Dear Together Friends, Fans, and Family,
Thanks to all who replied to our annual-ish reader survey. It was a joy to hear from so many of you, and I look forward to diving into your feedback. We’ve been digging into some web analytics and I’m stumped: how are so many people coming to us by way of Pinterest!? That was a surprise discovery! Also, a lot of you said you want more video content from me! Intriguing!!! Perhaps a cereal video?
Anyway, ‘tis the season around here for all things Back-to-School, and last week my 11-year-old asked me to help him select a planner in Target. [BE STILL MY HEART, and I was all OF COURSE, LET’S LOOK AT ALLLLLL OF THEM.] Then he said he asked because his dad (a middle school teacher) told him he needs a planner for middle school. Fine, but we spent 15 minutes looking at monthly layouts versus weekly and daily, and examining thickness, size, and portability. He ended up with this one, and we discussed how he could put his longer-term assignments in there, and then I said he could add his travel soccer games and practices, and he said, I kid you not, “You mean, it is not just a school planner?” Training them young! This also started a vibrant conversation on Linked In – please do chime in with your thoughts on #togethertweensandteens.
A planner for my middle schooler–my work as a Together Mom is done! Also the HIGHLIGHTING?!
All of this got me thinking how Back-to-School time is kind of like January 1 for a lot of us – and there are some Togetherness questions to ask and actions to take around now to prep us all for the fall. (For those of you in the south and west who are back at school already – like the kids of some members of The Together Team – we hope you are off to a great start!) To me, this prep starts with a bit of an audit and evaluation of how current systems are working.
Here are a few things that come to mind for me as I think about Together Systems this time of year. (Note: you might also want to reference last year’s August (New Year) newsletter where I listed out tips for calendar prep!)
- Daily Adjustments: Are there any shifts in your days or weeks as you head into the academic year? For me, this year is the first time ever that all four of our kids will be out of the house at 7:30 AM each day, which is a dramatic shift that aligns my workday better with my energy levels. Previously, the last elementary kid didn’t depart for school until 9 AM, and while he was perfectly self-sufficient, I couldn’t engage in heavier cognitive load work until he was gone. (Also, as my early-rising child, he often engaged in seriously insane scientific experiments during this time of day, usually involving springs, rubber chickens, boiling potions, and “de-assembling” Nerf guns, so I liked to lurk around.) I need to adjust to the fact that my workday will now begin at 7:45 AM for the first time in 15 years.
- Structural Shifts: Apart from any daily adjustments you may have coming into this year, are there any larger structural shifts coming your way? Maybe your organization has changed its hybrid work policies or your school has changed its professional development calendar? Or you are returning from parental leave or covering for someone’s medical absence? On our end, Dr. Together’s parents are moving from their home in southern Cali to be closer to us as they enter their mid-eighties. It is a delight to have grandparents nearby (truly, is there anything more delightful than grandparents?), and we want to figure out how we ensure we see them at least weekly—which requires a standing time on our family calendar.
- Shut Down – or Open Up – Some Systems: One of our observations in this post-ish-pandemic era (Dr. Together has Covid as I type this!) is there has been a lot of system creep. By this, I mean messaging apps were added, more back-to-back meetings were happening, and other methods of collaborating were introduced (out of necessity) during the time when many of us worked remotely. This is a prime time to take a spin through all of them and ask what is still serving you, your team, or your organization. Our team made a decision to upgrade our Slack because we rely on certain features, and we tightened up receipt procedures with a new bookkeeper.
- Personal and Professional Learning: Last year, I wrote about how to approach a calendar reset, but one thing I didn’t consider is learning time. It could be small L learning (a new technology skill, like I would like to see how LinkedIn could be more useful for The Together Group) or Big L learning (pickleball or sculling for me!), but if those things are important to you and take time, consider how you can make time and space for them headed into the fall. What is something you want to learn that needs to make it into your calendar?
- Meeting Additions – and Subtractions!: It’s that time of year where recurring meeting invites start a flying in. Before you go sending or accepting them, take a minute and consider who you meet with when, and why. Is the amount of time right? Is the cadence best given the topics? Or does the frequency need to adjust? And does the gathering take place in the right mode (meaning online, in-person, pure audio, walk and talk, etc.)? I recently moved our team meetings to every other week, but also added a block of time called co-working (at the suggestion of our team members) for focused design work time.
All of these considerations connect back to my kid in Target opening up different planners (and boy he had some opinions on covers!). What works well about your current system? What shifts and edits may be necessary as we head into the school year?
Some double Maya/Maia fun with KIPP DC where The Together Fanny Pack plays an essential role.
Anyway, I’m off to much work travel and much fun travel (including Dr. Together’s birthday trip for 24 hours to Detroit. . . restaurant and fun recommendations welcomed!). If you need me, come hang out on Instagram (silly) or LinkedIn (somewhat less silly). I’ll figure out my relationship to Facebook one of these days! And don’t get me started on the Tok, though all the Kamala memes and gifs have me hope-scrolling over there.
#clogsandclipboards #togetherforever
MHM
PS Last year around this time, I issued a Back-to-School survey from the Management (Dr. Together and me) soliciting the kids’ opinions on allowances, lunch snacks, bedtime and more. They surprisingly took it very seriously, and we made some household adjustments based on their input. This can work for teams revisiting procedures or habits (our team instituted quarterly Together Treats based one of these reflections), students, or your own families.
Top Together Tributes
- Are you an initiator or closer – or neither? I’ve been semi-deep in the world of Substacks recently (all recommendations welcomed!), and I loved this essay about the lost art of making plans, especially the insight that every plan needs an initiator and a closer. (H/T Joy the Baker). A good friend of mine is a wonderful initiator, and I can always count on her to say: I could do Monday, Tuesday or Friday for a walk on the canal (hi Anne L!). #stopthesoftplans
- Gratitude pause for the win! If my 20+ years of Togetherness work has taught me anything, workplace stress is common for us all, and can lead to burnout and exhaustion. These 7 micro-mindfulness practices can help you recalibrate and reset when you’re feeling overwhelmed – and a reminder to put down my phone on a walk. Also, can we talk about my WEIGHTED VEST?!
- Fresh School Supplies. . . what’s on YOUR list? Returning to Substack (ok, ok, I’m DEEP in): I loved this teacher/author’s vibrant description of what the best school supplies are and why. Mr. Sketch Scented and Expo or Bust! Add to my Linked In post and tell me what’s on your list?
