Issue #102

Cadence - Life & Work in Motion

"It's important to remember that building a tool kit is more than just putting arrows in your quiver. It is about learning, over time, through disciplined practice, how to become an archer."

~ Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton & John Kania
The Dawn of Systems Leadership

Hi Reader -

With the change in seasons, my mind has been on mastery.

How we build skills, adapt them, and use them better (or differently) as things shift around us.

In other words:

How can I, and others, become better archers?
What arrows do we need to have in our quiver?
And where do we need to direct our bow?

We're in a period of profound transformation. Like many of you, I'm undergoing a shift of my own.

This edition is an attempt to verbalise what's happening, where I'm aiming my arrows, and what it means for my work (and possibly for this newsletter).

But first, the bigger picture.

The State of Work

As we shift from an extractive system no longer fit for purpose, to a new (hopefully more regenerative) system that we're not quite clear on yet, some interesting things are happening in the world of work.

Three areas catching my attention:

1 - Gen Z is rejecting the hustle

Despite the popularity of intense work styles (like 9-9-6), this younger generation is embracing career minimalism, seeking balance and purposeful work over relentless grind. As they step into leadership roles, they're now demanding - and designing for - healthy cultures, too.

The flip side? A job-pocalypse where entry-level jobs are being automated, leaving new graduates struggling for work. This has huge implications for everyone, not just those starting their careers.

2 - Flexibility is evolving

It's not just about where and how we work, but also when. Microshifting is the latest term for an old phenomenon, and it comes with both promise and pitfalls. Irrespective of whether this sticks, "flexible working" as a concept, a movement, and a necessary mode of working, is here to stay.

3 - Bold organisations are adapting

To survive constant disruption, companies must be proactively agile. McKinsey's findings show that continuous learning, collaborative value creation, and embedded wellbeing, are top predictors of long-term sustainable performance.

And AI? The narrative is shifting continuously, but I'm also seeing evidence that leaders are moving away from seeing AI as an all-encompassing nirvana and re-realising the value of their human team members.

So, it's a mixed bag out there, with mixed messages, but also hope.

My Transformation Plans

For the past seven years, I've kept my work compartmentalised:

Comms consulting and project management for one sector - Creative Industries. And then coaching, consulting, speaking, and thought leadership on Sustainable Working under the Creating Cadence banner for a broader range of markets.

After a decade of living the topics I cover, and the state of work feeling discombobulated, I'm feeling stretched thin, and I'm ready for something different.

Through my own learning journey around sustainability over the past 18 months, I've also realised something important.

It's become imperative for me to make even more of a positive difference to nature and the environment than I currently am.

It means becoming a more accomplished archer, with a strong, straight aim using a quiver of robust arrows.

To achieve that, my shift involves consolidation.

I'm bringing together the comms, coaching, and project management skills honed across my career for a single focus:

To support people and organisations already doing meaningful work in regenerative and sustainability-related spheres, helping them to achieve their business goals.

This could be work in conservation, circular economy, food security, green tech, regenerative leadership, renewable energy, or anything equally exciting that's supporting the planet.

Ideally... what would this look like?

I'd like to maintain a healthy cadence between project or fractional support work in the regenerative space, alongside continuing the Creating Cadence Podcast and my Substack, so I can still speak and write about sustainable working practices.

So, I'm putting it out there for the universe to hear,

(and you too, in case you know of anyone needing help).

Let's see what happens! 😊

Speaking of Cadence

Creating Cadence Podcast

This season's podcast about Rewriting the Rules of Work has been wonderfully received, especially the latest interview with Kevin Karaca on the power of story in leadership.

Two more fantastic interviews are coming this month. And then I'm only 10 episodes away from celebrating 100!

Creating Cadence on Substack

I've been writing about founder burnout and the unforeseen tax we pay for working in capitalist environments:

Remember: Just because the leaves are falling and things lie fallow above ground, that doesn't mean the mycelium network isn't doing its thing below.

So, my November involves putting out those feelers, working on my skills, and investing time in building new relationships with people who are making a difference to save the world. How about you?

Hope November is good to you. Keep warm, stay well.

With courage, curiosity and cadence,
Mich x