Engaging Play

09/09/2026

Thrilled to be speaking at the Therapeutic Recreation Summit this Friday!

I’ll be leading a session on Authentic Leadership in Action: Leading with Emotional Intelligence — a topic that matters in therapeutic recreation, but really, in every field where we lead and work with people.

Because leadership isn’t only about how we show up when everything is going smoothly.

It’s how we show up when things are stressful. When emotions are high. When someone responds in a way we didn’t expect. When we don’t respond quite the way we wish we had.

That’s where emotional intelligence becomes such an important leadership practice.

We’ll explore how we can become more aware of what’s happening in ourselves and around us, make more intentional choices in the moment, and show up as the leader we want to be, even when it’s hard.

I’m looking forward to learning, connecting, and playing a little with the therapeutic recreation professionals gathering on Friday!

The Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Summit is a premier professional development event designed to help therapeutic recreation professionals grow as leaders, strengthen their skills, and connect with peers from across Illinois. Through engaging education and meaningful networking, attendees will ga...

09/09/2026

Got 8 minutes?
That's less time than most of us spend scrolling while pretending we're just checking one thing. 😄

In less than 8 minutes, I share a story about two jobs, two completely different workplace experiences, and one lesson that took me years to understand:

Connection at work isn't the soft stuff.

It's what gives teams the capacity to disagree, ask for help, give honest feedback, recover when something goes wrong, extend grace, and take risks together.

And that's what enables people to do hard things together.

You'll also find out what prairie do***ng has to do with any of this. 🐾

Give me less than 8 minutes, and I’ll tell you why I believe connection at work isn’t the soft stuff.

Where does connection actually happen on your team?

Connection at work isn't the soft stuff. It's part of how high-perf...

09/08/2026

Tuesday Tip! Before you respond, ask one more question.

This is for a special client of mine: a tiny communication habit that can change a conversation - Before you respond, ask one more question.
Especially when you think you already understand.

“What makes that important to you?”
“Tell me a little more about that.”
“What am I missing?”
“What would be most helpful?”

We are incredibly quick to move from hearing something to solving it, defending ourselves, offering advice or explaining our point of view.

One more question creates just enough space to make sure we're responding to what the other person actually means... not what we assumed they meant.

Curiosity before response.
Try it once today and see what changes.

09/07/2026

A little Labor Day reminder — mostly for myself:

Rest counts.

So does play.
So does wandering.
So does spending time with people you love.
So does doing something simply because you enjoy it.

Not everything productive looks like work.

And not everything has to be productive.

Happy Labor Day. ❤️

09/02/2026

What does a prairie dog have to do with building a high-performing team?

More than you might think. 😄

Tomorrow, I'm going LIVE to tell a story about two very different workplaces I experienced early in my career.

In one, I didn't always love the work — but I would have stayed forever.

In the other, I felt disconnected, alone and eventually ready to leave.

It took me years to understand what made those experiences so different.

Connection.

Not connection as the “soft stuff.”
Not an occasional team-building activity.
Not an icebreaker before we get to the real work.

Connection as something that gives teams the capacity to disagree, ask for help, give feedback, recover from mistakes and do hard things together.

Join me tomorrow for:

Connection at Work Isn't the Soft Stuff

Thursday at 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET

Here is the link, And yes, I promise to explain the prairie dog. 😂

https://buff.ly/mB8Gjuu

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09/01/2026

Tuesday Tip! Don't wait until you need the relationship to invest in the relationship.
Leaders: don't wait until you need the relationship to invest in the relationship.

It's easy to reach out when you need an update, have feedback to give, or something has gone wrong.

But strong working relationships are built in all the smaller moments before that.

Ask someone what they're working on that they're excited about. Check in when you don't need anything. Remember something they told you and follow up on it. Acknowledge a contribution, not just the result. Make time for a conversation that isn't entirely transactional.

None of these things are huge. That's the point.

You're making small deposits into the relationship so there's something there when the work gets harder. Because eventually there will be a disagreement. A mistake. A difficult conversation. A period of change or pressure.

Build the connection before you need to rely on it.

08/31/2026

Monday Musing! Connection at work isn't just about warmth or belonging.

It's what helps a team when things get hard.

Think about two colleagues who disagree on an important decision. If there's already trust and connection between them, disagreement doesn't have to become personal. They can challenge an idea, ask a hard question, or say, “I don't see it that way,” without threatening the relationship.

That same connection matters when there's change. Pressure. A mistake. Hard feedback. Uncertainty.

We tend to think about building connection when things are going well.

But its real value often shows up when they're not.

The stronger the connection, the more a team can withstand.

08/28/2026

We bought these tickets THREE MONTHS AGO. Yesterday was finally the day!

I got to visit the new Obama Presidential Center here in Chicago, and what an incredible experience.

There was so much to take in - the history, the stories, the art, the building itself - and I left feeling inspired, hopeful and very proud to have this extraordinary place in my city.

And maybe because connection has been on my mind so much lately, I kept noticing how much of the experience was about people. People coming together. People creating change together. Individual stories becoming part of a much bigger story.

Turns out I can't even take a day off without thinking about connection. 😂

But mostly, this isn't a work post.

It's a WOW, I finally got to go and it was worth waiting three months for our tickets post.

Chicago friends: put it on your list.

08/26/2026

We talk a lot about leaders creating culture.

But I'm not sure that's quite right.

What if the people who actually experience the culture every day had a meaningful role in defining the culture they want to be part of?

Last week, I had the opportunity to explore exactly that with an entire organization.

We didn't just talk about values. We talked about behaviors.

What should we continue doing?
What needs to stop?
What do we need to start?

Because culture isn't the words on the wall. It's what people experience every day.

And that raises a different question for leaders:

If your team tells you the culture they want, are you creating the conditions that allow them to actually live it?

My latest article: You Can't Hand Your Team a Culture.

Building a strong workplace culture takes more than defining values. Learn why teams should help shape culture—and how leaders make it possible.

08/25/2026

Tuesday Tip! Build connection without an “icebreaker”

Not this: “How's everybody doing?”
“Good.”
And...that's about as far as the connection goes.

If you want people to actually connect, ask a question worth answering.
Before jumping into the agenda, try:
“What's taking up some of your brain space today?”
Someone might share excitement about a project. A looming deadline. A kid starting school. A problem they haven't solved yet.

It doesn't need to become a 20-minute conversation.
Just an opportunity to know a little more about the humans we're about to work with.

Connection doesn't always require more time. Sometimes it just requires a better question.

What are you asking these days?