Vignettes

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

We’ve all been in meetings where the audience is aware of a topic actively being avoided. I have always found that interesting – why would we not talk about what we all need to discuss? Well, it turns out that there are two main reasons:

  1. We are actively trying to avoid a topic either because we are ashamed, it’s too hard, or there is a culture of not talking about hard things.
  2. What we think is ‘the elephant in the room’ is only ‘the elephant in the room’ to us. To everyone else, it’s just a cute elephant stuffy.

Learning: Spending a few moments understanding why a topic is not being discussed can prevent you from accidentally sabotaging a meeting or your reputation. Conversely, it will provide you with the depth you need to ensure the topic can be addressed in the most productive way.

The First Minute is Key

The First Minute is Key

The first minute of a presentation should bring the room onto the same page or, at the very least, establish something more interesting than doomscrolling through Twitter. You can establish a few things in the first minute of any presentation.

  1. Who you are and why you are there.
  2. The dynamic that establishes that the audience is the customer – establish gratitude and why they are there (and will get out of it) – Note: This dynamic should remain throughout the presentation
  3. Set the baseline and context for the remaining part of the presentation.

If you want to brush up on your presentation skills, I highly recommend the following:

  • The Secret Structure of Great Talks by Nancy Duarte/TedX; Type: Video
  • Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds; Type: Video
  • Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams; Type Book
  • Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte; Type: Book
  • What’s Your Story? by Craig Wortman; Type: Book
The Importance of Human Connection

The Importance of Human Connection

As I wrote about recaptcha, a tool meant to differentiate between humans and AI, I realized that humans are not really in charge of so many things. The whole point of Recaptcha was to distinguish humans from AI but it has now been proven that AI is better at it than humans. Which is definitely sad for humanity but not the point I’m trying to make today. AI is now showing up in many forms and one alarming form (to me) is in team meetings. Instead of showing up, people will send an AI note-taker to take notes, summarize, and list next steps. Which has advantages. It’s efficient. But, what it can’t do is connect with other people on your team. What it can’t do is show up for someone who is presenting. What it can’t do is be human. That is not AI’s fault. That is ours if we choose to deprioritize human connection at work. If our meetings aren’t efficient enough, fix the meetings but keep the connection.

References and Resources

How AI finally won its war on CAPTCHA images by Dr Peter Bentley/BBC Science Focus; Type: Article

Bots Are Better at Solving CAPTCHAs Than Humans, Research Shows by Emily Price/PC Mag; Type: Article

The Perfect Hamster Wheel

The Perfect Hamster Wheel

If you’ve ever dealt with perfectionism, you’re likely familiar with this spiral or the perfectionism cycle (below). The way to catch yourself in Perfectionism is to notice when your comfort zone gets smaller. Do you stay away from risks? Do you hide? Do you lose confidence? Do you overthink or beat yourself up? Those are all signs that you are in the spiral. Believe me, I know this one all too well. A tried and true way out is to find a team (co-conspirators) you can rely on – to push you when you need it, to lift you when you do it, and to catch you when failure happens. If you innovate, you will fail. Ask any innovator whether they have failed. It will be ok. Real co-conspirators will be there for you, as you will be there for them. Now, break the cycle and get out of that spiral.

References and Resources

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant; Type: Book

Below is a helpful visual for those perfectionists out there.

Daenerys is Wrong

Daenerys is Wrong

Two key elements separate the best employees from the pack if you work in the tech industry:

  1. Results matter – effort is a baseline expectation, but Results are where all lasting measures are tracked. No Sales Leader tracks hours spent, but they do track Sales close rates, forecasting accuracy, and revenue earned – all results-based statistics.
  2. Impact is Greater than Intent – Similar to Results, Impact is what is measured, not Intent. You can have the best intent in the world, but it doesn’t count if it doesn’t have the desired impact. The heart does matter, as does integrity, but no business survives on great intent, only great impact.
Culture Schmulture

Culture Schmulture

Kidding. Culture is everything. If you want to get work done and have happy customers, you need happy employees. To have happy employees focused on the customers, you need to ensure they are not spending all of their time removing knives out of their back. So, what’s one fence you can mend this week? What’s one relationship that you can improve at work that will have a positive impact for you and your colleagues? Do it, because an awesome work culture is everyone’s responsibility until it’s not. For Executives and people leaders, in particular, it is even more important that they model a culture that is inclusive, engaging, and fun.

And You Get a Motivational Poster

And You Get a Motivational Poster

Suppose you enter an office, and it has the standard Motivational posters showcasing rowers rowing with the word “Teamwork” underneath it or a picture of a Mountain with the words “Bravery” or “Vision.” In that case, our advice is to run. Fast. It’s the 2020s (check the calendar), and we are way beyond this false motivational garbage.

If you need to put these posters up, please feel free to go here instead.

Feedback Fairness

Feedback Fairness

Feedback should always be given and received freely. That’s why I’m a massive fan of 360 feedback—feedback from peers, managers, staff, etc. What makes that work is that there is a natural trust in the feedback system itself. On the other hand, online reviews (of restaurants, in this case) should always be questioned because the reviewing system is flawed. A reviewer does not need to prove that they ate at the restaurant or that they even were in the same city as the restaurant. A quick scan of the reviewers feedback can tell you a lot – and 9 times out of 10, they do not give positive feedback. Imagine, in a work scenario, if a coworker gave negative reviews 90% of the time. Would that person still have a job? It’s just not the same for online review tools.

References and Resources

Getting 360-Degree Feedback Right by Maury Peiperl/Harvard Business Review; Type: Article

Transition Back to the Office is Hard

Transition Back to the Office is Hard

Transitioning back to the office has been more challenging for some and it’s pretty clear that the “RTO” Return to Office mandates that many companies have rolled out are not the answer. Recent Return to Office mandates at Apple, SpaceX, and Microsoft have been followed by increased departures (see article below). Although seeing each other is essential for team communication and engagement, being home with reduced commute time has been a blessing for many. Finding a balance between company culture and employee satisfaction has to be the priority. Would employees accept work from home if they kept their cameras on in team meetings? Would employers consider reducing or sub-letting their space instead? There are a slew of questions to ask and answer way before the draconian tactics of RTO should be used–in my humble opinion.

References and Resources

Ordered back to the office, top tech talent left instead, study finds by Taylor Telford/Washington Post; Type: Article

The Key to Success

The Key to Success

Many receive this advice when entering the job market: “Follow your passion.” If you have yet to see Scott Galloway share his thoughts on this advice, you should spend the three minutes to do so. I’m insanely passionate about soccer but not great at it. Also, three knee surgeries put that idea to bed. And guess what? I’m not a soccer player.

Following your passion is limiting and too narrow for most. Instead, if you want good advice, follow the work that you are good at and feel good at. As a result, you’ll spend more time doing it, and who knows? You might then find that you are passionate about it.

References and Resources

Scott Galloway on follow your passion; Type: Video

BONUS: How the US Is Destroying Young People’s Future by Scott Galloway/TED; Type: Video