About two years into the pandemic, I attended a meeting with senior leaders in a health care organization to launch a peer support program. We discussed the daily experience of team members who pass colleagues in the hall; everyone generally
Compassion in Healthcare
What a great conversation about compassion in healthcare! Thanks to the Healthcare Reinvention Collaborative and especially Dawn Ellison and Denise Wiseman for being partners in this space. Watch the full panel discussion here (I start at around 18:45).
Navigating During Uncertainty
Exactly five years ago, in March 2020, my team and I left our offices without knowing when we would return. We had no idea how this possible pandemic would progress, when we would be together again, and how we would
What does it mean to feel valued at work?
Our team members often share that they don’t feel valued. Our leaders often explain, “I value my people, and I tell them that regularly.” What is the disconnect? Telling people that they are valued is not the same as valuing
Celebrating a year!
Humility, Part 5: Prioritize the collective
Consider the following situations: A manager changes her own job description to fit her interests and delegates the unwanted tasks to a team member. A leader creates a new organizational structure that tailors his own role to his skillset. An
History is never inevitable
I recently attended a lecture by Brendan Murphy, a historian and teacher, who reminded us that history is never inevitable. History is always the result of a collection of choices. And those choices can always be different. Those comments resonated
Humility, Part 4: Your way is not the only way
How many of us have experienced or witnessed the following scenarios—or even recognize ourselves as the leader in these types of situations? A boss always double checks a team member’s emails before she is allowed to send them to potential
Humanity, Part 1: Support Your People and Yourself
While I had planned to publish Humility Part 4 today, I am instead thinking about another important quality for leaders: humanity. This season is a challenging one for so many of us and our team members. We may be facing
E3 January Entrepreneur of the Month
I’m so honored that E3 Durham chose me as the Entrepreneur of the Month for January 2025! I’ve enjoyed being part of this vibrant community and look forward to all that we will accomplish together!
Humility, Part 3: Encourage Feedback
Last week, in part two of my series on how to be a better manager, I posted about sharing our mistakes and imperfections with our teams. Another key component is to actively and genuinely encourage feedback from our team members
Humility, Part 2: Acknowledge and Share Imperfectness
Given that so many people leave their jobs because of their bosses, I started a series on how to be a better manager. Here’s the second post. When I entered the workforce, I watched supervisors and team members do everything
Happy 2025, Y’all
Over the weekend, I happened upon my personal statement for social work school (from many, many moons ago). In that essay, I wrote about how my early experiences shaped my world view and how I was committed to helping people
Find & Do What is Most Meaningful to You
I started writing Humility Part 2 early this morning with the plan to post it later today. Then I spent a lovely few hours getting to know a new friend and colleague, and I had lunch with my youngest daughter
Navigating Challenging Patient Behavior
Over the past week, I have facilitated two sessions on “Navigating Challenging Patient Behavior.” While we spent most of our time learning and then practicing skills around navigating a variety of interactions, I started by highlighting two important aspects of
Humility, Part 1: Focus Out, Not In
I often work with people who are thinking about resigning or who have recently left a job. The common denominator? Their boss. And the stories these folks share are uncannily similar. So here is the first of several posts about
Challenge Initial Impressions
I recently met one of my dad’s childhood friends, who talked fondly of the connection between their families. I was struck by one particular recollection: my grandmother didn’t generally attend their gatherings. I later asked my dad why, and he
How Colleges Can Pivot to Keep DEI Alive
I’ve long been a proponent of integrating DEI throughout our work. Check out my article published in Inside Higher Ed: How Colleges Can Pivot to Keep DEI Alive. Colleges can still achieve DEI-related goals through a deliberate integration strategy, Melissa
Live in the Mindset of Partnership, Inquiry, and Understanding
Last week, I facilitated a training for postdocs and graduate students on Negotiating Salary: Do’s and Don’ts. As I prepared materials for the session, I quickly rediscovered the importance of having the right negotiating mindset, which unsurprisingly mirrors the approach
Running on Empty; Time to Refuel
Given my work as a facilitator, trainer, and coach, I spend a significant amount of time creating and holding space for others. And I love my work, including building relationships and connections, making a difference in people’s daily experiences, and