First Thing Monday #33
This week we prepare for election-talk at work, consider deleting TikTok, and share 8 ways to build a culture of learning in the office 🗳️⏰😨
🌞 Welcome to this week’s edition of First Thing Monday. We survived the time change, y’all.
☑️ 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 career decisions. Each issue 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 📱 simply reply to this email 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:
Managers can’t escape politics in the workplace in the 2024 election year. Here’s how to navigate political tensions in the office (Fortune): Election season is upon us, and political tensions may rise at work. But take a deep breath! To maintain a civil environment, establish clear company-wide guidelines on political discussions like prioritizing respectful and professional communication or even designate spaces for political discussions while discouraging them during work hours or in core work areas. As a manager, stay neutral and empower your team to handle sensitive conversations: simulate real-life scenarios where political conversations get heated. This allows team leads to practice effective communication techniques in a lower-stakes setting.
Five ways to make sure extroverts don’t dominate brainstorming sessions (Fast Company): Sometimes we can feel shut down by a loud voice in the room. Other times, we may be the ones letting the extrovert take up space. My favorite tip here is to encourage “brainwriting” instead of “brainstorming.” Instead of throwing out ideas as they come, introduce a concept and ask for a specific number of ideas. Then each person presents their best three. The final idea is created collectively, instead of being voiced by whoever speaks the most. The more we can sit with our ideas instead of spurting out our thoughts, the more productive the brainstorming session can be.
How psychologically safe is your workplace? (Forbes): Feeling safe to speak up at work isn't a perk, it's essential. Psychologically safe workplaces see huge retention gains, especially for diverse teams. But why are these environments so rare? Our brains are wired for self-preservation, making us avoid admitting mistakes or challenging the status quo. Leaders can break this cycle by prioritizing learning over blame and celebrating failure as a learning opportunity. By actively listening and showing vulnerability, leaders can cultivate a "courageous communication" environment where everyone feels safe to contribute their best ideas.
Is This Hollywood’s #MeanToo Moment? (Slate): This article made me think about how psychologically unsafe some of these television and movie sets must be. Imagine "Queer Eye's" Jonathan Van Ness yelling every day—yikes! That is far from an isolated incident. Folks like Ellen DeGeneres, Lea Michele, and Buffy creator Joss Whedon have also faced accusations of bullying. A culture of fear seems to prevail, with junior staff often afraid to confront bad behavior for fear of losing their jobs. There is less tolerance for bullying now than ever, and labor unions are pushing for stronger workplace protections. Alternative financing models that lessen a star's financial clout on projects could rebalance the power dynamic, giving producers more flexibility to manage difficult personalities.
Employees, tired of counting steps, gobble up new 'food is medicine' workplace wellness program (StarTribune): I don’t know if many companies are still gifting fitness trackers and snapping photos at group weigh-ins these days, but this article feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to workplace health initiatives. Launch My Health aims to create long-term healthy habits instead of restrictive diets or workout fads. Their focus on practical nutrition advice and cooking training is resonating with companies looking to improve employee health and well-being. This is the kind of perk I can get behind!
🚰 The Water Cooler
This week, I’m grateful for Fast Company because they not only got me thinking about how to be a better meeting facilitator (see above), but they also made me consider the design of Apple’s tapback symbols or reactions and why the look is a little off from what we expect from an often forward-thinking design company.
Internet therapy speak continues to infiltrate real life and many folks continue to misuse these terms. This misuse dilutes the meaning and significance of serious mental health concerns.
I never made it to the theater to see Barbie, but I’ve been obsessed with Margot Robbie’s red carpet-style from the press tour. So you know I’m all about the newly published book documenting the Barbie World Tour.
First, it was Universal Music Group that walked out on TikTok. Next, it could be America who says bye-bye.
📖 Reflections for this week:
For yourself: Uncontrolled venting can create a negative self-talk loop, making problems seem insurmountable. Venting can be a healthy form of processing, but how we do it often affects others. Sometimes working through a communication issue with a colleague doesn’t even involve the office—talk it out with a friend who isn’t a part of the organization and see what insights they might have. Acknowledge your feelings, and express them healthily, but don't dwell on them.
For your boss: Venting to your boss or a supervisor can be a powerful tool for growth. Frame your venting as an opportunity to seek guidance. When frustration stems from process roadblocks or unclear expectations, bringing these issues to your boss’s attention can lead to positive changes and improved workflows. Present the challenges you face and ask for their expertise in navigating them. Come prepared with specific examples and desired outcomes so that your delivery focuses on solutions while also communicating professionally. One aphorism I stand by: “Vent up and not down.” And that brings us to…
For your direct report(s): Negativity, when directed at your team, can be demotivating and have unintended consequences. Imagine how your team feels when you vent frustrations to them. Consider what you share with them and how you share it. Your attitude and leadership set the tone. Encourage your team to voice concerns, but focus on finding solutions together.
For your co-workers: Venting to colleagues can be tempting, but gossip can damage relationships and create a toxic work environment. Choose your confidants wisely and focus on ways to resolve the issue, rather than just dwelling on problems. It is healthy to acknowledge your feelings and process them with a trusted friend or mentor outside the organization, but you don’t want to make your stress a problem for a co-worker, either.
⚡️ And one last thing…
Throughout this week, I've been thinking about the power of continuing education in unlocking our potential as leaders and building thriving work environments. We know failure stings, but in our fast-paced world, it's unavoidable. We all encounter challenges along the way, but it's how we learn and adapt through those experiences that propel us forward. The key is fostering a culture of continuous learning that celebrates every step in the right direction.
Imagine a workplace where calculated risks are encouraged and we view missteps as opportunities to learn and improve. In this environment, teams are rewarded for refining their approach based on new information.
This shift requires leaders to become champions of learning, not just bosses. They guide their teams through ongoing cycles of experimentation, reflection, and refinement. This iterative process allows us to build upon our successes and learn from our experiences, ultimately achieving better results.
Here's how leaders can make it happen:
Normalize Through Action:
Lead by example: Publicly share your own past failures and how you learned from them. This honesty and reflection can encourage others to do the same.
Celebrate learning moments: Recognize and reward employees who identify and analyze mistakes, even if the outcome isn't ideal. Reinforce the value of learning over perfection.
Open Communication Silos:
Psychological safety: Foster an environment where employees feel safe to admit mistakes and ask questions without fear of judgment or punishment.
Regular feedback loops: Schedule check-ins where employees can openly discuss challenges and roadblocks. Encourage them to "fail fast" by testing ideas quickly and iterating based on feedback.
Blameless post-mortems: After a setback, gather your team to analyze what went wrong. Focus on identifying the root cause, not assigning blame.
Solution-Oriented Mindset:
Shift the focus: Instead of dwelling on negativity, redirect the conversation towards solutions. Brainstorm ways to overcome the obstacle and improve future attempts.
Empower problem-solving: Encourage your team to take ownership of finding solutions. This fosters critical thinking and a sense of accountability for improvement.
Learning repository: Create a central space to document lessons learned from past mistakes. This can be a valuable resource for future projects and helps the team avoid repeating past errors.
By implementing these suggestions, leaders can move their company culture away from blame and towards celebrating failure as a natural part of the learning process and the contemporary workplace. When employees feel supported in taking risks and learning from their mistakes, innovation and growth can truly flourish.
Remember, even the most innovative companies weren't built on flawless execution. They thrived by learning from their mistakes and iterating based on what they discovered.
It takes 10 “Texas Hold ‘Ems” for me to get to work,
Follow me on Instagram at @misterfantastik
Thanks Jon. As always, some great thoughts. Two points I particularly like, making sure introverts can and do contribute to brainstorming and your closing thoughts to make the workplace safe for learning from mistakes. Blame is not an analytic tool.
Def bringing "brainwriting" into the Cinepolis boardroom - thank you!