First Thing Monday #19
This week we talk CEO changes during the holidays, George Santos and Sephora, and not ignoring that relative that always laughs at your jokes 🏢🤡🍽️
🦃 Happy Monday y’all! This year I’m thankful for all you wonderful folks who read First Thing Monday each week. Make sure you call your loved ones this week. They’d love to hear from you!
☑️ 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:
Actually, maybe don’t learn to code (Vox): This article is from 2022 but worth resurfacing. I’ve had friends who feel cheated by the coding “schools” they attended because of the debt they took on to pay for training boot camps. So if over this holiday you encounter someone who is on the job market or thinking about new opportunities, don’t suggest coding! Also—if you have a story related to coding school experiences and want to share, send me an email at misterfantastiksubstack@gmail.com
How to Be a Good Interviewer (The Cut): I gave you a few questions to use in interviews a couple of weeks ago, but Alison Green breaks the whole process down further with more tips and tricks to find your best candidates. One thing I appreciated her pointing out is the importance of assessing your must-haves for the traits and experiences you’re interested in. When you know that, the other parts of the interview become clearer.
84% of employees expect this job perk—but most executives think it's a 'waste of time' (CNBC): Employees value their career development and want access to learning and development programs. CEOs consider their current offerings enough and don’t understand why employees aren’t happy. My fave stat? More than half of employees said they want to develop skills to position themselves for better future opportunities at their current jobs, but 39% said they’d likely leave within the next year for a job that offers better learning programs. CEOs, are you listening?
OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO (The Verge): In my experience, when a board removes a CEO it is often for serious reasons (and probably some politicking). It wouldn’t be out of the question if Altman returned, but I bet the board hasn’t considered the effect this whole rigamarole will have on morale. I feel bad for the folks who work for companies that have a revolving door when it comes to CEOs. This sort of uncertainty is difficult to process, especially during the holidays.
Millennial and Gen Z parents are struggling (Business Insider): Just focusing on the economics of parenting in the U.S., even though Millennial and Gen Z workers are making more than ever, the cost of childcare has tripled since 1991. Tripled! Someone somewhere is profiting off of these increases, but it is not parents and we are all worse off because of it.
🚰 The Water Cooler
When I saw George Santos spent $4,127.80 at Hermes, I immediately thought, “Oh! He must’ve bought a scarf!” $4K at Hermes ain’t nothing! I’m more interested in his Sephora spending. The real question: when will he drop the skincare routine!?
If you spent any time listening to NPR last week, then you know Andre 3000 released his woodwinds instrumental album on Friday. Glad to see that Paul Wall and I can agree: where is the chopped-and-screwed version?
Dolly Parton also dropped a new album on Friday, a Drake-sized doozy of 30 songs and almost two-and-a-half hours of new music If you only listen to one track, let it be her duet with Miley Cyrus on “Wrecking Ball.”
I didn’t mean to get so into Godzilla movies, but I spent a fun weekend in 2019 watching all the most recent films and became obsessed. This past week I watched the first episode of Monarch on Apple TV Plus and I liked it! I will try to watch the second episode and report back!
📖 Reflections for this week:
For yourself: Reflect on the different ways that you have been able to help others grow and develop in their careers. What are you most proud of? What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way? I bet there are more things to be proud of than you might expect. And those challenges? That’s called growth, even if you made a mistake or two.
For your boss: Is your workplace inclusive of all families? One idea you can discuss with your boss is how to train managers to be sensitive to family-related issues, beyond trying to be mindful of language that excludes or stereotypes certain family dynamics or just paying lip service with surface-level discussions about flexible work. Solutions can include providing resources related to elder care and child care support, and developing employee resource groups that focus on family issues among your employees.
For your direct report(s): Many of today's workers seek out mentorship from their supervisors, so how do you make yourself open and available as a mentor? Let your employees know that you are interested in mentoring and that you are available to provide guidance and support. Your team may not even know this is something important to you. Ask them to take the initiative in setting up these mentorship meetings, though, to help ensure that the mentorship is mutually beneficial and that the mentee gets the support they need.
For your co-workers: Not everyone who works a job for American companies celebrates Thanksgiving. Going into this week, consider how you can acknowledge and celebrate the different holidays and traditions that employees observe within their families. Don’t know what these holidays are? Ask! In this case, seeking insight and feedback from employees and making adjustments to your holiday celebration calendar that reflect the actual holidays your team celebrates can ensure that the workplace remains welcoming and supportive for all families.
⚡️ And one last thing…
Amidst the festivities and family gatherings that characterize the Thanksgiving holiday, it's crucial to remember the importance of maintaining balance and preventing burn-out. The days off provide an opportunity to make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it's spending quality time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or simply indulging in some much-needed downtime. Plan your holiday activities in advance, ensuring ample time for rest and relaxation. This is also a great time to connect with friends and family you haven't seen in a while. Don't hesitate to seek support if you are struggling with your mental health, or just want to vent. It’s likely that in many of the rooms we’ll enter this holiday season, though they may be filled with creeps from the past or family members we despise, there will be someone who cares about you and would love to chat with you. Make time for yourself this week. And don’t ignore that aunt or cousin who laughs at your jokes during dinner. They are probably an ally!
You’re going to have an AMAZING week!
Follow me on Instagram at @mistersfantastik
My cousin Kayla and I always cut-up during the holidays. I couldn't get through Thanksgiving without her!
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻