“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

During tragedies such as the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the famous advice for children from Mister Rogers to “look for the helpers” usually makes a resurgence on social media. It’s powerful advice for children overwhelmed by the images of disasters beyond their control; adults, too, can find it helpful and reassuring, although someContinue reading ““Won’t You Be My Neighbor?””

Don’t Have a Desk to Call Your Own?

Have you heard about the Portuguese island that “created” a village entirely for remote workers? If you’re waiting for a punchline, there is none – sadly for the digital nomads from around the world that moved to the island of Madeira, Ponta do Sol has been rife with unfulfilled promises and astronomical costs. And, ofContinue reading “Don’t Have a Desk to Call Your Own?”

Can Hybrid Meetings Really be Inclusive?

Meetings are a staple of office life. They play a key role in decision making, and their place in workplace culture is secure. Even in the height of the Covid pandemic when so much of what we thought was fundamental to work got flipped upside-down, meetings still happened – they just took a different form,Continue reading “Can Hybrid Meetings Really be Inclusive?”

If Microaggressions Were Mosquito Bites

It’s the time of year when mosquitos are out in force where I live in New England. And mosquitos love me. Much more than I love them. At any one point during late Summer I can have dozens of mosquito bites on my body. And while I’ve been telling people for years that it’s becauseContinue reading “If Microaggressions Were Mosquito Bites”

Helping Others to be Seen (and Known) in a Hybrid World

What’s your current pattern for where and when you work? Are you working from an office full time? Are you working from home for some or all of the time? Working 9-5 on weekdays? Or flexible hours, working outside of the traditional work hours, fitting around other commitments you have? Is your pattern the sameContinue reading “Helping Others to be Seen (and Known) in a Hybrid World”

Workplace Stretches to Reduce Stress

When was the last time you had a stress headache while working on a major project? Or felt tension in your stomach following an interaction with someone on your team? How do those physical sensations affect the rest of your day? Chances are they don’t support you succeed in your work or have life-giving interactionsContinue reading “Workplace Stretches to Reduce Stress”

Napping… at Work? How a Short Siesta Can Help Productivity

When you have a few free moments during the work day, what do you do? Do you get fresh air? Text a friend? Close your eyes and meditate? Stretch your muscles? Last week’s post about the Pomodoro Technique suggested that after each 25 minute stretch of focused work, you would be well served by aContinue reading “Napping… at Work? How a Short Siesta Can Help Productivity”

Tuning in to Your Team’s Communication Preferences

For many of us, the days of bumping into colleagues in your workplace’s hallway or break room feel like a lifetime ago. These organic interactions either replaced by more formal communications or not replaced at all. Emails, Slack, Discord, and even texts… while statistics aren’t easy to quantify, the majority of workplace communication in theContinue reading “Tuning in to Your Team’s Communication Preferences”

Showing Support for Your Team through Acts of Service

When’s the last time you felt overwhelmed or lost while working on a project – perhaps even paralyzed because you were unsure of your next step? Have others offered “let me know if you need help,” but you haven’t even known what to ask for, or perhaps been too embarrassed to ask? Now think backContinue reading “Showing Support for Your Team through Acts of Service”

Social-Emotional Learning in Your Work Team

Which squirrel are you today? If that question means nothing to you, you probably haven’t seen the “squirrel scale” – a fun check-in tool used by some schools during remote learning. I was reminded of this tool recently while working with a group of middle and high school teachers, during a workshop focused on buildingContinue reading “Social-Emotional Learning in Your Work Team”