Mine for Emotion, "Ignore" the Facts
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Michelman's Musings
Most of us are aware of confirmatory bias. This well-established phenomenon posits once we reach a decision, we focus our attention on...
- May 18, 2022
Are You the Old or Young Lady or Both?
Prudence Constant is retiring after being the Head of School at EveryPerson School for the last fifteen years. The board decided to hold...
- May 11, 2022
Golfer or Not: Understand Why Leadership is Like A Golf Bag
I recently read Leadership That Gets Results by Daniel Goleman. The person who suggested the book (really a treatise) bragged that she...
- May 4, 2022
A No Interruption Rule? Really?
I was raised in a large extended family and have vivid and fond memories of holiday dinners around a crowded large dining room table. At...
- Apr 26, 2022
Treat Volunteers like Compost?
I recently bought myself a present: a composting service. For a ridiculously high sum--$40 per month--Compost Now comes to our house...
- Apr 19, 2022
Is Failure Good?
The other day, I was listening to a great version of Leonard Cohen’s song Anthem. The most famous line of the song is “there is a crack...
- Apr 13, 2022
Be A 7, Be Perceived as a 3
At a job interview, I was once asked how collaborative a leader I was with 1 being totally collaborative and 10 being totally autocratic....
- Apr 5, 2022
Running With The Wind
I went to the beach this weekend and the weather was cool and sunny--perfect for a run. (Well, no weather is perfect for a run because...
- Mar 30, 2022
Who Will Bell the Cat?
One of Aesop’s fables tells of a group of mice being terrorized by a mouse-eating cat. Many mice had been killed by the cat, and the rest...
- Mar 23, 2022
Morale--All Time Low--Again?
For the first three years of my headship at Chesapeake Academy, every mid-January a senior administrator would trudge into my office,...
- Mar 14, 2022
We Deserve to Get and Give a Break Today
Over and over again, during the COVID pandemic, I’ve heard how our leaders, be they national, state-wide or local, have not been up to...
- Mar 9, 2022
John Wooden's Socks--Process over Results
John Wooden, the legendary coach of UCLA’s men’s basketball team from the late 1940’s into the 1970’s, still holds the record for most...
- Mar 2, 2022
The Road to Hell (Good Intentions)
One of my mother’s favorite expressions is “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I hated it when she would hurl it at me when...
- Feb 23, 2022
It's Only Upsetting If You Become Upset
Eleanor Roosevelt, a remarkable woman in many ways, is credited with saying, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”...
- Feb 16, 2022
Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch
Peter Drucker, the famous business consultant, never said, "Culture eats strategy for lunch (or breakfast or any other meal)" despite the...
- Feb 8, 2022
Before Swimming, Think Upstream
Two friends were picnicking by the side of a river. The sun was shining, the day warm. After lunch they were feeling the torpidness of a...
- Jan 28, 2022
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
A few days ago, I was walking my dog, when I passed the community bulletin board with a new handwritten note on it. The note was full of...
Welcome to Michelman's Musings where I share some thoughts on leadership, team dynamics, education, and general observations of life.
I hope that you enjoy and feel free to comment.
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