First Thing Monday #21
This week we think about ways to prevent Shift Shock, consider the modern NBA arena, and how to have a delightfully boring office holiday party 🏢🏀🎉
🎁 Good morning! Shout out to all the new subscribers who are joining us this week. I’m so glad you’re here! Have you thought about how you’re going to stay motivated until the holidays? I got the decorations up this weekend and I’m using the sweet glow from the tree to carry me through. The trauma from years of working retail has finally worn off and I’ve been able to embrace my love of holiday decor again!
☑️ 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:
Salesforce Signals the Golden Age of Cushy Tech Jobs Is Over (Bloomberg Businessweek): As someone who recently transitioned out of conventional sales and marketing roles, I am sensitive to the churn and burn nature of those jobs. But dang, it sounds like some folks were really living high on the hog. And for what? 93,000 tech workers lost their jobs this year. There’s no memory of a steak dinner from 2021 that can replace health insurance coverage or supportive co-workers in today’s climate.
Cash-Crunched Tech Startups Are Morphing Into Zombie Companies (Inc Magazine): It’s not just tech startups who are talking loud but saying nothing—we’ve seen DTC brands go bankrupt or get sold and die. Call me an elder millennial, but I just don’t think everything can or should be an app. We’re going to see more companies close shop, I think. But we really don’t need another [insert commodity here] delivery app, okay!?
What Founders Get Wrong about Sales and Marketing (Harvard Business Review): This one is for all those side hustlers and entrepreneurs. If you’re a one or two-person business, there’s a learning curve as you develop a business plan. Can you reflect on a week of 30 conversations, see the patterns, and communicate those reflections effectively to make changes to your product or process? Can you even have a week of 30 conversations!? There’s hard work to be done in sales and marketing before a small business can grow.
What to do about ‘shift shock’ – the No. 1 reason why Gen Z and Millennial workers are quitting (HR Morning): “Shift shock” describes the surprising disconnect between a new hire’s expectations and what happens after they start working for an employer. The leading cause of “shift shock” is lack of transparency in job descriptions and misrepresentation of company culture. “What people expect from work and how they expect to be treated and how they will tolerate being treated, it’s changed dramatically in the last two years, the last 10 years.”
The Economic Costs of Family Caregiving (Next Avenue): AARP says unpaid family carers are the backbone of our nation's long-term care system as they contribute over 35 billion hours of care each year, valued at $600 billion. The workplaces that understand this reality and have a workplace culture that is supportive of caregivers also tend to be the ones that can best retain talent. Talk about the sort of benefits future-thinking companies should offer!
🚰 The Water Cooler
My main gig may be divas and fashion, but deep inside I am also a lover of basketball. I think my first magazine subscription was Sports Illustrated. So when I saw an SI article about the development of the modern NBA arena, I was hooked!
Okay, I’ll say it—so much of the art shown at this year’s Art Basel Miami is, well, lacking excitement. That said, Design Miami always impresses. Harry Nuriev is my fave!
Why am I so obsessed with The Sphere!?
There is not enough celebration of the So So Def remix of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and its animated music video. You’re welcome.
📖 Reflections for this week:
For yourself: Start planning for your career development in the new year. What skills do you want to develop? What new opportunities are you interested in? What can you learn? Think about what gets you excited when it comes to your career. Take some time to research and identify potential paths for your growth.
For your boss: Express your gratitude for their support and guidance throughout the year. You don’t have to get them a fancy gift, but a thoughtful gesture of any sort can go a long way. Let them know how much you appreciate their leadership and mentorship.
For your direct report(s): Have you created space in your one-on-one meetings to discuss your direct reports’ progress and goals? This conversation is not a performance review, and letting them know as much could relieve some anxiety. You want to be curious, ask questions, and listen. Chats like this will help you stay connected with them and identify any challenges they are facing.
For your co-workers: With the holiday season approaching, consider incorporating some festive activities into your workplace. Ideas could be anything from a potluck lunch to a Secret Santa gift exchange. I just made Patti LaBelle’s mac-and-cheese for our office lunch. Spreading holiday cheer can help to boost morale and create a more positive work environment.
⚡️ And one last thing…
Things I’ve seen at office holiday parties:
A CEO’s wife passed around a tray of Jello shots made with Everclear
A young colleague became overly invested in a karaoke performance of “Stay” by Rihanna and smashed her microphone and the entire karaoke machine against a stone mantle
I watched a man hold his dog in one arm as he leaned over a full charcuterie spread unaware that the dog was chowing down
A CEO's boyfriend aggressively kissed her ear while I was waiting behind them in line for mini-pimento cheese bites
As I ate that mini-pimento cheese bite, I used four fingers to shove it in my mouth
Office holiday parties are a time to celebrate the season and mingle with colleagues in a more relaxed setting. But I think we may have lowered our expectations about what it means to celebrate with professional colleagues. It’s important to remember that these events are still work-related, and we should all behave accordingly. Here are some things to avoid at office holiday parties:
Embrace moderation. Overindulging in alcohol (or whatever your company is into these days) can lead to embarrassing moments and tarnished reputations. Most bad behavior at these parties is encouraged by the free flow of alcohol. Restrain yourself! And that moderation extends to the food. If you find yourself shoving anything in your mouth, take a beat, think of me, then take a bite. Don’t eat or drink anything in one gulp!
Keep personal matters private. Avoid sharing sensitive information about your personal life, finances, or political views. Privacy is highly underrated in the office!
Maintain professionalism. Refrain from inappropriate behavior, including flirting, offensive jokes, or using crude language. Over-the-top PDA says more about you than you think.
Resist the gossip trap. Gossiping can damage your reputation and make you appear unprofessional. Y'all know how I feel about gossip. And we also know how hot the temperature can get at parties when someone brings up a touchy subject. Just be cool.
And finally, keep the vibe light. Dance a little. But don’t hit anyone in the face. I did that once. Do not shit talk the party host, don't make fun of the venue, and don't diss the drinks. Say please and thank you. Then leave at a reasonable hour and go to bed! Or go HOME and let out all that pent-up bad behavior.
Most importantly, don’t overthink it! Be chill, stay professional, and you’ll have a perfectly boring office holiday!
You were made for Mondays like this,
Follow me on Instagram at @mistersfantastik
Stay by Rihanna is an epic choice for karaoke!
I, too, witnessed many of these instances of bad behavior. And I witness a four-finger food push about once a week.