Confessions of a bad manager (and what I wish I had back then)
If you’ve been a manager, can you relate to my "confessions"?
Did you feel forced to fit into a bad system or were you able to lead with authenticity?
WOL at the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR): “Qualität für Menschen”
Why would a government organization with 22,000 employees, serving almost 10 million German citizens, use Working Out Loud?
What benefits would they get? What benefits would the individuals get?
“Neighbors helping neighbors”
Carl Sagan said, “When too much cynicism threatens to engulf us, it is buoying to remember how pervasive goodness is.”
Almost 12,000 people volunteer with City Harvest, and “Neighbors helping neighbors” is how they describe who they are. It’s a reminder of who we all can be when we choose to work together to make things better.
The tragedy of (some) commons in New York City
We often assume shared spaces will fall into neglect — the “tragedy of the commons.” But it isn’t always true. In this essay, I explore examples from New York and beyond of how communities can care for what belongs to all of us.
“What are they thinking?” Engaging young people for collaboration and growth
From skipping life-saving medicine to resisting “good advice,” young people’s choices often puzzle adults. But research reveals a deeper logic — and a path to building stronger, more respectful relationships across generations.
How Organizations Make WOL “Their Own”
One size doesn’t fit all — and with WOL, it doesn’t have to. For us, the real measure of success is when organizations feel that WOL isn’t just another program, but their program, designed to fit and last.
What can your CliftonStrengths profile reveal about you?
Strengths assessments aren’t meant to be filed away. They can be a powerful lens on who we are — and who we might become — if we actually use them.
The smell of the place
Within each interaction, each moment, is the chance to choose kindness and human dignity, for ourselves and the other person. If it helps, we can view our choice as a form of rebellion: “Yes it’s hot and unpleasant here, but I won’t add to the suffering or be someone I don't want to be.”
My Top 5 CliftonStrengths®
Suddenly, I believed. I became convinced that the 35 million people who’ve taken the test can, as Gallup writes, “use their CliftonStrengths to thrive at work and everywhere else.”
Have you taken the CliftonStrengths test?
Have you done anything with the results?
What are your top 5?
In their own words
“Our Circle 53 is a great gift.“
“A time that enriched and connected us…”
“WOL is more than a method – it is a space of possibility.”
Uplifting words from participants of the latest #FrauenStärken progam.”
The Good Men Collective
The role of men in families and in society has changed due to economic, social, and cultural shifts. The very idea of masculinity has changed.
But…changed to what?
WOL for Leaders
What happens after a leadership offsite or workshop is over and everyone goes back to their desks? What’s next?
There are over 50,000 books on leadership telling you what leadership is. In WOL for Leaders, you build skills and relationships to become the kind of leader you aspire to be.
More good days
In their first meeting, we ask them to remember a good day they had at work. The kind of day you’re eager to talk about when you get home. The kind of day where you feel alive at work.
“Your goal in this program,” we tell them, “is to have more days like that.”
Five new WOL programs
“Working Out Loud” has evolved. The original method is still networking and visibility. And new methods apply to doing all sorts of work (inner work, team work, collaboration, leadership) “out loud”—together with other people in a trusted peer Circle.
These five new methods—and more to come—are designed to strengthen feelings of self-efficacy and connection.
The Working Out Loud Goal Clinic (Part 2 of 2)
The goal clinic helps you choose your goal in a WOL Circle and see how the method can bring your goal to life.
A previous post described how Weeks 1 to 6 help with a specific goal.
In this post, I’ll share what happens in Weeks 7 to 12 and what happens in the rest of the clinic.
The Working Out Loud Goal Clinic (Part 1 of 2)
In the original WOL method, you choose a goal in Week 1 and, step by step over 12 weeks, you make progress towards your goal as you build relationships and practical skills.
For some, though, choosing a goal isn’t easy. So I’ve started to run a “goal clinic” to help.
Here’s how it works.
A new WOL approach: Co-creating methods
Companies, Non-profits, Veterans Groups, Families, Universities.
This is some of the most interesting work I’ve done since the early days of Working Out Loud.
We now offer three levels of co-creating new WOL methods. Collaboration with such a wide array of passionate people and organizations has led to a greater sense of mission for WOL and created new opportunities for making a positive difference.
#ICelebrateYou : Bettina Jung and Constanze Zeller
WOL Healthcare would not exist without them. And even as we continue to improve that method we have come to experiment and collaborate on new ideas as well.
I am proud to call them my partners and my friends.
New resources and new training for WOL Mentors
New resources help WOL Mentors spread the mindset of connection and generosity to a wider audience than ever before.