One of my favourite opening questions to build connections in meetings (other than, “Share the most boring thing about yourself,” which is actually hilarious), is “Put one adjective in the Chat that describes how you are really doing today.” Sometimes, I’ll ask it twice, with the second round adding the cloak of anonymity, which tends to increase candour. I use it several times per week. Continue reading “The Ability to be Hopeful”
Learn to Like or Like to Learn
Have you ever had a teacher you enjoyed so much, or a subject that captured your interest so fully, that you gave that homework your absolute all? I hope so. That experience suggests that we dive into learning what we like.
Building on that assumption, lately I’ve been exploring how we can enjoy change more. We all have to adapt — will we be more likely to do it with ease and enthusiasm if we like it? And therefore, are there ways to learn to relish it more? Continue reading “Learn to Like or Like to Learn”
Adept at Adapting
The slowest pace of change you will ever experience for the rest of your life is happening right now.
~The Adaptation Advantage
(McGowan and Shipley 2020)
Did you sigh when you read that?
We know the pace of change is accelerating. We also know the need for continuous adaptation isn’t disappearing anytime soon.
And we’re getting some good practice at it! We’ve been invited and forced to adapt more in the past year than at any other time in our lives. Continue reading “Adept at Adapting”
Bricolage
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”