Fifty-two years ago yesterday, my parents put pen to paper on a decision that would be a topic of conversation for the rest of my life. My parents named me Susan Beth, with every intention of calling me Beth from day one. So for the first 29 years of my Read more…
Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be out on Wednesday? How did this happen? I had no idea this was a risk when we got started. What are we even doing here? What do we care about at this organization? Any of these sound familiar? How about Read more…
One of my favorite movies of all time is Forgetting Sarah Marshall. My husband and I have watched it countless times. There are so many good lines that make their way into our daily conversation. Here’s a scene I think of often: The less you do, the more you do.Less.Do Read more…
Can you believe February is over? It sped by in a blink. The only evidence I have that it really happened (and that I was there for it 🤣) are the recordings of the Toxic Culture Workshop Series. Thanks to those of you who registered and were able to join Read more…
Last week a client told me she didn’t want to comment on LinkedIn posts because she was afraid of what people would think. This is a fear to which I can definitely relate. I only recently started writing publicly, and it took a while to get over the worry about Read more…
One strained relationship can completely decimate team dynamics. Have you ever had that ONE person that completely rubs you the wrong way? Let me tell you a story of my colleague from years ago; we’ll call her Janice. Janice was a member of the leadership team at a small organization Read more…
What is the most consistent challenge I have experienced over my entire career? Saying yes to too many things. As an individual, and as an organization. At a mission-driven organization, it’s hard to say no. There’s so much good work to do. When a customer, client, or partner presents you Read more…
Accountability is such a critical aspect of a healthy culture. Accountability builds trust, and trust is the foundation for a functional and healthy organization. A few weeks ago I wrote about a vision for an ideal school/organizational culture that included having a culture of accountability. Recalling various discussions with clients Read more…
One of my clients is struggling with a pretty dysfunctional leadership team. It’s a small team, but they have all the classic characters: My client and I have been working through some different approaches, and this week we talked about one of my favorites: a shared learning experience. Sometimes, when Read more…
Last week I was working with a client who is a transitioning teacher. We are in the “Focus” stage of our work together, during which I work with clients to develop a clear vision of what they are looking for and to get focused on what matters most. We’ve talked Read more…