Before COVID-19 created a seismic shift in how large companies work, many of those same companies were investing heavily in creating more engaging and playful workspaces. Gyms in workspaces had become more common, but there was an increasing trend for workplaces to include amenities like pinball machines, ping pong tables, outdoor lounge areas and more. TheseContinue reading “Creating a Sense of Belonging in Your Physical Workspace”
Category Archives: Celebration
What’s Your Team’s ‘Closing Ceremony?’
How often do you reach the end of a team or solo project that has taken hours, weeks, or even months, and move straight on to the next thing? If this is common for you, is this invigorating and motivating? For some of us, it is – we get momentum and forward motion that kick-startsContinue reading “What’s Your Team’s ‘Closing Ceremony?’”
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”
Completing 2020 & Moving On To 2021
As we reach the end of an undeniably challenging year, many of us are looking for ways to bring closure to the year and recharge for the new year. But even if you’re able to take a break, preparing for this can bring stress, long hours, and a pile of incomplete items that hang overContinue reading “Completing 2020 & Moving On To 2021”
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?”
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!)”
A Virtual Community Doesn’t Have to Mean an “Almost” Community
Five months into this pandemic, we’ve all tried some form of virtual community at this point. From Zoom gatherings to group phone calls, WhatsApp group texts, Google Hangouts and more, we’ve all been part of groups trying to remain connected in trying times. Like many people, you may have started out thinking of these asContinue reading “A Virtual Community Doesn’t Have to Mean an “Almost” Community”
Lessons from the Life of John Lewis
Two years ago, I was fortunate to be working at Harvard’s 367th Commencement ceremony, at which John Lewis received an honorary doctorate. In his speech, he encouraged everyone in attendance to make “necessary trouble” and stand up for justice, “even when injustice wears a uniform.” Mr. Lewis’s death last Friday has caused me – along with manyContinue reading “Lessons from the Life of John Lewis”
Computer Crashes and the Systems Around Us
Last week, I had some computer issues, which left me faced with the prospect of losing everything on a laptop and starting fresh. It was a relatively new computer with nothing important that wasn’t backed up elsewhere, so this would ultimately not have been a big deal, but in the first few hours, my mindContinue reading “Computer Crashes and the Systems Around Us”
Take Time To Take Stock
In the midst of our own busyness – and business – as the world has changed so much on a macro and a micro level over the last few months, it’s easy to forget that each and every one of us has also been fighting a pandemic. Playing our own individual role in preventing theContinue reading “Take Time To Take Stock”