Rose, Banana and Thorn

A practice to close off the week.

The #WorkKind Community is a group of like-minded people who gather online once a week for an hour. Each session starts with a mindfulness meditation, followed by a share from me of ideas, insights, and practices that support and encourage us to #WorkKind. Lively discussions and sharing follow, including the practices we've found that work well.

In a recent session, one of our community members told us about the practice her startup has adopted in a session that closes off the week. Everybody takes turns sharing their rose, banana, and thorn.

Rose: a highlight, success, small win, or something positive that happened that week.

Thorn: a challenge you faced or something you could use more help with

Banana: just to share fun things and keep it light.

This works well because sometimes bad things happen inside and outside of the workplace, and it's a space for people to say, "I had a really hard time because my child is sick," or something like that. By making this practice fun, you are making it easier to have a conversation about negative things. And, by creating a ritual, you are making it more likely that this practice happens regularly.

This week for me so far:

Rose: the continuing afterglow from my retreat last weekend.

Thorn: my car has developed an annoying (and, worryingly, potentially expensive) rattle.

Banana: learning that, in Norway, workers have the legal right to take a "work-free" day to organise their homes, as it is believed that a clean and tidy home can help reduce stress and increase productivity.

What's your rose, banana and thorn for this week so far?