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Published by Sameet Dhillon 8 min read published at Apr 25th, 2024 Micromanagement from Multiple Views category: Communication Micromanagement sucks. There, we said it, in the plainest way possible. While sucks isn’t usually a word we use, it perfectly encapsulates the range of feelings that people experience when they are micromanaging or being micromanaged. This specific workplace tension is the source of a spin cycle of blame, shame, and oh so much complaining.
At its heart, micromanagement is a symptom of a break in the workplace relationship. Behind every manager and employee is a mix of emotions and pressures. The very first thing we all need to remind ourselves is most people are doing the best they can with the tools and resources they have. This is why we are taking a step back and looking at micromanagement from multiple perspectives.
Let’s talk about micromanagersHere’s our first perspective shift. Instead of thinking about your boss as a micromanager, try thinking about them as someone engaging in micromanaging behaviors. This tiny shift can help you see the glimmer of good intention behind poor delivery– which has saved more than one work (or other!) relationship.
What causes micromanagement?Unhealthy micromanaging habits are rooted in a mix of emotions and experiences, both past and present.
- Anxiety: Micromanagement often starts with leaders feeling anxious about meeting expectations from their higher-ups. Their performance reviews, bonuses, and future career opportunities depend on their team’s success. This is a lot of pressure, especially for first-time managers.
- Mistrust: An employee or colleague let them down in the past—maybe repeatedly. So now the leader doesn’t take any risks and doesn’t put in the effort to build communication and trust
- Models: A leader’s boss may have also practiced micromanaging ways. There are plenty of C-level executives who haven’t broken the habit yet. You may be in a culture of micromanagement rather than experiencing it just with your manager.
Micromanagement SignsMost of us have experienced or practiced micromanagement in our careers. These patterns will likely feel familiar:
- Does not delegate tasks: Micromanaging leads to people trying to take on everything themselves, from high-level strategy to routine tasks that could easily be delegated to the team. On the rare occasion that they do delegate, it’s with a heavy dose of “Are you sure you can handle that?”
- Checking in for constant updates: While it is reasonable for leaders to want status updates, micromanaging involves demanding updates on every single thing, every step of the way. You might feel your boss hovering over you–virtually (an anonymous armadillo in the Google doc) or in person (behind your desk).
- Does not provide clear feedback (or ask for it): Feeling the pressure to tick another item off the to-do list, your boss makes revisions directly instead of giving you feedback to learn and improve the work yourself.
- Focusing on the minor details: Perfectionism is another form of anxiety, and when it takes over, your boss might fixate on the minor details to the point of overlooking big-picture goals and processes. It’s hard to pay attention to everything.
Navigating a micromanaged workplaceThe first thing to remember is no one enjoys or benefits from micromanagement. It signals that anxiety has taken over–no one thrives in an environment where you’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode. Both you and your boss are struggling, albeit in different ways and with different power dynamics. Acknowledging the shared part of the struggle can help in the process of finding common ground.
Second, psychology has taught us that anxiety is just a fancy word for fear. And, biology has taught us that fear is contagious. Fear often shows up as scarcity at work–there’s not enough time, money, credit, etc. As these feelings move between people they ramp up. In this way, you might unintentionally feed and perpetuate the environment you want to escape.
Third, you might think of your boss as all-powerful, but the reality is that nobody feels in control in a micromanaged setting. There's a fundamental imbalance or mishandling of power somewhere. That may begin and end with your boss or it might be coming from somewhere else.
Fourth, even if this is bigger than you, you’re not helpless. Try thinking of it as an opportunity to create agency for yourself. How you show up and try to shift dynamics for the better can rub off on others, empowering them to also take steps and break the micromanagement cycle. Along the way, you’re building leadership skills.
How to Address Your Boss’ Micromanaging WaysWe know it’s scary to give your manager feedback– especially if they haven’t asked for it. But, you can use the power of curiosity to help you communicate what you’re experiencing and how it’s negatively affecting your contributions to the team.
- Vent: Micromanagement triggers strong emotions which can lead to what Brené Brown calls the Stormy First Draft (SFD)– one-sided, worst-case scenarios stories we use to make sense of difficult things that happen to us. You can share your SFD with a trusted mentor or coach but frame this as an opportunity for curiosity and reflection. What’s missing from your story? Finding holes in your narrative makes room for empathy and productive next steps.
- Empathize: Remind yourself that your boss is a person too. What is on their plate? Is something happening in their lives? Has your boss asked you to do something that you didn’t deliver? Try and let your assumptions and biases go and look at the situation from a few different perspectives.
- Communicate: Sometimes micromanagement happens before people realize that’s what they’re doing. What started as a one-time thing mushroomed into an unintentional habit. When you meet, bring one or two examples of things that you experienced as micromanaging, ask their perception about the examples to see what other holes your story might have, acknowledge their good intentions, and then share how this approach is hurting your work and contributions. Repeat as necessary– shedding micromanagement can take time. Check in regularly with each other to stay on track.
- Shift: Suggest alternative ways for your boss to engage and hold you accountable. Ask for what you need. That might look like asking for written feedback or notes and the time to do two drafts instead of directly revising your work. Be bold in asking for what you need, while also being willing to compromise to help your boss get what they need.
- Update: Rather than waiting for your manager to ask for updates, offer them ahead of time, especially if your boss values overcommunication. This will build confidence and trust, showing you can handle the task at hand. You might over-communicate at first, and then as you get more comfortable you can give each other more space.
How to Stop MicromanagingYou can be the manager you want to be. Sometimes we lose faith in ourselves. We’ve made some mistakes, lost a good team member, and fallen into a rut. That’s okay. Today is a new day and a new opportunity to grow your management skills. Here are a few small daily actions that you can build on over time to be a healthier manager.
- Reflect: Understand the reasons behind your micromanagement habit so you can address it head-on. List your triggers (Someone missed a deadline) and the consequences of your actions (My team won’t learn and grow if I do everything).
- Get clear: Make sure each team member knows what’s expected of them. Use regular one-on-ones to ask questions that clarify priorities and balance workloads. Write notes after each meeting to remind yourself that your team is on track. Be direct when someone isn’t and help them reduce their workload or change their priorities so they can succeed.
- Delegate: Use what you learn about your team during check-ins to assign tasks wisely. Provide what they need to be successful, then step back and give them space to breathe. Make a plan for dealing with mistakes without jumping in, and look at the quarterly goals to ensure there’s enough time built in for people to do revisions on big projects.
- Focus on your tasks: Spend most of your time on things only you can do– like strategic and resource planning. Don’t get into the daily tasks. Give your team the time to do their work while you are doing yours.
- Break the cycle: Talk to your manager about your challenges with micromanagement and the negative effects it’s having on your team. This might lead them to reflect on their behavior. It will also give them the heads up to be understanding through the road bumps as you and the team make important changes.
Everyone has a story about micromanagement, and these stories often stir up big feelings. It makes sense—you've seen how this workplace tension brings down culture, productivity, and the quality of work. Maybe, you’re experiencing it right now.
But when we take a step back and see things from different perspectives, that narrative starts to shift. Good versus bad is replaced with something messier but more honest: here are people showing up and doing the best they can with what they’ve got.
Once we embrace this curiosity-inspired empathy, we might start to see the demanding manager as someone stressed by their own boss's expectations, and the struggling employee as someone who just needs clearer directions and more support. With this new understanding, we can make our way from fear to collaboration and create a workplace where people see and work toward the good.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 2 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 How to Build Habits That Stick category: Habits We can all relate to wanting new skills and healthier habits.
We want to go to bed earlier or spend less time on technology. So, maybe around the New Year or another milestone– a birthday or changing of season– we decide to start building our new habit.
But, more often than not, a couple of weeks or months in we find ourselves slipping. We get it, change is hard and tiring in the routines and obligations of everyday life.
So, curious minds want to know: How can you create new habits that stick?
5 steps to your new habitFocus on how to get to the outcome you want. In other words, journey over destination. Let’s ground this in 5 doable steps.
- Find your why: To change your comfortable routines, you’ll need to convince yourself with a great reason. Ask how this new habit will serve you, or the people you care about.
- Identify triggers: What sends you back to the old behaviour you’re trying to change? Be specific—this is the starting point for transformation.
- Define your new habit: If it seems too abstract, you won’t know how to start; too time-consuming and you’ll find a way out. Break down larger habits into micro-actions that take 60 seconds or less.
- Practice deeply: Try 2 strategies for deep practice. 1) Practice small chunks of the bigger action. 2) Stay mindful during the act, celebrating successes and noticing the rewards of your new habit. This will keep you coming back.
- Prepare for missteps: Be kind to yourself and stay curious when you revert to old ways. Instead of scolding yourself, ask a question like: Why did I revert to X behaviour?
Here's your new habit formula:When this happens...
[Trigger]
Instead of...
[Old Habit]
I will...
[New Habit]
While practicing I will...
[Stay Curious Longer]
Building habits that truly stick isn't about forcing yourself into some strict routine; it's about understanding your motivations, recognizing the triggers that lead you astray, and taking deliberate action to shape your behaviour.. Remember, it's about progress over perfection.
Don’t forget to share your progress with others—we could all use a little extra support.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 1 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 A Simple Way to Get More Creative category: Habits We all have routines that bring us comfort. Sometimes, this comfort can stifle curiosity. We get so used to our daily activities that we go through them on auto-pilot.
In team check-ins, we default to passive participation, nodding along or maybe even tuning out entirely. And when making our morning coffee, we follow the same steps, surfacing when our cup is full.
How do we break free of this monotony to think in new ways, get creative, and have more fun?
Two words: Embrace randomness.
Meaning, do something out of the ordinary.
- Pick a book off the shelf, open to a random page, and read one paragraph.
- Step outside and walk south instead of north.
- Listen to a song in another language.
While doing these things, observe the questions that pop into your head. Feel the fresh mental spaces opening up. Bring that sense of curiosity back into the rest of your day, and watch how your thoughts begin wandering in new directions.
Pro tip: Compile a long list of Random Acts, and aim to tick off a few each week. We know life is busy, and it’s hard to step away from your schedule, so keep it to short bursts. Even five minutes can work wonders.
Let us know how it goes. We’re celebrating small diversions as big wins.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 2 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 How to Build Connected Teams in the Remote Era category: Engagement Many of us enjoy the flexibility of remote and hybrid work. Less time wasted on commuting and more freedom for life beyond the workplace.
Here’s the flip side: our new flexibility also creates challenges, like building a connected company. The routine ways we used to do that—lunch outings, hallway chats, team-bonding exercises—are harder or not an option. The glue that holds our teams together is different.
So, what’s our new approach for creating connected teams? While it’s an easy one to push aside, the data shows strong workplace relationships are important for overall job satisfaction. Connection is key to happy employees and happy employees stick around, collaborate, and produce great work.
In the remote-hybrid era, where connection doesn’t happen as organically, leaders need to be more intentional about creating it.
Here’s what that might look like.
3 Ways to Build Connected Teams in the Remote Era1) Incorporate values into daily workRemote and hybrid teams spend more time working but, burrowed away in their home offices, there are few chances to connect to a sense of community and higher purpose. You can address this by making a conscious effort to weave values into projects and processes.
That might look like weekly values check-ins, where team members celebrate coworkers practicing company values in tangible day-to-day ways. Or, encouraging teams to start adding value-driven headlines to their projects.
2) Building emotional connectionsWe spend a lot of time communicating with coworkers through chat platforms and email. There ends up being little face time, and yet face-to-face interactions, even on video chat, help build emotional connection and understanding.
Try encouraging your team to move beyond their keyboards and build connections through one-on-one coffee breaks, or peer mentoring circles.
3) Encourage collaborationThrough collaborating across departments, employees create new connections, find new ways of thinking and a deeper understanding of their role in the ecosystem.
While many modern teams can’t step across the office, you can still try out interdepartmental projects. For example, create a company-wide initiative to improve customer experience with collaboration between customer service, marketing, and product development.
Work is changing, and we are too.In the rush to catch up with the cutting edge, don’t forget about the foundation of our companies: people. We can’t avoid screens, but we can shift how we use them to connect with each other.
Let’s adapt together, meeting these new challenges as best we can. All it takes to start? Opening a new tab.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 1 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 Choose Curiosity Over Criticism category: Curiosity In the words of Nancy Willard: “Answers are closed rooms, and questions are open doors that invite us in.” But not all questions are created equal. A lot of the time, the questions we ask ourselves are based on the habit of self-criticism, and we get it, that’s a hard one to break.
Next time you’re asking yourself a question, pay attention to whether you’re being curious or have just found a new way to beat yourself up.
Let's practice together.Start with a typical question you might ask yourself:
“Why have I not accomplished more?”
See how this is based on self-criticism—we’ve been there too. But, what if you focused on positive outcomes instead of dwelling on the problem?
Try revising your question with an eye to the future:
“What do I want to accomplish, and what step can I take toward it today?”
Small shifts in language can create new possibilities. To encourage yourself to start practicing right away, add a reminder above your desk or on your desktop. The words “OPEN QUESTIONS” or “CREATE POSSIBILITIES”. Or, create time for reflection in the mornings or evenings where you let out all your self-criticism and try to reframe them. Put this in your calendar as your Curiosity Practice.
Being less self-critical is important in its own right, but it also has the bonus of changing how we approach others. When we make a habit of asking ourselves kinder questions, we get better at extending this kindness to others. This makes conversations easier and more engaging for everyone; great collaboration starts here.
So, take it one word, one question at a time.
Be good to yourself. We’re in your corner, celebrating every win.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 3 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 The 5 Most Powerful Debrief Questions category: Curiosity We learn more from an event or project once it’s over than when we’re in the midst of it. And yet we often finish something and move on without meeting to discuss and reflect on the way it went.
But there is value in doing that and an art to it too. You don’t want to gloss over the good or the bad; you want to find out what worked and what didn’t. Also, you want to be able to learn from all of it.
Think about the way a sports coach draws up their plans. Only after watching the team play can the coach see what works and what doesn’t and then plan accordingly for the next game.
As a manager, you’re doing the same thing when you debrief.
Your best bet is to ask a few powerful questions post-project that focus on learning and community building, rather than on measuring success. Don’t set this up for failure by making it a finger-pointing affair; rather, consider it as a way to find out what worked and what didn’t.
So let’s take a look at those questions:
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What were we trying to do?This is when you might repeat the project's goals, and reiterate what you were all trying to achieve. It can be as simple as going over the original plan.
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What happened?As I’m sure you know, what we plan isn’t always what ends up happening. As Eisenhower said, “Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Use this question to find out what actually happened. Sure, you see things one way, but, assuming that other people were involved, there are various perspectives. This question helps gather the facts of it all — and the opinions too. This can initiate a moment of reflection. Just remember, though, to capture specific instances rather than using this question to call out a time when someone might have done something wrong.
- What can we learn from this?Some learning moments will be obvious (“The registration process took too long; there wasn’t enough signage at the event”); others will be less specific and require a little more exploration (“Why did we take on this project, when it’s on the fringe of our organization’s focus?”).
It’s easy to point to the flaws of a project or event, but it’s more worthwhile to start with what’s been working and go forward from there.
Knowing what works and then looking for answers about the aspects that are still puzzling will lead you to moments of discovery—learned insights—and help you come up with solutions. Be clear and concise about what still needs working on.
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What should we do differently next time?This question is important because it makes the learned insights stick. It puts a thought in your mind that you’ll remember as you embark on the next project and think about the next debrief. This discussion reminds us of the gathered wisdom we can use moving forward, instead of falling into a pattern of doing things the “usual” way.
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Now what?Now for the practical stuff. A debrief might lead to actions that need to be taken, and this is where you can decide who should do what. Set up accountability — decide on actions, set up tasks and determine deadlines.
Debriefing after a project is important for learning and growth. We can make meaningful progress as a team by asking a few questions focused on understanding what happened, learning from it, and planning for the future.
Let's keep it simple: ask, learn, and act.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 1 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 How to Make Every Interaction at Your Organization Better category: Habits For most of us, conversations are an important part of daily work. We meet with managers about priorities or shoot the breeze with colleagues.
Let's be honest: not every conversation feels like a breeze. some interactions flow effortlessly, while others leave us feeling hesitant or out of sync. Whatever socializing you face today, here’s one approach to make it better: Treat it as a learning experience.
Everyone has something to teach you; start practicing that mindset and even those more challenging or dreaded conversations become useful.
Here's how to make this nice thought into a daily habit.
Start Learning from Everyone1. Reframe your questions: Choose your questions carefully. Leading questions don’t leave much room for sharing. Instead, start with Where, When, Why, or How, and use follow-ups to uncover deeper insights.
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Seek out diverse perspectives: Step outside your comfort zone to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and see things differently. Apply this approach to daily interactions and find new depth in existing relationships.
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Start a learning journal: At the end of the day, jot down one thing you learned: A concept, a detail about a colleague, or a word. Writing it down reinforces your learning and helps you establish this new mindset.
What insights will the next conversation bring? Can you see how asking yourself this question already makes it more exciting? To become a student of every conversation, try prioritizing one of the above each month, for the next three months. Let us know how it goes.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 1 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 3 Ways to Be a Better People Manager category: Leadership Being a People Manager is hard. We all struggle with it sometimes. If you’re trying to be better or know someone who is, here are three quick things you can do today.
1) Turn answers into questionsNext time someone comes to you with an issue or a question, free yourself of the need to jump in with a solution or an immediate answer. Instead, ask a few open-ended questions. You will be amazed at how quickly this habit empowers team members.
2) Reframe feedbackWe associate feedback with criticism and avoid it. Try reframing it as a dialogue; both parties share an observation and its impact, then ask questions to clarify and support each other. Something like, “Hey, I noticed X. It seems to be causing Y and Z. How do you see it? How can I help?” Your team members will start to feel safer and open to making changes.
3) Encourage experimentationPart of your job is setting priorities and creating structure. But don't overlook those areas where you can encourage employees to experiment independently. What projects might push their interests and bring out their superpowers? Let them try out their own ideas sometimes. Your team will be more engaged if they have some self-directed work.
People managing is one of the hardest and most important jobs you will ever have. Here’s the good news: You don’t need to have all the answers all the time. Instead, find a balance of great questions, useful feedback, and encouragement. Soon, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a self-sufficient and innovative group.
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 1 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 Practice Session: Building Your Coach-Like Curiosity Muscle category: Habits Coach-like curiosity means being curious in service of each other, so you can better connect to your team and work. Whether you're a pro at it or just getting started, here's one of our favourite ways to practice.
It’s the One Question exercise and, like all exercises, getting those reps in makes you so much stronger. For the next week, try asking just one question at a time.
Here’s the habit formula to support you:When this happens…
After I’ve asked a question…
Instead of…
Adding another question. And then maybe another question, and then another question, because, they’re all good questions and I am really curious….
I will…
Ask just one question. And be quiet for as long as the person I’m listening to needs me to be so they can have the space to answer.
By sticking with one question, you avoid overwhelming the other person and go deeper with them to ideas and solutions that stick. Try it out for a week and see how it goes. To keep the exercise top of mind, you might add a Post-it note with the number one to your screen or add “One Question” as a recurring calendar event.
And, if you feel like you've already got this one down, maybe do a quick audit and keep track of the conversations and topics where this practice comes easily and where you're still having to stretch for it. No matter where you are, be kind to yourself, building a new habit takes time, patience, and encouragement.
Have fun getting those reps in. You’ve got this!
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Published by Sameet Dhillon 2 min read published at Mar 21st, 2024 Are You Prioritizing Customer-Centricity? category: Customers Customer-centricity means keeping the customer in mind in everything your team does. After all, they’re the reason your company exists.
Easier said than done, though, right? We know how daily priorities can take over and before you know it, the team has lost sight of who they're serving. Quickly, customer experience can start to decline.
That’s why we came up with a few simple ways for every team member to make customer-centricity a habit.
3 Ways to Make Customer-Centricity a Habit1) Regularly ask questions about your customers There’s probably a lot of information about the customer living within your company and maybe a few too many assumptions to go with it. Don’t forget to get fresh insights regularly. Otherwise, you might find yourself solving the wrong problems or missing the mark on their needs.
Ask questions in team meetings. What do they want? How might they have changed? How has the world changed around them? Who are you missing? Start with what you think then go out and ask your customers directly; see how well your ideas and their voices align.
2) Create customer-centric processesDon’t wait until the customer has a problem to hear them out. Make space for their voices in processes like goal-setting, scoping, and product briefs. This might mean adding steps that center them or even spearheading new customer research. These don’t have to be massive investments or large-scale initiatives. There are plenty of small ways to get the customer voice into the mix. By revising processes, you can make sure the shift toward customer-centricity sticks.
3) Connect with your customerCustomers can sometimes feel like abstract concepts, especially for roles that are not customer-facing. Find ways to regularly humanize the person behind the word “customer”. Ask your customer-facing colleagues to share some stories from recent interactions or, even better, take a few hours to shadow them to hear for yourself. At your next meeting, add an extra chair to the table as a reminder to keep the customer in the room. Remember, customer-centricity is about creating relationships, not transactions.
Step by step, we can all do better for the people we serve. We know that delivering excellent customer experience is tricky. But, by researching, listening, and connecting with them, we can stand out from the crowd.
Do you have the tools you need to get there? Here’s a good place to start.
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Our success and quality of life depends on our working relationships. Better relationships mean a better support system and better well-being. We all want to create the most effective and strong relationships, we want psychological safety (for us and our
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One of the main reasons we experience overwhelm is we’ve become too central to everything. Do you sometimes feel stressed because too many team members and colleagues are relying on you for too many things? We can relate. We also
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What if the person who’s written one of the most practical and best-selling books on coaching for managers and leaders turned their attention to the health of working relationships? That’s what Box of Crayons’ founder, Michael Bungay Stanier, did. His
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What are the consequences when culture change doesn’t stem from — or start with — an organization’s leadership? For our sixth, and final, episode of this season we’re thrilled to have Todd Kashdan, Aaron Dignan and Jean-Philippe Courtois back again.
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What does psychological safety mean to you? What ideas do you have about the impact of psychological safety on organizational innovation? Episode 5 features Karin Hurt & Liz Wiseman who share their insights on this important topic. Watch the video,
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What’s on your mind when you think of empathy’s role in organizational culture? We’re not gonna lie, we like this question. It combines two of our favourite things — one of our Seven Essential Questions and an important leadership trait.
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If we say yes to leadership vulnerability, what do we have to say no to? Our third episode features Jean-Philippe Courtois and our very own Michael Bungay Stanier – who keep it real! Aside from his work with Microsoft, Jean-Philippe
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What happens when organizations jump into action before getting clear on the real challenge? Our second episode draws on the wisdom of Desiree Adaway, Aaron Dignan and Jean-Philippe Courtois. Desiree is a Principal of The Adaway Group, working to build
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If you had no fear, what would you say about failure in organizations? Our first episode features Liz Wiseman and Todd Kashdan, who fearlessly take on this question. Liz is an executive advisor and author of several bestelling books, including
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Welcome to our new Question Series: Curiosity Changes Everything! This year Box of Crayons celebrated 20 years of staying curious longer by doing what we do best — interrogating ideas, asking mighty questions and disrupting the status quo. The series
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People seek meaningful connections at work — both in terms of how they show up but also how they work with others. To do great work, one’s full humanity should be present in and acknowledged by their organization. Today, we’re
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Continuing with the values that shape our organizational culture here at Box of Crayons is one that starts with courage, draws on empathy and uses candor. It frames our behaviour with each other, and allows us to have meaningful, productive
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If we’ve learned anything in the past year it’s that we live in a complex and uncertain world. No matter how hard we try, we can’t always predict what’s going to come next. We can, however, choose to tackle tough
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We recently shared all of our values at Box of Crayons. These are things we strive for as an organization. How do we embed them? By drawing on them to help us make decisions and navigate complex situations. By collectively
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This week, we’re diving into our first value: STAY CURIOUS LONGER Inquire and interrogate. Humility fosters learning. Failure promotes innovation.Great questions even over good answers. This value is a “practice what you preach” opportunity for us here at Box of
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At Box of Crayons, we help organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led. We do our best to stay true to our values and incorporate them into our work each and every day. Our five values are: STAY CURIOUS LONGER Inquire
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If we’re being honest, we spent a lot of this year binge-watching television shows (Tiger King, anyone?). And while we resorted to Netflix a lot, that’s not all we watched. It seemed like every time we opened our inbox a
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In a year of isolation, podcasts offered us all a chance to connect with inspiring stories, people and conversations that matter. And there were so many good interviews offering deep dives into fascinating topics. Given what Box of Crayons does,
The post Box of Crayons’ Top Five Podcast Episodes of 2020 first appeared on Box of Crayons.
We know you’ve heard it time and time again, but 2020 was a year that challenged everyone — and the challenges continue. We did our best to be resilient and encourage innovation. One thing we champion at Box of Crayons
The post Box of Crayons’ Top Five Curiosity Articles of 2020 first appeared on Box of Crayons.
The first week of May 2017, my son refused to get into the community pool shallow end and stand on a platform, where he was to start his first swimming lesson (to note, this was in fact the very same
The post Learn Something New (Especially When You’re Afraid!) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Learning culture. Everybody’s talking about it. Does your company have one? How do you “create” one? Who’s “in charge” of it? And, like with any corporate culture goal, the “learning culture” speak comes with a lot of jargon. Unfortunately, industry-specific
The post 5 Difficult MUST HAVE Conversations on Your Learning Culture Journey first appeared on Box of Crayons.
When my son was almost six years old and in grade one, he’d only been reading for about two and a half months. Part of his learning included nightly reading. One night, about halfway through the book, he said, “Mama,
The post 4 Learning and Development Secrets from a Six-Year-Old’s Homework first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Michael Bungay Stanier’s book, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, was recently named one of the Top Must-Read Leadership Books of 2020. The list recognizes books on leadership that are “must-reads.” It outlines 33
The post The Coaching Habit Included in Top Must-Read Leadership Books of 2020 first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Things are weird. We’re in a global communal amygdala high-jacking. The amygdala — the part of the brain involved in experiencing emotions, which triggers our fight, flight or freeze response — is in full swing! Conversely, our poor prefrontal cortex
The post You Can’t Be a Leader Without Empathy: 5 Strategies as the Pandemic Continues first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I remember thinking, “I know something that she doesn’t know. I want to ask a question to make sure we aren’t about to make a costly mistake.” But I didn’t. I could have shared important data, but I didn’t want
The post Is Your Organizational Culture Psychologically Safe Enough to be Curious? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Curiosity’s bad reputation Nobody sticks up their hand and says, “I’m against curiosity.” But the truth is: they’re suspicious of it. They don’t think about it as a powerful way to build individual or organizational capacities. And even as their
The post What is Changemaker Curiosity? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Advice and assumptions are killing your company. This might not be immediately obvious to you (and apologies for stating it in such stark terms), but let that sink in for a moment. Because even if it’s exaggerated, we at Box
The post From Our CEO: We’re All In on Curiosity first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ayse Birsel is a New York-based designer and the creator of Design the Life You Love, a book and coursework that teaches designers and non-designers how to create a meaningful life using her design process, Deconstruction:Reconstruction™. In this interview, Ayse
The post Ayse Birsel on Connecting Through Stories first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Hi there, I wanted to share two exciting pieces of news, and offer a small, fun something you might enjoy. Thanks for being part of the community here. Michael My new book: The Advice Trap! (Plus: how to get an
The post All About Michael’s New Book (and More!) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
For me as a writer of business books, it’s a sobering experience seeing how few business books sell in North America compared with the latest trending cookbook. Our success is measured in the tens of thousands; theirs, in the hundreds
The post Can a Cookbook Be the Best Guide to a Values-Based Organization? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Asheesh Advani is the president and CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, one of the largest NGOs on the planet, dedicated to educating young people about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. In this special interview, Asheesh shares his favourite
The post Asheesh Advani on Actionable Behaviour Change first appeared on Box of Crayons.
A few months back, an article in HBR proclaimed the power of questions. It’s not a bad article, and it mentions lots of sensible things: more questions are better than fewer; some questions are better than others; open questions are
The post Three Unexpected Reasons Why People Don’t Ask Questions first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Joe Folkman is cofounder and President of the Zenger | Folkman. In this short episode, Joe shares his favourite question that helps him better understand a person's underlying motivations and then frame the coaching conversation.
The post Dr. Joe Folkman’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Garry Ridge is the CEO of the WD-40 Company, he's the co-author , with Ken Blanchard, of Helping People Win at Work and he's a Marshall Goldsmith Certified Stakeholder Centered Coach. In this short episode, Garry shares two linked questions that reflect his understanding of servant leadership as a responsibility to those in one's care.
The post Garry Ridge’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Asheesh Advani is the president and CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, one of the largest NGOs on the planet, dedicated to educating young people about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. In this short episode, Asheesh shares the question that's changed the conversations he has with his team, his peers and even the students JA interacts with.
The post Asheesh Advani’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Joe Folkman is cofounder and president of the Zenger Folkman. He has extensive expertise in psychometrics, survey research and managing organizational and individual change. He's also the author and coauthor of nine books and blogs for both HBR and Forbes. In this episode, we discuss the value of focusing on building a leader's strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
The post Dr. Joe Folkman on Building a Leader’s Strengths first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dave Stachowiak is the host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast, a top-rated careers podcast on iTunes that's downloaded over 150,000 times every month. He's also the founder of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this episode, Dave shares a question he loves to use to help him better understand another person's perspective.
The post Dave Stachowiak’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Garry Ridge is the CEO of WD-40 Company; he's the coauthor, with Ken Blanchard, of "Helping People Win at Work"; and he's a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching certified executive coach. In this episode of The Coaching Habit Podcast, Garry discusses WD-40's four pillars of care, candor, accountability and responsibility.
The post Garry Ridge on Leadership as Responsibility first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Chris Ducker is a serial entrepreneur and bestselling author. He's also launched and grown three businesses, which collectively house over four hundred full-time employees internationally. In this interview, Chris shares with us his favourite question, one that forces people to prioritize their learnings.
The post Chris Ducker’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Asheesh Advani is the president and CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, one of the largest NGOs on the planet, dedicated to educating young people about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. In this episode, Asheesh explores how to inspire the next generation of leaders, as well as how JA fosters collaboration and the cultivation of individual talents within its organization.
The post Asheesh Advani on Inspiring the Next Generation first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Michael J. Leckie is the chief learning officer for Digital Industrial at GE. In this interview, Michael shares a series of related questions designed to help people unlock their ability to move forward.
The post Michael Leckie’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dave Stachowiak is the host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast, a top-rated careers podcast on iTunes that's downloaded over 150,000 times every month. He's also the founder of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, an exclusive, year-long leadership development cohort for managers, executives and business owners who want to develop leadership excellence — and empower each other. In this episode, Dave explains how he helps leaders make great friends and creates the space for great conversation.
The post Dave Stachowiak on Great Relationships & Conversations first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Aicha Evans is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Intel Corporation. Here, she shares her best question aimed at helping people become both more aware and self-aware.
The post Aicha Evans’ One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Chris Ducker is a serial entrepreneur and bestselling author. He's also launched and grown three businesses that house over 400 full-time employees, internationally. In this interview, Chris explains the connection between being a Youpreneur and who you are, how you're working, how you want to work and who you want to work with.
The post Chris Ducker on Being Courageous and Authentic first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent. In this interview, he poses an intriguing question aimed at gauging self-awareness and getting a leader in touch with their desire for impact.
The post Ron Carucci’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dave Stachowiak is the host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast, a top-rated careers podcast on iTunes downloaded over 150,000 times every month. He’s also the founder of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, an exclusive, year-long leadership development cohort for
The post Dave Stachowiak on Ideas and Inspiration first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Aicha Evans is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Intel Corporation and is driving Intel's long term strategy to transform it from a PC-centered company to a data-centered company. In this episode, she explores why organizations need to constantly evolve. The identification of common goals can serve as a foundation for this change, and help the various parties tackle any challenges along the way.
The post Aicha Evans on Embracing the New Wave first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Want to reach your goals? Who can help you along the way? Selena Soo helps people connect to influencers, and as a marketing and publicity strategist, she knows the value of relationships. In this interview, Selena poses a question that draws on those very relationships.
The post Selena Soo’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Chris Ducker is a serial entrepreneur and bestselling author. He’s also launched and grown 3 business that house over 400 full-time employees, internationally. In this short episode, Chris shares with us the insight he gets from people that inspire him
The post Chris Ducker on Having Inspiration and a Compass first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Aicha Evans is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Intel Corporation. She’s responsible for driving Intel’s long term strategy to transform it from a PC-centered company to a data-centered company. In this special episode, Aicha shares the
The post Aicha Evans on Where She Gets Grounded first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner of Navalent, where he works with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders and industries. In this episode, Ron explores the importance of picking client partners and constructing transformational journeys.
The post Ron Carucci on Constructing Transformational Journeys first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Do you remember work in the year 2000? Email was still a blessing, and we hadn’t yet become attached to smartphones. We were connected, but not hyperconnected. We were busy, but not roll-out-of-bed-and-read-your-emails-while-brushing-your-teeth kind of busy. Today’s managers are stretched
The post Internal, Coach-Like Managers as the Drivers of Change? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Desiree Adaway, Principal at The Adaway Group, poses a provocative question that encourages us to examine how people might use their privilege and live their values.
The post Desiree Adaway’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Selena Soo helps people connect to influencers — as a marketing and publicity strategist, she knows the value of relationships. In this short interview, Selena shares two resources that are her tried and true places to go to for feedback
The post Selena Soo on Trusting Your Circle first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent. In this episode, Ron shares three great resources that range from online resources to the inspiration of thought leaders.
The post Ron Carucci on Turning to Thought Leaders first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this short interview, Michael J. Leckie shares some of his favourite resources and why he thinks it's important to continually carve out time in one's busy schedule to read and learn new things.
The post Michael Leckie on the Discipline of Learning first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Is conflict good or bad? In this interview, Desiree Adaway, Principal at The Adaway Group, reflects on two resources that encourage making waves and using conflict to strengthen relationships. Resources Desiree Adaway’s website Desiree Adaway on Twitter Desiree Adaway on LinkedIn
The post Desiree Adaway on the Importance of Conflict first appeared on Box of Crayons.
As Assistant Vice President and Head of Talent Development for USAA, Kelly Liles has led its transformation of performance management from an administrative process to one that is forward-focused on the development of people.
The post Kelly Liles of USAA on Being Forward-Focused first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Simon Batters is the group manager for People and Culture at Wise Group. In this episode, he reflects on how and why the company shifted away from a traditional ratings system to a process that fosters conversation and connection between leaders and teams.
The post Simon Batters of Wise Group on the Power of Conversation first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Michael Leckie believes that our ability to learn and engage with our fellow human beings is the catalyst for transformation. In this interview, he reflects on giving people the tools and the space that can spark change.
The post Michael Leckie on Sparking Change first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Raymond Hall is the chief Human Resources officer of the Larry H. Miller Management Corporation. This interview explores why organizational differences and changing workforce demographics require a flexible approach to performance management in order to improve engagement, encourage innovation and drive business.
The post Raymond Hall of Larry H. Miller Management Corporation on Adapting to Need first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Feeling stuck? As a designer, Ayse Birsel relies on creativity. In this interview, Ayse shares her favourite question that seeks to understand what inspires other people and how this can be used to help them design their lives.
The post Ayse Birsel’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Deanne Kissinger is the Vice President, Global Talent Management at Diversey, Inc. In this episode, Deanne provides insight into Diversey's process of creating its core competencies, brand and culture while shifting to a stand-alone company.
The post Deanne Kissinger of Diversey on the Creation of a New Culture first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Desiree Adaway, Principal at The Adaway Group, is a seasoned nonprofit consultant and facilitator. Her work involves helping people, organizations and institutions change their company culture by addressing the norms, policies and behaviours that maintain oppression.
The post Desiree Adaway on Challenging Oppression in Company Cultures first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Todd Gilchrist is VP of People, Legal & Privacy at Alberta Health Services. In this role, he's observed a connection between employee engagement and patient outcomes. A clear "people strategy" can help employees reach their full potential and ultimately deliver the organization's objectives.
The post Todd Gilchrist on Refining a ‘People Strategy’ first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Mark Thompson, founder of Sir Richard Branson’s entrepreneurship centres, New York Times bestselling author and executive coach, shares his go-to question for unleashing possibilities and potential in others. You'll want to add it to your leadership repertoire immediate. Tune into this short, sharp conversation.
The post Mark C. Thompson’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
With the need for more frequent feedback, many organizations are reviewing their approach to performance management by equipping managers with the skills to be able to give higher-quality, more frequent feedback. The problem is, HR leaders have tried to implement coaching in their organization and have struggled to do it successfully in the past. Get a sneak peek at how to make coaching work in your organization.
The post Coaching Not Sticking? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Scott Morris was the Executive Vice President of People at Singularity University. In this interview he reflects on how an environment of trust fosters bidirectional conversations and alignment between supervisors and employees, driving employee engagement and productivity.
The post Scott Morris of Singularity University on Bidirectional Performance Management first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ayse Birsel is a New York-based designer and the creator of Design the Life You Love, a book and coursework that teaches designers and non-designers how to create a meaningful life. Tune in to explore how design is inherently optimistic and why having a process matters for triggering imagination and channeling creativity. Don’t miss this episode
The post Ayse Birsel on Transformation through Design first appeared on Box of Crayons.
The traditional approach to performance management (PM) has not reached its potential, and now your organization has committed to changing its current PM approach. Now the question is this; do you involve the C-suite or not?
The post Performance Management & the C-Suite first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In her role as Director of Performance Solutions at Intel Corporation, Devra Johnson has redesigned Intel’s Performance Management System. Tune in as she outlines how high performance is tied to regular, meaningful conversations about what employees hope to accomplish, and in knowing that their work is valued.
The post Devra Johnson of Intel on Driving High Performance first appeared on Box of Crayons.
We all know that the world of performance management is upside down at the moment. But before you think about reinventing your approach and your processes, you need to tackle three big questions. Discover more in this article and video preview of Section 2 of The Truth & Lies of Performance Management.
The post Are You Asking the Right Questions? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Lauren Letta is the Chief Operating Officer of Charity: Water, where she has been a driving force in building its entrepreneurial-minded team and employee-centric culture. Embedding the principles of collaboration, transparency and integrity into their performance management process has helped Charity: Water function more efficiently and effectively.
The post Lauren Letta of Charity: Water on the Impact of Transparency and Integrity first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Looking for a new way to help your team members have breakthrough moments, and rethink how they approach finding a solution? Dr. Lisette Nieves shares her one best question. It's powerful, provocative catalyst for people to access their creativity
The post Dr. Lisette Nieves’ One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In the first section of our new research report, entitled Is the Revolution Real?, we interviewed over 120 senior leaders from organizations around the world. One of the key findings is that the future is here, but it's unevenly distributed. Learn more in this video and article review.
The post What Revolution? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
As Director of Organizational Development at Freedom Mortgage Corporation, Lev Hojda identifies and evangelizes best practices throughout the organization. Here he reflects on how there might be new ways of defining and doing performance management.
The post Lev Hojda of Freedom Mortgage on Changing the Conversation within Organizations first appeared on Box of Crayons.
As a Marketing & Publicity Strategist, Selena Soo knows the value of relationships and helps others connect to influencers. In this interview, Selena reflects on how the fastest way to reach your goals is through nurturing networks. This episode explores how you can gain leverage and credibility by drawing on the platforms and reach of leaders.
The post Selena Soo on Nurturing Networks first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Leadership development firm BlessingWhite that indicated that 73% of managers had some form of coaching training. Yet only 23% of people being coached thought that the coaching had a significant impact on their performance or job satisfaction. What's going on?
The post Why Your Managers aren’t Coaching and What to do About It first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Soni Basi is VP of Global Talent at Allergan PLC. In this episode, she discusses how streamlining organizational learning processes so they're tight, meaningful, simple and usable helps drive performance within the organization.
The post Soni Basi of Allergan on Streamlining Organizational Learning first appeared on Box of Crayons.
No doubt you've heard the rumours... Performance management is in turmoil. Ratings are being abandoned. Employees are frustrated. HR is frustrated. Everything's been turned on its ear. See what's actually happening in this article, "How is Performance Management Changing?"
The post How Is Performance Management Evolving? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Meet Mark C. Thompson, the founder of Sir Richard Branson's entrepreneurship centres, New York Times bestselling author and executive coach. In this interview, he shares how "business as usual" is essentially dead and buried, and, as leaders we need to be the instigators of our own change. See how he outlines what's needed to be able to scale ourselves and our organizations to greater heights.
The post Mark C. Thompson on Scaling Yourself & Your Organization first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this episode, Janice Semper, the head of culture at GE, discusses why the annual static performance management process is at odds with a lean startup mentality, and the importance of focusing on behaviour change rather than process.
The post Janice Semper of GE on Changing the Way People Work first appeared on Box of Crayons.
For any senior leader looking to change their organization’s approach to performance management and coaching conversations, this section contains six key insights, trends and practices that are worth noting.
The post Putting It All Together first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If you're a leader, manager or coach, and are looking to help your people have more impact, listen in as Sally Bonneywell shares her one best question. (And, it's one you're going to want to use right away.)
The post Sally Bonneywell’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Mark Edgar, SVP Human Resources at RSA Group, expands upon the future of work and how performance management is evolving. He discusses the importance of shifting behaviours, getting senior-level buy-in and the need for keeping things simple.
The post Mark Edgar of RSA Group on the Future of Work first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this interview, Tina Kao Mylon explores how Schneider Electric achieves global cadence, while humanizing company values so they matter to everyone. In doing so, managers and HR can go beyond the mechanics of performance management in order to empower the employee.
The post Tina Kao Mylon of Schneider Electric on Empowering the Employee first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sarah Keizer, VP of HR at TD Bank, reflects on a values-centric approach to performance management, why eliminating ratings may not be the answer and how organizational change involves myth-busting.
The post Sarah Keizer of TD Bank on Myth-Busting first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Cameron Hedrick, the Chief Learning Officer of Citi, shares what's happening in performance management at Citi, as well as draws on his experience in other organizations. Listen in as he addresses the importance of courageous conversations.
The post Cameron Hedrick of Citi on the Importance of Courageous Conversations first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Garry Ridge, the CEO of the WD-40 Company, shares how his organization shifted its focus from ratings to development and encouraged its people to be more coach-like.
The post Garry Ridge of WD-40 on Helping People Get an A first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In Section 4 of The Truth & Lies of Performance Management, you’ll find proven tactics for helping coaching take root in organizations — and stick.
The post How to Make Coaching Work first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this latest section of The Truth & Lies of Performance Management, you'll discover how to manipulate two PM levers in particular: the C-suite and technology.
The post Two Levers of Change first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today Ruth Ann Harnisch - philanthropist, activist, author, executive producer and coach - shares her one best question. It's a dynamic way to cut to the heart of the issue and gain insight into the truth of the situation. You won't want to miss this episode of The Coaching Habit.
The post Ruth Ann Harnisch’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
This latest section of The Truth & Lies of Performance Management is now available for download. Section 2 of the report, The Three Questions to Start Your Revolution, frames the questions you’ll need to tackle if you want to start your own revolution.
The post The Three Questions to Start Your Revolution first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Section 1, Is the Revolution Real?, is available for download today. This section explores where things are with the performance management revolution, and where your organization might be relative to others.
The post Is the Revolution Real? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dr. Lisette Nieves is an experienced social entrepreneur, a leader in the world of education and a clinical professor at NYU, where she teaches education leadership and policy. See how she helps people learn, develop their potential and spark something new.
The post Dr. Lisette Nieves on Helping People Get Out of Their Own Way first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this episode, Jim Knight shares a powerful coaching question, aimed at helping teachers get a clear view of the current reality of their performance.
The post Jim Knight’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Think coaching is a "feel good" HR initiative? Think again. In this episode of The Coaching Habit, Sally Bonneywell outlines how coaching can be a strategic tool that moves your organization closer toward its business objectives.
The post Sally Bonneywell on Coaching as a Strategic Business Lever first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Ruth Ann Harnisch is an activist, a philanthropist and a movie producer and has recently been described as the “the punk rock fairy godmother of feminism.” Tune into this lively conversation about the value of coaching, feminism, diversity and favourite questions.
The post Ruth Ann Harnisch on the Value of Coaching first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Michael Bungay Stanier interviews Eric Klein, author of the bestselling book, Awakening the Corporate Soul. In this podcast, he shares his one best question that resonates, has impact and brings out the best in others.
The post Eric Klein’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
From how simplicity is the key to spreading ideas to an exciting new approach to partnership coaching, tune in as Jim Knight, President of the Instructional Coaching Group, discusses how to create an impact in learning.
The post Jim Knight on Radical Learning first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Behind every great coach, there's a collection of good questions. And, Laine Joelson Cohen doesn't disappoint. Discover her best question. (You're going to want to start using it right away!)
The post Laine Joelson Cohen’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I'm very excited to be speaking to Eric Klein. He has been part of my mastermind group for the past 10 years or more, and a real pioneer in mindful leadership and coaching. He was talking about bringing mindfulness into the workplace before "mindfulness" was even discussed in the corporate world.
The post Eric Klein on Bringing Mindfulness to the Workplace first appeared on Box of Crayons.
You may know Neil Pasricha. He is the author of The Book of Awesome and his latest book, The Happiness Equation, offers fantastic insight into the science of happiness. In this episode, he shares his favourite, most powerful coaching question.
The post Neil Pasricha’s One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today's guest is Laine Joelson Cohen who one of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach Group as well as the Director of Leadership, Executive and Professional Development at Citi. Laine believes that using a coaching style and curiosity as a cornerstone to her work opens up channels of trust and leads to collaboration, performance, and impact.
The post Laine Joelson Cohen on Culture Change first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Tune in to discover Marcia Reynolds' favourite coaching question. (It's a great one!) Marcia is a prolific author, sits on the Global Board of the ICF and was its fifth global President.
The post Dr. Marcia Reynolds’ One Best Question first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Debriefing should be a significant part of any project because, oddly enough, we learn more from an event or project once it’s all over than we do during its execution. And yet we often finish something and move on without
The post The 5 Most Powerful Debrief Questions and Why They’re Important first appeared on Box of Crayons.
After 10 years of heading Leadership Development at Walmart, where he was responsible for CEO onboarding, executive development and intelligent management across all levels of the organization, Neil Pasricha now serves as director of the Institute for Global Happiness.
The post Neil Pasricha on Embracing Diverse Interests first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Many managers want to empower their staff to do great work but aren’t sure how to get there. Many people want to accomplish important tasks but can’t get past their own delay tactics. This Twofer looks at how to improve
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Coaching & Procrastinating first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Welcome to the first episode of The Coaching Habit podcast. Today, I'm speaking with Dr. Marcia Reynolds, who was the fifth global president of the ICF, the International Coach Federation, and is currently on the global board as a director.
The post Dr. Marcia Reynolds on Presence, Coaching Culture & Crossroads first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Have you ever wondered which way is the best way to build the leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow? This week’s Twofer looks at two proven approaches to helping employees reach their leadership and entrepreneurial potential. Employee Engagement: Coach for Success
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Leading Leaders & Encouraging Entrepreneurism first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Stop taking it all so seriously!
The post Lighten Up! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If you follow this blog, it won’t come as a surprise that I’m an advocate of going against the grain and challenging our default settings. That’s how some of our greatest visionaries and innovators found their success. And that’s precisely
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Anonymous Feedback & Original Thought first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Make sure your goal is defined, so you’ll recognize success when you see it.
The post What’s the Metric? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If you’ve been a long-time listener to this podcast, you know that I’ve interviewed an eclectic bunch of people over the years. Sure, there’s been thought leaders and authors, but I’ve also talked to advocates for disability rights and a
The post The Last Ever Great Work Podcast! first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Business is all about people. If you want to succeed in business, it behooves you to know how the human mind works and to examine why people respond the way they do. That understanding, of course, doesn’t apply only to
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Human Psychology & Solo Meetings first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away. Turn around. This is not your problem.
The post It’s Not Your Problem (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I’m generally an accommodating person, so saying no hasn’t always been my strong suit. It’s all too easy to shove another yes into the bag of our overcommitted lives, trusting that in a Harry Potter magical sort of way it
The post Five Things You Can Say No to Right Now first appeared on Box of Crayons.
None of us got to where we are today without help. We all look to others for guidance and example. And if we’re really lucky, we just might cross paths with a great coach or mentor who helps define the
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Leadership & Mentoring first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If not now, when? Today is the day.
The post Jump! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Coaching is a topic that’s near and dear to everyone here at Box of Crayons. With this week’s Twofer, I want to open your eyes to a new perspective on coaching. These two articles show how much you can gain
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Coaching & More Coaching first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Maybe it’s time to look the other way for a little while.
The post Look Away! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Every decision we make changes outcomes. Those outcomes might be small, affecting only a given day or even just the next hour. Other times they can impact careers or the rest of our lives. And it’s not just about choosing
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Making Better Decisions first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Stretch yourself in new ways. Step out of your comfort zone. Go the extra mile.
The post Reach! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
We see it in television shows, movies and even comics. One character had the answer to the dilemma all along, and when questioned as to why they didn’t say anything, their response is: “You didn’t ask.” “You mean you could
The post Coaching Questions: Ask What, Not Why first appeared on Box of Crayons.
My first job after university was with a creativity company. It was a pretty fantastic. I could (and did) show up wearing multiple earrings, long hair and trousers made of purple and red paisley. Now the company is the biggest
The post Rock Out New Ideas Quickly first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Say thanks. Acknowledge the work of others. Celebrate milestones. It’s all good.
The post Show Some Appreciation (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Phil M. Jones has made it his life’s work to demystify the sales process and reframe what it is to “sell.” His latest book, Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact, is a must-read for anyone
The post Phil M. Jones’s Five Essential Books for Understanding Selling first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Remember the game of Follow the Leader? You might have played it, in your younger days, on the playground or at camp. It may seem like child’s play now, but there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from that simple
The post Twofer Tuesday: On High Performance & Meditation first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Because urgency can breed action, here’s a quick video on a tactic to help you stop the busywork and start the work that matters. It’s a bit of a short, sharp shock that will help you stay focused. Full Transcript Hey,
The post How Knowing This One Date Will Change How You Look at Work Forever first appeared on Box of Crayons.
How can you break down barriers and find a common bond?
The post Make It Personal (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
One of the biggest threats to productivity and creativity is something we’re all exposed to on a near-daily basis. It’s rampant. It’s contagious. I call it The Overwhelm. This week’s Twofer looks at a couple of ways we can inoculate
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Scaling Down & Powering Down first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Smile, and be a force for compassion and honesty today. How have things shifted?
The post Lighten Up (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
When interviewing top achievers and game changers, I’m struck by how many of them make time to unplug. They understand and value the need to let the mind wander. Each of these Twofer articles uncovers the merits of daydreaming and
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Creativity & Daydreaming first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Which way are you moving?
The post Which Way? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
The other day I was rereading one of my favourite books of all time, The Managerial Moment of Truth. Robert Fritz is the co-author, and he is a giant in the management field, delving into how structural relationships impact behaviour, from individuals
The post Robert Fritz on Structural Relationships first appeared on Box of Crayons.
“Coaching” isn’t a new leadership term. Chances are you’ve already come across it in some form or another. In fact, research done in 2006 by leadership development firm BlessingWhite found that 73 percent of managers had some form of coaching
The post My Three Best Secrets on Effective Coaching first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I love working with great collaborators. It raises my game, and I like to think it gives my co-conspirators a bit of a boost as well. Stepping outside your own mental box and inviting insights and ideas from other top
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Workplace Collaboration first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Now’s the time. Be bold. Be brave.
The post What’s Your Bold Move? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Amy is the author of the HBR Guide to Dealing With Conflict, a practical, useful book and a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review. She also runs workshops on conflict and managing conflict more successfully, so this is a woman who
The post Amy Gallo’s Five Essential Books for Having Difficult Conversations first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Are you so preoccupied with being efficient at work that you’re racing past opportunities to innovate, recharge and excel? When it comes to offering feedback, are your intentions as good as they could be? If you’re not sure on either
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Strategic Offsites & Effective Feedback first appeared on Box of Crayons.
What would happen if you gave up control, and instead helped others empower themselves? Don’t tell people what they need to do, help them to find their own answers.
The post Let It Go! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sir John Whitmore was a pioneer of the coaching industry. He passed away earlier this year, but his legacy will live on forever. He had a fascinating, full life. After a career as a professional racing-car driver, John established the field
The post Sir John Whitmore Takes on Coaching for Performance first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Every two years, Thinkers50 ranks the world’s top management thinkers. Many of my own heroes, the people I admire and look up to, are often listed. I’ve never tossed my hat into the ring, but with the wild success of
The post I’d Appreciate Your Help first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Technology is a marvellous thing. Yet it’s something of a Pandora’s box when it comes to the perils of hyperconnectivity. With so much emphasis on multitasking, we’ve lost the invaluable ability to single-task. This Twofer dives into the dangers of distractions
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Irksome Interruptions & Digital Distractions first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Rely on your instincts, your experience and your wisdom. You’ve got this today.
The post It’s In You (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dr. Jason Fox’s book How to Lead a Quest is a truly fantastic book, not only because of the really robust content in it but also because of the wonderful pirate swagger and adventurous style in which it is written. (If you missed
The post Dr. Jason Fox’s Five Essential Books for Pioneering Leaders first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Have you ever wondered whether workplace feedback is even worthwhile? How about what to do when you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling for your job? This week’s Twofer articles offer solid advice and insights on both those topics. Read on to
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Embracing Feedback & Loving Work first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Do as you wish. Without regret.
The post It’s Up to You! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
By Michael Bungay Stanier A few years ago, I had an enlightening podcast conversation with Barbara Coloroso, an author who has written several books and tackled issues of parenting, teaching, school discipline, nonviolent conflict resolution and reconciliatory justice. In our
The post Giving Up Your Power Means Increasing Theirs first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Most of us operate from a place of good intentions. At least, that’s something I believe to be true. Yet help can be something of a mixed bag. These Twofer articles explore the flip sides of help. The first examines
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Ultimate Truths & Paying it Forward first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Your time is priceless. Get rid of the stuff that takes away your Great Work focus.
The post Lighten the Load (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Dr. Jason Fox is a smart, savvy Australian who brings together insights on change management and making a difference, self-management and being strategic. And he does it all with a kind of Dungeons & Dragons swagger and pirate sensibility. He’s the author of How to
The post Dr. Jason Fox Takes a Stand against the Delusion of Progress first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Pointless. Mind-numbing. Soul-sucking. You know what I’m talking about: meetings. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this video, I share my three favourite f-words that will help you hold better, more useful and more effective meetings, as well
The post Four Ways to Improve a Meeting first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In this video, I share a bit about how far Box of Crayons has come in the last 15 years, but more importantly, where we’re going and the upcoming exciting things that you get involved with. At the end, I’ve
The post Where We’re Going and How You Can Help first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Leadership. It’s an oft-debated topic that brings out plenty of strong opinions about how best to go about it. This Twofer presents a few key thoughts on the subject. In particular, the articles focus on quiet leaders and those of
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Quiet Leadership & Millennial Management first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Don’t shy away. Speak up, loud and clear. Make your presence known.
The post Don’t Shy Away (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
We’ve all been there. Those times when we are trying our very best, but we’re still not having the impact we want to have in our role as a leader, manager or colleague. If that sounds vaguely familiar, I think
The post Jonathan Raymond on How Personal Growth Is Professional Growth first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If I had to identify two main areas of focus here at Box of Crayons, they would almost certainly be these: questioning and coaching. This week’s Twofer examines both. The first article looks at how asking yourself the right questions, and
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Questioning & Coaching first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Enough has been said. Get to the heart of the matter, and move forward.
The post Wrap it Up! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Marshall Goldsmith is consistently named to Forbes’ The World’s Most Influential Business Thinkers list and has been recognized as the top-rated executive coach at the Thinkers50 ceremony in London since 2011. Marshall is also an award-winning author, and his recent
The post Marshall Goldsmith’s Five Essential Books on Leadership first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If you’ve been scouring your brain for ways to encourage new ideas among your team and help them ALL fulfill their potential — regardless of disposition — then this Twofer is for you. Discover the better way to brainstorm, and
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Brainstorming & Introversion first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Be bold. Be brave. Unleash your derring-do.
The post Charge! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I’ve been there and I’m sure you have too — that meeting where people just drone on, saying the same thing in a multitude of different ways. It’s soul-sucking. I love that Alexander Osterwalder is rallying against the “blah blah blah”
The post Alexander Osterwalder Takes on the Blah Blah Blah of Corporate Life first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Doug Winnie embarked on his first entrepreneurial experience at the age of 14 by selling holiday greeting cards door to door. This early drive for success led him to become a successful business owner, and now a business coach. Today
The post Doug Winnie’s Five Essential Books for Business Growth first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sometimes the things that bring out our greatness can be surprising. Other times, they can be just what you’d expect — even if you hadn’t considered them in quite that way before. The first of these Twofer pieces looks at
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Essentialism & Boredom first appeared on Box of Crayons.
What’s not serving you well anymore? How can you let that go?
The post Say Goodbye (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
To do your Great Work, you need three attributes: focus, courage and resilience. But at the forefront of it all should be courage. According to the late and great Maya Angelou, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues
The post Why It’s So Important to Have Courage first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Time is something we all struggle with. It goes too quickly, catches us off guard, is wasted or seemingly stolen from us. But what if there were a way to better manage it? If not to control the nature of
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Free Time & Quiet Time first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Been playing it safe lately? Maybe it’s time to make a bold, brave move.
The post Change It Up (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today my guest blogger is Phil Wilson, the author of The Approachability Playbook: 3 Essential Habits for Thriving Leaders and Teams. Phil has spent years researching — and showing — the connection between approachability and successful leaders. So I’m thrilled that he
The post Phil Wilson’s Five Essential Books for Being a More Approachable Leader first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today I’m speaking to Nicole Bassett and Jeff Denby, the founders of the Renewal Workshop. The Renewal Workshop is a very cool start-up apparel company that helps apparel brands close the loop on their products. They partner with companies to help
The post The Renewal Workshop on Building a Team to Save the World first appeared on Box of Crayons.
When I came across the two articles for this week’s Twofer, I couldn’t help but smile. I hope you’ll feel the same way when you read them. The first offers a great reason to reconsider the notion that a gruelling
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Slacking Off & Doing Good first appeared on Box of Crayons.
How can you be the peacemaker, the negotiator and the bring-the-team-together catalyst?
The post Work It Out! (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
People who have a great reputation tend to succeed, and that often becomes a virtuous circle: success leads to improved reputation; an improved reputation leads to greater success. What are you known for? Discover the distinction between resumé values and
The post How to Build a Better Reputation first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Business leaders are always looking for ways to improve on-the-job coaching and performance management. (Or if they’re not, they should be!) This week’s Twofer explores how managers can succeed on both fronts. Coach’s Corner: Creating Workplace Success Today’s workforce presents
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Coaching & Performance Management first appeared on Box of Crayons.
It’s time to amp up your daily dose of happiness. Move towards the work that gives you the greatest fulfilment.
The post Which Way? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Are you looking to be more productive? Then settle in for this interview with my guest Marina Darlow. Marina is a project manager and productivity geek. It’s her job to create systems and structures for creative types and entrepreneurs who
The post Marina Darlow Finds Freedom in Systems first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In business, and in life, it’s nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of delivering feedback properly. Those important developmental conversations help create trusted relationships and enable people to fulfill their potential. This week’s Twofer articles explore the art of giving
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Giving Good Feedback first appeared on Box of Crayons.
What’s best for you? To dial it up, or dial it down?
The post This? Or That? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Do you struggle with writing? Whether it’s a report you need to write, a blog post or even your first book, we all need to produce convincing, compelling and persuasive copy. Stephanie Chandler is my guest blogger today. She’s the author of The
The post Stephanie Chandler’s Five Essential Books for Writers first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sometimes the best way to have a constructive conversation is to give a little less advice and ask a few more questions. When you shift from giving advice and offering solutions to asking questions, you might at first feel a
The post How do You Improve Workplace Communication? Ask Questions first appeared on Box of Crayons.
If there were a proven elixir for unlocking worker potential, you can bet that leaders and managers around the world would be guzzling it by the gallon. So far, there doesn’t appear to be any such potion. But there are
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Performance Development & Professional Development first appeared on Box of Crayons.
The bigger thing to do might be to give in gracefully.
The post Give In Gracefully (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Meet Bernie Banks. He’s a noted expert on the subjects of leadership and organizational change. He retired in 2016 from the US Army as brigadier general. Prior to that, he successfully led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership,
The post Brigadier General (Rt’d) Bernie Banks Shakes the Mediocrity Tree first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Good coaching is critical to success in every field. So is adopting (and mastering!) the right mentality. With a focus on medicine and sports, these Twofer pieces offer insights gleaned from interviews with industry experts, offering tips on how we
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Leadership & Mindset first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Look at your own skills and gifts. Look at the people around you, who may help. You already have the answer you need.
The post Look Again (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Mark McGuinness is a trained psychotherapist, a poet and a coach. For the last 20 years, Mark has dedicated himself to coaching ambitious creative professionals in fulfilling their potential — creatively, personally, professionally and financially. He’s also the author of Productivity for Creative People,
The post Mark McGuinness’ Five Essential Books for Creative Work Habits first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I know there are times when you’re showing up at your job and you’re not as excited as you might be. You’ve kind of lost the zest and the juice of the work you’re doing. If that rings true for you,
The post How to Love Your Job a Little Bit More first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Too often, we forget to appreciate the beauty in the everyday and to have compassion for ourselves. We focus on productivity at all costs and try to push through the grind, overlooking the fact that we are all individuals, with
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Focus & Fantastic Aliveness first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Get rid of the baggage that has been weighing you down.
The post Let It Go (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
In his book The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace, Ron Friedman uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioural economics, neuroscience and management to reveal what really makes us
The post Ron Friedman’s Five Essential Books for Creating an Extraordinary Workplace first appeared on Box of Crayons.
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “Do what you love and the money will follow.” That advice can be ambiguous, a bit wifty-wafty. Well, my next guest is on a mission to help people focus on “what puts fire in their
The post Steve Olsher Says DON’T Follow Your Bliss, Discover Your “What” first appeared on Box of Crayons.
This may seem a little contradictory, but it’s actually beneficial to put both yourself first and your ideas aside. As with most things in life, it’s all about the when and where. The first article in this week’s Twofer looks at why
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Generosity Burnout & Intellectual Humility first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Is something a little shinier, a little more awesome than another option? Perhaps you should go for it.
The post Amp Up Your Cool Factor (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Considering writing a book? It can be a long and difficult path. (I know. See why I almost gave up on writing The Coaching Habit.) However, my friend, Jen Louden, knows a thing or two about writing. Jen is the
The post Jen Louden’s Five Essential Books for Writing first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Truly doing just one thing at a time; and believing in ourselves. Two fairly straightforward concepts, yet they can be surprisingly difficult to master, even for the best of us. This week’s Twofer looks at how to stay present in
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Mindfulness & Self-Doubt first appeared on Box of Crayons.
What role will compassion — for yourself, for others — play in your day?
The post Are You Feeling It? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Brian Scudamore is a serial entrepreneur and passionate people-person. He is well known for pioneering the professional junk-hauling industry with 1-800-GOT-JUNK? He’s added brands in the painting, moving and home-detailing industries under the O2E Brands banner. I had the pleasure
The post Brian Scudamore’s Five Essential Books for Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Success in Business first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today I’m talking to Brian Scudamore, founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? When Brian was eighteen, he dropped out of high school. Then he talked his way into college, only to drop out again. Finally, he took $700 to start 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a home service
The post Brian Scudamore on Setting a Vision first appeared on Box of Crayons.
How are your New Year’s Resolutions playing out? Did you have a sort of Bridget Jones’s list (“Resolution number one: Obviously will lose twenty pounds”) or were you more practical in your ideas, setting your sights on becoming a better
The post Have You Become a Better Leader in 2017? first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Understanding the way our minds function is incredibly valuable in delivering our best work — that is, Great Work. This week offers up an article from Inc.com that looks at how doodling and feedback can be used to our professional
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Doodling & Feedback first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Sometimes, there is no easy path. You can get through this. Find your focus.
The post Brace Yourself (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
After two years at an Internet start-up followed by five and a half years at Google — where she held the position of Career Development Program Manager — Jenny Blake left corporate life in 2011 to start her own company.
The post Jenny Blake’s Five Essential Books for Pivoting Your Career first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Want to learn how to get your way all the time? This Twofer can help you do just that! A bit tongue-in-cheek, perhaps, but the articles do offer valuable insights on how to exert more influence by letting go of
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Leadership & Persuasion first appeared on Box of Crayons.
What do you need to draw nearer? What needs to be pushed away?
The post What’s Your Best Strategy? (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Today I’m talking with Paul Niven, who is taking a stand against the frustratingly low levels of strategy execution in organizations here in North America and around the world. Paul is the co-author of Objectives and Key Results: Driving Focus,
The post Paul Niven Makes You Care about Strategy Again first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Yesterday, Amy Gallo’s excellent new book, Guide to Dealing with Conflict, was released, so it seems a good time to revisit an earlier Great Work Podcast. I had the pleasure of speaking to Amy about a year ago, and in
The post Conflict in the Workplace? Tips from Amy Gallo first appeared on Box of Crayons.
Many of us spend much of our time caught up in a whirlwind of “me-focused” issues. From work challenges to personal responsibilities to the minutiae of everyday errands, it’s all too easy to forget to pay heed to those around
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Deeper Empathy & Better Listening first appeared on Box of Crayons.
You always have choices, and there are always options. Look around, there may be more opportunities than you think.
The post Choices, Choices (Great Work Provocation) first appeared on Box of Crayons.
We live in a busy world. From gadgets to devices, not to mention what seem like constantly increasing demands on our time, distractions abound, and it’s hard not lose our focus. And it doesn’t get any easier as our minds
The post Twofer Tuesday: On Learning & Productivity first appeared on Box of Crayons.