As we experience record high temperatures this summer in the Northern hemisphere, you may be thinking less about the office and more about the beach; less about work and more about relaxing in the sun, sand and water. We hope you have structures in place to be able to take a full break from workContinue reading “Know any Seagull Managers?”
Category Archives: Blind Spots
Translation, Reliance, and Gratitude
Image adapted from Jackson Simmer / Unsplash. Recently I had the privilege of co-leading a day-long program for immigrant families from Central and South America. The program was designed as a day of respite and fun during turbulent times, with team building and collaborative problem solving as key focus points, and a 40-foot rock climbingContinue reading “Translation, Reliance, and Gratitude”
“I Wonder…”
Photo credit: Brad Switzer / Unsplash How often have you been involved in a conversation where someone (perhaps you) moves quickly to problem-solving, and in doing so, they treat the presenting symptoms of the situation while missing the underlying cause of the problem? You might even find that in many cases you’re rewarded for comingContinue reading ““I Wonder…””
Stop, Collaborate and Listen
In recognition of the July 4th holiday here in the US, Building Bridges Leadership is taking a few days off, but you may want to read our now-traditional early-July article, How Is Your Team Like a Fireworks Display?, or alternatively revisit the post below, originally posted in early July, 2020, with slight updates below. Re-readingContinue reading “Stop, Collaborate and Listen”
Leading People in a Time of Distraction
Photo credit: Mike Stewart/AP How often are you taking part 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? With news feeling like drinking from a firehose theseContinue reading “Leading People in a Time of Distraction”
Is Your Constructive Feedback Developmental or Corrective?
Managers often give their direct reports constructive feedback. But in reality, constructive feedback takes two forms: Developmental feedback helps someone grow for the future. Corrective feedback lets them know something that needs to change. If you receive constructive feedback and it’s not clear whether it’s developmental or corrective, this can lead to longer-term problems. InContinue reading “Is Your Constructive Feedback Developmental or Corrective?”
“Coopertition”: What it Means & How You Can Use It
Coopertition, or co-opertition – often spelled “coopetition,” or “co-opetition” – is a term describing cooperative competition. How can that be helpful in the workplace?
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”
