• May ’25 – Developing Staff (and Workplace Culture)

  Week 4 – Wildcard!

  Posted by Chris on May 24, 2025 at 9:30 pm

  This week in AP Studio, it was wildcard week—so naturally, we started with kinetic sculpture races, squeaky puppies, and a call to build an AP Studio art sculpture for entry next year! From there, the conversation took a deep dive into problem-solving dynamics, power struggles, and the promise and pitfalls of AI.

  The lure of solutions.
  We kicked off with the all-too-familiar urge to fix things fast. Whether it’s a colleague who can’t sit in the ambiguity or a provider who demands answers now, several of us are navigating the tension between insight and action. The reminder: good ideas often come after we slow down and sit with the problem.

  Patience as practice.
  From teen parenting to consulting clients, we explored how patience—not just with others, but with process—is a powerful leadership skill. Asking the right questions, pausing for reflection, and holding space for different thinking styles can shift conversations and outcomes.

  Strategic conversations, not just strategic plans.
  Athena introduced a framework from Moments of Impact, naming three types of meetings: technical problem-solving, building understanding, and shaping choices. It gave language (and permission) to stay curious longer—and to shape conversations with intention, especially with our own teams.

  Power, respect, and professional courage.
  We surfaced the frustration (and real harm) that comes from providers or colleagues who dismiss expertise and bulldoze processes. Suggestions included enlisting peer voices, diagramming the actual complexity, and holding onto our confidence even when we’re being underestimated.

  Tech won’t save us (but it might help).
  Chris shared a virtual mental health coach called Happi—which launched a bigger discussion on AI in care, tech vs. human connection, and the deeper risks of replacing relationships with algorithms. We named both the potential and the danger of AI, especially when it becomes a Band-Aid for a broken system.

  Butterflies 🦋 and broken systems.
  Anthena dropped some wisdom about transformation—how disruption can become an opening, how the future can reflect hope (not just hardship), and how now might be the right moment to pivot, reimagine, or take a creative risk.

  As Dan put it: we’re here for the human thing. That’s what sticks. That’s what matters. ❤️

  If you missed this banger of a session, the recording is available below:

  Chris replied 3 weeks, 1 day ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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