“I have a passion to know things,” said Morgan Freeman, one of my all time favorite actors, as he responded to Charlie Rose‘s query. Rose, installed unadorned at his round table, listened intently as Freeman described a pet project of his, “Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.” The cable series investigates the questions that have puzzled humankind, and Freeman, seemingly forever. During the interview Freeman described himself as having, “a passion to know things. (As a kid) I was not science minded. I was an A student because I questioned.” Questioned? Continue reading…
Time to unplug?
‘Why should he be any different,’ recounted my husband as he told me a story from a holiday party we attended. He was indulging himself with some gooey treats at the buffet. Two gentlemen who looked to be in their early 60s stood steps away from the table. One sported a bow tie. They were talking about a young friend who was searching. A person trying to figure out who he was going to be AND make a living at the same time. My husband’s ear engaged as these men agreed and chuckled, ‘that will pass.’ Continue reading…
The Best Decision You Ever Made?
‘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)
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…
Live the life you’ve imagined…
For years I’ve ferried about a tattered 1998 Wall Street Journal page with a quotation attributed to Henry David Thoreau. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” It’s a yellowed beacon interspersed with my chaotic fridge decor. This week a conversation with a friend caused me to examine its meaning more completely…. 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…
Career and Life Blockers…
Ever heard of blockers? I picked up on the phrase during my tenure as head of HR and Administration at a large S&P 500 corporation. A blocker in that context was a person who stood in the way of another’s progression. For those outside the corporate world this may seem odd so here’s the scoop. Every year the CEO, the head of HR (yours truly), and all business unit presidents would discuss the ‘talent’ (read: employees) who held the title director or higher. In our world that numbered more than 400 people. Continue reading…
Transition Interrupted….
“Take out your application and reread it,” urged an endearing professor to our section of first year students at the Harvard Business School. We were less than a month into a two-year residence there. To a one we were humbled by the scope and pace required of us. At that moment we stood bleary-eyed and dejected. Her recommendation was intended to rekindle some sense of personal self-worth amidst a sea of upheaval. Did it work? Not sure any of us headed for our file cabinets but the sentiment was an elixir in its own right. Continue reading…