So, the weather is getting brighter, the sun is staying out longer, the vaccines are rolling out, and it’s so much easier to get outside for fresh air and activities. I’ve been doing “walk and talks” with some of my friends, which is a nice way to catch up and get some steps in too. I hope things are going well for you and your team; please let me know if you find yourself mulling over the same thoughts over and over again—if you’re stuck, an Owlthena session may be just the thing you need to get thinking back on track.
I came across a few really good info pieces to share with you this week. There’s no theme or pattern, as best as I can see, just a random gathering of items that jumped into my attention space that I found helpful. Here they are:
- Are you: a Swiftie? No matter if you are or not, this is good business…
- Taylor Swift gives a demonstration of emotional intelligence as she re-records her hits and regains control of her work. Why am I talking about Taylor Swift? She is the definition of bad-ass wrapped in kindness. Well done, Taylor. (No, I’m not a Swiftie ?, I just appreciate EQ businesspeople.)
- Are you ready to Re-Zoom Travel?
- It’s baaa-aack: supersonic travel. “4 hours to anywhere” is what really got me thinking. Here’s the news.
- Are you what Jeff Bezos and Adam Grant would call a great thinker?
- Read this from Jeff Haden and let me know.
- Are you seeing signs of burnout caused by bad management?
- I struggled with whether to post this one, even though my initial impulse was to share it. It’s about burnout among analyst level (junior level) people in big consulting firms. They’ve always worked long, long hours, so I wasn’t sure what the “news” here was at first, but while reading it, I heard echoes of what some of the younger people in my own circle are saying about lack of respect for people needing personal time and managers who think of them as captives—“You can’t go out, so you might as well work” as if the workers have abdicated their personal lives completely in the name of “being more productive.” There’s a growing resentment among knowledge workers, even in industries where long hours have traditionally been expected, that Covid has created yet another avenue for management abuses that fall under “This is how we do it, Cupcake.” The perspective is that instead of finding ways to ease Covid stressors, bad managers are exacerbating it with unreasonable demands for “more, more, more.” As you see, I’ve decided to share this as part of my ongoing mission to help business leaders reframe the modern work manifesto…here’s the story in Business Insider.
Do Good Spotlight: Autism Research Institute (ARI)
This week’s spotlight shines on Autism Research Institute (ARI) for their ongoing work to support the health and well-being of people affected by autism through innovative, impactful research, and education.
Founded in 1967, ARI conducts and fosters scientific research designed to improve the methods of diagnosing, treating, and preventing autism. ARI also disseminates research findings to parents and others worldwide seeking help.
ARI has earned 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator, scoring a 92.92% overall rating and 100% for accountability and transparency. We donated to ARI this week and would like you to learn more about them here, so you can consider supporting them too.
That’s it for this week; I hope this briefing was a good read. Let me know if you have suggestions for not-for-profits we can feature in upcoming issues. In the meantime, stay strong, stay focused, and stay healthy. Your business’ stakeholders are counting on you!
