This whole Together thing is tricky.
You can get really into it, be feeling awesome, cranking away, and then you have a super busy week, and then your car dies, and then you have an unexpected snow day where all of the sudden you are in charge of your own children all day and lose ten hours of planned work time. I’ve heard.
It can be hard to keep the Together vibe alive. But with some colleague support, it is entirely possible!
I recently spoke with Shuvi S., a district leader for the New York City Department of Education, about her proactive plan to keep Togetherness alive for her team:
I have a breakfast share on the calendar every six weeks. The whole office is invited to come and bring their successes and challenges around ‘prioritization and Togetherness.’ One or two folks share out their best strategies, and there is always some problem-solving component to our time as well.
Naturally, I wanted to see some of these breakfast agendas. Shuvi was kind enough to share with me, and now I get to share with you!
There is so much to love about Shuvi’s agendas:
- Focus on the “why” is front and center. This keeps Togetherness in its place – as a means to an end.
- Time for celebration. Shuvi carved out time to honor what is working – and to share the tips with others!
- Room for multiple models. There is no one right way to be Together. By sharing multiple models, people can see many ways that might work for them.
Let’s not forget what’s probably most important about these agendas: Shuvi has created space in the workday to engage with a topic that is foundational to her team’s success. The agendas are simple yet focused, and they require everyone to reflect upon and grapple with their own process.
