THREAD
In 1987 Bonnie Nelson had the audacity to believe that a private company could thrive by doing good in the world and treating its employees fairly. After 21 years, this is my last week at @NelsonNygaard
In 1987 Bonnie Nelson had the audacity to believe that a private company could thrive by doing good in the world and treating its employees fairly. After 21 years, this is my last week at @NelsonNygaard
Transportation is the fastest, most effective way of changing the world—from mitigating climate change to improving public health and dismantling historical inequities. @NelsonNygaard was the best place to build my career, helping clients define and foster the public good
But it’s time to move from merely advising cities to serving the city I love most in all the world, and the only one that has ever felt like home. Next Monday I join the @sftma_muni
So it’s time to offer some unsolicited, heavily nostalgic business advice....
1. Whenever you enter a room, think about what you can do to make everyone there succeed.
2. Sideline the bullies. Protect those who are vulnerable to them.
3. We are emotional beings. Create space for others’ emotions. Show that it’s OK to cry in a professional context.
4. To stop people from bickering with each other, find an external source of inspiration. Help it shine.
5. Use humor strategically. If I can get people to laugh at me, I might be able to get them to laugh at themselves. If I can get people to laugh at themselves, I can help them shift their perspective profoundly.
6. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing. Human brains are hardwired for play. Add fun, especially to the most dreary tasks.
7. All of the HR mistakes I’ve made: not firing toxic people soon enough. No amount of talent compensates for toxicity.
8. Almost all of my regrets: Things I did not do, because I was too afraid.
9. Find your own authentic voice. To do so, watch others carefully. Imitate them in safe settings. Keep what works. Discard what does not.
