Tom's Schin Sights - September 2024

Welcome Back

Summer, has come and gone…. Back in the rigamarole that is leaf raking, cool nights, false hope that summer will last a little longer, etc. Let’s talk about what Schin-Anigans we’ve been getting into.

Civility

[Pardon my soapbox in advance.] It’s REAL and it’s NOT shaping up to be Spectacular. Like it or not, that dreaded election is coming (no, I’m not responding to political commentary). Whichever the way the election turns, there’s going to be discord (from now through January). The reality of where society is these days, is that there’s more and more incivility in the workplace. If we’re putting up with it, we’re complicit in creating toxic workplaces. NOT what we want to be known for, now is it?

People are entitled to their opinions (politics and otherwise), but there’s ZERO reason for people to be nasty, abrasive, bullyish or [insert your adjective here]. It doesn’t belong at work, home, the store, gas station, social media, etc. How you demonstrate the importance of these guardrails says a lot about your culture (how you act and behave during tough times and not).

Let’s talk about what happens when you ASSUME (see first three letters, then the letter U, and ME) that people know better than to act in an uncivil manner. Don’t make the assumption. There are some that just don’t care until you LEAD them away from this. If you’re not, you’re allowing people to be bullies (quietly or loudly), telling the rest of your team that certain people can say/do whatever they want, and it’s going to lead to lack of productivity, engagement, and eventually retention issues. You and I BOTH know you can’t afford that.

Put some guardrails around what acceptable behavior at work is, and make sure your frontline staff own it and repeat it. Don't assume they'll know how to have these conversations. Help them know what it looks like. The choice is yours. If you’re not sure how to set these boundaries for this now, ping me and I’ll connect you with some good advisors.

Latest Blog Post

Everyone has opinions, including me. Jump into the blog, find some current topics de jour, or scour some of my past posts.

Accountability is one of my passion topics. It’s not that I haven’t pointed the finger one or dozen times. I have (in error). Granted, I see my neighbor blowing her leaves onto my yard each fall (joy for me). This latest post talks about why a leader’s sense of accountability is critical to their success and how they practice their values within an organization. Why Accountability is Critical to Leadership is ready for your reading pleasure today.

Didn't realize my mouth was that big

schInspirations

Don’t forget that HR Professional’s Day is coming up September 26. Go give that special HR person in your life a thank you or nod of appreciation. I love my #HRCommunity – hope you do too (whether you’re in HR or know someone who loves it). If you know someone who doesn’t seem to love it, buy them a copy of HR on Purpose by the illustrious Steve Browne (the audio book is great too to pick up his sense of enthusiasm). It’s a great reminder that we have choices in life. Do something positive with those choices.

Sch-Aring

ok. The Sch thing doesn’t work with everything – I tried. That said, sharing a great podcast episode, I picked up recently by Elena Agarigimova with her guest Luke Goetting talking about Generational Dynamics. (Listen here)

I’m fascinated by the changes in front of us – excited really. I’m less concerned that Gen Alpha and Gen Z are SO tech heavy since they’re going to be the ones leading that revolution – they really need to be. How they talk vs. text (public communications) will evolve and balance out in the long run – to that point, they’ll know how to communicate with one another for the bulk of their careers. It may drive some Gen Xers a little batty for a bit but think about the creative and industrial advancements these two generations are going to be on the forefront of. Lesson? Challenge your managers and supervisors to embrace the positives of what these next generations are bringing to your workforce, and the working industry.

What else?

I love hearing from people who are enjoying this newsletter. It makes my day (Thanks Jessie!). Let me know what you think in the comments, email, text, or forward it to someone who might enjoy it, etc.

What's on your Leadership, Culture & Engagement challenge list? Keep an eye out on LinkedIn for something I'm brewing with a good friend of mine. It's something special on the Leadership side of things (curiosity didn’t actually kill the cat…are you curious?).

Let's talk about what you're doing in your company as we head into Q4 and/or starting your planning for 2025 (i.e. unique team building workshops). What’s your latest and greatest success story that you want others to hear about? Where do you need help? Email me at [email protected] Thanks for your continued support! Tom