Perspectives

The Five Whys of Taylor Swift

The Five Whys of Taylor Swift

One of the things I like about design thinking is the vast array of tools available in the proverbial toolbox, particularly the ones that help uncover underlying themes. These tools allow us to understand and empathize with people in meaningful, human ways. One...

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The Feelings of Fall

The Feelings of Fall

Fall is an interesting time of year. The bright, inspiring colors of the midwest followed by the gray Ohio skies can play tricks with your energy and your outlook. With all of its complexity, Fall is still my favorite time of year. The crisp air, glorious colors and...

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Gifts

Gifts

I was about 15 years into my career when my coach asked me what my super power was – silence. I had always struggled to identify my gift, my super power, what made me special. My older sister and others were such naturals. Their gifts were so apparent. She is clearly...

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Supporting Sustainability Leaders

Supporting Sustainability Leaders

When I was in graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in the now MPOD program, one of our core areas of study was sustainability. It was my first exposure to concepts like the triple bottom line and the beautiful book Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough....

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Email: The Great Unburdening

Email: The Great Unburdening

Email. Over the past 2 years we have had so many conversations with clients regarding email. The once useful communication tool, today, seems to be a primary cause of stress and frustration. Email combined with other “helpful” communication tools are inundating...

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Words Matter

Words Matter

If you have spent any amount of time with me you have probably noticed that words matter to me. One of my most impactful memories from graduate school at Case Western Reserve University was when David Cooperrider introduced the idea that words create worlds. I have...

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Getting Curious About Culture

Getting Curious About Culture

What do you want your culture to be like? What micro actions are currently eroding or contributing to the culture you desire? Understanding what is serving or doing a disservice to a healthy and happy culture is an invaluable element to building a successful organization. When is the last time you “checked in” on your culture?

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Did You Feed Your Soul Today?

Did You Feed Your Soul Today?

I know it’s important to begin each day with self-care — simple rituals that get your mind and body right. Meditation. Exercise. Spiritual pursuits. Journaling. Intentionally carving out that time is so critically important to being a happy and productive human.

Except I don’t do it. It’s far easier for me to hop out of bed and race down the litany of to-do’s and handling “this one little work thing”. Before long, morning has turned to afternoon and the hamster wheel is still spinning. Oftentimes I’ve given away the best of my energy and brainpower to things that don’t require much of either.

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What is Design Thinking?

What is Design Thinking?

What is Design Thinking? Design thinking is not so much "a thing", but more so "a way". Below are sourced excerpts that explain design thinking in more detail and provide links to original articles. "Design thinking is an innovative problem-solving process rooted in a...

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The Value of Pause

This week I had the opportunity to join a group of women for a Wild Morning retreat, part of the Women in the Wild program from Vibrant Living and Leadership. It was only two hours. Two, glorious hours of quiet, connection, community and reflection. We sat together....

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Change Takes Everyone

A culture change isn’t any different than other change initiative and benefits from involving the entire organization in the conversation – defining, designing and making change. How can you get your entire system involved? Town Hall Meetings Surveys Focus Groups Task...

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What is Culture Anyway?

I have found over the years that the definition of culture is diverse. For some it means social activities, foosball tables and beer; for some it is about the building, the decor and the “look”; and for others it is about how people are treated within the four walls of the organization – the values, the behaviors, the norms within the group.

We believe that culture is the wholistic experience of an organization and that the most successful organization, those where people want to be and work, are those that consider four elements of their culture …

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Changing a Culture

Building culture is a fascinating thing, especially as a consultant. From the outside, you have perspective that helps in highlighting elements that a leadership team may have become blind to. But it also means it is difficult to shepherd the process for change. To...

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Stop Weaponizing HR Assessments

Stop Weaponizing HR Assessments

I love HR assessments. They provide interesting insights to personalities, behaviors and skills. They make for interesting conversation around the water cooler or dinner table. But while lots of organizations run assessments, many of those same organizations are...

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