going rogue
by One of the most underrated parts of being in middle management is the ability to make change. Managers can have a surprising amount of latitude within their little domain. They …
Category: working
innovations people can apply to their jobs
going on a mandate
On August, 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval to the Covid-19 vaccine. Comirnaty (this is a dignified blog, I won’t go there), made by Pfizer-BioNTech, …
irreplaceable
White supremacist culture likes to distance itself from the unsavory. For years, the word “plantation” described for many people an idyllic southern estate. They were oases of prosperity for a …
rocks and sand
My ears perked up on a call recently when I heard someone talk about “people living homeless.” This was a new phrase for me. I usually say “people who are …
new mistakes
I have a philosophy that I often share with the teams I work with. Mistakes are a natural part of life. I make mistakes all the time. But I try …
beyond anecdata
One of my favorite workplace neologisms is the term, “anecdata.” Depending on the day, it’s also my least favorite neologism. The word is a portmanteau of anecdote and data. It’s …
hide and seek
Science lab is the first place I remember learning about passive voice. We learned to write these papers with complete neutrality. We observed our subjects with dispassionate remove. The reports …
while everyone’s watching
These past few years have brought strong activism and support for marginalized communities. But the change we need isn’t finished. It may not have even started yet⏤sometimes it’s hard to …
where people want to be
how do we reward employees? Almost every organization benefits when it can hold on to the employees it has. As employees stay with a company, they develop institutional knowledge. They …
the andon cord
I heard a story years ago about a strange partnership struck between Toyota and GM. In 1984 they came together to create a factory called NUMMI. This factory ran under …