When scientists talk about the effects of chemicals in your body dosage is always part of the conversation. Dosage requires nuance and specificity, as “a lot” is too ambiguous. With some compounds, like those found in foxglove, the difference of .125 grams can push digitalis from safe usage into a […]
Category: make it better
Being Labeled Difficult
Often, we label people who are not team players “difficult.” Sometimes it’s definitely warranted-if they’re not fulfilling their job descriptions and/or pushing off their responsibilities to others. But how often are we considering whether or not the problem isn’t the “difficult” person, but in our own requests? “Just a quick […]
Uncomfortable Conversations
Conversations around things like racial justice, reproductive rights, feminism, or fat phobia might be uncomfortable for you. Often we silence ourselves and opt out of these conversations because of a lot of different reasons. We might feel ignorant about the subject, or be wary of accidentally causing harm to someone. […]
Enrollment
Changing someone’s mind is incredibly difficult if they’re not already open to changing it. We often try brute-force intellectual attacks with a barrage of facts, and when that doesn’t work, we start humiliating them when it is exposed that they’re not probably operating off of truth. While giving people the […]
A Valentine’s Day Hate Crime
Not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s an uptick in violence and harassment against Asian/Americans. It’s not surprising to me, given that my younger brother was assaulted walking home from school after 9/11 with shouts of “remember Pearl Harbor,” an entire generation of my family was shipped off to internment […]
Agency
Sometimes it can feel like we don’t have any agency at work, especially if we’re not high up on the organizational chart. You might even be pushing upwards against your manager, trying to make things better but being thwarted at every turn. But remember that you do have agency – […]
You’re Definitely Not A Jerk
If you know nothing about the skill it takes to create some art (that’s why you want an artist to make it), I know you’re way too awesome to do something as insulting as to ask for a price that is radically under market rate. Then, if you are challenged […]
Leading At Scale
In an ideal world, as a leader you’d be able to trust your team to make decisions and then let you know. You hired people who are great at doing what they do – which is why you hired them in the first place. So let them do their work, […]
Easy Vs Effective
Easy and Effective often seem mutually exclusive. This isn’t not always the case, as sometimes easy solutions can also be effective. That said, you need to make sure when you’re choosing a solution that you prioritize Effective over Easy.
Punching Up
In comedy, there’s the phrase known as “punching up,” which refers to the fact that in order to craft compelling and accessible comedy, it’s best to focus your sights on making fun of those with power. After all, making fun of those who are marginalized and powerless usually isn’t really […]