Coopertition, or co-opertition – often spelled “coopetition,” or “co-opetition” – is a term describing cooperative competition. How can that be helpful in the workplace?
Category Archives: Blind Spots
A Moment of Rudeness
There’s a moment I think about almost every day, which I’ve never told anyone. In some ways it’s a small everyday moment, and I don’t like to think about it much – but it comes to mind often as I’m interacting with other people, and I find it both confronting and helpful, personally and professionally.Continue reading “A Moment of Rudeness”
A Surprising – or Obvious? – Verdict About Juries
Have you ever served on a jury? If so, what was your experience like? I’ve been called five times in all. In the first few days of 2025, I was called to serve on a grand jury. For a number of reasons I was released from serving, and I was grateful – In Massachusetts, aContinue reading “A Surprising – or Obvious? – Verdict About Juries”
Reclaiming Rest
In 1910, President William Howard Taft proposed that every American worker should receive two to three months of vacation time each year “in order to continue [their] work next year with the energy and effectiveness that it ought to have.” Sounds wonderful, right? Of course, captains of industry – and U.S. legislators – disagreed, andContinue reading “Reclaiming Rest”
When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics
Bring to mind a time when you were on a team or in a meeting with one or two people who – either literally or metaphorically – sat there with arms crossed, only speaking up to criticize the work of others. Perhaps you can recall many experiences like this. If so, I wonder how youContinue reading “When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics”
Five Years On: Honoring Covid “Anniversary Reactions”
Have you found yourself reflecting on “five years ago…” this week? I have been part of several conversations about this, and overheard others. Coronavirus cases first appeared around the world in late 2019. For many readers in the Western world, however, the most direct impacts began in March 2020 – with lockdowns and other sweepingContinue reading “Five Years On: Honoring Covid “Anniversary Reactions””
What is Ethical Fading?
Ethical fading is the social phenomenon in which people or organizations gradually lose sight of – or subconsciously self-deceive themselves out of seeing – their inherent moral framework, and take actions increasingly inconsistent with their values. Over the course of your career, how many times have you found yourself uncomfortable with the way your employersContinue reading “What is Ethical Fading?”
Which Squirrel Are You Today? Sharpening Your Axe with SEL
Which squirrel are you today? If that question means nothing to you, you probably haven’t seen the “squirrel scale” – a fun check-in tool used by some schools initially during the remote learning era of Covid. I was reminded of this tool recently while working with a group of middle and high school teachers, duringContinue reading “Which Squirrel Are You Today? Sharpening Your Axe with SEL”
The Pendulum, and Listening for Agreement in Others
How has the last week been for you? If you have felt unsettled by a changing political landscape here in the US (let alone earthquakes, or wildfires, or snow in places that rarely see any), you’re not the only one. And while people can reasonably disagree on a great many topics, it’s likely that ifContinue reading “The Pendulum, and Listening for Agreement in Others”
“Gender Ideology” and “the [X] Debate”
Several trans and non-binary colleagues and friends came to mind immediately upon hearing President Trump’s inaugural address stating that, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.” (Gender identity is widely recognized as a spectrum.) The Trump administration hasContinue reading ““Gender Ideology” and “the [X] Debate””
Building Bridges Leadership 