You can always choose your reaction.
True. And your mindset. And when you sleep and what you eat. As Lisa O’Neill reminded us at TLBS this past week, we need to “control the controllables.” Lots of things lie within our sphere of control.
But there sure are a lot of things that don’t, and the uncertainty is taking its toll. As one client said to me recently, “My people just can’t seem to find much relief from the stress these days.” Continue reading “Certain in Uncertainty”
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”
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”
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?”
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.
