Thoughts – Page 30 – Reimagine. Strategy.

December 5, 2022December 5, 2022

The Fuel and the Gauge

Over the past few years, I could walk into a meeting and guess fairly accurately what the vibe of the group was going to be. Everyone would be tired. Holding it together, but barely. Not a lot of enthusiasm.

These days, it’s less predictable. Some people are still in that place, or worse. Others have found a more sustainable, moderately positive rhythm — subdued, but livable. A few are firing on all cylinders and ready to tackle the next challenge with gusto — but they are almost afraid to admit it.

November 28, 2022February 10, 2023

Find Your Anchor

I often ask clients “What is fixed and what is flexible on this project?” It’s language I use for setting my own boundaries too, most recently when negotiating meeting formats. (“If you really want a hybrid event, here’s what must be in place…and here’s what I can flex with…”) The idea comes from the elastic metaphor I’ve been exploring, and today will be our final installment in that series.

November 21, 2022November 21, 2022

Elastics Snap Back…Sometimes

By definition, elastics snap back to their original shape.

Until they don’t.

Sometimes, stretched too far for too long, they simply remain limply in that extended state, unable to stretch much further, retain their previous shape or even meet a challenge in between. They’re done.

November 14, 2022November 15, 2022

Elastics Snap

Continuing our exploration of an elastic metaphor of wellbeing from last week: when pulled too far too fast, elastics snap.

Moreover, as I was reminded by a friend last week, if they are already stretched tight, elastics are more vulnerable to stress. When stretched elastics get a nick in them, they are far more likely to break than if that same nick happens when the elastic has some give left in it.

November 7, 2022November 7, 2022

Elastics Stretch

I remember when my cousin Paula became a teacher, she was determined to incorporate more than one way of explaining things into her lessons. It came from a memory of not understanding a math concept, and the teacher simply repeating what they’d previously said. Paula didn’t need repetition — she needed a different explanation.