Hi,
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about improving the interpersonal aspects of workplaces is because we can help all kinds of people become better humans. With clear intention and best practice sharing, we can help even those who didn’t have a great start in life. And, in turn, they’ll join us in shaping other better humans.
And with that in mind, here is some brain fuel for you. Let’s make a better work world the launching pad for a better whole world:
Stories to Help You Drive Change
- Here’s a cool way to tell a data story. (The actual research was part of the inspiration for my opening paragraph today).
- Here’s a tip “text splitting” in Excel. But as is often the case on social media, the post is only half the fun—one commenter pointed out the humor in the sample names. 😂
- The first step to solving a problem is recognizing it. When I was a new leader, I was guilty of several of these management missteps, all in the spirit of trying to be helpful to my team. Are you or any of your team leaders over helping and inadvertently undermining your team?
- Super-informative and well-constructed report “Deloitte’s Women @ Work: A Global Outlook.” Among many distressing data points: more women have left their jobs in 2023 than in 2020 and 2021 combined. And while 44% of women reported experiencing some form of harassment at work in 2023, down from 59% in 2022. The number of women reporting that harassment to their employer is up, with 59% reporting it to higher ups versus only 23% reporting it to their employers in 2022.
What this is saying to me is more of us are recognizing what constitutes harassment. We are taking the steps to eliminate it by reporting it instead of keeping quiet. That’s progress. Long way to go, but change is hard.
You can download this report and I suggest you take the time to go through the interactive version online—lots of smart ways to slide and dice the data.
- Hybrid versus fully remote versus fully in-person. Hybrid seems to be pulling ahead. Don’t get distracted by the opening graphic: the numbers aren’t far enough apart to mean anything (IMHO). There are lots of other stats in this Axios piece, including of the 3,389 surveyed who worked in person, only 46% of them preferred working in person. 29% of employees say they prefer hybrid work versus the 23% who prefer purely remote.
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Live Like Casey, Inc. 🌟
The Live Like Casey not-for-profit was created in honor of Casey Andrew Lohne of Medford, NJ to make sure his dream lives on. Casey passed away shortly after graduating high school. The organization strives to “make sure that all children, regardless of ability, income or special needs, never stop playing.” Learn about events and how you can help: Live Like Casey.
Noteworthy 🖋
Manymoons—America’s First Circular Retailer ™
Earth Day is next Monday, April 22 and I want to celebrate a company that has knocked my socks off.
How cool is this: whether you buy or rent clothes from Manymoons, you are encouraged to send them back when you’re done with them so they can clean/repair/resell and eventually, recycle/compost them. They take “full lifecycle responsibility for all the products they carry.” Here’s more—they say it better than I do:
“We design waste out with our sourcing, collection and recycling strategy. We source natural, mono-fibers because of their ability to be recycled and composted. We collect our products through our giveback process and we make ourselves responsible for recycling. We are the first company in the US to compost our post-consumer clothing at commercial scale, safely returning products back to nature.”
The next time you’re shopping for baby, children’s, or women’s clothes, visit Manymoons.com to see if what they have is what you and our planet need. Special thanks to Katy Davis for telling me about this wonderful, planet-friendly company.
💞 Compassionate Workplaces Intention Pod—Care to Join?
We had another powerful Intention Pod! Everyone agreed it’s a great way to start the work week and create a mental recharging point to refer back to as the week progresses.
You can 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. Email me for the Zoom link. We’d love to have you as part of our better workplace pod.
🎵 On a Personal Note: Cocktails in 2024
First there was dry January. Then, there was dry time before and after my knee surgery. (BTW, doc says I’m doing great, and I agree.) So now, as I’m sliding into the weekend, poised to enjoy a Friday cocktail with friends, I wanted to know what I could do to shake things up a bit. (See what I did there? I crack myself up. 😂) I don’t think I’ll attempt an interactive drink. The savories sound inventive, but minimalist has my name all over it. What do you think?
Until Next Time…
Making workplaces kinder can seem daunting sometimes. I’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks about the pioneers in psychology, training and development, and communications who are helping companies change for the better.
But let me leave you with this suggestion for the week ahead: without the expectation of reciprocity, think of one thing you can do in your workplace that will make it feel more friendly and supportive, even if only to one person for one day. Want an idea? Smile first, smile big, and don’t wait for a smile back. Kindness is a language some people were taught is a weakness, but we know it’s a strength. Use your kindness muscle to teach others how to use theirs.
And here’s my smile for you: 😊
Niki
