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?”
Category Archives: Amplifying Voices
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?”
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”
Working In Isolation? How The TV Writers’ Room Approach Can Help You Find “The Good Place”
A large component of my work world involves writing – from reports to podcasts, curriculum design to articles… And while the bulk of my writing revolves around the dynamics of people working and interacting with each other, the writing itself is largely done by myself. As I write, I often need to think about world-building – howContinue reading “Working In Isolation? How The TV Writers’ Room Approach Can Help You Find “The Good Place””
Team Meetings In A Time Of Distraction
How often are you in (or leading) a meeting but finding it hard to concentrate because of something happening in the wider world? How often have you noticed someone else in the meeting suddenly disappear – mentally, if not physically. “Breaking news” pop-ups have become commonplace as the business of news seeks our attention, andContinue reading “Team Meetings In A Time Of Distraction”
What Does “Thanksgiving Leadership” Look Like?
If you’ve been reading Building Bridges Leadership emails for a while, you may be familiar with our distinction between Banquet and Potluck models of leadership. In short, Banquet Leadership takes the form of top-down direction; a clear path to follow, wherein your team follows through on assigned tasks. This is efficient and effective in getting things done. Potluck Leadership takes the form ofContinue reading “What Does “Thanksgiving Leadership” Look Like?”
Outsmarting Our Own Human Biases
A new UK study suggests that working from home could lead to an increase in racism and other forms of prejudice. The study suggests that these workplace friendships are a key to breaking down misconceptions in our thinking, and building our own understanding of community. Siloed and isolated as many of us are in our home workspaces, weContinue reading “Outsmarting Our Own Human Biases”
Unity In The Midst Of Uniqueness
Regardless of your political leanings, the US election last week resulted in some noteworthy firsts. Included, of course, is Kamala Harris, who became the first woman to be elected Vice-President, as well as the first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to be elected as Vice-President. (You may be surprised to learn –Continue reading “Unity In The Midst Of Uniqueness”
Banquets & Potlucks In Your Workplace (And In The 2020 Elections!)
Remember the days of large gatherings of people, and sharing food with one another in an enclosed space? Those days may feel like a long time ago, but banquets and potlucks can help us to understand our workplace, and even our larger society. A large proportion of Building Bridges Leadership’s consulting and workshops focuses onContinue reading “Banquets & Potlucks In Your Workplace (And In The 2020 Elections!)”
The Power Of Open-Ended Questions
Bring to mind a recent conversation – in the workplace or elsewhere – that didn’t go as well as you would have liked; that left you, or others, feeling misunderstood, undervalued, or unacknowledged. What kinds of questions (if any!) did you and your conversation partners use? Now bring to mind a conversation that went well;Continue reading “The Power Of Open-Ended Questions”