If you’ve been reading the Building Bridges Leadership blog for a while, you may remember the Good News Jam series we started in April 2020, at the early height of the Covid pandemic (inspired by John Krasinski’s own pandemic YouTube series, Some Good News). These virtual happy hours had a simple design: for each personContinue reading “Who are Your Unsung Heroes of the Year?”
Category Archives: Communication
100 More Ice-Breaker Questions for Any Group Gathering
Each week in our newsletter we include one question you can use as an ice-breaker for conversations with colleagues at the beginning of meetings, or to post on your internal workplace messaging platform. Some serious, some silly, but all with the intention of leading to further conversations and building community. Last year at this time,Continue reading “100 More Ice-Breaker Questions for Any Group Gathering”
What is Thanksgiving Leadership?
While the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US has a controversial history and our cultural retelling of it is inaccurate, the traditional Thanksgiving meal can help us reflect on how we lead others. So this week, as we approach the holiday, we’ll partake in our own annual tradition of revisiting the ideas of Banquet Leadership, Potluck Leadership, andContinue reading “What is Thanksgiving Leadership?”
Rewinding “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?”
Have you been on either side of a job interview recently? As mentioned last week, job interviews don’t always show the candidate at their best or most authentic; heightened stress and excitement often lead to a situation where both sides need to sift through what was said to get to find out if this isContinue reading “Rewinding “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?””
Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?
How many meetings have you attended in the last few weeks? How many have you led? If you lead meetings, how did you learn to lead them? By emulating the meetings you’ve attended? Employees who are high performing often get promoted to management without any training in how to manage others – and, as aContinue reading “Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?”
Mosaics, Not Melting Pots
I’m writing this from the window seat of a red eye flight, following a work retreat in Hawai’i, on the island of O’ahu. This was my first time in the state, and I was struck by the vibrancy and beauty of Polynesian culture that stands proud long after American and European businessmen overthrew the monarchyContinue reading “Mosaics, Not Melting Pots”
How to be a Lighthouse Manager
Are you familiar with the idea of helicopter parenting? The stereotype is that Helicopter Parents hover around their child, checking up on them and regularly swooping in to solve their problems. If you’re a parent, perhaps you even recognize this in yourself – especially with your first child, this is a very common trait. But,Continue reading “How to be a Lighthouse Manager”
The Times They Are A-Changin’
My oldest child moved in to his college dorm room this week for his freshman year – a huge step for him, and a big change for our family. Even if you haven’t experienced that change as a parent of your own child, you may have memories of your own first day of living inContinue reading “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
What are Matching & Mirroring?
How often have you been with a close friend or family member and noticed after a while that you are sitting with the same posture, and matching each other’s tone as you talk? Do you notice this in others when you see best friends getting coffee together? Such behavior is often simply thought of asContinue reading “What are Matching & Mirroring?”
The Untapped Potential of Commuting by Public Transport
“You’ve tried unplugging everything and plugging it back in, right?” the perplexed guy sitting across the table from me on the high-speed train asked into his earbuds. “I mean, it all worked when I left the studio half an hour ago.” Lots of pauses, and putting his hands to his frustrated face. “I know –Continue reading “The Untapped Potential of Commuting by Public Transport”
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