“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)
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…
Pedaling fast enough?
This week I happened to catch an interesting story in the New York Times by columnist Tara Parker-Pope. She compiled a story about a multi-media project sponsored by her paper that asked readers to submit photos and stories about Life After Cancer. “What cancer made me do in my own professional life is pedal faster,” shared breast cancer survivor Susan Schwalb, an artist featured in “New Meaning and Drive in Life After Cancer.” (New York Times, 12/4/12 D5) Reading it I couldn’t help but think about pedaling but it was direction not speed that had my attention.
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…