Sandpipers search for food on the shore. It was noon in late December, a day after a storm.
Category: Creation
Descanso Gardens
We went to Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. Each garden was distinct–a rose garden, an oak grove, a camellia forest, a lilac nursery–with small river passing through.
Midday Trip to the Zoo
We went to the LA Zoo on a Saturday midday. The late spring sun shone bright.
Bird feeder gift
How to Water Plants
Water in the morning
Water evaporates quickly during the day; while at night, the soil is warm. But watering plants in the early morning allows water to seep to the roots for longer. The roots are the part of the plant that needs the nutrients, sugar, and hormones contained in the water.
Generally, water the base of the plant and not the leaves. Wet leaves can attract insects, fungus, and disease.
Water less days a week but for longer
Instead of watering everyday, water two or three times a week. But for longer. Water seeps into the roots.
Water the right amount for each plant
After getting into a new watering rhythm, you can now focus on particular plants.
A Postcard is just a hello
I’ve watched the snow melt off San Gorgonio, the first bloom of apricot mallow and last of desert senna. I’ve watched nests built and babies fly away.
[A postcard] doesn’t ask for a response. It functions outside the language of chats, gmails, calls, letters.
Closeness When Apart
Maya Marshall: How do we build real closeness in a digital era when trapped on platforms?
Eddie Glaude Jr.: The way in which we are trying to continue community and stand in right relations with each other with these conditions, what will it look like what we get on this other side of this, it might just be even deeper if that makes sense.
Maya Marshall: So, I certainly hope so. I think that’s a real possibility out of the project of making time for one another.
CSPAN
A creative business model in 2020: Ghost Kitchens
Instead of going back the 2019 business practices, some businesses expand their functions that address current needs. For example, ghost kitchens are centralized kitchens rented out to individual cooks. There is a centralized location for patrons to receive their food without a traditional restaurant space. This arrangement allows for:
- Better safety without an indoor location with guests who cannot wear a mask
- Cooks to start their own business with less overhead cost
- More variety per a location for customers
Remotely: Ask about their lives
This is part of a series on working remotely. There are three steps: (1) create a culture of sharing and caring; (2) use a shared platform with agreed upon norms; and (3) break down projects.
This post is on (1): To create a culture of sharing and caring…
Ask your team to share about how they spend their time outside of work.
Perhaps they can share a screenshot of a game they are playing.
Playing Final Fantasy VII Remake, a re-imagined version of the 1997 classic role-playing game.
Or a photo from their daily walk.
Or a playlist they are listening to.
I am listening to the soundtrack from Ken Burns’ Country Music. Watching the docuseries as well.
How to Work Remotely
Many workplaces now function remotely. It is not a one-to-one transition. You rethink how your operation operates.
Here are the steps.
Create a culture of sharing and caring
Culture sets the norms of your interactions. Workers know that everyone considers that they have multi-faceted lives and individual personalities. You make workers feel comfortable in the following ways:
- Share more about your life and be vulnerable
- Ask open-ended questions not related to work
- Hold events or interactions at regular times that are not related to work
This culture is within appropriate boundaries. Focus on their personalities, skills, and ethics, not differences or the past.
Communicate with a shared platform
With a culture, you can now use a platform to communicate freely.
Slack and Microsoft Teams are recommended platforms. They are free to get started.
Project Tracking
State what your projects are and break them down into manageable chunks. With an open culture, workers will be more at ease to voice limitations, take ownership, and game out future scenarios.
With these three steps, you have a more participatory, productive, and fun workplace. Future posts will talk about each step in more detail.