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)”
Category Archives: Open-Ended Questions
Workplace Empathy in the New Academic Year
How does the beginning of a new academic year affect you? Even if you don’t have children or work in academia yourself, it might be impacting you more than you realize. If you have children of any age – or if you are a student or an educator yourself – the beginning of a newContinue reading “Workplace Empathy in the New Academic Year”
Keep the Questions Coming: To Inception and Beyond
How do you feel when you have the leeway and support to pursue your own idea? What if the action steps you’re taking are the same, but the idea and the steps were dictated to you by your manager? If the action steps are the same, what feels so different about the two situations? IfContinue reading “Keep the Questions Coming: To Inception and Beyond”
“Ubuntu” and Connection Before Content
Last week, I led a team building program for a group of international students on the first full day of their summer together. I lead a hundred or more programs like this each year, but it quickly became apparent that this one was special. The group was joyful, engaged, and excited about the time theyContinue reading ““Ubuntu” and Connection Before Content”
Becoming a Mental Health Ally for Your Colleagues (and 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 “Becoming a Mental Health Ally for Your Colleagues (and Yourself!)”
Is Your Workplace a “Repair Shop”?
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”?”
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”
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”
Building Bridges Leadership 