First Thing Monday #44
This week we ponder job hopping as the future of worker retention, celebrate the Caesar salad, and consider identity and detachment when it comes to work 👟🥬🧑💼
🌞 Good morning! Summer's here and I’m cranking up the AC, but you won't catch me giving up my hot coffee! Here's to a productive (and cool) week ahead!
☑️ FTM is a weekly newsletter that includes a recap of all the news you need to know to make better career decisions. Each issue also includes four tips for developing better relationships at work and a deep dive into a pressing workplace topic. 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 workplace sociologist with over 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:
The Power of Proximity: How Working beside Colleagues Affects Training and Productivity (New York Federal Reserve): A study on software engineers found that while working in an office boosts learning and mentorship for junior employees through closer contact with senior colleagues, it also leads to a decrease in overall team productivity. Senior engineers, who provide most of the guidance, see their own output decline when spending more time mentoring. The study also suggests a link between in-office mentorship and increased future earning potential for junior engineers, who were more likely to get raises and quit for higher-paying jobs after being trained on-site. These findings highlight a potential tradeoff between the immediate productivity benefits of remote work and the long-term skill development fostered by a physical office environment.
Should you add your colleagues on Instagram? Here's why I think twice before doing so (Today Online): Connecting with colleagues on social media can be a double-edged sword. While it can build camaraderie, it can also blur the lines between work and personal life. Oversharing work discussions or having colleagues misinterpret your posts could hurt your career. Women are especially vulnerable to online abuse. To navigate this, avoid work-related posts, be mindful of what you share about others, and consider separate accounts or platforms for personal and professional connections. Open communication with colleagues about boundaries and using social media features like "close friends" lists can also help. Remember, HR is there to support a safe and comfortable work environment, online and off. The key is to find a balance that works for you, protecting your (digital) privacy while maintaining positive work relationships.
The 3 Keys:Collaborative. Calm. Connected. (
): This article redefines personal success at work as a mindset called "Company of One," which emphasizes three key behaviors: collaboration, connectedness, and calmness. Regardless of company size, collaboration allows you to leverage the strengths of others and build a positive reputation. Staying connected means keeping up with industry trends, using the best tools, and understanding how your work impacts the bigger picture and others. Finally, maintaining a calm demeanor fosters clear decision-making and avoids projecting desperation.People Are Feeling Stuck in Their Jobs. Bosses Are Starting to Worry (The Wall Street Journal): As the job market cools and promotions dry up, companies are getting creative to keep employees engaged. Faced with low turnover that limits internal movement, some businesses are piloting job swapping programs. These temporary role switches allow employees to learn new skills and broaden their horizons without promotions or raises. For example, Synchrony Financial lets staffers swap roles for months at a time, like one employee who transitioned from operations to IT to gain valuable skills. This approach combats stagnation, injects fresh perspectives into teams, and helps workers develop, ultimately benefiting both employees and companies in this new economic landscape.
Corporations have big climate goals. Return-to-office mandates don't quite match them (Quartz): The pandemic's remote work surge showcased its potential to curb climate change by drastically reducing emissions from car commutes. However, a return to pre-pandemic office norms is gaining traction, despite studies showing a significant drop in emissions with remote work. While some companies prioritize pre-pandemic culture and in-person interaction, others see remote work as a viable path to sustainability. I recently read about folks called “super commuters” who drive 90-minutes or more one-way to their jobs. I think we’re onto something when it comes to the sustainability aspect of return to office. Striking a balance between environmental concerns, employee needs, and company culture remains a key challenge.
🚰 The Water Cooler
My husband and I discovered Remi Wolf a couple of years ago, thanks to the Apple Music algorithm! We're both hooked. With four singles already out for her upcoming album "Big Ideas" (dropping July 12th!), I think you'll love this Vogue profile on her.
When I saw the headline “Menswear is having a Miranda Hobbes Moment,” I felt like I'd been waiting for this forever. Those coats and jackets? Yes, please!
As a child of the 90s, the unsolved murders of Tupac and Biggie continue to captivate me. Nearly 30 years later, a suspect in Tupac's case has emerged, but there's so much more to this story!
Speaking of childhood, that's when I fell in love with Caesar salad. Funnily enough, the dish just celebrated its 100th anniversary after being invented in Tijuana! Does anyone have a favorite Caesar dressing recipe they'd be willing to share?
📖 Reflections for this week:
We’re thinking about raises this week: how to know if you earned one, how to ask for one, and how to support others in their pursuit of more money!
For you: Before you ask for a raise, honestly assess your contributions. Have you consistently exceeded expectations and can you quantify your achievements?Building a strong case with documented accomplishments and data strengthens your position when negotiating for a raise. Being honest with yourself can also help manage your own expectations. Is there a maximum increase you can expect? Well, don’t expect them to exceed it. If there is inconsistency with the amounts you receive for pay raises, you may have more freedom when it comes to negotiation.
Your boss: You know your worth and you’re ready to talk to your boss. Timing is everything! Pay raises can often come up during performance reviews. That can also feel like an organic opportunity to bring it up. Feeling prepared makes a big difference. Research what people in your role, experience level, and location typically earn. Gather evidence of your accomplishments and positive feedback. Go into the meeting with confidence and professionalism. Clearly explain the value you bring to the company and why you deserve a raise. Be prepared to negotiate and discuss a salary range that reflects your worth.
Your direct reports: Open and honest communication is key. Normalize conversations about career development and compensation with your direct reports. Empower them by offering guidance on researching salaries and requesting raises. Role-playing practice conversations can boost their confidence in advocating for themselves. If raises aren't feasible at the moment, explain the reasons transparently. Explore alternative forms of recognition like more vacation days, perks on the company card during business trips, or you could also ask them what they would value as appreciation for their contributions.
Your co-workers: Knowledge is power! Share salary research resources or articles on effective negotiation techniques with your colleagues. Moral support goes a long way. Offer encouragement and a listening ear as they prepare for their raise conversations. Remember, respect boundaries. This is their conversation, so avoid disclosing details of your own salary and asking for too many details from them.
⚡️ And one last thing…
For years, I thrived on the validation that came with work success. Long hours and an exhaustive knowledge of every product on the shelf fueled my self-worth. But this relentless pursuit left me perpetually on edge, and my relationships suffered. One specific instance stands out: a beach vacation overshadowed by my boss's constant calls about a new product delivery.
We were driving back from a week at the beach with friends. The time away was much needed, but the constant calls and texts from my boss kept pulling me back into work. My ringtone, an excerpt from Nicki Minaj's verse on "Monster," only exacerbated the issue - I'd jump every time my phone rang, dreading what new staffing issue awaited me. Even during this supposed downtime, I couldn't disconnect. This constant urge to check in, even while on vacation, called out my unhealthy emotional attachment to work. The stress and anxiety it caused kept me from relaxing and disconnecting. It even strained my relationship with my husband! The lack of relaxation and work-related arguments highlighted the importance of finding a healthy detachment from work.
The turning point wasn't a specific boss, but the slow realization that my self-worth was becoming dangerously intertwined with my work performance. What I’d experienced in the previous example wasn’t necessarily new, but more of a pattern of me taking work very, very seriously. Acing a project brought euphoria, but criticism or looming deadlines triggered crippling anxiety. This pattern wasn't sustainable, and I'd often experience symptoms of burnout. However, it wasn't just me suffering. The late nights and constant work worry spilled over, affecting my relationships. Witnessing the toll it took on those closest to me became a stark wake-up call. One night, after canceling a date night due to a work emergency, I saw the disappointment in my husband's eyes. This sparked a desire to figure out what was going on. What was I doing? What was I missing?
Past failures, while offering lessons, were viewed solely as stepping stones to the next victory. I didn’t have the words then, but I came to realize I needed to detach from work and create a healthier work-life balance. To achieve this, I began exploring ways to reframe my self-worth to encompass more than just professional achievements.
I realized how much my self-worth hinged on work success. This "win-at-all-costs" mentality, though commonplace, wasn't bringing me fulfillment. My life had become a relentless pursuit of achievements: exceeding expectations, climbing the ladder rung by rung. The focus on achievement offered a temporary high from external validation, but it lacked the depth and meaning I yearned for. This realization shifted my perspective, allowing me to take a step back and consider the bigger picture – my whole life, not just work. Fulfillment, I realized, was about a holistic balance.
Finding a healthy balance meant creating a work environment that fostered both dedication and detachment. Firstly, I reframed my approach to goals. Instead of solely focusing on exceeding expectations and external validation, I started setting personal, process-oriented goals. Focusing on the learning process itself, rather than just the outcome, allowed me to find intrinsic satisfaction in my work and connect more with my colleagues throughout the process. During a new project, I made a habit of checking in with my teammates outside of our meetings to see how things were going and see if they were stuck anywhere. I found this more casual conversation made our meetings more productive because we were communicating about our work more outside the meeting so we spent less time playing catching up when our team got together.
I established clear boundaries between work and personal life. I silenced work notifications after hours and designated specific times to check emails. My work phone would go in a drawer! This allowed me to be fully present during my personal time and giving myself the space to turn off my work brain. I could feel myself relax more after I became comfortable letting my boss go to voicemail on my day off. This also improved my relationships outside of work because I was less distracted and cranky.
Finally, I sought opportunities for personal growth outside of work. Once I began to see myself as more than a person with a job, I was able to see other aspects of my life that were important to me but where maybe I needed to spend a little more energy. With less time devoted to thinking about work, I found that I was better at committing to chores around the house, to spending more time with my dogs, and finally ready to work on creative projects outside of my job.
For years, I'd had a nagging desire to explore fashion design, but work had always pushed it aside. Now, with newfound purpose, I finally committed to a screenprinter and a stack of blank t-shirts. While I didn’t plan on starting my own clothing line anytime soon (that would come later), this creative outlet provided a sense of accomplishment and a way to express myself that wasn't tied to my job. It was a reminder that I was a well-rounded person with interests and passions that extended far beyond the retail floor. By implementing these strategies, I discovered a more fulfilling life, one where work was just one facet of a richer, more balanced existence.
This newfound detachment has had a profound impact on my overall well-being and work performance. I'm now less susceptible to stress and burnout, and I approach my work with a clearer mind and a more positive attitude. The improved work-life balance allows me to be more present and engaged during work hours, leading to increased productivity and better decision-making. Perhaps most importantly, I'm happier and more fulfilled outside of work, with a broader sense of purpose. Detachment from work wasn't about neglecting my responsibilities, but rather about creating a healthier, more sustainable relationship with my career, ultimately leading to a more well-rounded and successful me.
Have a great day!
Follow me on Instagram at @misterfantastik
I only threatened to throw your work phone in the ocean ONCE and here you are dragging me for it! Xoxoxox
Seems like an interesting week