Ideas worth putting to work

It's Back to School time, and whether or not you have a personal connection to the academic calendar, it is in the air. A sense that summer is over, fall is coming, and it's time to get down to work. And as Meg Ryan emails in the 1998 classic rom-com "You've Got Mail":

In the winter 2021/spring of 2022, when we started planning what would become PorchLight Insights, the learning curve felt overwhelming - we knew very little about starting a business, and we felt especially inexperienced in branding and business development (just ask us some time about how we came up with the name).

At PorchLight Insights, we are big advocates for creating psychologically safe teams, workplaces, and communities. We introduced this concept in a previous blog post. Building on this foundation, our team underscored the importance of psychological safety in local government and highlighted concrete actions that managers can take to support it during the recent 2025 ICMA Conference in Tampa, FL. If we missed you in Tampa, here are some key takeaways from our session.

PorchLight Insights has worked extensively with city 311 systems over the years, most notably with our co-founders having firsthand experience with Kansas City's 311 during deployment and in the early years (shout out to the hardworking, lovely people of KCMO 311!).

What can a process map about coffee teach you about your organization? Maybe more than you think.

Performance management and data-oriented cultures are built on a foundation of psychological safety.

Are you hoarding your performance measures? Here's how to let go.

Recent corporate issues at Boeing are more relevant to government and nonprofit organizations than we might think.

PorchLight Insights is adding to our team! See within for details on the position. Please apply by sending your resume and cover letter to info@porchlightinsights.com.

If someone asked you out of nowhere "do you have a best friend at work?", you might be hesitant to answer that question. It feels both oddly personal and maybe even a little wrong. Like, you might say to yourself, "I am not supposed to have a best friend at work!" because we have a cultural weirdness about close relationships in the workplace.

Don’t think you’re a “data person”? Here’s why you can be and should be.

We've seen a lot of data analysis tools over the years. Software that promises big insights and business intelligence that will transform your work life. Many of those analysis products are really great, but none are as "easy" and universal as good 'ole Microsoft Excel.

Building trust with your audience for a data story takes some effort, but the reward is worth it.

Co-founder Julie Steenson has spoken extensively on what survey data can do for your city. In this vintage video from 2015, she explains that survey data is a powerful tool for decision-making and engagement.

— Kansas City Business Journal, Christine McDonald June 13, 2022