So Reader, lately I've started doing something radical.

I've been scheduling one-on-one meetings to be held—wait for it!—on the phone. 📱

I know—SCANDALOUS!!!

Yup. No cameras. No lights. No Zoom/Teams/GMeet login, password reset, or interweb hiccup. 👨🏾‍💻

Walking if we want. No makeup if that's the vibe. Standing outside if traffic or leaf blowers allow. 🍁

Truth is, when I started my coaching and leader development biz over 16 years ago (!), part of my training was to build listening skills focused on using the phone. Of course, at the time, video calls primarily existed for NASA --and the Jetsons. 🛸

Don't get me wrong--I'm happy to see your smiling face on video, but the research has consistently shown that screens screen out emotion. If you think that video is helping you read "body language" and understand what people are really thinking or feeling, you're gravely misled.

Doing human work over the phone is an old-school strategy that's now new again.

While I love the tools of today (yes, I ❤️ you ChatGPT even though I refuse to marry you), I'm noticing a lot of the business tools that worked in the past are now emerging hotter than ever. Things like:

• In-person team retreats to reconnect and recalibrate (even personal retreats by yourself)
• Written agendas for meetings to create focus and avoid wasting time
• Focusing on people management over project management (well, this one's still a work in progress, but we're seeing the cost of failing to build people management skills. And that's probably a topic for another time.)

So what about you, Reader? Seeing anything old that's new again in your world? Hit REPLY and share your story--it always makes my day to hear from you and learn more about what life is like in your world.

I think there's a place for lots of new—and thank goodness for it. But let's not forget to revisit the old, proven, simpler ways—especially as we put our red capes on and keep soaring in our world of work. Thanks for being here!

Always, Darcy

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P.S. September and the last stretch of the year is just around the corner! If there's a professional goal you've been putting off, or a career move you know you need to make, now's the time to get the coaching support you deserve to keep you in motion and reach your goals. Schedule a consultation with me now here. But do it now-- my calendar fills pretty quickly and I'd love to talk to YOU! --D