Extracting Value When Things Go Wrong

Working with groups is never dull. Think of a time or twelve when a group you’re working with has surprised you in some way – for better or worse. Perhaps a person you wouldn’t have expected took charge, or the group came up with surprising ideas, or people had a strong reaction to something thatContinue reading “Extracting Value When Things Go Wrong”

Being a Mental Health Ally for Others (and for Yourself!)

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, each year millions of Americans (as many as 1 in 5) experience mental illness. In the past, many of us might have believed that mental health was a concern only for those with mental illness, but living through a lengthy pandemic, and all the stresses and repercussionsContinue reading “Being a Mental Health Ally for Others (and for Yourself!)”

Unique Diversity and Diverse Unity – the Cornerstones of Building Bridges

How many aspects of your identity are visible to those around you? How many are invisible, or at least not intuitive? If you’re like a lot of people, your identity is – as we’ve mentioned before – like an iceberg, with the vast majority (90% in the case of icebergs) being under the surface, andContinue reading “Unique Diversity and Diverse Unity – the Cornerstones of Building Bridges”

Threading the Smallest Needle

Please bear with me while I brag about my kids – I promise it will connect with work and your teams. If you’ve been reading Building Bridges Leadership’s posts for a while, you might remember that my oldest child co-founded a high school robotics team a few years ago. Or perhaps you remember the termContinue reading “Threading the Smallest Needle”

How Has Mentoring Others Changed You?

We’ve all had mentors. And whether or not you’ve ever held an official title of “mentor,” all of us have at one point or another served as a mentor for others. If you’re a parent, mentoring is intrinsically woven into your daily life – even as your child becomes an adult in their own right.Continue reading “How Has Mentoring Others Changed You?”

“Slavery Isn’t Part of My Country’s History…”

Living in the US, I find that people have a wide variety of reactions when they discover I was born and raised in the UK, whether they lived here their whole life or are immigrants themselves. Some are fascinated and some are curious. Quite often I find that the UK’s history of colonization has impactedContinue reading ““Slavery Isn’t Part of My Country’s History…””

“Pre-flection” & “That’s a RAP”

How many trainings have you taken in your professional life? How many have you run? As you progress through your career you will hopefully find that you still have a lot to learn, and that lifelong learning in itself helps you to grow in your chosen profession. You may also find that you are trainingContinue reading ““Pre-flection” & “That’s a RAP””

Remember to Remember: What is the Forgetting Curve?

How often have you been to a workshop or presentation and soaked in all sorts of great information and tips, leaving motivated and empowered to make a change… only to realize a few days later that you could only remember one or two nuggets of information? Or perhaps nothing at all? Not even the thingContinue reading “Remember to Remember: What is the Forgetting Curve?”

Managing Star Performers for Success and Mental Health

Photo credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Are you the kind of person who watches the Olympics religiously, even if you would never think of watching skiing, curling, or speed skating at any other point in the intervening years? Even if you aren’t, you may have seen some highlights from the recent Milano Cortina 2026 WinterContinue reading “Managing Star Performers for Success and Mental Health”

“Lead with Message, Lag with Mode”

When you meet someone for the first time and they ask what you do for work, how do you reply? If you’re like the majority of people, you might reply with an approximate job title and the organization you work for. “I’m a manager at [x] pharmaceuticals,” “I’m a software engineer at [y],” or “I’mContinue reading ““Lead with Message, Lag with Mode””