Dancing With Surprises
Several years back I had the opportunity to work with a co-op founded by a group of artists who had all formerly experienced homelessness. I was invited to facilitate a strategic planning meeting involving the entire co-op membership. We met in their rented warehouse on Skid Row in Los Angeles. One key question facing these […]
In My Tool Bag: Expand Your Thinking with (Digital) Images
When teams need to talk about big ideas, complex challenges, or emotions, it can be hard to know where to start. In these cases, words can be inadequate means for getting a team to talk. Among the tools in my travel satchel are markers, post-its, and tape and, also a deck of visual image cards. […]
IN MY EARBUDS: Behind the Scenes of Speeches Made by Remarkable Leaders
Words matter. Ideas can inspire. And, the ability of a leader to recognize what needs to be said — and how to say it — in a critical moment is a unique gift. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, It Was Said takes us into various inflection points in America’s history via the speeches […]
ON MY MIND: Distributed Teams (Part 2) – What About Culture?
Even before so many of us started working from home, companies were already mastering the art of distributed teams. Distributed teams are made up of team members working from different locations. Most commonly, distributed team members work in different cities and countries around the world. Still, with the abrupt pivot to remote work, many leaders […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
WHO I READ ONLINE: Seth Godin
Every now and again it feels good to take a break from writing and instead appreciate the writing of others that inspire me- in this case, Seth Godin. Seth Godin is one of the most prolific writers and podcasters I know of. That’s not surprising because for more than 30 years Seth has helped people […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: Picture Card Decks
Using picture card decks in my work has made me a believer in the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I have seen how visual images can elicit new insights, invite people to tap into their emotional selves, and reveal previously hidden aspirations. That’s why I always travel with a deck of […]
IN MY TOOL BAG: Jenga with a Team Building Twist
Recently, I was planning an offsite retreat for a team with a significant number of new members who didn’t know each other very well. The first goal was to help them learn about one another beyond their public resumes and job descriptions. The second goal was to play and laugh together. When people feel seen […]