(I can’t write about the shooting in Texas. My heart is too heavy. Instead, I’ll write about problems we can solve.) At a recent dinner, friends described this problem: “On a recent flight, we took off late. Many people on the plane had connecting flights. The flight attendants made the obligatory announcement about waiting for […]
When Is a Small Application of Money the Right Tool to Solve This Problem? Read More »
I have a new nonfiction book in the 2022 Write Stuff Storybundle this week (the bundle is only until March 10 or so). While you might not have heard of some of the writers, I’m sure you’ve heard of Lawrence Block. He’s a multi-award-winning mystery writer. His contribution to this bundle is a memoir. The
Longevity and Success: How and When Do You Choose to Show Up? Read More »
In our daily lives, we manage all kinds of risks. We fill up our cars with gas so we get to where we’re going. In addition, I’ve learned to check the maps before I leave. That’s because the map in my head has pruned several non-local roads because I barely drove anywhere during the pandemic.
How Do We Manage Risks Without Theater (the Illusion of Management)? Read More »
Many of us see early spring as a time of renewal and rebirth. And for those of us in the northern hemisphere, early spring also has religious celebrations. Passover starts tonight and Easter starts this weekend. For me, that’s family time. And, we are fortunate to have three generations at our table this year. (We’re
How Many Generations Overlap With You That You Can Appreciate? Read More »
I feel as if I see more problems and crises than I know what to do with right now. Sometimes, I want to wade right in and solve those problems. Sometimes, I assess quickly and realize I have good possibilities. However, there’s a third option, and that’s when I stay stuck. In my case, it’s
When Do You Choose Which Kind of Problem-Solver You Are? Read More »
Some people used to think that culture at work was the snacks or the foosball tables. That’s only a tiny part of a culture. We’ve seen over the pandemic that real culture is what we can discuss, how we treat each other, and what we reward. (That’s my interpretation of Edgar Schein’s work.) That means
What Kind of a Culture Do You Want to Create and Reinforce? Read More »
Many people keep searching for this “new normal.” In my opinion, too many of them want the new normal to be just like the old normal was. But we’ve learned so much through this pandemic. I don’t want to “go back” to the old ways of working and living. Instead, I want to go forward
How Do We Lead to Create an Adaptable New Normal? Read More »
I learned something new this week, about falsifiable and non-falsifiable claims. When we use hypotheses to examine the world around us, we look for observations that can disprove that hypothesis. In other words, we want to see if we can make the experiment fail in some way, to understand more. As an example: Hypothesis: All
How Can We Honor Other People’s Values and Move to Falsifiable Claims? Read More »
For years, I was a terrible photographer. When I took pictures of Mark and the children, I often cut off the top of Mark’s head. That was back in the days of film cameras and I never quite understood how to frame pictures. Until we developed those pictures, I didn’t realize how narrow my focus
When Do You Choose to Narrow or Extend Your Focus? Read More »
During the pandemic, I chose to say, “Yes” to many speaking opportunities. Now, because I’m finishing books, it’s time for me to reconsider these requests so I can focus on the work I want to do more. (The more I speak, the less I write.) However, I’m lazy by nature. How can I choose to
Which Forcing Functions Do You Choose as a Catalyst to Help You Change? Read More »