Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, The weather where I am has been so hot this week - as someone who adores the chill of fall weather, I'm so ready for the time when it's comfortable again to take a midday walk without working up a sweat. I know some of you have storms coming in this weekend - I hope you stay safe! Let's get to your Friday Five: My other Friday thing: Did you know I post my 9 favorite memes of the week on Instagram and Facebook every Friday? If not, go check them out - they're up now for this week....

Hi Reader, A leader I'm working with emailed our team a list of everything she's juggling right now. It was long! It was also much more useful than a vague sense of "I'm very busy," because you can do something with a list. We ran out of time on our call to get into prioritization, so I recorded her a quick video with some of my go-to questions. This issue is inspired by that video, for all of us managing more than we can possibly get done. Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as...

Hi Reader, Today I woke up in Las Vegas, where I'm attending the Summit celebrating 35 years of Teach For America, which is the program where I started my career a few decades ago. I'm doing my best to find a balance between doing all the things I'd like to do while here (seeing Lauryn Hill perform, watching a talk with Lin-Manuel Miranda, seeing so many friends and former colleagues) while also taking care of myself (getting some decent sleep, finding quiet moments to help my inner introvert...

Hi Reader, My family and I got our flu and COVID shots last Friday. It is that time again! I'd much rather not get sick, but honestly, what motivates me more is knowing that if we do catch one of these viruses, the chances are super high we'll pass it to a few other people. I really like that I can do something to help keep others safe. So even if you don't want a flu shot for yourself, go get one for someone who will stay healthy because you did! Let's get to your Friday Five: A tip from...

Hi Reader, I hope you're headed into whatever kind of weekend you most need. I'm looking forward to watching football with my husband and kids (it's a big part of fall for us) and sneaking in some episodes of my daughter's and my favorite new show (Only Murders in the Building - thanks for the rec, Mariah!). Before we get to your Friday Five - I know it isn’t the holiday season yet, but wouldn’t it be lovely to enter that time of year with family activities ready, gifts organized, and a few...

Hi Reader, This month I'm leading a cohort of about 70 nonprofit leaders from around the globe (5 continents!) in a series of sessions about project management. The topic is on my brain, so today's tips come from that vein. If you or someone on your team could use some tips for how to make projects flow smoothly, keep reading. Let's get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥 Something Bold - Let Silence...

Hi Reader, I've been doing this work for five years, and so I've started to see a few rhythms repeat. September is the time of year my inbox fills up with a particular question. Someone has budget for a team workshop, a rough sense of the topic, and no idea what actually happens next. So I wrote it all down. Six steps, start to finish, now up on my workshops page. The short version: We start with a conversation. Before we design anything, we talk about your team, your goals, and what a real...

Hi Reader, It’s been a busy week for me. We started Joyfully Managed Worklife cohort 6 (hit reply if you'd be interested in a January cohort, and if so, what time/date each week would be your preference for live sessions), started a large global project management series for leaders across 24 countries, and also helped the events staff behind an NBA and WNBA team with their pre-season offsite facilitation. Shanah tovah to all who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah this weekend! Let's get to your...

Hi Reader, I'm writing from under a cozy blanket with one of my besties while we're away for a few days celebrating a milestone birthday for her. I hope your Friday has gotten off to a good start, and if you're here in the US, that your long weekend is whatever you need it to be. I am delighted that I am already getting to know the amazing new cohort of Joyfully Managed Worklife - we start on Tuesday, and the last day to register is Monday if you've been thinking about joining us for an...