When Do You Choose to Continue or Stop? As I write this, we’re in the midst of uncertainty about the 2020 election. Have no fear. This newsletter is personal, not about the election. (Yes, I thought I should say that up front!) I continue to experiment with all kinds of things. This month, I’m experimenting with a …
As of this morning, the possible swing states are still counting the 2020 election votes. We knew this would happen. Why? Because back in the spring, when election officials planned for the fall, they thought the virus would be gone by now. Or, that we would have a vaccine. Or some other rosy prediction. Note …
As I write this in August 2020, the schools are planning how to open in the fall. And, the various college sports are trying to decide how or if they will play. How do we decide to persevere or to change? Schools fulfill many vital roles in a child’s life. The younger the child, the …
In these COVID times, some people think they need to play zero-sum games. Those games are the ones where “I win, you lose.” While we might win short-term, we often all lose with zero-sum games. That’s because the game ends. However, there is another kind of game: infinite games. The point of infinite games is …
I listened to Marcus Blankenship’s podcast Finding Career Opportunities Through Experimentation with Josh Doody. During the podcast, Marcus said something like this (I’m paraphrasing): “I wonder which was the problem: the decision or the outcome?” I thought that was a wonderful frame for how we might think about decisions. I don’t always differentiate between the …
What’s the Problem: the Decision or the Outcome? Read More »
Right now, in July 2020, we have several problems: COVID-19 the disease, the effect of the virus on our economy, and a reckoning of our culture. Each problem shares a common characteristic. We can’t see the finish line. We might know what we want, and we can’t see how to get there. This is related, …
How Do We Operate When We Can’t See the Finish Line? Read More »
People keep talking about “bouncing back” from this pandemic. I wonder if bouncing “back” is the wrong metaphor. Back infers we will return to something similar to what we had before. Instead of bouncing back, can we consider bouncing forward, to something new? Here are some reasons why we can choose to move towards something …
We all practice being ready for our plans. For shopping, I make a list and decide in advance how I’ll pay. For travel, I plan when to make all the reservations and how I’ll get from one place to another. When I leave the house, I make sure to gather everything I need, especially now …
We’re in a new—and uncomfortable phase—of the COVID-19 crisis. We’re balancing these different decisions: Our individual decisions to limit our exposure to others. (A personal decision.) Our society’s need for us to return to work. (Our governor’s decision.) Assuming our work is open, our individual decisions to return to work. (A personal decision.) We’re making …
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 …