Hi,
Status: TKR. IYKYK. If you don’t, that’s Total Knee Replacement. Several days after surgery, I am grateful for the people and tech that make it possible to recover in weeks instead of months. To everyone who took the time to share experiences to help me prepare—thank you! I’m on the mend and feeling good.
And you know me, I’ve got lots of projects planned for this week when I’m (cough cough) taking it easy. They include working on something very special for all of you leveraging your workplaces as springboards for a better world.
With that in mind, here are shares to help you do that:
Stories to Help You Drive Change
- For so many reasons, we need to do a better job with childcare for working parents. Here are stories and stats making the case.
- And because it’s so important, here’s more: childcare benefits paying for themselves. This time, it’s based on research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and nonprofit Moms First.
- Speaking of doing better, economists Evan Rose, Patrick Kline, and Christopher Walters of The University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics are naming names this time around. Their re-released research, “A Discrimination Report Card” details their methodology and findings on unfair hiring practices. From 2019 to 2021 the economists sent 80,000 “fake” résumés to 10,000 jobs at 97 US companies. They changed some of the applicants’ names to suggest they were white, Black, male or female. Findings: presumed white applicants were contacted 9.5% more than those presumed to be Black despite their qualifications being equal. Important to note: some industries exhibited more bias than others, e.g. 20% of the companies were responsible for almost half of the gap in callbacks. There’s A LOT to unpack here including insights into what led to some companies being more fair (but not perfectly so). Let the unpacking begin…
- When you’re thinking about ways your company can make a huge difference with a small change, think about this story by Elizabeth Segran, Ph.D. about publisher HarperCollins.
- Heady stuff, but I know you’re up to it. “Ecosystem mindsets” describes a new strategic approach for dramatically growing businesses. Kaihan Krippendorff talks about the data behind perception for Harvard Business Review.
- Heads up! California is taking a page from 13 countries with a proposed “right to disconnect” law. More to follow? Oh for sure.
- We’re living and working longer. Are you using outdated thinking to plan the later years of your career—and your life? Tips on updating your mindset by psychologist Susan Kahn (it’s there, you just need to scroll a bit).
You Never Know…
Can you imagine landing your dream job only to find that your co-workers don’t want you there and make your life a living hell? Unfortunately, it happens all the time, and it’s rampant in the sciences. We can talk all we want about supporting women in STEM careers, but it takes more than a village to turn the tide on systemic gender-based abuse. Read about Jane Willenbring’s fight in Wired.
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) 🌟
Being connected to nature reduces stress for most people. For kids, the outdoors can be a place of possibility, play, and imagination. OAK’s mission is to advocate for equitable and readily available opportunities for children, youth, and families to connect with the outdoors. Learn about their cause and how you can support them: Outdoors Alliance for Kids.
Noteworthy 🖋
The Living Planner
What would you do if a key employee was suddenly and permanently absent because of illness, death, or another unanticipated event? If you’re a business owner, do your employees have everything they need to keep things going if you’re unexpectedly unavailable? Truthfully, most small companies aren’t prepared and the consequences can be devastating. The thought of how many people are affected by this compels me to tell you about The Living Planner and the woman who founded it, Lynn Lambrecht.
Lynn is dedicated to helping others after what she witnessed early in her career working with large companies dealing with disastrous events. Based on those experiences and her growing expertise, The Living Planner provides resources to companies of all sizes in a variety of formats, including: online sources, in-person consulting, reference books, workbooks, and even a free digital guide to wade in while learning more.
I know we’re constantly reprioritizing where we put our resources. Let me suggest you’ll thank yourself for being proactive on this front and your colleagues will thank you too.
💞 Compassionate Workplaces Intention Pod
Join my intention pod first thing Monday mornings to kick the week off right. We use the first 15 minutes of the workweek to quietly think about how to infuse higher thinking and better behaviors into our workplaces. It’s as simple as it sounds. Join the Zoom, say hello, let me guide the group to quietly set our individual intentions to lead by example. Then, we head off for the week refreshed and refocused. 9:00-9:15 a.m. ET each Monday. We’d love to have you as part of our better-workplaces pod. Email me for the Zoom link.
🎵 On a Personal Note
When is the right time to brush? Floss? Rinse? New science, new tips.
