‘Sort of’ is such a harmless thing to say. Sort of. It’s just a filler. Sort of. It doesn’t really mean anything. But after certain things, ‘Sort of’ means everything. Like after, ‘I love you’ or ‘You are going to live.’ — Demetri Martin The language you use can help you or harm you at work. The words you choose, the phrases you adopted along your journey, the types of things you choose to speak about – all matter. Do…
Change Fatigue is very real. As organizations push forward efforts to Digital Transform their work – countless applications, processes, and reorgs are being tossed at employees. In fact, the change doesn’t stop – there is no ‘done’ for Digital Transformation. The future of work, as it were, has got to be better than this. In the interim, along with all of this change comes Change Fatigue. The idea that at some point, employees have had enough. The reaction to any…
I once believed that for me to be great at my job, others had to be bad. Like it was a competition among my colleagues. I see it in others, too. I see it in a new staff member. He oozes this idea of greatness. But it’s a trick. Him being great has nothing to do with me. Or anybody else. And me being great has nothing to do with him. Or anybody else. We can both be great. Others…
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin When we had a reduction in force at Charles Schwab, we all knew why. We all knew why because the leaders opened a dialog about the needed change. The talked to all of us, they listened to all of us, and they helped us all face the inevitable. Well, not everyone was able to face the change – Larry struggled….
If you alive right now, you are likely feeling a crazy amount of stress. Whether unemployed or fully employed, there is increasing pressure associated with the unknown. As you factor in that very few businesses are thriving (with some obvious exceptions) — it is clear that the pressure to survive is immense for virtually every organization. If you are unemployed, the amount of competing applicants is staggeringly high. And if you are employed, the amount of stress your company is…
“What we need is — we need more meetings,” Said no one. Ever. Meetings are often seen as a “necessary evil.” A productive meeting can create and reinforce connections, inertia, and actionable next steps. However, most meetings seem to be more “evil” than “necessary.” In a post-COVID world, meetings are increasing, but the quality and necessity need a massive reset. Do we have a problem? Note: The above graphic is harsh. For many, this is their first time working from…
I’m in no way shape or form a futurist. I will also admit that I’m not entirely sure what that means. Can I predict the future? Can I read minds? No, I can not — but I can and will be able to share my predictions for the remainder of 2020. What do I think digital work is going to be and feel like after a cure for COVID is found; after the unemployment rates decrease; after the racial work…
As president and CEO of this little corner of the internet, it’s essential to acknowledge the world that we are sharing right now. The goal of Tech vs. Humans is to create and build and ideate and to do that in a world we would all want to live in. But we can’t do that unless we stop and face the ugliness woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Given the recent death of George Floyd at the hands…
NPR recently published a story about Hotel Corona. Hotel Corona, previously known as the Dan Hotel, in Jerusalem, became a hotel for people recovering from the Coronavirus. Over 200 people from all walks of life, ages, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds were forced to live together during their recoveries. Two negative tests for COVID-19 was the only way out. If you have 35 minutes, it’s well worth your time to listen. But, to summarize, these individuals started as you would have…
The New Yorker recently published this cartoon and I find it to be perfectly appropriate with our BCP (Business Continuity Planning) and COVID-19 Business Response situation. It’s not the time to sit on the sidelines and let your team do the heavy lifting (You may not have a team that values ‘idea firemen’ after this). It’s not the time to delineate and box in your role (You may not have a role after all of this). It is time to…