First Thing Monday #5
Teen Vogue = amazing career advice, saying no is important, and why we need feedback early on ideas
☀️ Good morning, y’all! Don’t forget—Labor Day is coming up. Do you have a plan for your team being Out of Office?
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 comes out on Monday mornings!
Have burning questions 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.
⏰ Things to read before your first meeting:
A Millennial’s guide to working for a Gen X boss (Vincent Benjamin): This is the quickest how-to I think I’ve ever seen, but it has gems for those struggling with a Gen X boss. The skepticism of it all felt the most revelatory.
5 Keys to Ensure Professional Relevance (The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past): “Every individual and manager can continue to be successful in a transforming world. The issue is how to see, think and feel differently and then execute, iterate, and improve to remain relevant.”
is great for helping me think more deeply about my own approach to the future.5 Fashion & Beauty Insiders on How to Utilize Social Tools Like LinkedIn to Boost Your Career (Teen Vogue): I am a big fan of LinkedIn for professional networking and branding. If you’re not using it, you have definitely missed out on a new job opportunity or two in the last five years. I also get professionalization advice I can’t get anywhere else (except for FTM!).
Cloze, an AI-driven CRM app (Trustradius): I tried Cloze a few weeks ago and found it very intriguing. I agree with the reviews that said it’s a little too informative, meaning there is just too much information on each screen. A simpler layout would make me subscribe!
Top résumé tips to stand out in automated screenings and with recruiters (Washington Post): I’ll also add that if you apply on LinkedIn, you can see sometimes see how many other people applied for the same position. I don’t know about you, but the jobs with 300+ applications are a SKIP for me.
📖 Things to consider this week:
For yourself: How often do you say no when someone asks you for something? Who is not asking for help?
For your boss: If you haven’t taken any time off recently, now is the time to get some on the schedule. Think about when you want the PTO, and talk to your supervisor about it. You deserve a break!
For your direct report(s): Do you have anyone who spins “what they’re going to do” as “something they did?” You know, when you’re in a meeting about project updates and all they have to talk about is the work they are about to do, but not anything about what they did leading up to that meeting. If you’re up for it, point out that they are sharing future plans, and ask if they have any activity to report.
For your co-workers: Don’t forget the value you add when you do things like clean up the kitchen or change out the empty paper towels. If you see something, don’t SAY something— DO something. Don’t just leave it for someone else to do!
⚡️ And one last thing…
Sometimes the workplace presents an opportunity to chart our own course. For instance, supervisors often entrust promising potential leaders to address a problem or need within the organization. Many folks with leadership potential are excellent problem solvers. However, this sort of free-range assignment can get tricky when it’s time to execute a solution. The challenge many young leaders face is making sure any changes to office practices, processes, or culture add value to the workplace experience. Systemic changes should not be about doing something you like or using your process without feedback and buy-in from your coworkers. Get outside your work friend group. Talk it out with folks beyond your regular audience at work or even get some outsider feedback. You just may learn something that prevents workplace drama and builds your empathy as a leader.
See you next week!
Jon
another Linkedin question for you: best practices on blocking somebody? like a nosy former coworker?
Do you have any advice for how or when to approach a potential connection on LinkedIn? It feels like there's a fine line between creeping on somebody and trying to network.