The Monthly Memo.
Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
Everybody wants them. They fuel business and government and medicine and every other endeavor every day. Good ideas are at the heart of what keeps us moving ahead and the magic of those ideas is sought by everyone. How many meetings have you attended where the...
Just How Much Should You Talk in a Meeting?
Have you ever been in a meeting where one person, without knowing it, is dominating the conversation and as a result crushing any creativity or momentum for the group? Or maybe you have feared you are that person! Either way, I was observing a meeting recently with...
Seeing the Effects of Correct but Misleading Messages
In a time when we need to understand science and facts, we are also seeing the impact of ineffective messaging around important ideas. Take for instance the discussion about the coronavirus vaccine. Scientists and journalists – in the hopes of covering every aspect of...
Effectively Opening a New Life Chapter
Fired? Retired? Sick of your current job? Looking at a new opportunity? I’ve written about this topic before and I have some new thoughts for anyone beginning the new year with a new chapter in their life. This time can be challenging because you have (at least) two...
Adjusting to Leading in the Virtual World
If 2020 has been a year of adjustments and change, anyone who is in a leadership position can have this on their minds: What happens when a leader is good at their job in the “normal” world, but struggles with our new reality? Leading in the virtual world takes a...
Communicating When There is Nothing to Say
Have you ever found yourself sitting in an airplane on a busy tarmac (remember those?) and everyone on the plane is wondering what’s happening? You’ve been parked, motionless, for five, ten, then fifteen minutes. Slowly you can hear the murmur grow louder and louder....
How to Beat Writer’s Block
The very words you are reading right now represent a “Writer’s Block Exercise.” Just minutes before putting my hands over the keyboard I didn’t know what I would write about for this edition of the Monthly Memo. But, I sat down and thought, where could I possibly go...
An Election Year Plan for a Peaceful Workplace
A subset of my work these days deals with the delicate area of political discussions in a toasty hot election year. The question comes up, “How can we provide direction to our employees while also respecting their rights of free speech? We can’t afford to be seen as a...
A White Guy Talks About Race
One of the healthiest outcomes from the increased discussion about race in this country has been the number of white people who have spoken up. Count me in that group. After years of thinking of myself as “aware” I found I wasn’t nearly aware enough. If you are a...
How to Conduct Sensitive Conversations
Without fear of contradiction, the discussion around race and racism in this country has moved to an across-the-board focus, including in the business world. That means leaders of all races and backgrounds need to be able to have company-wide conversations they may...