If you’ve been reading the blog consistently, you’ve heard me say I’ve dropped the word “virtual” from talking about online or digital meetings. The reason? It suggests they’re not real. Like “virtual” reality. It’s not reality, right? While working with my teams online or in person, I’ve heard my share of comments ranging from I’m drained after meetings all day… I’d…
What’s in a meeting? When you boil it down to the purpose of a meeting, there are many reasons we use to meet, to solve something, to brainstorm, to inform each other, to connect while using our precious time wisely. Beneath all of that, I believe the primary purpose of every meeting (perhaps every interaction) is to advance our relationships with…
Have you traveled? I have, in a limited amount, and like everything this year, it’s different. After a recent trip, I returned home to the workload waiting when you travel which is often substantial. Travel always sounded glamourous and exciting until I started doing it with frequency for work. The reality of traveling in a COVID-19 world equates to many changes, including masks and the lesser number of passengers.…
What could possibly go wrong? It’s a beautiful fall day, I’ve returned from a rare trip out east for work and my computer had been acting up the week prior. Thanks to the magic of how tech works these days, our amazing IT partner works on my system remotely and pronounces my system at my home office “fixed” while I’m away. What could…
What does a birthday mean to you? For some, we dread them, knowing as we accumulate more birthdays, the numbers reflect aging. For others, we look forward to them as a reason to celebrate, reflect and deliberate on what matters most to keep improving through the turns around the sun. Here’s a recipe courtesy of @rosemcneely for how to reflect…
When you have the chance, take it. The weather last week in Minnesota was reminiscent of summer and we didn’t waste a minute. Somehow, it helps you prioritize the right things, spend time with friends, get outdoors and for us that meant time on our pontoon. We enjoyed the daylight hours though they came to an end earlier in the evening each…
As I think about the holidays, I’m sad knowing they’ll look different this year. Traditions become what they are because something works and carries forward. We look forward to the patterns and the familiarity brings comfort, predictability and love of our shared reality. At the same time, I know we’re balancing the fact that this is for one year, not forever. That doesn’t mean we don’t…
Have you ever wished there was less tension during a work meeting? Me too; and after review, I won’t wish it away. Tension is related to conflict and conflict creates clarity. While it may be uncomfortable, that tension is what transforms a problem into an opportunity. It’s also transformative for learning. We must diverge to truly be able to converge…
Plan tight and hang loose. I was in a workshop recently learning a ton. One of the key take-aways I received as we were inundated with ideas, new ways to improve our facilitation, new ways to use Zoom, great music and stellar interaction was the discipline of planning and preparation. After seven hours online three days in a row, I was sad…
I was in a program with Jon Berghoff last week and he shared “If we can’t honor and create space for dissent, we’re not a community.” What a powerful statement. It struck me as it seems many of us have lost this skill in the United States. We have lost the ability to disagree and commit. Our humanity and community…