August 2, 2024

Flipping the scripts of self

Immediately reflecting on an incredibly supportive and impactful event

Less than 60 seconds ago, as of writing, I left the 3-hr video call Flip the Script, a micro-retreat organized by Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Jen Dionisio of Active Voice.

I’ve been learning from Sara sometime soon after I joined Booking.com, ~2013–2014; we had met at a conference I can’t recall, in a place I can’t place…likely Europe. I bought her 2018 book—Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech—as soon as it was published. I inhaled it, reading through in a weekend. It’s one I’ve returned to, referencing & remembering throughout my career.

When she launched Active Voice, her leadership coaching company, I was excited about what it could become. I’ve just left my first event with many feelings—grateful; inspired; hopeful; energized—of what it became.

Story-setting

Active Voice helps “people in tech and design understand who they are and how they lead—so they can speak up with confidence, build team resilience, and navigate challenges with ease.”1

This event centered flipping the script—sharing insights & stories of members who are blazing their own story-paths through reflection, purpose, and action. Attendees called in from all over the world. Presenters and panelists interactively explored three themes: throwing out the rulebook, forging your own path, and taking care of self.

A glimpse of where the curated conversation took us, here are some of the tools & insights I’m walking away with.

Bridges Transition Model

I learned about a new framework that’s highly likely to become a new favorite: the Bridges Transition Model.2

I’ve written about favoring routines over habits, often forgotten stages of team development, reflecting on glue work, and my ongoing practice of redefining productivity.

This model aligns to each of those stories—it’s about transitions and transformations.

It defines change as an external event and transition as the internal process as they move from the ending of one thing, through the neutral zone, to a point of new beginnings. It’s through the transition that transformative change happens. When purposefully managed, finishing the transition creates new understandings and a realignment of purpose and energy.

These are definitely some new books I’m adding to my list—

• Managing Transitions, making the most of change and

• Transitions, making sense of life’s changes—

written by Dr. William Bridges and Susan Bridges.

Questions for reflection

There were a few activities that relied a mind’s eye during the event that I have to reflect on to properly work through them. There are hard, prompting questions that I’ve never thought through in this way before.

I don’t want to give away anyone’s content, so here’s some of the impactful quotes I’ve collected throughout:

• Life ain’t no dress rehearsal. —Andrea Nwoke

• What could go right? —Tiffy Riel

• Make progress meaningful, tangible, and joyful. —Jess Star

Conversations I want to have

The whole event was filled with the sorts of conversations about work I want to have. Recently, they’ve become a bit more often—as I collaboratively build a design system for neurospicy humans—and this welcoming event made me realize: I want to have more of them.

Active Voice is one of the companies that I aspire to. The impact inspires, gives hope.

As I write and reflect, I guess that’s my deeper take-away from Flip the Script:

I wanna do what they do; as one of my service offers.

Leadership coaching.

Jonathan-style.