“And in the naked light I saw / Ten thousand people, maybe more / People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening / People writing songs that voices never share / No one dared disturb the sound of silence” – The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon In turbulentContinue reading “The Sound of Silence: The Value of a Simple Pause”
Category Archives: Learning to learn
When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics
Bring to mind a time when you were on a team or in a meeting with one or two people who – either literally or metaphorically – sat there with arms crossed, only speaking up to criticize the work of others. Perhaps you can recall many experiences like this. If so, I wonder how youContinue reading “When You’re Stuck with Curmudgeons and Critics”
Using the Principle of “Two, Not Three”
How do you find grocery shopping? Is it something you enjoy, or just a necessity? When faced with needing to buy something new, do you like having several options, or do you find that overwhelming? For me, I prefer to shop in a store with fewer options – maybe one or two of each typeContinue reading “Using the Principle of “Two, Not Three””
“Gender Ideology” and “the [X] Debate”
Several trans and non-binary colleagues and friends came to mind immediately upon hearing President Trump’s inaugural address stating that, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.” (Gender identity is widely recognized as a spectrum.) The Trump administration hasContinue reading ““Gender Ideology” and “the [X] Debate””
A 10-Minute Atomic Habit for Your “Winter Arc”
Happy New Year from Building Bridges Leadership! Did you set any New Year’s resolutions for yourself? If so, how are they going? If the answer is “not well,” you’re far from alone. As we enter any new year, as many as 60% of us set resolutions. But – as you may be able to concur aContinue reading “A 10-Minute Atomic Habit for Your “Winter Arc””
Cultivating Your Own Personal Advisory Board
Do you have your own personal advisory board? If this isn’t a term that’s familiar to you – or you instinctively understand the concept but find it odd – you’re certainly not alone. We all have a wide variety of people who provide input into our lives, including colleagues, family, friends, and acquaintances, but ourContinue reading “Cultivating Your Own Personal Advisory Board”
Algebra and Articulating Decision-Making
How well do you remember middle school or high school math? Was it something you enjoyed? Something you found challenging? Maybe both? A surprising joy for me in recent weeks has been sitting with my eighth grade son as he works on algebra. His work is all done online, so sitting alongside him helps himContinue reading “Algebra and Articulating Decision-Making”
Counteracting Unreliable Work Memories
Your memory is unreliable. Shocker, I know. Life is full, and increasingly full of sensory overwhelm, so it’s not surprising at all that we sometimes forget things – details, things we needed to do, or something somebody told us. Our brains can’t retain every piece of information, and we need to constantly filter out piecesContinue reading “Counteracting Unreliable Work Memories”
You are Not Your Emails (and Neither is Anyone Else)
What forms of communication do you use most often at work? Email, phone, text? Or maybe one of the multitude of team messaging platforms that have proliferated in the last five years? Whatever you use, do you ever find yourself struggling to articulate your message in the way you want to? Do you spend aContinue reading “You are Not Your Emails (and Neither is Anyone Else)”
Creating a Culture of “Tiny Teach” in Your Teams
Do you remember when you first learned to tie your shoelaces? Or how to use a gas pump? Or how to use breakout rooms in a videoconference? Each of these probably wasn’t something you learned on your own, but once someone showed you how to do it, you probably do it regularly without much thought.Continue reading “Creating a Culture of “Tiny Teach” in Your Teams”
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