Author: Rachel Hanson

The more clarity we have on any given topic, the more we compel ourselves to action. It's hard to take action on a fuzzy objective, a fuzzy topic. Need to have a hard conversation but you've been delaying it? Great. Slow down first. Write about it. Why is it bothering you? What's at the root? … Continue reading Clarity compels

Past hurt informs future fear. This is true, with the caveat - if those past hurts and the mental stories we tell ourselves about them are left unexamined. We experience something difficult, often created by things outside of our control. Something a parent, teacher, or loved one tells us tells, life circumstances, etc. They may … Continue reading Stories

A learning culture is half the equation. What you want is a learning culture AND an application culture. Doing without learning leads to a culture that is high on efficiency but caps out on potential pretty quickly. If we can only do what we know, once we've reached peak effectiveness on what we know, we … Continue reading Learning culture

Hedonia is the pursuit of pleasure. The hedonistic lifestyle where decisions are made based on how much pleasure and enjoyment they bring me. Eudaimonia is a little more nuanced. It's the pursuit of happiness via pursuing meaning and/or purpose. Happiness is the lagging output, not the aim. Those who pursue meaning and purpose find happiness … Continue reading Hedonia vs Eudaimonia

KPIs, target goals, quarterly rocks....all are important to have. AND the magic isn't in the actual KPI itself. There are likely other KPIs that would measure success equally well or close to it. The magic is, are you holding each other accountable to hit what we said we'd hit? And then are we learning from … Continue reading KPIs

I was recently sitting at a coffee shop and couldn’t help but overhear the table next to mine. One guy met up with another and they sat down to hash out some difference of opinion or grievance. The problem was, the guy with the grievance wasn’t having a conversation, he was monologuing. He shared what … Continue reading Monologuing

When asked how he created one of his most famous masterpieces, The David, Michelangelo responded that David was there all along - he just chipped away at everything that wasn't David, until David was all that was left. BTL Identity work is much the same. The real you is there, always has been. The work … Continue reading The David

Cut through the noise. Keep the main thing the main thing. Actions speak louder than words. Think outside the box. Break down silos. Etc. We roll our eyes at cliches, and yet there's often a melody line of truth and wisdom in them. Spout them without action and they're simply overused bullshit phrases. Live them … Continue reading Cliches