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”

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?”

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”

How the “Liminal Space” Of Election Day Can Help Your Team Flourish

On this Election Day in the US, you might experience similar feelings to those seemingly-endless moments following the slow climb of a roller coaster – a mixture of terror, anxiety and guarded excitement as you wonder what’s going to happen next. Regardless of whether you live in the US or not, you might be experiencingContinue reading “How the “Liminal Space” Of Election Day Can Help Your Team Flourish”

What Do Mail-In Ballots Have To Do With Your Teams?

When our mail-in ballots for the 2020 state and presidential election arrived a week or two ago, my wife and I independently had the same reaction. We both try to be informed voters who spend time learning about the candidates and ballot questions before heading to the polls, and we already knew what our optionsContinue reading “What Do Mail-In Ballots Have To Do With Your Teams?”

How a Digital Detox Could Benefit You

Every Sunday morning, my phone vibrates and pops up a notification to show me how much “screen time” I’ve spent on my phone over the past week. Every week I think with some dismay, “that can’t be right.” But then when I think about how much time I’ve also spent in front of a laptopContinue reading “How a Digital Detox Could Benefit You”

The Power Of Open-Ended Questions

Bring to mind a recent conversation – in the workplace or elsewhere – that didn’t go as well as you would have liked; that left you, or others, feeling misunderstood, undervalued, or unacknowledged. What kinds of questions (if any!) did you and your conversation partners use? Now bring to mind a conversation that went well;Continue reading “The Power Of Open-Ended Questions”

RBG And Turning A Trail To A Highway

“Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday brought with it instant questions and analysis about what her death means in this American moment, and all the possibilities ofContinue reading “RBG And Turning A Trail To A Highway”

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””