Just the word “gossip” sets my teeth on edge. It brings back memories of middle school, where gossip was currency and weapon and social glue embodied in a language I didn’t understand, just as I didn’t understand which kind of Guess jeans or Swatch watch was the right kind. I always had the wrong kind.... Continue Reading →
There are days when I go to bed dreaming of the first cup of coffee the next morning. It isn’t so much that I am addicted (which I certainly am) but that the ritual of coffee, the warm cup in my hand, the bitterness on my tongue, and the rustle of the morning newspaper in... Continue Reading →
m Empathy is one of those traits we think of as a gift – you have empathy, just as you have your father’s eyes and your mother’s wit. Empathy is a noun, a thing, a trait, or an emotion you feel deep in your gut. This can be true for people to whom empathy comes... Continue Reading →
Bulldogs don’t always play nice. My bulldog is especially bad; he has been indulged, the behaviorist tells us, and believes he is king. My son is working particularly hard to make the dog a better citizen. Together they try to play ball, the baseball-crazy boy and the chew-toy-crazy dog. The problem is that when my... Continue Reading →
Last night I dreamed I was standing in my kitchen in bare feet surrounded by broken glass, calling rather pathetically for my husband to come help me. The dream also featured a swiftly rising river and an old man who lived in a hobbit house. It was a dream, okay? This morning, standing in my... Continue Reading →
Procrastination is blamed for all manner of work woes. It’s true that putting something off until you don’t have time to do it well is not the best way to work. On the other hand, I think we lump a number of sins (and virtues) under the heading procrastination and castigate them all. If we... Continue Reading →
The things I don’t know every day could fill volumes. Just today, looking at my calendar, I can see I don’t know enough to do half the things I should do. That country budget that was slashed? No idea what the reduction means in real dollars and people and projects. I haven’t read it carefully... Continue Reading →
Workplaces are micro-societies with their own unique cultures, their own parallels to the unwritten rules of behavior that govern societies at large. We recognize coming-of-age rituals, birth ceremonies, and courtship norms as culture-determined behaviors – but so are coffee breaks, promotions, and the subtleties of choosing a seat at the conference table. I’m sure there... Continue Reading →
It’s weird to talk about wisdom at work. Wisdom is a word like “love” or “honor” or “courage” that doesn’t seem to belong to work culture, but instead to novels and maybe the military or religion. Not work. Yet over the past months I’ve been wrestling with how to define and describe those intangible attributes... Continue Reading →
Open Door Policy 