What is the Social Identity Wheel?

How do you describe yourself? What parts of your identity do you choose to include, and which do you miss out? More than likely, your answer depends on the context – you may answer differently on a dating app than in a job interview, both of which are very different from how you think about yourself internally.

Is Your Workplace a “Repair Shop”?

Image: BBC/Ricochet Ltd/Cody Burridge If you live in North America, chances are high that you’ve never seen the BBC show The Repair Shop. Settled in a picturesque English countryside barn, the Repair Shop is just what you might imagine from the name. In each episode, three or four people bring in family heirlooms that representContinue reading “Is Your Workplace a “Repair Shop”?”

What is Triple Loop Learning?

Image source: Alex Atkinson Recently, my high school junior son co-founded a robotics team at school. After months of budgeting, securing sponsorship, building, and late-night coding (my son’s specialty), the team took part in their first regional competition. What they demonstrated was a perfect example of kaizen. Their early matches went well for a rookieContinue reading “What is Triple Loop Learning?”

Build “Breathing Breaks” Into Your Day

In many of Building Bridges Leadership’s programs we look at a number of reasons we all make biased decisions. One major factor that’s true for us all is that our brains take in around 11 millions bits of information per second – a number that has increased dramatically over the last 30 years with theContinue reading “Build “Breathing Breaks” Into Your Day”

Speaking For or Speaking Over: Allyship in Action

Who do you consider to be allies of yours? What makes them an ally? How is that different from being a friend? Do you consider yourself to be an ally of others? Who, and how? On a local level, the term “ally” has taken on almost-singular meaning in the last decade. On the world stageContinue reading “Speaking For or Speaking Over: Allyship in Action”

The Value of Drop-In AMAs

Do you have that one colleague whose work you just don’t understand? You’re always confused about what their role is and what it is they actually do? Turning it around, would any colleagues wonder the same about you? Whether we work in a complex organizations with multiple departments, or in a small tight-nit organization, manyContinue reading “The Value of Drop-In AMAs”

Agreeing on a Currency that Works

Do you have a handful of foreign coins in your home – sometimes from countries you’ve never even been to? Somehow we always have in our house, despite moves and several “why do we have these?” conversations. I’m pretty sure ours even includes a car wash token for a place that no longer exists, andContinue reading “Agreeing on a Currency that Works”

How to Make Your Bed at Work

You’ve probably heard axioms along the lines of “success starts with making your bed.” You may have even seen the popular 2014 University of Texas at Austin Commencement address by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, which has inspired thousands of people to make their beds each morning when they first wake up. But whether or not youContinue reading “How to Make Your Bed at Work”

People Aren’t Debatable

Have you ever felt judged by others (at work or elsewhere) because of beliefs you hold, or actions you choose to take, or because of an aspect of your identity? Have you ever heard yourself be lumped in with a group that’s being discussed, without anyone else in the conversation knowing you’re part of thatContinue reading “People Aren’t Debatable”

Life Happens… Even During Major Projects

If you’ve ever had a death in the family, a house fire, a medical emergency, or a life-shaking diagnosis for you or someone close to you, you know that these things don’t happen at convenient times. They can also be painful in a way that seems to alter time itself – time can both grindContinue reading “Life Happens… Even During Major Projects”