Over the holidays, I got distracted while making caramel sauce. The melted sugar overflowed all over my stove and burned to the bottom of the pot. As I was cleaning up the mess, I tried several ways to remove the char. At one stage, my regular scrubber made no difference, but when I tried a scrubber with a slightly different texture, made of a coarser plastic, it worked like a charm. Continue reading “Bricolage”
A Complicated Happy New Year
“Decision fatigue is real.”
Those exact words were sent to me by three separate colleagues the week before the holidays. And now that we’re back at our desks after the holiday break, I’m curious if we’re actually feeling any more rested. I’ve enjoyed slower days that blended together, full of good food, board games, watching sports on TV and lots of knitting. I’m grateful for the time, but the decision fatigue is still there. Continue reading “A Complicated Happy New Year”
Adaptable Leadership
If you were to name the most important leadership skill heading into 2021, what might it be?
A couple of years ago, I wrote a book called Nimble. It’s mostly about holding loosely to your script when facilitating meetings and workshops, but I could never have predicted how the broader concept of nimbleness would come to shape my entire practice now. So my vote for the key leadership skill most needed today would go to adaptability. (No kidding, right?! Good riddance, 2020…) Continue reading “Adaptable Leadership”
Let Your Whos Handle the How
‘Tis the season to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, so a blog about Whoville seems timely. Plus I love it when a book makes a simple but potentially life-changing point.
That happened for me this week with Dan Sullivan’s new book, Who Not How. Rather than asking yourself, “How can I achieve this vision or address this problem?” how might it change your approach to ask, “Who can help me reach this goal or solve this problem?” Can you hear how that switches the issue from occupying mind space in your head to taking up residence in someone else’s? (Ideally, someone who is far better equipped to find a solution than you are?) Your job becomes casting a compelling vision of the desired impact rather than figuring out the path to get there, then recruiting skilled help. Continue reading “Let Your Whos Handle the How”
Winter Driving
“I don’t like winter.”
At least that’s the story I’ve always told myself.
Last year, I escaped winter a few different times for work, and it made the long season manageable. This year, that ain’t happening. Winter 2020 has just begun where I live, and I’ve been dreading it.
But I’ve had a small breakthrough. I’ve realized that winter isn’t the problem. Winter driving is. It causes me stress. I don’t like wondering if I’m going to be able to get somewhere, or how long it will take, or if my less-experienced-driving kids will be safe in the snow. Continue reading “Winter Driving”