Image: BBC/Ricochet Ltd/Cody Burridge If you live in North America, chances are high that you’ve never seen the BBC show The Repair Shop. Settled in a picturesque English countryside barn, the Repair Shop is just what you might imagine from the name. In each episode, three or four people bring in family heirlooms that representContinue reading “Is Your Workplace a “Repair Shop”?”
Category Archives: Leadership
Rely on Your Training and Articulate Your Next Steps
What are some intense situations you’ve faced over the last year? How have you handled them? Were these situations that you’d been prepared for? Were you trained for them in some way? As part of my repertoire of facilitation and coaching, I often lead groups at an outdoor challenge course, offering team building experiences andContinue reading “Rely on Your Training and Articulate Your Next Steps”
What is Triple Loop Learning?
Image source: Alex Atkinson Recently, my high school junior son co-founded a robotics team at school. After months of budgeting, securing sponsorship, building, and late-night coding (my son’s specialty), the team took part in their first regional competition. What they demonstrated was a perfect example of kaizen. Their early matches went well for a rookieContinue reading “What is Triple Loop Learning?”
Are You a “Furniture Maker,” or Simply a “Maker?”
Last month I was fortunate enough to spend some time behind-the-scenes in a well-known Boston-area robotics company. This is a workplace that requires a signed NDA before entry, but one thing I can talk about that came up during the conversations about their engineers is relevant to workplaces the world over – the idea thatContinue reading “Are You a “Furniture Maker,” or Simply a “Maker?””
Trevor Noah on Text, Voice, and Recalibrating Tone
Have you ever received a message from someone at work and interpreted the tone as angry, terse, or upset, leaving you stewing for days over what you did that caused that response, or how your reputation or relationships might be damaged as a result? On the flip side, have you ever sent a quick textContinue reading “Trevor Noah on Text, Voice, and Recalibrating Tone”
Could You be Your Workplace’s “Minister for Loneliness?”
Have you been through periods of life where you’ve felt isolated from the people around you? How about times where you’ve felt a strong sense of connection and belonging? How have the eras of your life felt different in that regard? If it’s a spectrum, where would you place this current era of your lifeContinue reading “Could You be Your Workplace’s “Minister for Loneliness?””
The Value of Drop-In AMAs
Do you have that one colleague whose work you just don’t understand? You’re always confused about what their role is and what it is they actually do? Turning it around, would any colleagues wonder the same about you? Whether we work in a complex organizations with multiple departments, or in a small tight-nit organization, manyContinue reading “The Value of Drop-In AMAs”
Agreeing on a Currency that Works
Do you have a handful of foreign coins in your home – sometimes from countries you’ve never even been to? Somehow we always have in our house, despite moves and several “why do we have these?” conversations. I’m pretty sure ours even includes a car wash token for a place that no longer exists, andContinue reading “Agreeing on a Currency that Works”
How to Make Your Bed at Work
You’ve probably heard axioms along the lines of “success starts with making your bed.” You may have even seen the popular 2014 University of Texas at Austin Commencement address by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, which has inspired thousands of people to make their beds each morning when they first wake up. But whether or not youContinue reading “How to Make Your Bed at Work”
Life Happens… Even During Major Projects
If you’ve ever had a death in the family, a house fire, a medical emergency, or a life-shaking diagnosis for you or someone close to you, you know that these things don’t happen at convenient times. They can also be painful in a way that seems to alter time itself – time can both grindContinue reading “Life Happens… Even During Major Projects”
Building Bridges Leadership 