I like some rules, such as the rules around driving. I like to know that people will stop at stop signs and for red lights. I like to know the other drivers will go on green. Driving rules help everyone coordinate their actions. Rules around driving are simple and straightforward. They work. (Even in Massachusetts.)
Do We Need Rules, Agreements, or Guideposts? Read More »
I participated in a breakfast meeting yesterday, called “What is the Future of Work?” We had great discussions and I had more questions. Technology advances help us change and (often) work better. In particular, I was thinking about automation and the changing cost of friction for work especially compared to my early work choices. Depositing
What Could Be the Future of Work? Read More »
Perseverance, the idea of grit, fascinates me. Every time I finish a (damn*) book, I experience relief and happiness. Relief that it is finally over—that’s the “damn” part. Happiness because I finished. Read that word, finish, in neon-blinking capital letters with fireworks. That’s how it feels to me. Damn*: Finishing a book is a slog
How Do You Build Grit? Read More »
Many people use the terms adaptable and resilience interchangeably. However, they mean different things and we live and use them differently. When we are adaptable, we see that reality has changed. We don’t deny that reality. Because we admit that we have a new reality, we can find new approaches to manage our responses to
What’s the Difference Between Resilience and Adaptability? Read More »
Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots retired this week. He’s 29 years old. He chose this time to transition to something new. Some transitions are easy for me. I only had one time where I stayed at a job too long. I bought the health insurance for our family, so I stayed for the
When Is It Time to Transition? Read More »
I’m in Paris at a conference this week. I was a keynote speaker, which is lovely for my ego. One of the participants asked me how long I’d been a consultant. I answered, “24 years.” He gave me that look, the one that says, “Really?” with one eyebrow up so high he almost had no
How Do You Maintain Your Emotional Balance? Read More »
My town is busy planning and discussing and planning and discussing (yes, continue for several more recursions) the plans for the new high school. We need a new high school for many reasons. A lot of it is the physical plant, the physical resources. (See where the high school stands.) Note that the Resources and
What Are You Sentimental About? Read More »
I was thinking about resilience and redundancy a lot this week. We had a big weekend last week (we gained a son-in-law) so this week was a week of what I like to call “preventative maintenance.” We had doctor’s appointments, car appointments, and the tree guys came to cut back some of our trees. I
Where Do You Have Redundancy? Read More »
It’s Olympics time. And yes, it’s time again for “the thrill of victory and agony of defeat.” I watched that agony as an ice dancing couple fell during their performance. One second, they’re gliding along, looking as if they’re going to medal. The next second, they fell to the ice. They got to their feet—gracefully, I
Who Is in Your Corner? Read More »
I was talking with my father recently about my writing workshops. I’m finishing the last touches on the first one and hope to finally make it available for registration any day now. (Famous last words.) I explained that even though people signed up for the workshops knowing they would do 15-30 minutes a day of
When Do You Suffer from FEAR? Read More »