Nearly two months ago, as the Senior Creative Facilitator at Hatch, I was sent to NYC to attend the incredible book launch of “Meaningful Work” by our US partner, Wes Adams, and his co-author and longtime collaborator, Tamara Myles, as well as the Uplift conference by BetterUp, which was chock full of talented speakers, thinkers, authors and changemakers.
Nearly two months ago, as the Senior Creative Facilitator at Hatch, I was sent to NYC to attend the incredible book launch of “Meaningful Work” by our US partner, Wes Adams, and his co-author and longtime collaborator, Tamara Myles, as well as the Uplift conference by BetterUp, which was chock full of talented speakers, thinkers, authors and changemakers. For me, this was going to be a multi-layered experience as I, for nearly 9 years, called NYC home, and it had been nearly 4 years since I had been back - and this time, I was coming back to the city with a new career role and also, now, as a permanent resident of my current home, The Netherlands. My world, since I was last there, had drastically changed and so had I. So, for me, this was going to be a revisit to my past as well as an insightful peek into my future. Needless to say I had all the feels - excitement, curiosity, nervousness, but above all, gratitude.
MEANINGFUL WORK
When I arrived at the venue where the book launch of Meaningful Work was going to take place - the foundation headquarters of the world-renown fashion designer, Kenneth Cole - it all rushed back. Walking again on these NYC streets reminded me of the gallery openings I would go to on Thursday evenings; the pop-up loft parties, the whispered underground music shows (IYKYK), and the many new connections and friends I made in a city in which I was both the stranger and the local - a place that, from street to street, is literally a world unto itself. It was even more amazing to discover that Kenneth Cole, himself, would be opening, speaking, and introducing Wes Adams and Tamara Myles and their two guest panelists: Theresita Richard (Patagonia) and Kathy Clemons (BlackRock), and this could not have been a more perfect venue to launch this book.
The conversation that ensued amongst these four panelists as well as the conversations afterwards amongst the attendees was one focused on the powerful value of being seen, heard, and considered in the workplace. Tamara and Wes explained this here, and in their book, through their “Three Cs”: Community, Contribution, and Challenge. So often, we are told to just get the work done and to create value - without any thought about how important it is for us to be valued. A couple of illuminating moments that resonated with me were when Theresita spoke about her successes and challenges at Patagonia and how she believed in the Ghanian concept of “Sankofa” - which means, “to reach back”, highlighting the importance of learning from the past to inform the future. Kathy echoed this sentiment through how, at BlackRock, they value longevity. These approaches deepen the connection to the mission of the organization and it ensures that newness doesn’t recreate redundancy, rather, historical knowledge and practice facilitates fresh ideas and a visible pathway to growth and connection. As someone who has worn many hats in my own professional life, this conversation stimulated in me the idea that just because you change jobs or careers, that that gathered knowledge doesn’t go to waste - you bring it along with you, and it informs what you do, how you do it, and how you are able to feel a sense of belonging and value. The thesis of Meaningful Work is exactly that - leaders who facilitate an environment in which work can be meaningful will benefit immensely.
This book launch was a perfect kickoff to the rest of my trip in NYC, which included attending the Uplift conference. I would realize that this book and the value of finding meaningful work would resonate again and again throughout this trip.
UPLIFT DAY 1
I arrived at my first scheduled event/talk, which was with Ivy Ross & Susan Magsamen titled: The Art of Transformation: Leveraging The Arts & Sciences to Redesign Work. The poet/lyricist/writer, In-Q opened the talk by performing his poem “Goldfish” which discussed how we have a limited perspective when we don’t step out of our comfort zone. One line really resonated with me: “You can’t see your own environment, when you’re inside of it”.
Susan & Ivy began their talk explaining what was happening to us neurobiologically when we were listening to In-Q’s performance. We open our minds and our bodies to the shared communication of the art - our brainwaves also respond to it. They explained these processes more in-depth in their book “Your Brain on Art’. (A book that I immediately purchased to put into our Hatch library when I returned from my trip!)
Ivy runs design workshops in companies, and she explains that creativity is the conduit through which we can express our thoughts and experience which creates connection with each other. She reminded us that “Human evolution would not have been possible without the arts”. Telling stories, poetry, dance, etc. are all forms of creatively expressing. So, being active in arts & creativity makes you productive. We are now in an age where mental health issues have surpassed physical ailments these days.
Susan, brought the conversation to NeuroAesthetics - the study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change outcomes. She said, “We are wired for the arts”, and she went further to mention that 50% of med schools are now incorporating the arts into their programs and that studies are also including “Social Prescription” - the recommendations for physical and mental well being. Neuroplasticity allows for 100 billion neurons to fire at the synaptic level, but in terms of input, we are only 5% conscious of the things that are coming in. However, the arts are the most salient experiences humans have. Play is important, but so is rest. A statement she made that really stuck with me was, “The place where we pause, is where we process. Otherwise, we are not able to create new ideas.”
Their presentation continued, describing all the innovations coming from this area to create new physical and emotional spaces that facilitate safer, anxiety-reducing, creativity-stimulating scenarios - which can, in turn, lead to more innovative and successful outcomes.
After leaving this talk, I was feeling affirmed - for me, the reason I decided to join Hatch was that I personally believe in the power of creativity - not only as someone who has had a creative career as a touring musician and singer-songwriter, but as someone who has seen, first-hand, how allowing others to see the creativity within themselves, always stimulates new perspectives, new ideas and strategies for resilience, and… more joy. So, to go on this path of trying to facilitate a world in which people incorporate creativity into their lives - and to have that path be confirmed by people way smarter than me - made me feel that I’m somehow on the right track.
In between the sessions, we had some time - and a few areas - to break for coffee, and then for lunch, and these were great moments to compare notes and get the perspectives of the other attendees. It was so great to meet so many people from around the world on the same mission - to create a better environment for valuable and valued work and employees.
After lunch, I attended a smaller workshop with In-Q in which he challenged the room to take 10 min to write a poem about a life-changing event, where you lost, but you also gained. For me, this challenge was a confluence of worlds. As I mentioned earlier, coming back to NYC after being away for so many years, and coming back with a new career and perspective made me confront the person I was and the person I’ve become, knowing that everything is a continuation and not a restart. So, when I was writing my poem, I had to acknowledge that leaving my home country and changing my career, had both incredible gains and incredible losses. People saw me differently, some distanced themselves, some friendships and connections strengthened - some fell away. So, when In-Q then asked people to share their poems, I knew I had to at least offer to share mine because in a way, it was a healing moment - reminding me that even though I may have a different title - at my core, I am still me: a writer, a storyteller, a person who loves to facilitate connection. He chose me to come up to the stage, and I nervously shared my poem - and it resonated with others in the audience - which felt good, I must say. In-Q then asked me, “So, you’re a writer, aren’t you?” I smiled and nodded because, yes, that was not a question about what I do - it was about who I am.
After this nerve-wracking experience, I felt that I had achieved something new and important - seeing myself as the complete version of myself - not as the “title” version. This will, undoubtedly, be a moment I look back on as I move forward both personally and professionally.
The last program of Day 1 was quite a treat to say the least - a conversation with Trevor Noah & Brene Brown, titled: “Humor, Humanity, and Thriving with AI” - and wow, this was a masterclass by Brene Brown in asking powerful questions AND by Trevor Noah in prompting deeper thought and analysis!
Beginning with the topic of humor - Trevor and Brene jumped right in to discuss how in today's very polarized society, where people are discussing their fears and frustrations around “cancel culture”, particularly in the comedy sector, Trevor illuminatingly explains that comedy is about the “knowing laughter” and that “context is the codex”. It is the comedian’s job to work within the confines of the culture, and culture changes, so it is incumbent upon the comedian to reach their audience in a creative way that lands. However, the problem today is that the digital infrastructure has erased a lot of context, making it harder to find that spot because the speed at which we consume and decide on culture changes at a much faster rate.
This quote from Trevor Noah beautifully encapsulated this part of their conversation, “Humor, both agreed, is a high-stakes tool, especially in leadership. Trevor described it as “nitroglycerin,” volatile and context-dependent. What makes people laugh in one setting may alienate them in another. “There is no safe humor. The safety of it is defined by the container it’s kept in.” —Trevor Noah
Moving into the “Humanity” part of their conversation, Brene Brown talked about “Common Enemy Intimacy”. We have a desperate need for context, resulting often in “finding common ground through hating the same people”, but unfortunately, this type of connection is “counterfeit”, and not long lasting - this form of connection needs to be continually fueled in order for it to be maintained.
And lastly, on the topic of AI, Trevor noted that it is his hobby to be involved in this space because most likely the people building these systems don’t have the lived experiences that he has had, and therefore, if we are going to live in a world shaped and defined by the parameters of this new technology, it is imperative for as many perspectives, like his, to be involved in this conversation.
As Day 1 came to a close, my feelings of gratitude expanded because I felt deeply the honor of being able to witness these conversations and curiosities live and in-person. Talk about ‘Meaningful Work’!
Uplift Day 2
This day started with the most intense wake-up call: a request for you to answer this question with the person sitting next to you, “When was the last time you cried in front of another person?”. Keep in mind, it’s 9am, you just got through NYC morning traffic, ran into the venue to find a good seat. You’re now settled in, and you’re expecting to be slowly brought into the vibe of the day - perhaps with a stretch or a light ice breaker, and then, BAM , now you’re asked to overshare with a person you just happened to be sitting beside - it was a great way to jolt us all into full attention!
Charles Duhigg, was the “evil genius” behind this presentation and conversation around “Supercommunicators” - which is also the title of his book. He also happens to be an author and former journalist for the New York Times. He explained to us that there are 3 types of conversations: practical conversations, emotional conversations, and social conversations, and these need to be handled in different ways. He talked about how it’s hard to connect to someone when you’re having different conversations at the same time, and that this is why you need to use “The Matching Principle” - a.k.a. “Brain-to-Brain coupling” also known as neural alignment, which also brings us to what we would like from the other person we’re speaking to - the 3 H’s: do we want to be Helped, Hugged, or Heard - to which he jokingly stated that in a work environment, the 2nd H could get us a call to HR if not properly consented to.
He noted that one important way that we can find alignment is by the questions we ask: Surface questions (facts) - ex: “What is in this report?”, and deep questions (feelings) - values, beliefs, experiences. Deep questions invite others to tell us what they need, and they prove that we are listening, which shows that we want to connect.
For me, the most powerful takeaway from his presentation was that communication requires the buy-in from the other person, and especially, in the workplace, if you are being talked to and not talked with, then that unstated communication contract can be broken and most likely, you won’t feel a sense of meaning or value in what you do. Good communication breeds creativity and connection.
Closing out the day was the incredible Adam Grant - for two sessions! The first was with Alexi Robichaux (the CEO and co-founder of BetterUp) along with world-renowned author, speaker, and researcher Andy McAfee for a presentation called “AI Ate My Org Chart”. They spoke about the fears and benefits of AI in the workplace.
On one side, we have the worry that “efficiencies” from AI’s use will result in a scaled-down, non-human focused environment in which we lose our empathy and we lose meaning in work. Adam argued that AI is creating expansion, not reduction, and that, from his research, he sees that with regards to the “unexpected divisions of labor”: compassion, empathy, and “bedside manner” - AI is better, however, Alexi points out that most people want a hybrid - a mix of using AI as a tool, and not as a replacement. They all agreed that the issue with the human-led approach is that humans are “overconfident” in their assessments, and that using AI could actually reduce these human blindspots, and since we can arrive at better results, we should “hold people accountable for good process, not results”. For me, this was such an illuminating, research-backed conversation. Of course, we don’t know where the future will go with AI in the workplace, but I do believe it is so important to have these conversations - not only about what AI can do, but how it can be incorporated into our work lives in a meaningful way.
Lastly, the day closed with a conversation between Adam Grant and the award-winning writer, producer, and filmmaker, Shonda Rhimes. At first glance, it didn’t quite make sense to me why these two would be paired up for a conversation, but that assumption quickly dissolved as they got into the conversation. They both have written books about the process of success with Adam’s book, “WorkLife” and with Shonda’s book, “Year of Yes”. Shonda led this conversation into some powerful places. A few brilliant quotes from her discussion that aligned the themes of communication, meaningful work, and creativity:
“Peace is on the other side of a difficult conversation”
Growing up, [my parents taught me that] “There are no obstacles - hills to climb, things to go around, yes, but nothing is stopping me.”
“In the middle of a crisis, don’t lie.”
[with creativity] “If you’ve seen it, don’t do it again!”
“Never enter a negotiation you’re not willing to walk away from: know your boundaries.”
I could go on about this spirited conversation, but it was a perfect encapsulation of the two days of this conference - which was as much about gaining new tools to use in our workplaces as it was about an inner transformation and a northern star that we should hold on to as we are navigating our careers: we matter; our work matters; others matter - we should make it all count.
LEAVING NYC
As I was heading back to JFK to fly back to Amsterdam and to bring with me the learnings (and books!) I had obtained from my visit. I kept thinking about the idea of meaningful work and what ways I could make sure to create a space in my work for others to see themselves more clearly and to lean back into creativity, not as a hobby, but as a part of our toolbox for resilience, communication, and progress.
Lastly, it was an honour to meet so many wonderful people at this conference, with a special thanks to Wes Adams and Tamara Myles and their book, Meaningful Work. It created the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable experience and return to the city I once called home.
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