Professional Everything Everywhere All at Once

Things not adding up? Struggling with incoherence? Welcome to professional Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The Hope ??

On one hand, we're hearing things that inspire and give hope. A call for courageous leaders who get into the details in all the right ways, empower teams, and have the potential to improve our organizations. Agency, connecting with customers, seeing the impact of our work. Focusing on outcomes instead of outputs. The potential of AI. All of these things speak to purpose, hope, possibilities, and opportunities. They talk about fulfillment, career enhancement, and purpose.

The Reality (For Many) ?? Multiple rounds of layoffs (amidst record profits). Truly hurtful hiring practices ("Oh whoops, we've decided to restructure, offer rescinded, thanks for the 3hr assignment"). Thoughtless RTO mandates. Same old corporate doublespeak in all companies—startups, 100y enterprises, and everything in between. Tech CEOs are saying dumb, insensitive things that are so predictably biased that it hurts to listen. Gaslighting is in full effect.

A rapidly declining sense of loyalty in companies. We're still working through the trauma of the pandemic. The climate change news is terrifying. Global conflict. A reported epidemic of loneliness (here in the US).

We're bombarded by a full range of perspectives on AI, from blind AI fan-boy enthusiasm all the way to complete Luddism and genuine fear for jobs and everything in between. Across the spectrum of companies, regardless of maturity, we're hearing about things that are not good, or at least not as good as we thought (or wanted to believe).

The Advice... ??

And then you have people dealing with all this in their own way or trying to help others:

• Give them a version of harsh truth / tough love in an effort to help.
• Help them be more resilient, accepting, and pragmatic.
• Support their job search and analyze the current job market.
• Discuss how roles will change or not change.
• Urge people to adapt their skills and encourage companies to transform.

They are all doing what people do for the most part, which is trying to help in their own way. But sometimes it isn't landing. There's a deluge of coping advice.

My realization… ??

People are tired. People feel in limbo. People are questioning themselves, their companies, and their craft. It's not the rate of change that is truly gripping people, it is the tension of the change.

It is crucial to be empathetic, sensitive, and helpful in genuine ways. Our default ways of helping may not even be helpful right now, so it's important to be super self-aware.

We all need someone to listen and not lecture.I've written, taught, spoken, and drawn infographics for many years about good products, high-performing teams, feature factories, and continuous improvement. It's my thing, I guess.

In the last couple weeks I've had the time to connect with so many friends and hear about what's going on in people's heads lately.

Things are tough.

Be kind.