For decades, the career advice was to become T-shaped: to develop mastery of one domain (the vertical part of the T) and then pair that with a general set of skills (the horizontal part of the T). It was and still is useful advice. But it’s no longer enough. I spent 18 months at Cisco on a project that touched millions of people in 195 countries. The colleagues who moved the project forward weren't the deepest specialists or the broadest generalists. They were something rarer. They had...
14 days ago • 1 min read
In 1924, a psychology professor named Robert Chenault Givler published The Ethics of Hercules, arguing that our ethical values and our bodies should not be studied apart — that our bodies provide important signals that shape our values and our ability to make decisions. It was a radical idea then and still is today in 2026, a time when many of us are told to believe that pure brainpower or AI tools can solve everything. One look around the world’s events and I can’t help but ask: How’s that...
21 days ago • 1 min read
This week's reframe covers when (and why) to state your intent before giving challenging feedback. Click to watch on YouTube Episode Transcript The Giving Feedback Intent card states, "State your positive intent. If the receiver assumes you don't have their best interest in mind, even great feedback may not land well." And the card invites you to use what's called the preface, something like, "I'm sharing this because I believe in what you're doing, and I think one thing could make it even...
28 days ago • 2 min read
This week's reframe is about continuing to grow after you've reached a new level. Click to watch on YouTube Episode Transcript The Using Feedback signal card states, "Changing your behavior may go unnoticed. If you want particular people to be aware of your efforts to change, ask them directly." And the card invites you to use what's called the flag, which you can do by asking the feedback giver something like, "I'm working on X based on your feedback. Can you tell me if and when you notice a...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi friends, Have you ever shared your perspective, then undercut it with a laugh, or hedged, or otherwise stopped for fear of seeming awkward? I see this in my students, and I still catch myself doing it as well. In my classrooms, I've been practicing some strategies that seem to help (including what I call somatic literacy), and on September 23 I'll share some of them in a free webinar with Harvard Business Impact. Beyond the Cringe: Building Student Confidence and Participation in the Age...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
This week's reframe is about how decisions often appear more urgent than they are. Click to watch on YouTube Episode Transcript The Processing Feedback Sleep card states: Whether pressure to respond comes from yourself or others, it can make feedback harder to process. A night of sleep may give you new ways to think about it. And the card invites you to practice the twenty-four-hour rule, which you can do by making a rule for yourself. Something like, "I will not commit to any next steps for...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
It's here! Well, the pre-production version... which is not nearly as polished as the final version coming this November. Still, after many videos referring to it I thought you'd appreciate this sneak peek. For those new around here: The Feedback Deck is 50 evidence-based feedback cards designed to help you improve in whatever matters most to you, whether that's your work or your most important relationships. $29. Boxed The Feedback Deck. Available in November. Unboxed Seeing it for the first...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
This week's reframe is about understanding our reactive agreement and disagreement patterns. Click to watch on YouTube Episode Transcript The Receiving Feedback Fallback card states, "You do not need to immediately agree or disagree when you get challenging feedback. You only need to acknowledge receiving it." And the card invites you to memorize what's called the feedback fallback phrase. It's a neutral phrase for when you feel stunned, something like, "I need some time to process that. Can...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
This week's reframe is about building the courage and strategy to go get the feedback you need. Click to watch on YouTube Episode Transcript The Seeking Feedback Courage card states, "Our nervous system may try to protect us from difficult feedback. Noticing that and staying present with it can take self-awareness and courage." And the card invites you to practice what's called the mantra, which you can do by, before sending a specific feedback request, taking a breath, reflecting on your...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read