3 Reasons to Clean Up Your Messes

Time to read: Less than one minute. Time to clean up your mess? Depends on the size.

Let's just say that the other day, I wasn't my best. I don't know why, but there's something about the vet that pokes my buttons. It's not the actual vet, it's the processes at the vet. It's weird because I'm usually so easy... but I digress. That's not the point.

I became irritated and the poor receptionist who was trying to help me took the brunt. It wasn't my finest hour, and my response was very human. We humans mess up. And when we do, we humans have a responsibility to clean it up.

There are three reasons to clean up your messes - big and small.

1. It's the right thing to do, especially when you've hurt someone. Cleaning up your messes matters for other people.
2. Lingering messes are sticky and the guilt / sadness / justification / defensiveness (choose your poison) sticks to you. Cleaning up your messes matters for you.
3. The energy you put into the world matters so let that energy be honest and true, even when it's hard. Cleaning up your messes matters to our world.

I called the receptionist and apologized. I was nervous. And the 2 minutes it took to take responsibility and be forgiven made all the difference for both of us.

What mess is sticking to you and what can you do today to clean it up?

Email me here if you'd like to consider offering the 90-Minute Return to the Office live event with me and Anne. It's the easiest path to avoiding conflict and messes that need to be cleaned up.

Returning To the Office?

Time to read: 30 seconds.

Many of my clients are returning to the office in some form in the fall. They have mixed feelings. Some are excited. Some are not.

When you’re staring down big, complicated, changes, please know that you don’t have to boil the entire ocean. Instead:

Start anywhere.

And start with just one thing.

You only have to do one thing at a time. Then you’ll do the next thing. And the next. Until the train is back on the track and you’re moving forward smoothly.

That’s it.

Anne and I have been leading a 90-minute live event for corporate teams to help them prepare to return to in-person work effectively and smoothly. If your team is having feelings about returning to the office, we can help.

In the words of a recent participant:

"This workshop helped me prepare to return with intention rather than simply winging it.”

You have important work to do. We will help you be ready.

Email me here if you'd like more information about hosting this workshop for your team.

Summer of Rest, Recovery and Integration

Time to read: 30 seconds.

My fair city at sunset

Hey Rebels!

This is the summer of rest and recovery. Clients are quitting and changing jobs, heading back to the office, moving and experiencing all sorts of change. People are enjoying Fridays off, road tripping, and requesting that we space our sessions out a bit so they can integrate.

Integration. That's an important concept. I use it with clients to mean the time you give yourself to let things sink in. When you've been diving deep on your personal and professional development, sometimes you have to pause to let your learning absorb into your bones.

When you've lived through a global pandemic, political turmoil and social upheaval, you need a little time to integrate. When you give yourself space to integrate, you see what sinks in and sticks over time and set the stage to move forward again.

So, I am going to give you a few weeks of short, easy to digest content to aid your rest, recovery and integration. Today's is simply - consider the idea of integration. What does it mean for you? What do you want to integrate?

Then watch the next few weeks for tips and ideas for rest, recovery and integration.

The free download of The Corporate Rebel's Playbook for Returning to Life (and Work) is still available. It's chock full of info for you and your team. Many people have shared this playbook with their bosses (including my husband). If you love it, please share it.

On My Soapbox: What's Going On with Employment?

Time to read: This is a long one. Maybe 2 minutes? I'm on my soapbox after a conversation with some clients.

I nerd out on employment data. I'm not so interested in numbers like unemployment rates, but rather I love to hear what's going on for people in the workplace - what they're thinking, what they care about, and how trends change over time.

Right now, I'm seeing help wanted signs everywhere. Friends report they are having trouble hiring for all kinds of jobs, including things like paralegals, servers, and carpet cleaners. Clients are pissed because their CEOs announced everyone will return to the office in September, no ifs, ands, or buts. The tide is turning, and power is shifting to employees. (If you want to nerd out, too, read this article in the New York Times.)

What is happening and what does this mean for you?

• Demographic and employment trends have been shifting for years. Even before the pandemic, record low unemployment meant that employers had to make workplaces more attractive and competitive.
• Post-pandemic, we're seeing a surge in demand as people make up for lost time (eat out! buy clothes!) and supply chains are a wreck. (Have you noticed that there is no food in the case at Starbucks?)
• Many people used the pandemic for professional development. Online classes. Training. Career changes. They now have options beyond restaurant work.
• Some people saw how vulnerable and expendable they were when the s@*&% hit the fan. They found themselves laid off with no options. Others had to continue to work in unsafe environments for fear of losing their livelihoods. They are pushing back.
• I've heard a lot of people wondering if they still want to be on the path they are on after 15 months of staring their mortality in the face.
• The pandemic exposed the weaknesses in our systems around childcare, other kinds of caregiving, wages, and forced many people (mostly women) to choose between work and kids.

The bottom line: People realized the value of their labor. They realized they are not expendable and deserve an equal energy exchange (money, respect, benefits) for their time and effort.

What does this mean for you?

As an employee, this is a great time to negotiate! What do you want? More flexibility? Work from home? A part time schedule? A pay raise? Training? A career change? A new city?

As an employer or manager, you have a unique opportunity to demonstrate how much you value your employees, what they mean to your organization and show that value by getting creative about what work will look like now. If you think it's just about money and bonuses, think again. Consider training. Growth opportunities. Flexibility.

These issues are complicated and experts do and will disagree. I'm an optimist. These changes are exciting, both for employees who will be valued and fairly compensated for their labor and employers who are ready to create the workplace of the future.

The Corporate Rebel Playbook for Returning to Life (and Work) is chock full of guidance on returning smoothly and effectively. Download your free ebook here.

Please email me and let me know what you think and what you're seeing. I always love to hear from you.

Be well.