Ian Jackson

Sitting in the Tension of “Both / And”

“Do you think [politician or leader X] is a racist?” How often have you heard versions of this question in interviews, political debates, or press conferences? If you’re like me, the question results in an eye roll. Of course that person is a racist. We are all racist. But that in itself is not the complete story. I’ve been inContinue reading “Sitting in the Tension of “Both / And””

Is Divisiveness Inevitable?

Have you ever found yourself showing support for something or someone, followed by backlash that makes you question your choice to show support in the first place? Even if you still have the same feeling of support, others’ responses might have shown you that the situation is much more complicated and nuanced than you’d previouslyContinue reading “Is Divisiveness Inevitable?”

What’s Your Origin Story?

Super heroes aren’t the only ones with an origin story. Chances are if you work in an established organization, you’re familiar with its own story – who the organization’s founders were, what was the idea that sparked it all… Often it’s an idea written on the back of a napkin, which may even be framedContinue reading “What’s Your Origin Story?”

Combat Bias By… Sleeping?

How have you been sleeping this month? Do you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the new day? Or is your day affected by challenging sleep? With so many of us working from home over the last year, the lines between work and home life have blurred significantly. But even before that, the adventContinue reading “Combat Bias By… Sleeping?”

Fighting Bias, Building Inclusion And Chopping Firewood

I spent much of the weekend chainsawing dead trees, then splitting the logs with axes and wedges, and stacking it for firewood. We’ve tapped a few maple trees around our house, and used much of the wood on a fire to boil down a sap to make maple syrup. But much of the wood willContinue reading “Fighting Bias, Building Inclusion And Chopping Firewood”

Identifying And Working With Physical Manifestations Of Stress

How do you experience stress and worry? For many people, the experience of stress is stressful in itself – the mind races as it jumps from item to item, thinking of all that needs to get done, or of worst case scenarios. This often occurs in the middle of the night, interrupting sleep and onlyContinue reading “Identifying And Working With Physical Manifestations Of Stress”

Honoring Your Team’s “Anniversary Reactions” (And Your Own!)

Coronavirus cases first appeared around the world in late 2019. For many readers of this email, however, the most direct impacts began in March 2020 – perhaps even a year ago this week. Changes that started with the hope of short-term impacts have, for most of us, continued to this day. Along the way, manyContinue reading “Honoring Your Team’s “Anniversary Reactions” (And Your Own!)”

Is It Possible To Be “Uninterruptable” By Slack And Email?

Do you remember a time when email was new and exciting? Perhaps you remember it back in the recesses of time, or perhaps email has never been that way for you. Either way, the chances are that that’s not how you think of email these days. The same may be true for Slack, Microsoft Teams,Continue reading “Is It Possible To Be “Uninterruptable” By Slack And Email?”

Remember To Remember The Forgetting Curve

How often have you been to a workshop or presentation – perhaps even on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion – and soaked in all sorts of great information and tips, leaving motivated and empowered to make a change… only to realize a few days later that you could only remember one or twoContinue reading “Remember To Remember The Forgetting Curve”

Being Real In A Virtual World

Over the last week I have been part of a number of conversations in which people lamented that decisions were being made in their workplace – decisions that affected them directly – without any clarity about why. And the people saying this to me are long-time employees in relatively senior positions themselves, but they were eachContinue reading “Being Real In A Virtual World”