IN MY EARBUDS: If you don’t decide what matters, someone else will do it for you
A while back I wrote a review of a wonderful book entitled Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The book is about consciously choosing where to invest one’s time and energy in order to feel fulfilled and make a true contribution. My summary of the author’s premise is this: Most of us […]
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 TOOL BAG: A Mindful Approach to Washing Hands
It seems like we’ve all been spending a lot of time engaging in two distinct activities lately — hand-washing and hand wringing (e.g., worrying about the future). The latter activity —worry — has us predicting or imagining a negative future and then living with that fear as if the future has already happened. Notice that […]
ON MY MIND: Six Shifts for High Stakes Conversations, Shift 2, From Cryptic to Candid
In this series I’m exploring the Six Shifts in mindset and behavior that leaders can make in order to be more successful in having high-stakes conversations — conversations about topics that matter to you and that may elicit conflict or strong emotions in others. Shift 1 was about going into high-stakes conversations with a clear […]
ON MY MIND: Six Shifts for High-Stakes Conversations
It’s the moment of truth. You can’t put it off any longer. The time has come for a difficult conversation with your colleague. You must express serious concerns about their actions or disagreement with them. You worry it will spark defensiveness or do damage to the relationship — and with good reason! It’s become uncomfortably […]
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 […]
ON MY MIND: Back to Meeting Basics with OARRs
I recently walked into a client’s conference room and smiled when I saw this sign on the wall: No Objectives? No Agenda? No Ground Rules? NO MEETING! Most would read this sign and think: “Duh. I already know that.” But, knowing is different than doing. And just doing is different than skillful and conscientious doing. […]
ON MY MIND: Creating “Brave Space” for Hard Conversations
I recently stumbled onto a project called The People’s Supper. Its aim is to bring together people of different identities and perspectives over a meal and to have conversations grounded in unconditional welcoming, kindness, and openness. Many of these suppers open with the reading of a poem called “The Brave Space Invitation” written by Beth […]
ON MY MIND: Focus. I Mean Real Focus.
Yesterday, while soaring at 38,000 feet, I had an epiphany: I can write three blogs on a two-hour flight from Denver to Oakland with ease. But to write those same blogs seated at my desk in my office can take closer to six hours. Why? It didn’t take much analysis to understand why I am […]
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 […]