Welcome to 'Take Part'
A refocus and rebrand of this Substack
I’m never sure whether posts like this are necessary or useful, but I figure it’s always good to let people know that something is changing and get some feedback.
I’m doing some fun planning for this blog, and as a result, I’m changing the focus.
Pieces Coming Together
The best compliment I have ever received was when someone told me I had the superpower of taking complex topics and making them understandable without reducing them to an overly simplistic form. While I’m too humble to fully own that, it’s become my greatest aspiration, especially when it comes to group dynamics — one of the most complex topics I can think of.
Additionally, I have had a lot of conversations in the past few months with people who are eager to work better with others, live more connected lives, and seek more satisfaction and pleasure… outside of work. During these conversations, I’ve found myself speaking about small examples of my work, and integrating tidbits of research or a tool or a thought — and it’s been helpful to them. So as I continue to deepen my interest and expertise in working with groups, I am focusing this blog primarily (not exclusively) on groups outside of the standard workplace.
This is exciting because I think these groups are even more valuable to us these days. People are more disillusioned with work than ever, and whether they’re working in an office or working remotely, it’s common for people to feel uncommonly disconnected. I have certainly experienced the phenomenon of having meetings all day long and then feeling intensely lonely in the evening.
But groups outside of work are what seem to be giving people life. One of my best friends leads a junior bagpipe band, and the board of directors is a tight-knit, passionate group that works closely and creatively to help the band find opportunities, financing, and joy. Another friend is a nonprofit board member who helps troubled youth find a new pathway in life after an arrest. A neighbor of mine is a pastor who is constantly building small groups of people to do service work in her area. A good friend created a network of musicians who learn and work together to keep their music careers healthy.
Stories like this abound, and I am particularly interested in those that involve a small group of people who find close-knit, creative ways to work better together to achieve their goals. Our traditional standards of how people work together are being disproven and broken down in all kinds of ways. I want to take these unique examples of awesome group work and smash them together with what I know about group dynamics and behavioral science, and see what we can learn from it.
In the process, I hope to blend my love of this topic with my healthy skepticism of overcomplicated models and oversimplified platitudes. Working with others is complex, but it doesn’t have to be an analytical exercise. If we’re open to learning and connecting — and managing the occasional challenge that comes from simply being with other people — we can live more full, joyful, and accomplished lives.
Welcome to Take Part. I hope you find some reasons to connect with others and some stories and tools to help you along the way.
Please comment! This blog will include interviews and stories of real people. What kinds of groups are you involved in outside of work? If you’ve got something you do with others in your free time, I’d love to hear about it.