Management books don't really thrill me. Maybe that is an odd admission for someone who writes about the world of work, and who reads pretty much anything that comes under her nose. But I am reading one now that does indeed thrill me, and I'd like you to read it too. Would you, please? And... Continue Reading →
At a staff gathering a while ago I led a session on work productivity. I asked people to think of the most important tasks they do regularly, and then asked them to think about what they spend the most time doing. Then we talked a little bit about why people spend so much time doing... Continue Reading →
When I was eight my dad bought me a punching bag. He thought it was better for me to punch a bag than to punch the wall, or flip my mattress over, or empty my dresser drawers onto the floor. My rages were always sparked by my inability to do something well - make my... Continue Reading →
My calendar is a problem. Most mornings stack up with appointments and to-dos, so that I am deciding whether I need to go to this meeting, take that call, or respond to the flaming email that just arrived. It isn't really about having too much to do, it's about everything I have to do sitting... Continue Reading →
You are in the middle of writing a final report and you get an email reminding you that your timesheet is due tomorrow. Or you are deep into planning for a presentation when you realize you signed up for a training you really wish you didn't have to take. Or your boss asks you to... Continue Reading →
Budgets are boring, right? Excel spreadsheets, numbers, formulas. Overheads, supplies, travel. But thinking of budgets as nothing but numbers and line items skates over the real-world implications they have. If we assume that the work we do matters (which I believe it does) then how we allocate our money matters to health outcomes, and that... Continue Reading →
My kid came home from the first day of 5th grade convinced his new teacher hates him. Apparently she is a fire breathing dragon, and will soon fry and consume him in her wrath. Or something like that. Last night I asked for more details in this epic tale of fiery woe, beyond “she’s really... Continue Reading →
Simple requests are not simple where there is a power differential between requester and requestee. We understand that intuitively when we think about relationships with clear differences in power: parent/child, professor/undergrad, president/intern. But in an egalitarian, non-hierarchical organization like mine we can pretend that power differentials don’t exist. Anyone at all is welcome to sit... Continue Reading →
Yesterday my son and his friend found themselves heading over some Potomac river rapids that they weren’t prepared to handle. They were each in a little inflatable raft with a paddle when they hit a drop. My son bounced through okay, but his friend was tossed from his raft and for a breathtaking moment was... Continue Reading →
One of my dearest friends interviewed me for a job I didn’t take. She was a stranger to me then, and I was applying for a job as an entry-level program administrator in her department. She was to test out my Russian and see if I would be a good fit for the job. We... Continue Reading →
Open Door Policy 