When was the last time a group of people let you know the difference you’ve made in their lives? Or showered you in praise while pointing out the particular contributions you’ve made to them? Most of us only experience that when leaving a job after a long time, and/or at our funeral when there’s noContinue reading “Fostering Workplace Appreciation: Tips for Team Growth”
Author Archives: Ian Jackson
Using Previous Work Cultures to Build a Better One
Have you ever shared an idea or a solution to a problem – maybe one you thought others would be excited by – only to have your suggestion summarily ignored? How did that feel? Have you ever noticed it happening to someone else? Sadly, this happens all too often, and for a multitude of reasons.Continue reading “Using Previous Work Cultures to Build a Better One”
“Lead with Message, Lag with Mode”
When you meet someone for the first time and they ask what you do for work, how do you reply? If you’re like the majority of people, you might reply with an approximate job title and the organization you work for. “I’m a manager at [x] pharmaceuticals,” “I’m a software engineer at [y],” or “I’mContinue reading ““Lead with Message, Lag with Mode””
Time for a Phone Fast? Making Phones Boring Again
Do your devices send you a weekly notification to show the amount of time you’ve spent using the device each day? Mine comes every Sunday morning at exactly 9:09am (I assume there’s a reason why it’s that time in particular, but I haven’t been able to find anything about it in my research); every timeContinue reading “Time for a Phone Fast? Making Phones Boring Again”
Burning Bridges Leadership? The End of Building Bridges?
Over the last year I’ve wondered many times if the the first two words of my business’ name, Building Bridges Leadership, have become outdated and quaint. Or well-intentioned but naive, like “I don’t see color.” If you’ve read Building Bridges Leadership posts for any length of time, you know we talk about leadership and teamsContinue reading “Burning Bridges Leadership? The End of Building Bridges?”
Turning a Negative Spiral Positive
Have you ever had a day that started badly, and just got worse? Maybe you dropped a glass in the kitchen, which led to you leaving for work a few minutes late, which meant you got stuck behind a school bus and sat in worse traffic, so you were late to your first meeting ofContinue reading “Turning a Negative Spiral Positive”
Mapping Out Your Ripple Effect for 2026
At the start of a new year, you may come in with a resolution, a change, or a new habit you’re putting in place (I’m trying a version of a “phone fast,” which I’ll share more about in a later piece). Or perhaps you’re doing some vision casting, strategic planning, or other goal setting workContinue reading “Mapping Out Your Ripple Effect for 2026”
Completing 2025 and Moving On to 2026
As we move towards the end of another year full of challenges and growth, successes and failures – on the personal, professional, and global levels – many of us are looking for ways to bring closure to the year and recharge for the new year. Depending on your role, a clean break from work mayContinue reading “Completing 2025 and Moving On to 2026”
Who are Your Unsung Heroes of the Year?
If you’ve been reading the Building Bridges Leadership blog for a while, you may remember the Good News Jam series we started in April 2020, at the early height of the Covid pandemic (inspired by John Krasinski’s own pandemic YouTube series, Some Good News). These virtual happy hours had a simple design: for each personContinue reading “Who are Your Unsung Heroes of the Year?”
When a Choice is Not a Choice…
Chocolate or vanilla? Which ice cream would you choose? Many of us would know our answer (even if it’s “I want non-dairy” or “no ice cream for me”). But of course, sometimes choices aren’t so easy to make – and sometimes, a choice isn’t a choice after all – it’s a responsibility, a commitment, orContinue reading “When a Choice is Not a Choice…”
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