Recent editions
Giving Thanks: the Kindness of Strangers 🫱🏽🫲🏾
This week, the Long View delivers the “real turkey” on American Thanksgiving 🦃 and reflects on messy history, human endurance and the kindness of strangers 🫱🏽🫲🏾
“Push to Reset the World” and The Power of Dreaming
This week, the Long View is thinking about utopian and dystopian visions for our future, and why dreaming is a superpower if you want to build a better world 🌍✨
Pay It Forward: Acts of Solidarity or Surrender?
This week, the Long View is thinking about how we value our work, paying it forward and what it means for people to take direct responsibility for others, who have the same needs and desires as we do ☕🫱🏽🫲🏾☕
How to Stay Strong, and Persevere 🫶🏽
This week has been tough for most everyone I know, so here are some thoughts on finding strength, and perseverance 🫶🏽 and an invitation to share what works for you
Is the Law Unfair, Unequal and Unjust? And If So, Why Should We Care?
This week, the Long View is procrastinating, so we’re asking you for help with this question: what do we do if people feel the law is unfair and unjust? 🗳️🙋🏻♀️⚖️
Be More Human: How We Can Make Better Choices Every Day, About Inclusion (and Exclusion)
This week, The Long View is thinking about how we can make better choices about how we design and build things, that are good for (all) people 🚌
How to Get Unstuck Creatively, and Making Peace with Your Inner Critic
This week, the Long View has struggled with getting stuck creatively, and gone in search of answers: how do you make peace with your inner critic? 🤔
How To Be an Optimist (*and a Realist)
This week, The Long View is feeling the turn of the seasons 🍁 and also sensing some flagging spirits out there. We reflect on how to stay optimistic 🌿, whilst also keeping it real.
If I Must Die 🪁
This week, the Long View takes a moment of silence, in solidarity with the people of Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan – and in all the world’s burdened, and silenced, places.
Making Visible Our Connections: To the Past and to Each Other
This week, I have been munching my way through a surplus of mooncakes 🥮 and thinking about whether and how we make visible our connections to the past – personal and collective – and who we share that with, and how.
Is Inequality Inevitable?
This week, the Long View considers why inequality matters, asks if inequality is inevitable and explores how we can each find our space and place for challenging and changing the world around us. 🌎
How to Handle Difficult Comments (and People)
This week, The Long View reflects on how to handle tough comments on social media and in life, and shares some advice for keeping your cool 😎 and being true to yourself when answering difficult questions (and people) ☀️
We Need Leaders Who Are In Love with Humanity
This week, in The Long View, we reflect on the Scottish Programme for Government, why equality for all still matters, and recognising we all have the potential to be influential leaders 💪🏽❤️
Who’s On Your Team? Making Visible How We Help Each Other Succeed
This week, The Long View explores mentoring, and why everyone needs people who are by their side, and on their side 🙌🏽
A Call to Humanity: Can We Protect One Another When the State Fails to Protect Us?
This week, The Long View is back to school, but can’t shake the after-effects of recent racist riots in the UK, and is reflecting on this question: what can ordinary people do to support and protect each other? [trigger warning: racism, Gaza, sexual violence]
Migration, Belonging and Finding Home
This week, I’ve flown “home” and reflected on nationality, belonging and what it means that many of us do not feel at home in the places where we live – and what we can do to change that. ✈️
How to Tackle Really Big Challenges
⛰️This week, we consider how tackling a very big work challenge is a bit like climbing a Munro, and share some tips for making the impossible, possible ✊🏽
The Importance of Doing Nothing
The Long View is back from holiday, with some reflections on why we all need breaks – big and small – and how that could work differently for each of us. The challenge of doing nothing I am famously bad at doing nothing – the Italian phrase “il dolce far niente” (the sweetness of doing…
Is Optimism a Feeling, or an Action?
Today is Day 1 of a new political era for the UK, following a landslide victory by the Labour party last night, ending 14 years of Conservative party rule. This week, in the final days before this election, I joined some of my favourite people in the world at a conference hosted by Public Law…
How to Stop Runaway Thoughts
This week, I’ve had a few conversations that were heavy with panic, worry and frustration. Here’s my strategy for accepting overthinking (and letting go). 🎈
How to Think Differently About Migration
This week, for #WorldRefugeeDay 🌍 we discuss how to think differently about migration, take a look at the Labour Party manifesto and consider a simple rule for creating fair and just laws 🧡
Equality, Marriage, Love and Loving
This week, we consider marriage and racial equality – and reflect on why the personal is political – in honour of #LovingDay 🫱🏼🫲🏾 and #PrideMonth 🏳️🌈
Teaching As a Revolutionary Act
This week, we consider teaching as a revolutionary act, what it would look like to challenge what we teach, where we teach and how we teach others ❤️
How to Get It All Done
This week, some thoughts on “getting it all done” and a gentle reminder to self that not all things on your list will be done – or indeed, should be done 🌻
How to Find New Perspectives
In today’s edition of The Long View, we consider how to find new perspectives. TL;DR: ask unexpected questions 🤔
How Do We Make Change? Reform or Revolution?
This week, I’m thinking about change making✊🏽 and whether we should be pushing for reform🛠️ or revolution🌪️ – questions that always seem urgent, and vital, but to what end?
How to Try and Fail (Better)
This week, I’ve been thinking about the challenge of trying, and failing (better), and how we can find the courage to put ourselves forward, even when we’re spiralling in self-doubt 🌪
How We Build, Nurture and Sustain Movements
In this edition, we celebrate the launch of JustRight Scotland’s new strategy and consider what it takes to build, nurture and sustain a values-led movement. We also kicked off Lawmanity’s work with The PILS Project Belfast – and have ended the week grateful for many brilliant farewell gifts, including…donuts🍩!
Embracing Critical Feedback
“Debrief?” “Sure.” When someone offers honest (and critical) feedback, after you’ve delivered a meeting or a piece of work you’re not feeling confident about, is that a welcome suggestion, or do you start panicking? Context is everything Depends on who’s offering, and how you feel about them, right? Trust matters. A trusted colleague or friend,…
How to Stop Avoiding Stuff
This edition, we discuss how to stop avoiding stuff, explore what a different and more radical approach to HR supervision could look like, and finish with a very relaxing little 60-second online break 👩🏻💻
Taking Perspective: The Long View
In this edition, I write about the naming of The Long View, and the importance of taking perspective. I also share a cool little website and invite you to take a mini-break, which will hopefully give you some instant perspective on everything you thought was important, today.
Welcome to The Long View!
👋🏾 Welcome to The Long View! In this first edition, I explain what #weeknotes are, why I’m setting myself this weekly challenge, and reflect on the importance of planning for good endings.
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