I was on vacation last week, in Eilat Israel, a tourist destination. Because it’s a tourist town, you can see a lot of street art. On my walk this past Saturday (Shabbat) morning, I heard loud music with a great drumbeat. My first reaction was, “How loud! On Shabbat!” Then, I turned the corner and […]
When Are You Willing to Practice in Public? Read More »
I was at a conference recently. The theme was about games (simulations) that would help create psychological safety. Psychological safety matters both at home and at work. I bet you’ve seen people who live with psychologically unsafe families. Their lack of safety makes everything about their lives much more difficult. How can you gain emotional
How Can You Use Your Fear or Vulnerability to Create Courage? Read More »
I meet a number of people who have great ideas. And, in order to “push” the ideas through the organization, they tell me that the ends justify the means. I don’t buy that. That’s not congruent behavior. These people are thinking about themselves. They’re thinking about the context. However, the way they treat the other
What Does Integrity Mean to You? Read More »
In my work, I meet people who think their problems are totally unique. Their issue, their product, their managers—their context is unique. They are correct. While each of us is unique, we have many common challenges. We can learn from others. We might be able to apply something to our situation. I see this a
When Are You the “Only” One? Read More »
I’m writing this on July 4, 2019, Independence Day in the US. We celebrate in wonderful ways if you grew up here. I suspect if you’re looking in from the outside, our celebrations seem a little strange. What we celebrate is—in my opinion—the most outrageous and courageous experiment in self-government across the planet. it started
When Are Your “Truths” Not Self-Evident? Read More »
A friend attempted to offer me a compliment the other day. She didn’t mean to. She said, “You’re a natural writer. It comes so easy to you.” I said, “Thank you for thinking so. That means I’m writing well. But I have worked for 20 years to become a ‘natural’ writer.” She meant well. But,
What Are You “Natural” At? Read More »
Universities choose high school seniors in a crazy game of selection. Publishers choose a select few books to publish. I’m shepherding chosen experience reports for the big agile conference in the summer where a program team chose a limited number of reports. Instead of “being chosen,” why not choose ourselves? Last week, I spoke with
When Do You Choose Yourself? Read More »
The college admissions scandal is in the news these days. Wealthy parents bought their childrens’ admission into the university of the parents’ choice. It doesn’t appear that the children were complicit. The parents wanted the “best” for their children. These parents thought the ends justified the means of cheating and lying. My $02: these parents
When do the Ends Justify the Means? Read More »
I‘m writing this on International Women’s Day. I’ve received recognition and thanks from lovely people. I have thanked them. And yet, I have very mixed feelings about recognition based solely on gender. I’ve had a career full of ups and downs, and yes, I’ve felt gender-based discrimination and harassment. I’ve fought for pay parity. I’ve
How Do You Feel About Gender-Based Recognition? Read More »
My family traveled to Minneapolis last weekend for a family function. We drove on several highways where they have metered on-ramps. There’s a sign that says, “One car per green.” Often, there are two lanes at the lights. The lights alternate one car from each lane. It’s a nice way to make sure the highway doesn’t become
How Can You Make Way for Others? Read More »