Read. Be inspired. Go love.
Is it really possible to create a way of working based on love not fear? Yes. It’s not only possible. It’s essential. Learn more from this collection of more than 100 posts to inspire and guide you.
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Here are some common tags: Loving Leaders Time Management Leadership Women Teams Compassion Diversity Everywhere I Go Human-centered Kindness Emotions Authenticity Workplace
Slinky
I was running out of post-it notes. This was a serious problem. After all, I depend on those handy three-by-three inch squares to catch ideas, work up plans, and track progress. So I placed an order for 18 pads of the yellow 3M variety along with some other supplies. And then they arrived.
Honoring Collaborators
We can't do the impossible alone. Remarkable things happen when like-hearted people step up to help. Meet three who did that with me in these last 8 weeks and helped bring Working Alone Together to more people! Hats off to Angie Burwell Kerr, Shannon Patterson, and Gregory Flynn!
Leaders: You are not alone
These last four weeks I’ve talk to so many Leaders like you who are working valiantly to face this pandemic challenge and who feel utterly alone. Leaders like you who are responding to the latest developments, adapting to restrictions, and trying to keep your organization viable.
Let them see you sweat
If anything is essential to our survival and well-being during this crisis, it is our humanity. Denying our humanity is a danger. It is dangerous to us personally and collectively because suppressing our human skills and connections will only exacerbate the impacts of stress on our brains and our bodies and prevent us from thinking clearly and acting wisely.
It’s time
On March 3rd I woke up and everything had changed. The day before was my last day as Director of Workplace Transformation for Washington State. For the first time in years, I had just one role, one email account, one website, one newsletter, one calendar, one computer, one cell phone, one team, and one coherent, clear purpose: To make work more loving and human around the world.
Kindness starts at work!
This month we welcome guest blogger Karyn Ross, founder of the Love and Kindness Project Foundation. Karyn is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, consultant, coach, Lean practitioner, and award winning author of How to Coach for Creativity and Service Excellence: A Lean Coaching Workbook.
Everywhere I go: in a hotel shuttle in Kentucky.
Everywhere I go people tell me stories about their workplaces. Some are full of fear, missed opportunities, bad business, and outright harm. Others are full of love, respect, kindness and the benefits that come to customers, employees, and organizations when these human values are embraced.
It’s been a month: How’s your one thing going?
I asked you what One Thing you would do to Make 2020 More Human, and so many of you answered with emails and messages describing your intentions and resolve. Thank you for sharing these with me.
Everywhere I go: across the puget sound
My work sometimes takes me around the world and other times it takes me right across the Puget Sound. Everywhere I go, I find people who are doing difficult work thoughtfully, brilliantly, kindly, taking care of each other too, in simple yet meaningful ways.
What one thing?
We met twelve times in 2019 in Olympia, nine times in Seattle, twice in Copenhagen, once each in San Diego, Barcelona, and Reykjavik with related workshops in Houston, Ottawa, Lisbon and Doha! In Olympia we are primarily a gathering of public employees and leaders, with many private sector guests too.
Elemental pause
I work with many public employees whose work is caring for those who are traumatized, marginalized, suffering, abused, neglected and deemed less valuable. They do this caring work every day sometimes at great cost to themselves. Maybe this is the nature of your work too.
Everywhere I go: in a workshop in Barcelona.
Amor.” This word surprised the group of 30 people from the Lean construction community gathered for a workshop at the Catalonia Institute for Construction Technology (iTeC) in Barcelona where I was on holiday. “Amor.” A ripple of smiles and happy murmurs moved through the room when I said the answer to fear at work is love.
Diversity and inclusion in what we do
Immigration was the focus of A Human Workplace Olympia on September 27 and included this story by Kim Sauer who works for Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board. Approximately one in seven Washingtonians are immigrants, and there is no dispute that they are an integral part of our communities and workforce.
Arbejdsglæde: Happiness at work in Copenhagen
It had been a bit of a journey getting there. Not so much because of work priorities and life obligations. More because of the endless opportunities to choose from. The abundance of creativity and inspiration out there. And the joy of being absolutely free to pick just what we wanted a group of keen human beings invest two hours of time gathering about.
Emotions at work
When we experience an action, words, or event, it can bring on bio-chemical and physiological responses that are universal to humans. When we experience a stimulus that is threatening, exciting, hopeful, surprising, worrying, angering, envious, or joyful, our human bodies react consistently.
Tell me your story
We focus on stories because they bring to life the ever-growing body of scientific research supporting a more human-centered way of working. A multitude of studies demonstrate that fear is harmful to people and organizational performance, while love in all its forms is beneficial to people and necessary for sustained results.
The future of work is human
Hanna sat cross legged in her hospital room surrounded by her mom, a handful of friends, and “her team” that included her OT therapist, music therapist, and child life specialist. Upbeat music played in the background as 18-year-old Hanna connected with her friend Malissa in Colorado using FaceTime. They were ready. It was time.
Come as you are
Scott is convinced that Kaleen is the reason that their people are treated so well when they go out into the world. “She really builds the relationships out in the community to make that happen.” Kaleen pushes back and says, “Or…maybe I’m treated so well because they are doing such an amazing job out there.”
Right now
Right now, as I survey all my other Things again after writing this, as I look at my calendar, it all looks different. I am more grounded, more present to all the rest. I feel more myself, more ready for everything else. I feel better already. Today, take a few minutes to do your Thing. You’ll feel better, ready, glad.
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