Another year is wrapping up. 2017 has been tumultuous (holy geopolitical landscape, Batman!), inspiring (#MeToo), tragic (you will be missed, Tom Petty), and enlightening (Lady Bird and other pinnacles of our culture). Amidst it all, this humble website has also published some pretty impressive content. Kurt and I are thrilled to share what we think are the six best Potentiality articles from 2017 with a little bit of context about why we picked them above all the others. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Learning & Thinking (Kurt)

Four Professional Lessons from Glow

Glow was a totally unexpected treat. Recommended by my brother-in-law, my wife and I devoured the hit Netflix original show over a couple weeks. This post gave me a chance to revisit Glow, gain some insight and introduce the show to our readership (and John, too!).

Adaptability (John)

Seven Tips for Thriving in the Gig Economy

Whether we like it or not, the Gig Economy is here and it’s unfair. I love this piece because it allowed me to combine my experience and expertise in career development with innovative new models for supporting “solopreneurs” that are being tested by Vancity, where I work. For years I’ve been teaching and advising students and young professionals to think of themselves as “career entrepreneurs”, so it was awesome to bring a decade of coaching conversations to a clear and concise article that has made an impact for folks who need an edge in the shifting world of work.

Collaboration (John)

Seven Collaboration Lessons from Shipping Containers

I don’t think that I’ve done a deeper dive into a subject since my masters degree than I did for this piece. There were interviews, empathy walks through rail yards, evenings of research, several podcasts consumed, and some serious stretching of personification and/or metaphors. To be honest, this might be one of my greatest writing accomplishments.

Communication (Kurt)

Six Ways to Support a Spouse Running for Public Office

This year my wife ran for public office. She didn’t win, but she ran like a champion. During the (relatively) short campaign, our relationship came under stress. I’m proud of this post because, while there’s a lot out there written from the candidate’s perspective, there’s little from the spouse’s point of view.

Leadership (John)

12 Ways to Positively Disrupt Your Workplace

This article is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of 2017, which is why I love it. Many of the ideas from this piece became my roadmap for getting shit done this year – and if shit didn’t get done it was mostly because I stayed conventional or found myself shying away from things that were messy, hard or unpopular. I’m especially excited to make meetings – all meetings – more awesome and to pee a lot more in 2018. (You need to read the article to understand the significance of these spectacular goals).

Creativity (Kurt)

Reflections from my Paternity Leave

This post generated a lot of interest. I’m particularly proud of it because it forced me to reflect (never a natural thing for me to do) on a very important six months of my life. My hope is that as more and more men take advantage of paternity leave, this post will become increasingly relevant.