Do You Find This Offensive?
Janet Winkler
Equipping teams and leaders to fiercely focus on what drives value by subtracting what doesn't through the power of intentional subtraction. Leveraging 40+ years of experience into inspiring, habit-changing programs.
Do you find this offensive?
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“Laughs a lot???”?
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I DO.
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Years after being offered and accepting a job at P&G, I stumbled upon my interview notes. Scrawled at the top was “laughs a lot???”
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Not exactly a “love her joyous spirit” vibe, but a critique.?
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I was reminded of that note recently when Kamala Harris’s laughter faced similar scrutiny, labeled as unserious, inappropriate or insincere. I find these critiques offensive.
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But you know what? I say “so what.”?
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I laugh because I find humour in many things. Sometimes, it’s just a knowing chuckle. Sometimes I laugh because “I know where your question is going.”?
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Here's how I've come to see it:?
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Finally, find environments where you're appreciated for who you are and what you deliver. If it were only the latter, I know I would feel like my wings were clipped.
And honestly, an easy laugh beats lot of other habits any day!
STOP CRAMMING IT ALL IN
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Try subtracting this: Toggle Tax.?Are you paying it??A?2022 study published in Harvard Business Review?revealed that employees switch between apps and websites nearly 1,200 times a day - costing them 9% of their workday or 4 hours a week. JUST TOGGLING! And that doesn’t even account for the time spent in the app or on the website once you’ve switched.?
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What can you do to break the cycle?
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A simple yet powerful change: turn off notifications on your phone and computer. These constant pings prompt unnecessary toggling. Disabling even half of your notifications can significantly reduce distractions and boost your focus.?
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT
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The Difference Lab declared July 31, 2024 Productivity Parity Day.
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That's the day on which the average knowledge worker shifted from doing busywork to doing the real, productive work they were hired to do.
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According to the?Asana?Anatomy of Work Index, we spend approximately 60% of our time on marginal activities that detract from mission-critical work. 60% of 2024 fell on July 31.
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Are you:
? drowning in digital debt (inflow of data, emails, messages, social media)
? spending all day in meetings, leaving no time to get to your "real" work
? overwhelmed with everything being urgent AND important
? bogged down by hyper-collaboration
? disappointed by “productivity” tools that ultimately sabotage focus
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If so, then the Productivity Parity Day is for you. Join us in raising consciousness of these issues by sharing?this post?with someone you know can relate or by hitting ??, ?? or ??.
Thanks for reading!?
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Yes, this newsletter is a little off schedule.?
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I spent the last 5 million days, I mean 5 days with this guy...Benny.
I can't wait to share my observations on going back into the vortex of baby plus toddler responsibilities. OMG.
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Enjoy the beauty of less is more.
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Janet Winkler
Co-Founder at?The Difference Lab
I Help Professional Women Achieve Success On Their Terms By Building Their Self-Awareness and Leadership Skills
3 个月From one laugher to another- they are jealous
BD and marketing writer; content strategist; story builder; proposal leader. Expertise in working with technical and specialized information, and translating it in a way that is accessible, engaging, and fun.
3 个月As someone who possesses a laugh that, more often than not, provokes a “What the hell IS that???” reaction, my allegiance will instinctively be with the laugher. And in an interview setting, I find it wildly offensive that “laughs a lot” was captured as a criticism. I firmly believe that it’s my job, when interviewing someone, to facilitate a conversation that the person feels good about. Not in a toxic positivity way; not to have them leaving with false hope. But to give the person an opportunity to ask some questions; answer some questions; showcase something they are excited about; and demonstrate a skill they are proud of. And if I’m talking to a person who I suspect is laughing for any reason other than deriving joy from the conversation – and, let’s face it, an interview can be a situation that provokes uncomfortable laughter, nervous laughter, etc. – it’s my job to do what I can to make the person feel a bit more comfortable. The laughter in those cases would be a prompt to ME; not a cause for criticism.?
Expert Copywriter | Shaping Stories for Maximum Social Impact | Writing call-to-action copy for purpose-driven businesses
3 个月I am so that person who laughs in interviews and meetings because I'm happy, amused or excited, but I often wonder whether people don't take me as seriously as the serious-looking people. Good to know I'm not alone! You can laugh AND provide great value ??