Three places to practice clearer relationship — with a new boss, a dear friend, and your own leadership.
Choose a thread
Thread 01
Building trust with Greg
Seek understanding
How do I want to build a relationship of trust, understanding, and rapport with Greg?
You left your conversation on Thursday, 9/10 with Greg wondering whether you had crossed a boundary, come across as someone who would gossip, or whether Greg only wants good news ("only the love, man!"). More information can help you understand what was behind his reaction, a conversation could get ahead of these early impressions from hardening into a dysfunctional foundation of the relationship, and more time, in general together as you develop rapport could support positive working relationship.
Lead with your intention: I want us to build a positive working relationship and communicate well as a team.
Share the takeaway you have been carrying since the conversation.
Ask what he intended to communicate and whether your understanding matches his.
Stay curious about whether his response came from concern, protection, experience, or something else.
Ask for more frequent one-on-ones while the relationship is forming. Begin by checking in with Candace, his assistant.
Want to share a reflection?
Open the Session 3 / Thread 01 section of our shared document. The session number, question, and context are named there so your notes stay connected to this fieldwork.
What becomes possible when I trust that Ashley can go away and come back?
You are beginning to take a long view of this friendship. Each return offers evidence that the relationship can stretch without breaking — and that you can remain whole while someone you love is away.
What did reconnecting with Ashley feel like in my body?
What evidence do I have that this friendship can hold distance, change, and return?
When I want to hold tightly, what am I afraid will happen?
What helps me honor Ashley’s wholeness alongside my longing for closeness?
What might the next ten years of this friendship include?
Want to share a reflection?
Open the Session 3 / Thread 02 section of our shared document and add any notes you want Sonya to read before your next meeting.
How do I speak about any person I work with — as a colleague, or to anyone who may encounter them professionally — with integrity and respect?
You named this as work that matters deeply to you. The practice is to hold shared reality, useful candor, and the other person’s humanity in the same frame.
A practice for the moment before you speak
Pause. Notice. Choose.
Pause and notice what is happening in your body.
Name your purpose. What does sharing this information serve?
Separate direct experience from interpretation, history, and hearsay.
Ask what is yours to share and what belongs to someone else.
Choose language that is specific, grounded, and useful.
Afterward, notice what integrity feels like in your body. Record what you want to repeat or refine.
Ready to share your reflections?
Open the Session 3 / Thread 03 section of our shared document. Include the situation, what you noticed, the choice you made, and what you learned.