Telling the Story of Change
Change is going to hurt a little. Trying new ways or working, letting go of old habits, restructures. It’s only natural as human beings to feel uncertain and uncomfortable. In my experience, people who act out or resist usually know deep down that change is needed. It...
Teaching and Creating a Learning Culture
There's something quite thrilling about having mastery of your domain, being in the zone, and zipping through your work. It feels good to be the expert. Expertise often comes with the expectation of training others within your organization. But teaching is about much...
Team Retreat Extras
Since we don’t often get this level of undivided team attention and strategy time, it’s tempting to pack a team retreat full to the brim, so there’s no breathing room. This is one of the main cautions I share with people when I’m helping plan a retreat. It’s really...
The Collaboration Conundrum
I'm a big fan of collaboration, and not just because I think it's a fun way to work. I truly believe it leads to better outcomes when different types of thinkers are part of the process, with more and better ideas, and less mistakes or misses. Now that I've gotten...
The Creativity / Movement Correlation
Have you ever noticed that moving your body helped you be more creative? You feel stuck on a project, then go for a walk and finally have that breakthrough idea. A-ha! Turns out, a recent study shows there is a link between being active and creative. According to...
Exploring Brand Concepts
Designing a logo for a new business is the ultimate of blank slates. No history, no existing perceptions, no legacy constraints. There also may not be full product lines, core values, or other helpful starting points. Even still, there's always "stuff" to work with...
Finding Design Inspiration
The blank page can be overwhelming. Sometimes a repeat project is even more challenging, trying to break from an existing design to make something fresh. Having a design process can make it all a little less intimidating. And you don't need to have "designer" in your...
Meaning What I Say
I've read a lot of articles about how we apologize too much. And say "like" too much. I have my own admittedly long list of language pet peeves, some of which I commit to my own dismay. One of my husband's favorite words is disambiguation. Making words and meaning...
No Meeting Day Won’t Save You
I recently had an organization reach out to me about facilitating some cultural conversations around burn out. This is one of my favorite issues to try to solve—it is tricky, but potentially transformative if there's a real commitment to change. As I listened, I heard...
From Sketch to Logo
Take a peek into the YAY sketch book to see a brand project unfold from pen and paper to the digital realm. The band Crooked Finger Rhythm Revue already had an established name, several years of gigs around Indy under their belt, and even a couple of albums out...