Thoughts – Page 44 – Reimagine. Strategy.

August 24, 2020May 3, 2022

The Sweet Spot of Essential Work

We’ve heard a great deal about “essential workers” in recent months. Our understanding of who falls into that category is shifting to include not just first responders and front-line health care workers, but now manufacturers of disinfectant wipes and face shields!

As I sat enjoying an evening porch visit with a long-time friend recently, she reflected on some of the things she’s learned during the pandemic. “I now know that I must do two things, even if I have to do them differently. I have to connect with people, and I have to create. Non-negotiable to me being fully me.” Continue reading “The Sweet Spot of Essential Work”

August 17, 2020May 3, 2022

Environmental Protection

One of the things I miss most in my facilitation practice during COVID-19 is the ability to vary our venues. Where we hold a meeting affects what happens in that meeting, and working from home has limited our options. Switching our virtual background or moving from our dining room to our family room are poor substitutes.

Place matters, in so many ways. Continue reading “Environmental Protection”

August 10, 2020May 3, 2022

How do you grade yourself?

This is one of the questions Derek Sivers poses in his quick read on entrepreneurship lessons called Anything You Want. His point is that it’s not all about the money — it’s about whatever your “personal dream come true” looks like — but you’d better be clear on what a win looks like for you.

I’ve been thinking about this for boards of directors, because sometimes they behave as if their win lies in having a complete policy binder and quorum at each meeting. Or they develop elaborate board assessment tools that can be thorough without being particularly meaningful. Continue reading “How do you grade yourself?”

August 3, 2020May 3, 2022

Glad We Did…Wish We Had

I’ve spoken to several Executive Directors over the past couple of months who’ve started their stories with, “I’m so glad we….” They finished their sentence in various ways, ranging from “…were clear on our priorities” to “…invested in culture-building” to “…had the right people around the leadership table” to “…trusted each other.”

A few others have had the opposite story to tell, that began, “I wish we…” For them, the ending has often been some variation of “…figured out remote work well before now” or “…made those changes we talked about but never got around to.” I suspect there are likely other endings they are reluctant to admit out loud.

Continue reading “Glad We Did…Wish We Had”

July 27, 2020May 3, 2022

Psychological Safety on Zoom

When I facilitate in-person sessions, I frequently tell participants that I cannot guarantee that we’ll co-create a “safe space” together. They looked shocked. I go on to explain that the pre-existing power dynamics that will outlast our time together are outside of my control and inevitably affect people’s sense of safety in the room. What I can promise, however, drawing on the work of Amy Edmondson and others, is a session where people treat each other respectfully and have roughly equal airtime — two elements that do contribute to a psychologically safe session. Necessary but not sufficient conditions. Continue reading “Psychological Safety on Zoom”