Derrick Van Mell

There's money in management jargon--and that's too bad. When communication staggers, collaborate collapses. There are economic costs to this, of course, but I'm a crusader for clarity so people can come to work and feel safe, included, and proud of doing meaningful work.

Over 25 years consulting to businesses, non-profits, and boards, I've tried in my books, blogs, and articles to make things clear and simple, which is to say effective. I have a BA in Economics (pretty much worthless) as well as an MBA and a Masters In English. I don't know of anyone else at that intersection of management practices and language, but it's been the origin point of my writing--so far. It's 2023 and I'm 63 years old. I'm going to keep writing about work, but also to start to explore the deeper issues of meaning and purpose.

What do I read? I'm a huge fan of writers classically trained in exposition. That includes Dashiell Hammett, Dale Carnegie, Ursula Le Guin, and George Orwell. I'm now reading Dickens' essays about London, which I'm finding just as brilliant, funny, and sad as his novels. I also read grammar books and workbooks on sentence diagramming--everyone who wants to be heard should, too.

I'm a husband and father, and I love to get lost in the woods and find my way out again. Don't we all? I hope you enjoy my books and other writing. What do you wish you could write about pain and glory of work?