First Thing Monday #13
This week: everyone is feeling stressed, next steps for Blackpink, and how to stop gossip
🎃 Halloween is almost here! I just bought my costume for trick-or-treating with my nieces, so I’m very excited. It’s also the first time some of us are pulling out the good old Ugg boots. Hope you had a cozy and comfortable weekend!
☑️ 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 a work question or topics you’d like us to discuss? Drop me a line 📱 misterfantastiksubstack@gmail.com 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.
⏰ What to read before your first meeting:
10 Ways To Get Noticed At Work Without Becoming A ‘Loud Laborer’ (Forbes): We all know a Loud Laborer—the one who spends more time talking about their work than actually doing it. This article offers strategies for dealing with folks who love to flex their “prowess” by telling you about it!
Let’s call ‘lazy girl jobs’ what they are – jobs with boundaries where they’re desperately needed (The Globe and Mail): I couldn’t help but wonder…are bosses just mad that they didn’t have the emotional wherewithal to set appropriate workplace boundaries when they were younger? Some of these leaders seem so defensive!
With AI, there’s a trust gap based on gender, age (Computer World): A recent U.S. study found that men, Millennial, and Gen Z workers tend to have more faith in emerging technologies than women, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. But AI has been a part of our lives for much longer than most people realize. How do you use AI and what safeguards to you believe should be in place to ensure safe development of new technologies?
Despite career optimism, Gen Z workers say they’re stressed about boss expectations (HR Dive): Survey results indicate Gen Z workers don’t feel like they have enough training to complete their jobs. All generations surveyed recognize the stress they experience from ambiguous or extreme job expectations from bosses who don’t provide necessary training. Is everyone stressed out about their lack of training? Who’s in charge here?
Making room for the next generation of leaders (Fast Company): How is your organization planning for the future as Boomers retire and leadership evolves? Age doesn’t necessarily correspond to leadership ability, so how might cross-generational conversations result in mutually beneficial exchanges of skills?
🚰 The Water Cooler
You know what’s stressing me out these days!? What is going to happen with Blackpink?
Artbound, from PBS SoCal and KCET, has an amazing episode about the L.A. Rebellion, the story of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, and the first generations of Black UCLA film students.
Does anyone else watch Ahsoka? Overall, it was meh for me. Rosario Dawson served, though!
Many words have been written about the hiring decisions of the huge European fashion conglomerates. This article from Vogue Business takes on the white-cis elephant in the room.
📖 Reflections for this week:
For yourself: I have a feeling there are a few supervisors and managers who have had to lay off or fire people for the first time this year. Besides preparing what you want to say in these meetings as far in advance as possible, you also should be gentle with yourself during these conversations. These moments are not only tough for the person receiving the bad news; it’s hard to be the one delivering it, too.
For your boss: If you find your own excitement and creativity are on the wane at work, you may need to think about flexing some new skills on the job. If you’re looking for a new project, talk to your supervisor and discuss taking on new challenges where you can make a discernable difference. There is satisfaction in doing important work, and doing it well!
For your direct report(s): The holidays are seriously approaching! Do you and your team have a plan for the day after Thanksgiving? Christmas Eve? Put together a schedule of who already has PTO approved for the holiday season alongside what days or hours your business will be open during that time, then lay it out on a calendar. Here’s to being more prepared this year!
For your co-workers: Maybe it’s me, but I love it when folks bring Halloween candy to the office. Get me to the variety bag! If there is a favorite flavor or brand of candy you like, bring some to share with everyone the next time you’re together. Get to know each other by sharing your favorite Halloween treats in the group chat, too! I love to know who else out there leaves the Whoppers and KitKats until last!
⚡️ And one last thing…
For better or worse, gossip happens at work. But its secretive nature is what can undermine team morale. Some folks use gossip to get information about informal social systems. Some use gossip to get an emotional release from anger or frustration. Still, others use gossip to indirectly bring up issues or interpersonal conflicts. The thing is, there are more effective ways to achieve these goals, even if the social system of your office might be unhealthy.
The best way to address gossip is to stop enabling it. We reward gossipers when we idly sit by. Do what you can to bring it out into the open, even if it’s as small a gesture as asking “It sounds like you have a problem with this person, have you thought about talking to them directly?” If you encounter a frequent gossiper, you may have to be the one to have the direct conversation. If you don’t want to participate in gossip, shut it down.
Do you give your team a place to raise issues openly? This is where trust comes in. We want to build organizations where there are alternatives to gossip, and where our team can surface emotional or politically risky concerns comfortably and confidently. Even in these conversations, you may still find yourself needing to call out the gossip. You could say something like, “This sounds like gossip. Is that what you meant?” Give them a moment to respond. This question can catch gossipers off guard! You can also model candor and leadership by shifting the conversation to solutions, as in, “How can I help you get a better outcome?” Work together to identify frustrations and how to fix them.
The more we as leaders can engage our team in coaching, brain-storming, and problem-solving conversations, the less time we hope is spent on talking about others behind their backs. You may feel clumsy the first time you call someone on their gossip, but with practice, it’ll get easier—a clumsy attempt at calling out gossip is better than no attempt at all.
Until next Monday,
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