What was the last high-stakes conversation you initiated? How prepared did you feel going into it? Perhaps this was delivering performance evaluations to team members, or maybe it was applying for a new job, or something entirely different. Such conversations can be as daunting as playing a musical instrument in front of an audience, deliveringContinue reading ““Zinnias Make Great Listeners” – Who are Your Zinnias?”
Category Archives: Failure Leads to Success
“It’s All in the Debrief”
What comes to mind when you hear the word “debrief”? If you watch spy movies, it might be James Bond passing by Miss Moneypenny on the way to let M know what transpired on his latest mission. In your work environment, it may look more like a closed-door meeting following the end of a projectContinue reading ““It’s All in the Debrief””
The Fosbury Flop and Raising the Bar for Gold
Watching the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I have been struck over and over again by the way these games intersect with our everyday lives in the workplace and in our communities. Chief among these, of course, are the important conversations taking place about mental health and self-care, and the disproportionate pressure placed on female athletes of color to performContinue reading “The Fosbury Flop and Raising the Bar for Gold”
On the Lookout for Moments of Iteration
The difference between intention and impact has been on my mind a lot in recent months. I have been an observer – and a participant – in a number of interactions where someone’s words were unintentionally hurtful to others. But their good intentions didn’t make the impact any less hurtful to the people affected. These interactions can leave bothContinue reading “On the Lookout for Moments of Iteration”
Racial Affinity Groups… for White People?
Are you aware of identity-based affinity groups in your workplace? Or in your faith community? Or other communities of which you’re a part? If you’re a person of color or a member of another marginalized community, the value of such a group may seem obvious to you – such groups can be a chance to engage withContinue reading “Racial Affinity Groups… for White People?”
Interrupting Muscle Memory
Where are you reading this email? In your designated workspace? On your phone while making breakfast? On your phone while hanging out with your kids? Sometimes the choices we make are conscious. But increasingly, they’re not. And the same things that make smartphones a revolutionary tool for the modern work world also make it harderContinue reading “Interrupting Muscle Memory”
“The Power Of Yet” And The Growth Mindset
What skills and interests have you developed over the last year? Perhaps some that have laid dormant for many years, and perhaps some that are, in essence, brand new for you. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been tested in ways none of us could have ever expected. So many things thatContinue reading ““The Power Of Yet” And The Growth Mindset”
Being A “Student Of…” (Not An “Expert In…”)
Have you ever started a conversation with a friend or family member about a topic you rarely think about, only to find out that the person you’re talking to clearly knows more about this topic than 99.9% of people in the world? Maybe you saw them light up as they got a chance to talkContinue reading “Being A “Student Of…” (Not An “Expert In…”)”
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”
Balancing The “More” With The “New”
Many organizational questions boil down to the categories of Evolution and Revolution: “What can we improve or change?” (Evolution) and “What can we do that hasn’t been done before?” (Revolution). A number meetings I’ve been a part of recently – with different groups of people, in different contexts – have ended up circling the same question: “Instead of Evolution,Continue reading “Balancing The “More” With The “New””
Building Bridges Leadership 