How Toilet Roll Art Taught Me About Levity as a Workplace Superpower
Last year, our Ann Arbor workplace touched a third rail: office toilet politics.
Author: Elaine Ezekiel
Help Me, Help Me: My Experiment Taking Self-Help Seriously
Here’s the thing about self-help books: They contain wisdom, but something about them makes my eyes roll. As I read, I often agree with their thesis, but my inner soundtrack of “yes, but”s disputes the advice. I am so adept at contradicting the advice of self-help books that I’ve become immune to their teachings. Then […]
Brittany Hunter named Managing Partner in Atomic’s Grand Rapids Office
Brittany Hunter is Atomic Object’s newest managing partner at our Grand Rapids office. She will join Jeff Williams, Mike Marsiglia, and Shawn Crowley on the office’s management and leadership team, which conducts sales, manages staff and client relationships, and develops new business. Hunter’s career at Atomic has spanned eight years and three roles. She joined […]
Four Lessons I Learned Too Late about Balancing Work and Grad School
I’m in the final stretch of a graduate program I’ve completed while working 40 hours a week. Three years ago, I remember agonizing over whether to enroll. Would I lose my friends? Would my work performance suffer? What would I have to cut out of my life to manage the added time put towards school? […]
Reviving the Handwritten Thank-You Note: Tips, Tools, and a 4-Sentence Template
I’m pretty sure you already think handwriting thank-you notes is a good move. So why don’t you more often? Does it seem old-fashioned? Too much work? Overly time-consuming? Not sure what to say? Do you associate it with obligatory notes to Aunt Martha, thanking her for your itchy birthday socks?
Turn Travel with Colleagues into Your Professional Superpower
Over the past year, I’ve spent dozens of hours in a car, train, or plane next to a coworker. We Atoms travel together between offices and to client sites, outreach events, and conferences. I’ve always loved traveling. The passing landscape provides the perfect backdrop for a nap, catching up on email, or staring out the […]
Who’s Doing the Glue Work at Your Company?
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the work that falls outside of job descriptions. I’m talking about the stuff that needs doing, but isn’t anyone’s explicit job. I’m aware of how this type of work can impact my career, but Atomic has made that impact manageable—and sometimes even beneficial—through smart policies. I’ll share my story and […]
Cell Beta Launches into the Atomic Accelerator in Ann Arbor
The Atomic Accelerator is our professional development program for newly-graduated developers who join Atomic Object each spring. This summer, we’re welcoming the four members of Cell Beta, the second Accelerator cohort to join Atomic’s Ann Arbor office.
Five Tips for Sharing a Project Retrospective with Your Whole Company
I recently attended a retrospective led by a team of Atoms who worked on a large project. My colleagues were both vulnerable and knowledgeable as they shared challenges, successes, and hard-won lessons. Two Atoms from the team shared their process for creating the project retrospective with me. I organized their thoughts into five tips your […]
Onboard New Clients Like New Employees to Start Projects Off Right
Once you’ve sold work to a new client, you can focus all your attention on doing good work, right? Not exactly. Before you simply drop the client into the mix, it’s a good idea to invest some time in your relationship.