Changing Workplace Culture for the Better

?? I’ve Been Thinking…

…about how drained people seem to be. It’s important for people to prioritize themselves and reinforce boundaries, especially between work and personal time. Taking back a little time here and there to reset repays me exponentially.

While I have my own business now, I did this even when I was an F500 executive. It could be a walk in the middle of the day; a coffee away from the office; taking 90 minutes to run errands instead of sticking to a 60-minute lunch schedule. If you’re someone who habitually gives your employer more time than the standard schedule, I think it’s only right to take some of your life back when you can. Fair is fair.

And it’s that kind of fair-balance mindset that makes workplace cultures stronger and more rewarding for everyone. Confident, productive people of integrity are the kind of coworkers we strive for–they’re a winning formula for work/life balance and success.

?? Stories to Help You Drive Change

There’s a common thread through this week’s shares—lots of what caught my attention was about reframing what we know and reconsidering different angles:

SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall on any of the stories I share, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a natural search link that usually by-passes the pay wall. And hey, if you like the publication, consider subscribing to it—that’s how they keep the good info rolling! I’m hearing some paywalls are impenetrable, so for pubs like The Wall Street Journal and the NY Times, I’ll share a bit more here for those of you without subscriptions.

• With the legalization of pot comes more reliable research. This new research is showing marijuana is not as harmless as many had believed. As with other drugs, including alcohol, some people are more susceptible to addiction than others. With pot being stronger than it was in the past and its use legalized in many parts of the world, one side effect that is becoming more prevalent is boredom and lack of motivation to do something about it. As employee motivation is a key factor to building better companies, I’m sharing to raise awareness. More here .

• As we prepare for Thanksgiving next week, check out how to apply the kitchen principles of mise en place to workplace culture leadership.

• What if companies listened to employees as if they were customers? What if work was the product that employers offered employees? Find interesting reframings in this article from Harvard Business Review. (The link should get you the full article.)

• What did the French Whale see that many missed? He asked a different question to make a winning bet on the US presidential election. Learn lessons here .

• According to this article from Bankrate, 44% of millennials and 48% of GenZ workers have side hustles . As I keep saying, these generations of workers are eager to work when the financial AND other payouts are there. What does this mean for your company?

• And continuing from the above bullet, this is from Inc.: “According to Deloitte’s latest Gen-Z and Millennial Survey, 86% of Gen-Z respondents say a sense of purpose at work is ‘important to their overall job satisfaction’ and work-life balance ranks as the top priority when choosing an employer.”

• Okay, one more on younger talent: they’re more likely to: meet over coffee than lunch; drink mocktails while networking than the hard stuff; forgo emails for LinkedIn and text; and favor conferences where they can meet lots of people at once. Also, boozing it up is out of favor—getting to know clients at spin class and pickle ball is healthier and preferred. More on trends from The Wall Street Journal. (The full article link has lots of info and POVs–enjoy!)

?? Hey, What’s This?!?

It’s 1 of 52 weeks of inspiring prompts to help you plan opportunities to be kinder in your workplace and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

As an example, the prompt above is from Week 4. It reminds you that everyone is going through something and asks you to cue yourself to be more aware of what others may be experiencing so you can lend an ear if needed. Most of these prompts can be flipped around to help you be more conscious about how you are affecting others when you are being challenged, too.

Our free, downloadable journal is all about being your best self every day and helping others to do the same. Did I mention the journal is free? I know I did, once more for the people in the back: we made this for you and it’s free, so download here and let us know what you think.

Download Free, Fillable PDF!

?? Do Good Spotlight: Save the Children

Founded over 100 years ago, Save the Children continues their work to improve children’s lives and protect them from dangers like child trafficking and hunger. They work in the U.S. and across the world to give children healthy starts in life. Learn more about their mission and how you can help: Save the Children .

?? Noteworthy: The Trending Communicator November 1, 2024 Episode

Wowza! I wish this conversation–a la podcast between Dan Nestle and Pinaki Kathiari –didn’t end. These two brilliant communicators had so many original insights and innovative shares in the short hour they chatted with each other, it was seriously non-stop awesomeness.

The podcast’s topic is job descriptions in the Age of AI but, oh wow, how much ground these guys covered! Two quiet superstars in the world of communications and leadership were just chatting with each other about the cool ideas that popped into their heads.

If you do one thing for your future self this week, let it be listening to this podcast .

?? You Never Know… Aches and Pains

When was the last time you had a toothache, backache, or migraine? Maybe you didn’t tell anyone about it, but maybe they noticed something was “off.” Perhaps you weren’t your usual self, but you didn’t share what was bothering you, and they didn’t ask.

As we work to become more aware of others, let’s not forget that people are often masking, not just emotional distress, but physical distress too. And that can make them less than the best version of themselves.

So maybe the next time someone isn’t responding the way you’d like them to, consider they may be in some kind of pain or discomfort, and give them a little more emotional space.

?? On a Personal Note

The new kittens are doing really well and I, likewise, am managing the trials and tribulations of these non-stop boundary testers with uncharacteristic patience. Thank goodness they’re cute, and I’m glad I’m doing this in 2024 when every challenge seems to have a solution, e.g., cat eating plant, buy spray that makes the plants unappealing without hurting the plant or the pet. Score!

?Until Next Time…

Wishing you all the best as we slide headfirst into Thanksgiving and the holidays beyond!

I’m going to be cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving, so I won’t be publishing this newsletter next week. Happy Thanksgiving and look for Niki’s Notes again on 12/5.

Niki