First Thing Monday #26
😅👜🤖 This week we appreciate discomfort, admire Jacob Elordi's handbags, and share six prompts to use in your next chat with AI
🥶 Wherever you find yourself waking up this morning, I hope it’s somewhere warm and that there is coffee waiting for you nearby. Welcome to First Thing Monday!
☑️ 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:
Accepting Discomfort Could Help You Thrive (Scientific American): Pushing past comfort leads to growth: studies show stepping outside our usual routine, like challenging ourselves at work, unlocks potential. Accepting triumphs and hurdles with equanimity (calm acceptance) significantly reduces stress and boosts well-being. In the workplace, embracing the uncomfortable - taking on tough projects, giving/receiving feedback, and adapting to change - unlocks new skills and opportunities.
The crucial link between timely feedback and employee morale & performance (People Matters): In today's fast-paced work environment, timely feedback isn't just appreciated – it's craved. Whether it's a pat on the back or a constructive critique, employees yearn for prompt recognition and clear guidance. Why? Because timeliness builds trust. It melts away misunderstandings, resolves issues before they fester, and shows employees you're invested in their growth. So, ditch the delayed praise and vague critiques. Embrace timely feedback – it may just be the secret ingredient to a thriving company culture and a workforce that shines.
Outdated Benefits Plans Are Failing to Solve Today's Challenges Across the Modern Workforce, According to NFP's 2024 US Benefits Trend Report (PR Web): Inflation pinches wallets, but employers are fighting to retain talent. Despite budget anxieties, 59% of employers are boosting compensation and well-being programs to appease employees— half of whom consider downgrading their benefits because of rising costs. The key? Personalization. Tailor benefit offerings to your workforce; for Millennials and Gen Z who crave growth: fair pay and mental health support are important. Innovative benefits like menopausal support and grandparental leave build satisfaction and engagement across generations. By embracing this shift, employers can create a workplace that attracts and retains talent in an inflationary and aging world.
How I Dressed For My First Time Ever Working In An Office (Essence): Considering how often I receive office-style questions, I loved this article for its suggestions and tips. Kerane Marcellus documents getting dressed for her first in-person job after working exclusively remotely; she figured out a way to express herself and balance office norms. Her crop-top suggestion is a little context-specific, but I am obsessed with her 90s power suit look. Don’t forget the importance of accessories!
Kim Kardashian’s Office Is Even Weirder Than You’d Think (The Cut): Y’all know I’m obsessed with office design! Kim Kardashian's office tour (via TikTok) reveals a custom Rick Owens space filled with expected glam (magazine covers, giant screens), unexpected oddities like 3D models of her brain, and tanning and red-light beds. Kim's office is a maximalist wonderland with a healthy dose of the bizarre. I’m left with more questions than answers, but hey, at least we got a glimpse into the weird world of Kim K.
🚰 The Water Cooler
Speaking of office style, one of my favorite columns in Vogue is dedicated to editors documenting their daily look at work.
After working in the interior design industry for a while, I got to see trends emerge and dissipate in real-time. Remember our obsession with Edison bulbs? I loved this article about how algorithms have flattened design and experience.
If I do anything this spring, it’s take a trip to Asheville, NC. When I’m there, I will spend the day at the spa inside the Grove Park Inn and then go for dinner at the just-opened Good Hot Fish, Ashleigh Shanti’s Black Appalachian and Southern fish camp-inspired restaurant.
I’m just as obsessed with Jacob Elordi’s bag collection as you are. Let’s all promise we won’t call them manbags, murses, or satchels ever again.
The last couple of weeks saw menswear fashion shows in Milan and Paris for Fall 2024. Initial trends: denim on denim on denim, pale mauvy-pink, and long dark coats. You can see my fave looks from the runways in my Fall 2024 highlights.
📖 Reflections for this week:
For yourself: Building great workplace relationships takes introspection! Take some quiet time this week to reflect on your communication strengths, like your active listening or humor. How often do you interrupt or dominate conversations? Analyze your communication patterns, especially your listening habits. Be open to adjusting these patterns, seeking feedback, and celebrating your growth.
For your boss: Think about how you can be more proactive when it comes to resolving challenges. When you anticipate potential issues and propose creative solutions, you demonstrate your initiative and value. This shows your boss you're not just waiting for instructions, but taking ownership and thinking ahead. This kind of proactiveness can earn their trust and confidence, leading to increased responsibility and potential career advancement.
For your direct report(s): Delegating tasks effectively is truly a relationship-building superpower for managers. When you assign challenging tasks that are within your team’s skillset, you communicate trust in their abilities. This belief in their potential motivates them and fosters a sense of professional respect. By pushing them slightly beyond their comfort zone, you encourage them to develop new skills and build confidence in their capabilities. This growth fosters a sense of accomplishment and strengthens the positive association with you as their manager.
For your co-workers: Being a good team player shines bright even when you're not someone’s manager. Be a source of encouragement and optimism, even during difficult times. An optimistic outlook and encouraging attitude rub off on others, fostering a more positive culture overall. It's like throwing a pebble in a pond – the positive vibe starts small but spreads outward, impacting the whole team.
⚡️ And one last thing…
Prepare to level up your work game because AI is no longer a sci-fi fantasy. It's not quite full-on, Ultron-style robots, though – think more like supercharged brainstorming buddies and productivity power-ups.
The key? Speaking AI. ️ Forget clunky commands and cryptic code, we're talking natural language. Ask your fave AI bot (I love Bard and Grammarly) anything and watch it bust out outlines for presentations, crack through creative roadblocks, and even catch red flags in your emails.
But hold on, mastering this new way of working takes some practice. Think of prompts as the magic spells that unlock AI's potential. The more context you give (think who, what, where, and why), the better your AI co-pilot understands your needs. Don't be shy to experiment or ask for multiple options.
Here's the secret sauce:
Grounding matters: Give your AI context like you would a new colleague. Share your past brainstorming sessions, project goals, and desired outcomes. Think of it as building a bridge of understanding.
Example prompts:
Please simulate the dialogue and provide step-by-step guidance to help me [project manager] best prepare when dealing with a resistant direct report.
As a manager, what are the ways of working for a company that works in [industry] and has a team size of [size]? What should I be thinking about as a leader for this group? Where do you recommend I start first in my new job?
Wisdom of the crowd: Unleash the power of diversity! Ask for multiple outputs, and different perspectives, and even let your AI suggest alternatives. You might be surprised by the hidden gems you uncover.
Example prompts:
Provide the arguments, pro and con, that...
As a hiring manager, department manager, and potential colleague, write a list of interview questions to assess the cultural fit of the candidate to the company. Our company values [open communication, straight talk, and work hard fail fast].
Iteration is key: Don't be afraid to play around! Try different phrasings, ask clarifying questions, and even chat with your AI about how to get the best results. Think of it as a fun learning adventure. ️
Example prompts:
Why do you think that?
What evidence supports your answer?
The future of work is where humans and AI co-create. Mastering the language of AI is your ticket for entry. Embrace the change, hone your prompting skills, and get ready to save time and maybe even improve your work.
So, go on, speak to your AI, step up your workflow, and make this week extraordinary!
Share your AI wins and fails in the comments below!
You were made for Mondays like this,
Follow me on Instagram at @misterfantastik
Those prompts 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Kim's office seems terrifying. Does anybody actually work there?