Dear Reader, I grew up in a family that didn't tell stories. That's not entirely true. The women didn't; we were fast and furious. We would never debrief movies before watching the next one. We'd plan the next vacation while on the current one. But then, there's the men. They tended to be long-winded, elaborate storytellers, sharing yarns of yesteryear that I cared nothing about. I thought I hated stories. Until I was asked to come up with my own as a trainer. Now, it's my hardest-won...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, We were in the boss’s living room and were about to have a leadership team retreat. Just 7 people on this health services team. I love these cozy, informal-feeling retreats. The topic to address was feedback. They wanted to create a culture of feedback seeking, and they were concerned that so many of their staff seemed defensive when receiving feedback, and then some would gossip about it; lots of indirect communication. I asked 2 questions. Do you give more positive or...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, I’m sitting in our medical lab, about to host our monthly team meeting. Twenty faculty members are cramming in between their classes for this meeting. I’m the dean of education, and we have no proper meeting room, so here we are. This is 18 years ago. This is the same lab where I have been asked to do things not in my job description, like give blood for phlebotomy students learning to use needles and urine to test. Thank goodness they never gave me a surprise pregnancy...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, FDA & Stories 13 years ago I started a 5-year stint of flying to Washington DC one time per month for 12 days. I did this for 5 years. I was doing one-on-one coaching and teaching leadership trainings for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for the Food and Drug Administration. I got a badge. I wore government suits. I loved every minute of it and my work felt important. There were so many important topics that could make or break them being good leaders. I taught about...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader, Recognizing Uniqueness I was 21. It was my first summer working with Visions Service Adventures, and we were making the 6-hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska, to Tok, a tiny town where we were spending the summer living with 30 high school students from around the country. I was hired as the outdoor specialist and knew I’d be teaching students to kayak and backpack. We’d spend much of our time doing cultural learning and community service, like building a bridge over a river, not...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, Having conversations about the realities of life and work while not talking about politics can be complex to navigate. Over the last 13 years, my team has been brought in to facilitate meaningful discussions with roomfuls of work teammates, taking special care that there is no trash-talking, polarization, or personal political views discussed. It’s challenging but possible. This was Week 1, Session 1: Creating a Culture of Feedback for our STEP Academy for Government Leaders...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, The other day, I stopped by a hotel to drop off a book. The Flagstaff Leadership Program asked if I would give one of the new resilience stories books to their annual fundraiser, and I was happy to. The hotel was the workplace of Ellen Jimenez, someone I know just a little bit but like a whole lot who has amazing energy, and I feel a kinship with her. Upon seeing each other, we embraced in a big hug. All was well in the world. As we separated our bodies, somehow and in slow...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, I recently heard a statistic that if we have a culture of high inclusion, burnout decreases by 93%. This helps me to understand myself and my motivations for my work. I have a passion for authentic connection & helping others to connect. This month, Triumphs of Transformation launched. Putting together a book with 29 other people was a fun-chaos kind of adventure. Through the process, I had a double-sided fear; that no one would read it, or that everyone would. The experience...
10 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader, 2 things happened at once. I was in the midst selecting the editor for a book I’ve been writing through Amplify Publishing about how people can increase their leadership impact through short-form story telling. It’s my hardest won leadership skill. In my family, we were often onto the next thing & were moving quickly. It’s filled with tons of my own stories & teaches a method for people to bring their stories to life when communicating about leadership. At the same time,...
11 months ago • 2 min read