Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, This week I've got deep appreciation for all of you out there caring for others with little to no help. My husband, an excellent partner in life, is out of town helping his parents move. Being responsible for everything he normally takes care of in our lives has reminded me how intense it is to do it all on your own. Extra love and respect for those of you out there doing that work week in and week out. Psst - one more week-ish until Joyfully Managed Worklife begins, so don't delay...

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...

Hi Reader, Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥 Something Bold - Create a Feedback-is-Safe CultureI've been leading a lot of workshops this year on building a healthy feedback culture, the kind where people can actually say what's true to each other. And almost every time, nobody goes first until the manager does. So if your team isn't there yet, go first. Just not the way most of us do it....

Hi Reader, Thanks to those of you who have already signed up for the fall 2026 cohort of Joyfully Managed Worklife. I'm so excited about this cohort that's building! Let's get to your Friday Five: I learned this week what a "cable raceway" is: We recently had to move around some technology in our living room, and my husband said to me, "You should share about these cable raceways!" (he's clearly gotten used to being married to the author of this newsletter, haha). I had never heard that term...

Psst - see below if this isn't a fit for you right now Hi Reader, Registration for the fall cohort of Joyfully Managed Worklife is open. Almost 100 people have completed this program in the first 5 cohorts. Instead of listing what's inside it, I'd rather tell you the four types of people it works really well for: Type 1 - Your responsibilities grew. You got promoted, or your team grew, or something at home now needs a meaningful amount of your time that wasn't true before. The systems that...

Hi Reader, Earlier this week, we took our cats to the vet for what we thought would be a pretty straightforward and simple appointment. Friends, it was not. Multiple thousands of dollars later and 8 new prescriptions (!!), we are now the kind of people who have a clipboard to track pet medication schedules for the next week or so. What in the world. I have always thought pet insurance wasn't a good investment for cats, but perhaps I was wrong. Send me your tips on this front, please! Let's...

Hi Reader, It's been a rollercoaster of a week around here - from really fun experiences with friends and my kids to exciting work projects to really stressful moments (reflecting back, all the stress was related to technology not working as expected - ugh). But it's now Friday, and I'm excited to see so many of you tomorrow at the Weekly Family Meetings workshop! If you haven’t signed up for the workshop yet, get your ticket here. Let's get to your Friday Five: Essential Calendar for fall: I...