IN MY EARBUDS: How I Built This
It’s easy to assume that people who start iconic companies succeed because they are smarter, luckier, and more capable than the rest of us. But when you listen to Guy Raz, host of the podcast “How I Built This”, interview the founders of companies like DoorDash, Lonely Planet, Burt’s Bees, and Lyft, you realize that […]
ON MY MIND: Learning to THiNK Before You Speak
I’m a big believer in free speech. But, when it comes to my own freedom of expression, I’ve learned that there’s such a thing as speaking too freely – too hastily, too re-actively, too fervently — especially when I am trying to influence others. Asking myself the following four questions is particularly helpful when I […]
FROM MY TOOL BAG: Three Skills for Drawing People Out
One measure of success in your meetings is the extent to which all of the different perspectives in the room were expressed. For a lot of reasons, including differences in power and status, and sense of safety, people don’t necessarily offer their ideas in groups. Here are three facilitation techniques that help to invite everyone’s […]
IN MY EARBUDS: HBR Women at Work
Voices in my head that are not my own: This is how I think of podcasts. These days, one of my favorite set of voices to listen to is HBR Women at Work hosted by Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Nicole Torres – three Harvard Business School powerhouses who think deeply about gender in the […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: 3+3+3 Centering Practice
When friends ask me, “how’s your week going?” my most common response is “intense.” It’s not that my work is any more demanding than yours. It’s that I have a tendency to be hyper-focused —tuning out even my own basic needs, like food. While this characteristic makes me very productive, it can also deplete me […]
ON MY MIND: Wisdom of Improvisation
Are you someone who dislikes surprises? Do chaos, messiness, and unpredictability stress you out? Do you find yourself perplexed by and just a bit envious of people who have the capacity to just “go with the flow?” I, for one, do not like surprises or messiness. I’m a planner. Some would say a control freak. […]
IN MY EAR BUDS: Work Life with Adam Grant
If you are not an experienced consumer of podcasts, you might want to give one a try. The podcasts I listen to offer me valuable insights about leadership and collaboration. Most are available as a free subscription via an app on your phone. Thinking about them as an on-demand radio show, I listen to podcasts […]
ON MY MIND: Leadership and the Art of Subtraction
In my free time, I carve wooden spoons. The process of carving a spoon is quite simple: Draw a spoon on a piece of wood and then carve away the extraneous material. Unlike art forms that are additive, spoon carving involves incremental subtraction — gradually taking away wood in order to reveal the spoon’s essential […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: The Priority-setting Matrix for Executive Teams
Recently at a senior executive team retreat, one member of the team questioned the necessity of the two-day off-site gathering. The executive rationalized that: “We are a group of department heads paid to run our own shows. If I’m honest I’m not sure why I need to be part of a senior team, other than […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: “What’s Your Story” Cards
One of my favorite writers, Margaret Wheatley, wrote: “You can’t hate someone whose story you know.” I would add that when you learn a person’s story you can’t help but see part of yourself in them. Our stories reveal parts of us that transcend resumes and elevator pitches. They bring to light our values, beliefs, […]