When most of us hear the term "free range chicken," we probably imagine chickens wandering freely within a yard, cavorting (or at least picking around) wherever they like. The reality is actually very different. "Free range" is a label applied to the living situation of chickens, referring to access to open spaces. There has to … Continue reading We are all free range chickens
Author: Jonathan Mates
The hierarchy of burnout prevention for healthcare
Burnout is a big problem in healthcare. It's a hot topic in the press right now, highlighted by the pressures of the pandemic, but it's nothing new to those in medicine. Burnout symptoms have been experienced by - I’m taking a leap here - everyone who has worked in a healthcare setting, at least in … Continue reading The hierarchy of burnout prevention for healthcare
Start with why
I recently came across Paul Lockhart's amazing essay (rant?). He's a mathematician, and he's really unhappy about the way we teach math. The entire essay is worth a read and it opened my eyes to seeing math as an art. But it's valuable even if you just read the first few pages. He starts with an … Continue reading Start with why
Fear of Construction
I've recently been in the middle of a major career decision. Of course, I had all the pros, cons, risks, and benefits laid out in front of me. But as with many of these decisions, there was a part of me that sat just beyond the reach of my conscious, logical mind, and it seemed … Continue reading Fear of Construction
Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
I recently wrote a multi-part series about how to argue better. I wrote it for anyone who wants to argue in a way that connects rather than divides, but I realized as I wrote that the same techniques could be used by leaders to become better at their work. Here were the steps: Decide what … Continue reading Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
Explode Labels (Argue Better 2021 #7)
This is the seventh in a series called “Argue Better 2021” about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first | second | third | fourth | fifth | sixth Every summer in college I would pack all … Continue reading Explode Labels (Argue Better 2021 #7)
Triangulation (Argue Better 2021 #6)
Photo by Rafael Garcin on Unsplash This is the sixth in a series called “Argue Better 2021” about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first | second | third | fourth | fifth In the previous post, … Continue reading Triangulation (Argue Better 2021 #6)
Red Goggles 