Toolbox for Thriving With Humans
An Expanding Collection of My Top Energizers, Exercises & Sources for Meaningful Collaboration & Personal Growth
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Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey is a reflective storytelling exercise that helps people make sense of challenge, change, and growth. By mapping real experiences onto a simple narrative structure, participants uncover meaning, clarify purpose, and see how struggle often precedes insight.
Ed Catmull on Pixar’s Brain Trust
This video shows how removing ego and power from the room creates the conditions where real creativity — and real progress — can emerge.
Whose Bag?
What can you learn about a person without asking them a single question? This exercise trains empathy and collective sense-making by turning everyday objects into clues about identity, values, and meaning.
Love Questions
Love Questions uses carefully sequenced questions to help people connect beyond roles and titles. It builds trust, empathy, and psychological safety by pairing self-disclosure with deep, uninterrupted listening.
Mind Mapping
Mind Mapping is a visual thinking practice built around non-linear, associative idea generation. Ideas are captured radially, allowing thoughts to branch, connect, and coexist on the page.
I’m a Tree
I’m a Tree is a fast, physical improv exercise where ideas are built live, in the body, and together. It trains teams to say “yes” first, reduce creative pressure, and let collective imagination take over.
If Your Really Knew Me
If You Really Knew Me is a paired reflection exercise built around a simple, repeated sentence stem. It creates fast, meaningful connection by pairing gentle self-disclosure with uninterrupted listening.