As usual, I’m working on a host of stories, and need some sources…
1. Ways to make the most of your commute. It’s a perennially popular topic. How do you use that time to make yourself happier, more productive, or at least not hate life? I am always looking for new ideas!
2. The work field trip. School field trips may be in decline, but the office field trip is an intriguing idea. Where do you go to get ideas? Have you ever gone with your organization somewhere fascinating, or have you taken your team members on a fact-finding or team-building mission? Why, and what came from it?
3. Adventures in school lunch. Looking for parents to talk about why or why not their children purchase school lunch, and also for people involved in schools (teachers, administrators, etc.) to talk about this topic. There are some fascinating changes going on in school lunch programs these days that I’m writing about. For those who read my lunch box blog post, an update: my 6-year-old is mostly purchasing his lunch. He looks at the menu, decides if there’s something he’d like, and either packs or doesn’t pack a lunch based on that. I know he’s enamored with the a la carte junk, which is why he now has to eat fruit for breakfast.
Ideas for any of these? Please send me an email at lvanderkam at yahoo dot com.
Biking to work. Totally the best way to spend a commute. I just shower at work rather than at home now. Which means I can also go for a workout before work and it doesn’t matter because I’ll be showering anyway. No need to plan in a bunch of extra transition time.
Not exactly a field trip, but my first manager at Microsoft had one work day where our small team of 5 met at his house to talk about the larger goals and vision of our team, do some brainstorming, etc. It was like an all-day retreat, but was much more comfortable and personal because it was at his house. We really got a lot done that day and bonded better as a team. (I was the only woman on that team and about 15 years younger than everyone else.)