During a series of team building activities with a client this week, it was noticeable that one newer member of the group shared ideas that were shut down or ignored by the rest of the group – including the director of the department. Rather than point that out in the moment, I let the groupContinue reading “Using Your Team’s Previous Work Cultures to Build a Better One”
Category Archives: Weekly Tips
What Are the 5S Pillars?
A recent Building Bridges Leadership article on the concept of Kaizen touched on the five phases of 5S methodology, a system to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace. Implementation of this method “cleans up” and organizes the workplace basically in its existing configuration, and uses visual cues to achieve more consistentContinue reading “What Are the 5S Pillars?”
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”
Blazing a Trail, and Turning it into 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 This week brings the third anniversary of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Of course, the political make-up of the Supreme Court has changed dramatically in that time, butContinue reading “Blazing a Trail, and Turning it into a Highway”
Kaizen and the Art of Talk Show Maintenance
Are you familiar with the term “kaizen”? We’ve mentioned it on this blog a few times over the years and it comes up in my work with clients on an almost daily basis. It’s a Japanese word (in which it is written “改善”), with a literal translation of “good change,” or “change for better,” butContinue reading “Kaizen and the Art of Talk Show Maintenance”
Mapping the Rhythms of Your Year
It’s only the end of August, but in In New England, where I live, the seasons are already beginning to change. The hot Summer weather has started to give way to cooler temperatures. T-shirts are increasingly covered with jackets, or even sweaters. And schools and universities are back in session. The beginning of the academicContinue reading “Mapping the Rhythms of Your Year”
When to Sub in Your Rising Stars?
If you didn’t follow the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, you missed out on some great games. But you may have also missed out on some leadership decisions that you might find useful to reflect on in your own workplace. In particular, mid-game decisions about when and how to replace tried and tested players withContinue reading “When to Sub in Your Rising Stars?”
“Where Are You From, Where Are Your People From?”
When meeting someone for the first time – knowing that you’ll be working with them for a while – what are your go-to opening lines in conversation? Do you ask where they live, what they do for work, how has their day been so far…? I recently learned from some acquaintances who moved from theContinue reading ““Where Are You From, Where Are Your People From?””
What is Cooperative Overlap? Isn’t It Just Interrupting?
Cooperative Overlap (or Collaborative Overlap) is a term coined by Georgetown University professor of linguistics and author Deborah Tannen, in which the listener starts talking along with the speaker, not to cut them off but rather to validate or show they’re engaged in what the other person is saying. In conversations, do you have aContinue reading “What is Cooperative Overlap? Isn’t It Just Interrupting?”
Choosing to Stay Confronted in Conversations About Race
How often are you involved in conversations about racism, marginalization, colonialism, and/or other issues related to race? Perhaps these are conversations about systemic issues, or perhaps they reflect personal lived experiences. Often these topics are not an explicit part of the conversation, they are under the surface – not necessarily unacknowledged, but unnamed nonetheless. ExplicitContinue reading “Choosing to Stay Confronted in Conversations About Race”
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