Off the Clock
A Texas Summer Reading Roundup
We’re deep into summer here in Texas. For our town, school starts back up in three short (or long - depends on whether you’re asking me or my child) weeks. I was out of town last week visiting family, so this week’s post will be different from our normal format. Instead of an article, I’m going to tell you what I’ve been reading and what I’ve liked about it!
Books That are Influencing my Thinking
How Women Rise
I’ve talked about this book several times here and in coaching sessions. Reading it produced many ah-ha moments for me. The book describes twelve habits that can hold us back, but they boiled down to three areas:
Being a good person means not disappointing others
Ambition is a bad thing
Women should be a role model for other women
This book has changed the way I coach because it has allowed me to name the habits that I’m seeing in people (both men and women) that are preventing them from moving forward. The one that has come up the most as I’ve talked to people about networking for new jobs is the habit of building rather than leveraging relationships. And the most common overall? Ruminating. Our minds are getting stuck in a loop. I’m helping myself and those I coach to find an off-ramp.
Becoming You
I’m sure I’ll talk more about this in the coming month as I’ve just finished it, but I loved the emphasis on the intersection of values, aptitudes, and economically viable interests. I’ve often looked at my career solely on aptitudes and economic viability, but the values piece is what makes it all authentic.
I’ve always emphasized values in coaching. It is so helpful to know your values so that you can find your way or work through conflict, but Suzy Welch redefines those in an easy to navigate framework. I’m looking forward to using this tool in more coaching conversations.
The Bone Season Series
I love fantasy novels! This series takes place in a dystopian future full of clairvoyants, non-clairvoyants, and immortal beings that are controlling them all. I’m about halfway through the series, and it just keeps getting better.
Articles I’ve Saved to Re-read
Robb’s Rant Volume 2: Weaponizing AI When Applying for a Role
Lately, I’ve been coaching job seekers. One common frustration is the way that AI and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) have influenced the job search process. For many it is demoralizing and paralyzing - how can you win when the rules are hidden? Robb Carrithers’ article is an innovative way to look at getting past ATS by beating it at its own game.
We Redesigned Leadership and Forgot to Tell the Leaders
My last three posts have been about AI and how it impacts middle managers. This article by Jenni Kavanagh also talks about this topic. This quote summarizes how I feel about AI today:
I’m not finding AI difficult. I’m finding everything around AI difficult.
I’m finding the AI tools themselves relatively easy to use, and for the things I can’t immediately figure out, there’s a YouTube or Reddit thread available. What I’m finding less easy is defining the role that I want AI to have in my life.
A Simple Habit That Turns Ordinary Life Into Content
Sometimes (okay, often), I sit down to write something or someone asks me about my week, and there are absolutely no synapses firing in my brain. I’ve been using Linda Lasiewicki resource not only to capture daily events but also as a way to find the story behind them.
Your Brain Needs to Recover: Focus on Recovery This Summer & Reset Your Brain for Fall
I loved the focus on rest by Focus On Fewer Coaching. As I mentioned above, I’ve been coaching job seekers, and the hardest thing for some of them to do is use some of their time for rest. Many move frantically through their job search, repeatedly scanning job boards and LinkedIn, and I get it. I’ve been there too after an unexpected layoff. But your brain needs rest and space to heal after a difficult season. My favorite quote:
By intentionally choosing to decompress, giving yourself permission to “waste” time, and actively replenishing your energy, you aren’t missing out—you are giving your brain the essential maintenance it drastically needs.
AI, again. (I’ve read a lot from Tayla Burrell this month.) As I’ve been writing about AI and thinking through my own use of the tool, I’ve also been looking for ways to maintain my own creativity and knowledge base. (Plus, who can resist a book recommendation list?!?!)
What Have We Been Watching?
World Cup, of course.
Got a specific mess you’re in the middle of? If you want to learn more about leading people and yourself and what that could look like for you, book a free call and we’ll talk about it.
I've just finished Cory Doctorow's The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life after AI. Worst title for a book ever but quite a good short and easy summer read. Most of the conclusions make strong sense once you think about it. 1) AI isn't right or wrong, but both. 2) Centaurs are made better by using AI. 3) Reverse Centaurs's lives are made miserable by using AI poorly. 4) Most of the evils come from the business models of the leaders, many of which are houses of cards doomed to collapse at some point.
Love the book recs thanks! And love hearing about your coaching work. Keep this stuff coming!