It’s the time of year when mosquitos are out in force where I live in New England. And mosquitos love me. Much more than I love them. At any one point during late Summer I can have dozens of mosquito bites on my body. And while I’ve been telling people for years that it’s becauseContinue reading “If Microaggressions Were Mosquito Bites”
Author Archives: Ian Jackson
Where Could You Find Your “New Rope” Excitement?
As part of my repertoire of facilitation, I work regularly with other facilitators at an outdoor challenge course, which offers high ropes activities and team building experiences for organizations and school groups. The facilitator team is much more diverse than one might expect – with the common challenge course stereotype of middle-aged white men inContinue reading “Where Could You Find Your “New Rope” Excitement?”
Quicksand and Food Fights
When I was a child, quicksand seemed like a major problem that everyone needed to worry about. From the 1960s to the 1980s, characters throughout popular culture – in movies, tv shows, books, video games, and comic books – were almost certain to encounter quicksand at some point, with peril sure to follow. Over theContinue reading “Quicksand and Food Fights”
The “Endless Present” and the War for Our Attention
Who would have thought that so much would happen on July 12, 2022? Between the astounding deep space images NASA is releasing from the James Webb Space Telescope, the seventh public hearing from the January 6th Committee into last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, the funeral of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, protestsContinue reading “The “Endless Present” and the War for Our Attention”
Taking Time Off Work? Then Don’t Work!
How often have you found yourself checking your work email while on vacation? Or still holding your weekly check-in meetings, even on a day off? Whether it’s a break of a few weeks, or a weekly routine of long weekends, many of us take vacation time during the Summer. But how many of are reallyContinue reading “Taking Time Off Work? Then Don’t Work!”
Busyness – The Toxic Badge of Honor
When someone asks how you are, does your mind instantly bring to mind the word “busy”? If so, you’re not alone. Busyness is a constant feeling in so many of our lives. Indeed, it’s a vortex that we seem to get sucked down into more with every passing season. For a small number of us,Continue reading “Busyness – The Toxic Badge of Honor”
How to Help Employees be Seen (and Known) in a Hybrid World
Help employees be seen and known by moving from “Informing” them to “Engaging” them and ultimately to “Empowering” them in three different areas: Transparency, Access, and Action. What’s your current pattern for where and when you work? Are you working from an office full time? Are you working from home for some or all ofContinue reading “How to Help Employees be Seen (and Known) in a Hybrid World”
Happy Pride Month! – and the Iceberg of Invisible Identities
In the United States and in many other parts of the world, this week marks the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The first Pride March was held on June 28, 1970, to mark the one-year anniversary of the six-day Stonewall Uprising of 1969, a turning point in queer history. As such, it’s important to rememberContinue reading “Happy Pride Month! – and the Iceberg of Invisible Identities”
Mentoring Summer Interns, and Finding a New Mentor or Mentee
As we approach Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, your organization may be planning to bring on some interns for the season. Internships can provide incredible hands-on learning opportunities for young people looking to enter a field of work. The interns also bring value to the organization through their labor, their unique perspectives and lived experiences,Continue reading “Mentoring Summer Interns, and Finding a New Mentor or Mentee”
The ‘Thought-Stoppers’ That End Conversation
How do you transition out of a conversation about an unresolved issue? Some of us do it more gracefully than others, but chances are you have a few stock phrases you use to signal that you’re ready for the conversation to end. Sometimes these phrases take the form of folk wisdom: “It is what itContinue reading “The ‘Thought-Stoppers’ That End Conversation”
Building Bridges Leadership 