The Dark Side of Community

 We talk a lot about the benefits of community at work.

Communities of practice. Networks. Peer learning. Knowledge sharing.
Many of those conversations start with a pretty optimistic assumption:
People want to connect, participate, share, and help each other, and
usually they do.

But here's the thing I've learned from decades spent looking closely at communities:

Community isn't automatically a good thing.

https://youtu.be/BQMyHBQZhdI

Stay Balanced!

 Egad - another friend joined the "Women With Broken Wrists" club yesterday. Since there was interest in my earlier post about the balance class I took I thought I'd offer a few takeaways.

-Change up while walking: Do some figure 8s and zigzags, practice hard sudden stops, walk backward a few feet.
-Practice tandem standing (feet heel to toe) and standing on one leg. Look in other directions, close your eyes, etc. The biggest help I found with this was practicing on a thick (2") stability pad like they use in yoga and PT.
-The Tai Chi session recommended beginner videos by Dr. Lam (below).
-The instructor who led the practice in falling and getting up session (getting up is not easy if you've a broken wrist...) recommended the "Bob and Brad" videos below.

Dr Lam Tai Chi for Beginners Bob & Brad: How to Fall Bob & Brad: Getting Up Off the Floor

https://unsplash.com/photos/photo-of-silhouette-photo-of-man-standing-on-rock-U3C79SeHa7k?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Do you even know what help you need?

Something different: I have been in conversation lately with several friends who are struggling with living their own lives and doing their own jobs while trying to manage medical situations for their aging parents. Nearly everything takes a lot of time, from sitting in waiting rooms to being on hold with insurance companies.

I had a plate full of this some years back when my husband had very complex surgery and needed a lot of aftercare while I was still working full-time. Honestly, I felt like I was drowning. IYKYK.

Did you know you can hire a part-time helper with the job title “Medical Manager” (edit: aka "patient advocate"). Changed our lives. She excelled at all the things I found infuriating and exhausting: wrangling with insurance companies, schedulers at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, etc., and even sometimes taking him to appointments or being the required driver available to take him home after procedures. Charged by the hour and she wasn’t even very expensive. Worth every penny. There might even be some insurance coverage for that.

Hope that helps.

Women Talking About Informal Learning

 Fun with Nahdia Khan on the latest "Women Talking About Learning" podcast.

"Discover the transformative power of informal learning in the workplace! Join Jane Bozarth and Nahdia Khan as they chat about how informal learning can shape professional development. Don't miss this insightful episode! Discover the transformative power of informal learning in the workplace! Join Jane Bozarth and Nahdia Khan as they chat about how informal learning can shape professional development. Don't miss this insightful episode!" 

"The Informal Learning One"