For anyone who has anything to do with corporate meetings…

people

Finally. Something we can control.

August 5, 2011
no longer needed

From what I’ve heard, we all have the same _______ (fill in the blank, eg. boss, family member, friend). The one who refuses to be wrong. And who believes that the only way not to be wrong, is to make everyone else wrong. Like blame musical chairs. And let’s face it. Sometimes we are that [...]

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Why wings are good to have

July 26, 2011
silo

I’ve recently learned about the enneagram—an ancient system of personality typing. In business, it’s generally used as a tool to increase understanding of workplace dynamics. And, to that end, it’s also used to gain self-awareness and the subsequent success that comes from knowing who you are and how you operate in the world. The enneagram [...]

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Keep it in the jar

July 15, 2011
wrong tool

A friend of mine was telling me about her chicken soup. Or rather, the process of making it. It’s long and involved, and includes things like soaking the chicken in cold water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for one hour before cooking it for 24. She cooks the soup in a monstrous stainless [...]

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So no one gets lost

July 1, 2011
nyc maps

Working in NYC, I see a lot of lost people. And I don’t mean the ones that just can’t figure out what to do with their lives (though there are quite a few of those). I mean the people that actually can’t find the way to their destinations. I either get stopped by someone looking [...]

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Why listening is the new life raft

June 28, 2011
lifesaver

During my sophomore year, I played the lead in our high school rendition of Chicago. For those of you who don’t know the show, Billy Flynn’s an arrogant defense lawyer who specializes in getting convicted women out of jail. His character has several scenes with copious amounts of dialogue—like the one that took place in [...]

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Finally, a purpose for the ‘new guy’

June 21, 2011
waitress

I went on an incredible trip with my dad to New Orleans this year. It was just the two of us for the weekend. And in between our inhalations of the incredible food, architecture, music and history…we had plenty of time to talk. And I found it so interesting that while I assume I know [...]

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A dollar goes a long way…eh?

June 3, 2011
fear jar

A friend of mine that runs a creative company in NYC has a Fear Jar on his desk. It’s purpose and M.O. go like this: whenever anyone in the office says something driven by fear, they have to put $1 in the Jar. At the end of the first year, there was enough money in [...]

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Ahhh…humanity

May 24, 2011
red light

All signs point to the fact that I’m human. Like this one: I’m in a cab on my way to a meeting, and, instead of taking 5th Avenue, the cabbie is on 2nd—and it’s taking forever. There I am in the back seat, getting more and more frustrated. I’m thinking horrible things about how he [...]

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Be the spray nozzle

May 6, 2011
hose

I am in awe of my yard tools. (Contrary to popular belief, I do not go so far as to sleep in my jacket and tie.) The awe: it’s something about the fact that we, as a species, continue to look at our tasks—such as yard work—and, not only imagine how they could be easier, [...]

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Stop before the ‘but’…

April 21, 2011
but

There are arguably words in the English language that can be harmful. The ones that come to mind immediately are, of course, racist or sexist or, just generally, mean-ist. Another one exists. It isn’t called out on politically incorrect lists. And we all say it all the time (sometimes harmlessly). Yet, we’re rarely aware that [...]

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