?? Happy Labor Day, y’all! Given our current national discussions about workers’ rights, I recommend this brief history of the national holiday from NPR. It’s a good a refresher on the history of labor in America.
Update: I ran five miles on Thursday last week! I appreciate all the readers who checked in!
?? FTM is a weekly newsletter that includes a recap of all the news Millennial and Gen Z leaders need to know to help make better decisions about their careers. Each issue also includes four tips for developing better relationships in your workplace. Weekly issues come out on Monday mornings!
? Have burning questions or topics you’d like us to discuss? Drop me a line ?? [email protected] or leave us a comment below!
I’m Jon Cochran, a consumer goods executive with 15 years of experience leading sales, marketing, and product development teams and working with brands like J.Crew, Hilton, and Mattel. I want to provide resources to help you take control of your career and maximize your satisfaction in the workplace.
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- For yourself: How do you prepare for meetings you don’t lead? Does your amount of preparation affect how you show up? If the meeting has an agenda, try a low-key approach to preparation. For instance, block off 15-20 minutes before the meeting to review that agenda. Make 2-3 bullet points of notes related to each section, no more than 1-2 sentences each. Have insights related to any statistics or data? Include that! If the opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready with something to contribute. And if the chance to speak up doesn’t happen, at least you weren’t embarrassed that you didn’t have anything to say.
- For your boss: Many companies have experienced organizational changes over the last few years, from reporting structures to massive layoffs. More than likely, these changes were not the first time your boss experienced reorganization at work. Approaching your supervisor with empathy during times of transition will not only let them know that you care but also show them that you’re approaching changes with positive adaptability. We can all use a little compassion and supervisors are no different than anyone else on your team.
- For your direct report(s): What do you do when someone comes back from leave or vacation? How are they integrated back into the flow of the workplace? Many of us experience anxiety at the thought of returning to work after time off. The dread we associate with our inbox multiplies when we think about how long we were out. One way to reduce the email dread when a team member returns from time away: suggest they create a rule for their inbox that automatically files emails that weren't directly addressed to them in a different folder. Our professional inboxes receive so many non-urgent, advertising-heavy messages, that this rule can sort out trash and spam triaging many of the most important catch-up messages automatically.
- For your co-workers: How often do you take for granted your team’s attitude toward technology? We tend to assume younger colleagues are tech-savvy, but you can’t spell generation without “generalize.” Sort of. Don’t assume that all young employees easily adapt to new technology or that middle-aged folks will all struggle to keep up. Stage open and honest conversations with the entire team to make sure everyone feels supported and use your team member’s strengths to ensure everyone succeeds.
- Emily’s work recommendations for college students got me thinking about advice I wish someone had told me when I started working. At my first professional conference, my boss and I stayed in the same hotel. We’d just prepped for our first meeting of the day when he turned to me and demanded that I shave my face. He said my two-day stubble did not fit with the image he wanted to present. I was so eager to please that the nature of his request didn’t even strike me as odd. I raced to remove the offensive chin hairs (my “beard” is patchy at best). And all of this before we even finished breakfast! There was no rule in our company handbook about facial hair and he made me feel terrible— like my style choice was somehow a detriment to the business. At the time, I did not have the words to fully respond to my boss’s request, so I just shaved my face. Today I’m older, wiser, and more properly equipped to talk about bodily autonomy within the company style guide. My bottom line: requests to change how you look are a red flag for your relationship with your boss, your company, and frankly, most people who make requests of that nature.See you next week!Jon
