With any luck, you’re working from home this week. I bet you’re thinking of creating any number of possibilities: A schedule you can all live with. Food for three meals a day. How to prevent anyone in the house saying, “I’m bored.” Those are the table stakes—the minimum stakes for times like these. (I wrote […]
What Can You Create Now? Read More »
We’re all in the middle of substantial change. People moved from collocated to remote work overnight. Children are home, too. Your family is home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our entire world is not what it was even one month ago. You’re in the middle of considerable change. I use the Satir Change Model to
Where Are You in Your Changes? Read More »
The coronavirus is sweeping across the world. We have risks everywhere: to travel, to the economy, to our work, and in our communities. What can we do? We need to think about the risks we can and cannot manage. About 25 years ago, I traveled to a workshop not knowing I was sick. (My children
Which Risks Can You Manage? Read More »
Every so often, you see someone who inspires you. These people seem to achieve “more” in some way. You respect them for their actions. Sometimes, you see people who talk a good game. And, their actions don’t appear to live up to their talk. You might not disrespect them, but you don’t respect them. That
Who or What Deserves Your Respect? Read More »
I just returned from a (fiction) writing workshop this week. I learned a ton about craft, selling short stories, and publishing short stories. One of my big learnings: I play it safe too often with my writing. The stakes for the characters aren’t big enough. This is an opportunity for me. I can take this
When Can You Grab This Opportunity? Read More »
As I coach writers and consultants with their various businesses, I hear a lot of “but”s. “But, I can’t offer that product or service.” Or, “But, I can’t write an article in a day.” Or, “But, I don’t know enough to do that.” The “buts” prevent people from experimenting. What prevents us from experimentation? Often,
What Does “But” Really Mean? Read More »
I read Dwayne Phillips’ One of the Ultimate Compliments at Work and started thinking about being indispensable. I wonder if people want to be indispensable or if they want to be missed. I’m not a fan of indispensable people. They create bottlenecks in projects and cause delays. (See Change the Indispensable Employee Mindset.) And, even
Will They Miss Me When I’m Gone? Read More »
We often think of friction as bad. Friction prevents us from doing something we might want to accomplish. On my other blog, I write about frictionless releasing. We often want to avoid friction at work. The less friction we have, the easier it is for us to work together and release products. And, sometimes, friction
Where Do You Want Friction in Your Life? Read More »
I spoke with a colleague and explained how I had improved writing over the past year. That person said, “I’m proud of you.” I said, “Thanks.” And, I wondered why this person felt pride in me, in my accomplishments. I was proud of my accomplishments. I’d worked hard. I’m sure my colleague didn’t mean to
Who Can Be Proud of You? Read More »
I’ve been working on my 2020 strategy and tactics. I think further out, but I don’t plan for more than one year at a time. And, I break that down into quarterly and monthly planning. Because things happen. (For more details, see How Often Do You Reflect?) My yearly plan is a set of options.
When Can You Optimize For Resilience Over Anything Else? Read More »