departed London on September 4, 2022 . . . the new Prime Minister Liz Truss was appointed on September 5, 2022 and Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022. London changed dramatically from one week to the next and the changes continue as the Queen is mourned. Her son, King Charles III, has assumed the throne. I knew the first event was going to happen, but the passing of the Queen was a sad surprise. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of the United Kingdom.

Interesting Stories
I’ve been to London many times and so I avoided most of the tourist activities this trip. My favorite experiences this time were visits to the Churchill War Rooms, Temple Church, King’s College, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (centuries-old tavern), a day trip to Oxford University, and a lunch on the Thames River with friends. London was bustling, intriguing, and as cosmopolitan as ever. Like my other international trips over the years . . . I arrived home exhausted . . . and energized!

Company News
The 14th Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference will be held September 22, 2022 at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth, MN. There will be ten presentations in addition to mine: Lisa Dejoras – MN DHS Direct Care & Treatment; Gene Dankbar – Mayo Clinic (retired); Dr. Mary Zellmer-Bruhn – University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management; Mike Oachs & Ryan Walberg – New Flyer; Nancy Freeman – MN DHS Direct Care & Treatment; Jeff Ziegler – Mayo Clinic; Michael Rockhold & Emily Magnan – University of Minnesota Physicians; Justin Gilbert – IBM; Katherine Kreager-Pieper – Dakota County Community Living Services; and Vern Campbell – Process Management & University of Manitoba. My next public Strategic Improvement Green Belt course will be on Zoom and starts September 13, 2022.

Intriguing Reads
My plan was to spend quite a bit of time in London bookstores, but they were hard to find. I was actually quite surprised and disappointed at the small number of bookstores. Times have changed! I found out that one of the better bookstores in London today is Foyles on Charing Cross Road. It has several floors with a great selection of books in each of the standard categories. I also stumbled upon an excellent antiquarian bookshop. Amazingly – I left the bookshop without buying a book. I did manage to visit the King’s College Library and a library at one of the Oxford University colleges – both of those libraries were outstanding and inspiring.