I spent much of the weekend chainsawing dead trees, then splitting the logs with axes and wedges, and stacking it for firewood. We’ve tapped a few maple trees around our house, and used much of the wood on a fire to boil down a sap to make maple syrup. But much of the wood willContinue reading “Fighting Bias, Building Inclusion And Chopping Firewood”
Category Archives: Culture
Is It Possible To Be “Uninterruptable” By Slack And Email?
Do you remember a time when email was new and exciting? Perhaps you remember it back in the recesses of time, or perhaps email has never been that way for you. Either way, the chances are that that’s not how you think of email these days. The same may be true for Slack, Microsoft Teams,Continue reading “Is It Possible To Be “Uninterruptable” By Slack And Email?”
Being Real In A Virtual World
Over the last week I have been part of a number of conversations in which people lamented that decisions were being made in their workplace – decisions that affected them directly – without any clarity about why. And the people saying this to me are long-time employees in relatively senior positions themselves, but they were eachContinue reading “Being Real In A Virtual World”
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”
Let’s Talk About The Elephant In The Room…
While last week’s attack on The Capitol was still taking place, writer Saladin Ahmed – whose work I admire – tweeted “next week some middle aged white man is still gonna get paid for a column about how we need to build bridges.” Mr. Ahmed doesn’t know me, but as a middle aged white man with aContinue reading “Let’s Talk About The Elephant In The Room…”
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”
Work From Home Or Work From *Anywhere?*
The work world – along with almost ever other aspect of our lives – has changed dramatically in 2020. While many industries and job functions cannot be done remotely, those that can have switched to a new way of doing things. As COVID-19 vaccines come closer to being a reality, and organizations begin to planContinue reading “Work From Home Or Work From *Anywhere?*”
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 aboutContinue reading “The Social Identity Wheel”
Outsmarting Our Own Human Biases
A new UK study suggests that working from home could lead to an increase in racism and other forms of prejudice. The study suggests that these workplace friendships are a key to breaking down misconceptions in our thinking, and building our own understanding of community. Siloed and isolated as many of us are in our home workspaces, weContinue reading “Outsmarting Our Own Human Biases”
Unity In The Midst Of Uniqueness
Regardless of your political leanings, the US election last week resulted in some noteworthy firsts. Included, of course, is Kamala Harris, who became the first woman to be elected Vice-President, as well as the first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to be elected as Vice-President. (You may be surprised to learn –Continue reading “Unity In The Midst Of Uniqueness”
Building Bridges Leadership 