We Are All Designers Taking it Personally to Make it Personal How many times have you heard this: “Don’t take it personally!” This directive usually accompanies a statement that is offensive to our colleagues, our alma mater, or some other group we identify with, such as: “Don’t take it personally, but everyone I’ve met from your law firm is an entitled jerk.” How can you NOT […] Written by BPH September 15, 2016November 16, 2020
Lessons In Leadership When Mr. Hyde Shows Up Uninvited… Office meetings provide a great opportunity to study human behavior. I am always amazed at how the personas of people I work with and enjoy can suddenly change based on the group dynamic. One behavior I’ve come to recognize is the Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde effect that happens when a generally mild-mannered person tries to dominate […] Written by BPH September 1, 2016October 26, 2020
Lessons In Leadership Desperate People in Desperate Situations Do Desperate Things The headlines are filled with the actions of desperate people. Millions of refugees risk everything to crowd onto unseaworthy boats for a 50/50 chance of making it to Europe. Why? Because the odds are even worse if they stay home. Most parents can relate to this feeling; is there anything you wouldn’t do to keep […] Written by BPH August 25, 2016October 26, 2020
We Are All Designers Leadership by Design Almost everyone who knows me – my friends and family, work colleagues, favorite clients, even blog followers – has picked up on the exciting transformation going on at Freeman. Our commitment to being a design-driven company, under the inspired direction of Freeman’s Chief Design Officer Bruce Mau, has led to the development of what we […] Written by BPH August 18, 2016November 16, 2020
Lessons In Leadership Focus On Outcomes, Not Inputs. Don’t be a helicopter boss. Whether you are managing hundreds of people or leading a small task force, you’ve been hired for that job based on what you know, not what you do. If everyone on your team shares the same vision of where you’re going (this is your job), you don’t need to control […] Written by BPH August 11, 2016October 26, 2020
Lessons In Leadership It’s Not About You…. Sometimes the strategies we use in dating apply directly to our business relationships—other times, not so much. In personal relationships, it makes sense to seek people with similar interests. In business, how you feel about someone is irrelevant… because it’s not about you. Consider this dating trope: “He/She is not my type.” It’s shorthand for, […] Written by BPH August 3, 2016October 26, 2020