RECENT POSTS
Be Someone (#393)
Often, my Friday Forward is inspired by current events and intended to provide a deeper exploration, insight, or reflection on a pertinent topic. But as much as reflection and contemplation are crucial to processing current events, sometimes what’s really needed is action. All around the world we are seeing climate change affect billions of people. This summer in particular, we’ve seen intensified fires, floods, and droughts. Just last week, my own neighborhood was hit by a record flash flood that caused significant damage just a few streets away from my home. I was lucky. Also last week, winds from Hurricane …
Team Work (#392)
In 2021, as the world was exiting the most restrictive phase of the COVID pandemic and the great resignation was in full swing, I spoke on a panel about the future of work. The moderator closed the session by asking each panelist what we thought employees wanted most going into the next year. I answered that flexibility of workplace and schedule would continue to be a top priority. But another panelist took that much further; they stated that employees, “want to work on what they want, where they want and when they want.” I simply couldn’t let that comment be …
Probing Questions (#391)
Since childhood, I have always been characterized by my curiosity and eagerness to ask questions. A notable response I have heard often is, “no one has asked me that question before.” In my experience, that response has one of two tones. The positive-toned version is one of the greatest compliments someone can pay me. But the other version is more incredulous or irritated. In the latter cases, I often reply with another question: “Does that mean it’s not the right question to ask?” As much as I love asking other people questions, I have come to realize that the most …
Just Start (#390)
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview BJ Fogg on the Elevate Podcast. Fogg is considered one of the world’s leading experts on the subject of habits. He is also the creator of the Fogg Behavior Model (FBM), which states that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur: motivation, ability, and a prompt. While Fogg shared many techniques that can help build good habits and discourage bad ones, one my most important takeaways from our conversation was this: it’s crucial to just get started. So often, what stands in the way of progress is …