The human side of business
“New Year, New You.” Cliched and virtually invisible in its ubiquity, this over-used – arguably useless – marketing message is still (to my amazement) in rotation. Not to be a bummer, but… A new year is not necessarily an opportunity for a new you. A new year is the passing of time that, in this case, happens to be positioned as a…
What happens to our belief in the fantastical… once we know better? This year, I found myself at a high-stakes pivot with my kids, smack dab in the crosshairs of a zero-gray area dilemma. Do I reveal or do I conceal? As a parent, you get used to the daily toggle between what you disclose (about life and death, headlines,…
No rational human welcomes the feeling of uncertainty – that uneasy sense that you can’t see around corners or don’t know where a road might lead. Of course recent events make us feel that the world is more unpredictable than ever. But when you depend on yourself for success, financial stability, reputation, life’s work – the mercurial feelings that demand…
On level one, you just want to cry and grieve and do something (anything) to help. On level two, you have to deliver work for a client. On level one, you want to let them know you care, that we are connected, that their tragedy is in our hearts and minds. On level two, you have to make dinner. What…
The last days of anything always feel melancholy. Sometimes it’s as simple as the season – saying goodbye to summer. Other times it’s the end of a partnership, a relationship, a business, a project. But last days have such an important role in the way we punctuate our lives – professionally and privately. Last days mean we are in deep…
You can insert competency, naturalness, authority into this if that feels better, but here’s what we talk about when we talk about fluency. You do this work at the highest level without thinking about techniques or mechanics. You’re comfortable enough to think through questions and answers, without panicking about what’s “right” – thanks to experience. You can be quiet –…
