Vignettes

The Allure of the Quick Fix

The Allure of the Quick Fix

We chase quick fixes, but deep down, we know they don’t work long-term.

We do it to disrupt our routine, yet we shy away from the real work needed for lasting change.

  • Our culture loves quick solutions like nootropics, ozempic, and fad diets, yet these are temporary.
  • This mindset is mirrored in work culture where teams (and leaders) seek new outcomes without the necessary effort.

It’s about priorities. Where are we ready to invest effort?

Learning: Let’s recognize our tendency for easy fixes, especially when our willpower dips.

Have you dabbled in health fads? What are your thoughts on them? We’d love to hear from you.

Taboo Team Building Activities

Taboo Team Building Activities

I have been to and hosted many team-building activities. They are necessary to 1) help build team dynamics and 2) help decompress from the intense offsite meetings/events. However, there are a few team-building activities that should not happen. Archery did happen (though with some casualties). As did Curling, Axe Throwing, Painting, and Pasta making. However, Pottery has not.

Learning: Team Building is vital to creating a thriving team that trusts each other. However, there are limits.

What are your thoughts on team-building activities? A drain on resources and time or a necessary trust builder? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

The Black Hole of Resumes

The Black Hole of Resumes

The job search process has gotten interesting with the growth of AI. Most US companies use an AI called ATS (Applicant Tracking System), which scores resume submissions based on keywords. It is a great concept but is not yet fully baked. The critical challenge is that AI doesn’t read and think. It won’t see parallel meaning (Software implementation vs. Software delivery) or root translations (Consultant vs. Consulting). If the Keywords are listed as Software delivery and Consulting, you will get a lower score if you have Software implementation and Consultant on your resume.

Learning: The best way to get your resume to the right people is through connections. Still. Gaming AI is an option but be prepared for the black hole.

Do you have any tricks or solutions for navigating ATS? Does your company use ATS to scrape “qualified” candidates or to manage the onslaught of people coming your way?

A Customer Service Classic

A Customer Service Classic

In Customer Success, a plan is great, but following the plan is not the point. The phrase “The Operation was successful, but the patient has died” helps demonstrate how ‘processes’ and ‘processes as proxy’ cannot replace a customer-centric mindset.

Learning: If you see a plan that is not working for a customer, it is foolish to continue with it. Create a better plan. Agility is what separates the new leaders from the seasoned ones.

References and Resources

The operation was successful, the patient is dead by Helge Tennø/Medium; Type: Article

Have you ever experienced this phenomenon? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Doctor’s Orders

Doctor’s Orders

The term “Circle back” is baked in good intent. It’s often used to focus a discussion on a single topic. “Let’s circle back to that” is similar to putting something in “the Parking Lot.” However, unlike the parking lot, where it’s more permanent, “Circle back” suggests temporary deferment. When someone utters, “I’d like to circle back to what [Helen] said,” be aware – this can easily lead to topic shifts and egos taking over the conversation. Not always, but often.

Learning: Business Jargon is contagious – beware of overusing it.

How long has it been since you’ve heard the phrase “Circle Back”? And did you, in fact, “Circle Back?” We’d love to hear from you.

We’ve All Been There

We’ve All Been There

You hit SEND. And then…Oh boy, you realize that you just made a HUGE mistake – you didn’t mean to do that. Did you just “reply all”? Why, yes. Yes, you did. Ok, so you do a quick damage assessment. Did you say something snarky? Should you “reply all” again with a retraction of some sort? Mind Swirling. Swirling. Swirling.

Learning: You’ll be OK – every single person has done that. In general, an apology is the best way to address the mistake. Ultimately, your coworkers will forgive and quickly forget unless you went to the dark side in your original message.

Does this resonate with you? Has this ever happened to you? We’d love to hear from you.

No One (Ehem… Everyone) Saw This Coming

No One (Ehem… Everyone) Saw This Coming

I would bet that the number of times this feedback has been given worldwide in 2023 was over a million. Over a million times. No doubt. In fact, this feedback has been so boilerplate that some Creatives in Ireland built a site dedicated to the feedback they’ve received over the years. You might find it interesting – Creative Catharsis.

Learning: If you want better than boilerplate Creative, avoid boilerplate feedback.

References and Resources

Creative Catharsis; Type: Website

Does this resonate with you? Have you ever received or given feedback along these lines? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

How to Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss at Work

How to Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss at Work

Ok, this is not about how to Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss at work. I barely know what that means. But we do live in a world where John Oliver can get the Putekeke to win New Zealand’s Bird of the Century, and the word ‘Rizz’ won the 2023 Oxford Word of the Year. It’s a strange, engaging, and sometimes funny world. It’s time to feel sorry for Grammarly because it threw up all over this post.

Learning: The best way to look at these kinds of events/changes is through the eyes of a curious child. If you can do that, and then you realize you are actually an adult – you can’t help but be amused (and more curious).

References and Resources

With a boost from John Oliver, pūteketeke soars to first in New Zealand bird contest by Joe Hernandez/NPR; Type: Article

Rizz, the word of the year, explained by Constance Grady/Vox; Type: Article

Gen Z is not a Monolith by the Marketoonist; Type: Cartoon/Article

Does this resonate with you? Do you envision a world where ‘Rizz,’ ‘Mid,’ and ‘Lit’ are commonly used in the office? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

It’s all Fun and Games…Until Someone Dies

It’s all Fun and Games…Until Someone Dies

There is a growing trend of converting stand-up meetings into plank meetings. It has been proven to reduce meeting times, which makes sense. I may be the only one out there, but combining a meeting with exercise will only result in me not talking. Either because I’m dead or because I can’t talk/breathe/think (trying to prevent my own death). It’s an interesting concept to keep meetings brief, but the truth is that this incentivizes not raising issues because, well…death (or the avoidance of death) will always be the greater concern.

Disclaimer: To our knowledge, no one has died in a plank meeting. We just don’t want to be the first. That’s not the way to go out.

Learning: Get in shape.

References and Resources

Daily plank meeting by William Liu; Type: Article

Does this resonate with you? What are your thoughts on “The plank meeting”? Have you ever had one of these? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Start, Continue – How to Get Behind on Your Work

Start, Continue – How to Get Behind on Your Work

One of the best ways to prevent burnout is the Stop-Start-Continue exercise. In short, you would regularly review your work to determine what you should Stop doing, what you should Start doing, and what you should Continue doing. If you are taking on new work, you can’t just slide that into the margins of your already busy day.

Learning: Yes, saying “No” is hard, but to do great work and not burn yourself out – you must learn to say “No.”

References and Resources

Start, Stop, Continue: How to implement this retrospective model by Madeline Miles/Better Up; Type: Article

Does this resonate with you? How do you balance your work to get your best personal end product? We’d love to hear from you.