What it means to make work suck less

If you're new here, welcome to Make Work Suck Less!

And, if you've been wondering where your weekly doses of "oh that makes so much sense" have gone, I have a little update for you.

Let's start with some introductions. I'm Cassandra Babilya, ex-spy turned corporate culture leader and career coach.

About a year ago, I started writing about this rally cry that's been in my head for a long time now: we need to make work suck less.

Work sucks. That is a reality for so many. For some of us, work sucks A LOT. For others, work only sucks in little ways. As a realist, I believe in acknowledging the suck: that no matter what managers, organizations, or policy makers do, work is still going to suck for some folks, to some degree.

AND, work should suck less.

As a leader in employee experience, my goal is to make work suck less for every employee I support, in some way, big or small.

No matter the audience, I will not belittle personal experiences with toxic culture, toxic managers, untenable workloads, inflexible workplaces--we're human and the system we've landed on requires us to deal with a certain level of BS to survive and support ourselves and loved ones.

So, what I'm saying is, I see you out there making the best of it, trying to recover from burnout, managing a team (and your family) trying to stay afloat, developing yourself and staying sharp.

It's a lot. I'm here to help you find a little more joy, and a little less dread at work. Where you are and where you're going.

Oh yes! The update. Make Work Suck Less didn't disappear. It just moved, and I'd love if you came with me. Subscribe here.

Previewing the last three editions here.

an ex-spy finds joy in employee experience

Unmute yourself.

You ever have the feeling the universe is screaming at you? The same message delivered in different contexts, different settings, by different messengers.

Lately, the message I've been receiving is to stop holding back; to say what's on my mind. Yes, it may sound a bit surprising that the woman who started a newsletter called #makeworksuckless has trouble speaking her mind. But here we are.

First, Cassidy Edwards launches a badass newsletter Yo! You're On Mute. and inspires me with her perspective, vibrance, and boldness.

Then, I'm at the Washington Women PR Woman of the Year Awards lunch listening to keynote speaker, Emily Teitelbaum , tell her story of relaying amazing ideas to a colleague who then shares them with clients. "Unmute yourself," she declares.

Finally, I'm scrolling on LinkedIn and one of my favorite voices, Lola Bakare , reminds me to "say the thing."

Chatting with my manager and sharing how I feel like I've been holding bits of myself back these past six months and she tells me to stop (lol) and shares that, when we try to hide and hold back, we just seep out around the edges in ways we may not like. Wise woman....

3 ways to find joy at work today

There's no quick fix for burnout. In my experience, it can take years to truly recover. Years and a significant change to your environment, job situation, or even a career pivot. Years and renewed commitment to habits that prioritize your emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing.

So this week, I'm sharing three things you can do TODAY to make work suck less.

Let's find a little joy wherever we can.

1. Pinpoint exactly how your serve your customer

Can you picture your customer?

If you're in a customer-facing role, you likely know exactly who your customer is. If you're in a "back of house" role, it may be harder to identify who you're going to work for every day. Maybe you're a program manager or a software developer and you never get to interact with the people who ultimately benefit from the fruits of your labor.

But, it's important to connect with your end-user. Even if it's just a bit of an exercise. Meaningful work is one of the key spokes to battling burnout.

So, picture your customer using the thing or benefiting from the service your company delivers.

Now, write down your role in making that person's life easier, more accessible, more profitable, healthier--whatever it is, no matter how far removed from it you feel.

"I help [type of customer] to [benefit they see] by [what you do every day]."

Think of the janitor at NASA who, when asked what his role was in 1962, replied "I'm helping put a man on the moon."....

what your leaders don't get about burnout

This one is for the People People (HR, affinity group leaders, DEI leaders, wellness leaders, and managers who care) out there who are trying to change the conversation around burnout, but run into a familiar problem: the leader who just doesn't get it.

1. Burnout is not an excuse for employees who “just don’t want to work hard anymore”

If you’ve heard your leader say, “no one wants to put in effort anymore” … you’re not alone. There’s a feeling among some execs that employees are using burnout as an excuse for laziness. That no one wants work hard anymore.

The thing is, people will absolutely work hard for a cause they find meaningful, in a place where they are valued, have community, and a level of autonomy.

So my question for leaders is: what have you changed about your culture and mission that your team are no longer receiving those things. ...

#makeworksuckless #burnout #mentalhealth #employeeexperience #wellbeing #leadership