‘I’m the best decision this organization ever made,’ said quarterback Tom Brady in an early conversation with Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. Brady joined the team in 2000 as the 199th 6th round pick. Team talk usually misses me. I write this only after someone explained to me the meaning of a ‘sixth round’ pick. 199th? Continue reading…
Your wish?
“I want to work on policy for the federal government,” replied a bubbly twenty-something friend at a holiday-themed cocktail hour. She and I were talking about her career moves. Within the past thirty days she’d pivoted from wanting to attend law school to enrolling in a masters program for paralegals. I have to admit this pronouncement rocked me. Her spirited response came after I finally asked, “what is your dream?” Continue reading…
Yuletide greetings…
“I love yuletide,” chirped a friend as I explained a kooky Winter Solstice tradition in our household. She threw me a little with her use of yuletide. My favorite online dictionary defines it as, “the period of celebration of a pre-Christian festival associated with the (northern) winter solstice.” (Wiktionary)
Listening to the sounds of the season…
‘It’s the and that I hate. I get, what are you doing? all the time. My parents. Their friends. My friend’s parents. They’re only listening for the ands not what’s in between,’ shared a teenage girl in the provocative documentary, Race to Nowhere. (note, I’m paraphrasing) The film spotlighted the unintended consequences imbedded in the US educational system. A test-driven, high-achievement, schedule-intensive, anxiety-producing swirl. The tormented teen pointed out that it isn’t enough to be taking honors courses AND volunteering AND playing lacrosse AND serving on the school council. What then? Continue reading…
A forest not trees….
More than 20 years ago I staged a personal albeit modest ‘conscientious objector‘ moment. I was a first year graduate student at the Harvard Business School facing a two-week break at the Christmas holidays. Since Labor Day we’d been assigned about 100 pages of reading per night. Our holiday assignment was to read a roughly 300 page book. So goes the concept of a break…. Knowing full well the risk of being asked to summarize the book publicly upon my return I ignored the assignment. Much to the horror of my classmates I might add. Continue reading…
Transition Suspended?
Turkeys Suspended On The Climbing Structure
I ran into a friend’s mother the other day. I’ve known this woman and her daughter for more than thirty years. A side benefit of living within fifty miles of where I grew up. “We are going to The Grill Room for Thanksgiving,” she responded after I queried about her plans for the upcoming holiday. “My daughter used to do it but ever since her father died she hasn’t been able to. You know how close they were…” Continue reading…
What are your 100 precincts?
Have you figured out the ten teams that matter? I asked naively during a meeting earlier this week. If the looks on the faces opposite to me were any indication, the answer was no. My meeting comrades had been charged with a change management effort at their company. They had lengthy color-coded spreadsheets. Action plans and timelines. They hoped to train everyone. Win hearts and minds. And accrue victory one step at a time….. Continue reading…
Winning Segments…
“We view the game as a series of 3 to 4 minute segments,” said Kevin Eastman, assistant coach of the Boston Celtics. “We want our guys to win every 3 to 4 minute segment.” It was Sunday afternoon, a pre– season open practice for the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. The coaching staff doesn’t look at a 48 minute game nor does it look at 4 12 minute quarters. Segments. Each one stands alone. Win or lose. It got me thinking about transition. Could transition benefit from this lens? Take it one segment at a time. Reach? Experiment? Win each one? Continue reading…
The self we project….
‘Nice. Happy. Fun.’ So read my picture’s caption on my 3rd grader’s All About Me poster. She is VIP in her class this week. Amidst the photo cut outs of birthday parties, funny antics and family vacations there were silhouettes of each member of our family. The words caught my eye as glue sticks and scrap paper swirled across the kitchen table Sunday evening in a mad dash for Monday readiness. The words made me pause. Continue reading…
Advice: When to embrace vs. ignore?
Last week a dynamic entrepreneur presented her pitch deck to me and a few other advisors. Her company is a new online service that is sure to up-end a staid fragmented industry. All through the conversation I hung on the edge of my seat waiting to catch pieces of her original concept. With virtually no money the company had acquired a few customers (hooray!) and talked with many prospects. But based on a small sample size of feedback she morphed her plan, radically. Finally I asked, “why have you stepped away from your original concept?” Continue reading…