Hi!

We have an extra day! What are you doing with yours? My team and I are getting together for lunch and that will lead to all kinds of interesting conversations, I’m sure. I hope you invest yours in activities that bring good results your way.

Speaking of investing time wisely, how about joining my Monday Morning Intention Pod? It’s a simple concept to help use the power of community to get your week off to a good start. We join via Zoom (camera off if you want), I welcome everyone and share a thought or two, and then we privately set our own intentions to bring compassion, empathy, and confidence into our workplace. Attendees can share thoughts too, but it’s not a requirement. Then, off we go. Email me to learn more and get the link to the meeting.

And in the meantime, here are a few stories to help you make better, more informed decisions as you and your team co-create the workplace of the future:

• Whether you listen to or read this article on how technologically monitoring employees erodes the supervisor-employee relationship, I strongly suggest you take this one in. Even if your company isn’t using these technologies, consider this as a cautionary tale.

• Data breaches increased 20% in 2023 over 2022. Stuart Madnick tells us why and what to do about it in this article from Harvard Business Review.

• Uh-oh…54% of CEOs surveyed expect their jobs to get tougher in 2024. Kinda surprised it wasn’t higher, especially considering their POVs on the biggest challenges they’re facing.

• If the CEO’s job is getting tougher, what skills are in demand for their employees? FastCompany weighs in via this detailed yet short read by Lydia Dishman. Hint: we’ve talked about them here before; this is a super duper net/net.

• If layoffs for your people are unavoidable, here are tips from Sarah Lynch for Inc. on how to do them more humanely.

Hi!

Leading off with an offer:

Would you like to join my Monday Morning Intention Pod? Mondays, 9:00-9:15 a.m. (ET)? We use the energy of community to set a positive course for the workweek. No need to share with the others—it’s more about setting aside the time to envision and set your intentions with like-minded people as the workweek kicks off. If you’re interested, email me for the Zoom link.

And now, jumping right into this week’s shares:

• Sometimes layoffs are necessary, but too often they are crafted by people with short-term views and no long-term vision. If we want talent to work smart and show loyalty, layoffs to brighten the bottom line are nothing short of anti-business. There, I said it. Ann Kowal Smith for Forbes says it better.

• Who among us couldn’t benefit from new insights for negotiating better? You in? Check out what Scott Walker has to say in this from Harvard Business Review.

• For discussion, do you agree? Empathy and sympathy are feelings. Compassion is action.

Hi!

What’s the best thing that happened to you so far this week?

Here’s mine: I made a transformative discovery about my perception of time and energy that I’m using to reframe my perspectives for more positive outcomes. An attitude of gratitude only begins to scratch the surface, and I’m happy to share what I’m learning with anyone who wants to chat about it.

Speaking of chatting about it, are you interested in joining my intention pod? We’re going to start with once per week (Monday, 9AM ET), quick meetings (20 minutes). We’re purposefully setting aside time and using the energy of community to set a positive, purposeful course for the week. No need to share anything you’re not comfortable sharing—it’s more about dedicating time to envision and set your intentions with like-minded people as the workweek kicks off. Happy to share more if this strikes a chord. Email me if you’re interested in learning more/participating.

And here are the stories I thought might be helpful as you work to create and maintain your own compassionate workplaces:

• Abhijit Bhaduri makes so many excellent points in this short read about the importance of work adaptability now and for the future–for leaders as well as employees. Make sure to read this one; it’s a great heads up.

• Younger employees tend to expect their companies to take a public stand on social, political, and environmental issues – we know that. But what happens when companies make statements about events and find themselves in non-stop communications with employees and the public on those topics? How do companies navigate their responsibilities to their stakeholders effectively and efficiently? Harvard Business Review has a quick-moving overview and solid suggestions.

• For what it’s worth, here’s a report from The Wall Street Journal on how professionals skew in relation to gender and race. I’ve never heard my sister, a dental hygienist, mention a male colleague, so that stat wasn’t a shocker, but there are a few eyebrow raisers too.

“Oh shoot, I’m late!”

A jolt of adrenaline hits you as you scurry to get to where you need to go. You reach for your phone. A stack of meticulously organized papers flies off your desk like the most disappointing confetti ever seen. A sigh of frustration. A look of anguish. “I don’t have time for this.”

If that is not one of the most relatable occurrences, I do not know what is.

Let us examine that pressure and how it applies in the workplace. What is the cause of this time-keeping anxiety?

The Issue with Numerical Time

As we know, numeric time is a construct, an illusion working to keep us all on the same beat. I believe the issue of our societal stress around time lies in how we think about it.

We “measure” time with productivity, efficiency, and busyness. We have methodical approaches to managing time like prioritization and workflow organization – it has been implanted within us during youth. There is pressure for kids to be potty trained before sending them off to school with timed tests and project deadlines. We learn “time management skills” so we can slap them on college applications and resumes.

While there is nothing wrong with measuring time, – it is imperative to advance as a species – our overreliance on it has been steeped in our culture, particularly in our workplaces.

Time & Workplace Productivity

A study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that many cultures view busyness as a sign of status. The question is: do we need to be overworked and overtired to feel accomplished at work?

When we anxiously race to beat the deadline, we prime ourselves for living in a “reacting” mode. Dr. Jim Taylor in Psychology Today explains that reacting is based on perceiving a threat, while responding flows from “deliberate and thoughtful decision making.” We, as people, need both mechanisms to survive. We need to run if there is a lion chasing us, but do we really need to blow up on an intern who didn’t complete a report on time? When we fall into the pressures of time crunches, we do not give ourselves time to be mindful – of ourselves and others. Constantly reacting to time pressures, we never hone our ability to respond. Think about the times you have reacted versus responded – how has your work or relationship with your team been affected?

Multi-tasking – it’s a skill in almost every job description. According to a study from the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, only 2.5% of the 200 people studied could multitask effectively without causing detriments to the work. Even without science to back it up, how has a distracted mind impacted your workday? Were you a little on edge? Did all the work get done well? While avoiding multitasking completely is impossible, why does it have to be a standard for every workplace?

What is Time Without Numbers?

Time without numbers is mindfulness.

Albert Einstein, a leader in the numbers game, said, “…the past, present, and the future are real illusions, that they only exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.” The truth is: we have only ever experienced the present. The past and the future are only thoughts. The present is here.

A present awareness can mean higher quality projects, reports, team synchronicity. A mindfulness study featured in the National Library of Medicine revealed that participants who practiced mindfulness perceived time passing more slowly than the control group. With the perception that time is longer than it is, we can catch silly proofing or computation mistakes and notice when we need a break. Living presently means we are not bound by the limitations of the past or expectations or the future.

Time without numbers is compassion.

Compassion can take on a myriad of shapes and forms. While it may not include full understanding of others’ struggles, it uncovers the openness to uncover what they may need. It allows people to be responsible for getting their work done but gives them help if it’s needed. Compassion allows for flexibility. In a Gartner survey of 10,000 digital workers, 43% of them attributed “work hours flexibility” as their main reason for increased productivity. The flexibility to work how, when, and where can help those with neurodivergence or other needs to do their best.

A New Approach to Time in the Workplace

A balance between numbers and mindful compassion can be struck. Imagine the glorious potential. Team members are mindful of what they need, while compassionate leaders can actively listen and implement solutions to deliver results.

The choice lies in whether we can embrace new perspectives of time in our own lives and workplaces.

Learn more about approaches on mindfulness in the workplace.

Hi,

Were you able to stay focused and purposefully shepherd compassionate behaviors in your workplace this week?

If yes, kudos!

If it was more challenging than usual, what made it difficult? Were you more stressed than usual? Is there a team member not aligning with others on your team? Do you feel like you’re setting the right tone, but some are tone deaf?

I’m immersing myself in the compassionate culture space and sharing what I’m learning here in Niki’s Notes. Please share what you’re learning with me, so we can learn together.

Here are the stories I want to share with you to continue to shape our collective future by putting humanity into the workplace for increased profits, productivity, and better mental health.

• Are you a giver, taker, or matcher? Adam Grant talks about the differences in this TED Talk and mentions rethinking success along the lines of contribution. Love it! This links to the TEDTalk post on LinkedIn and from there you can see the whole TEDTalk.

• Adaptive, proactive leaders win because they adjust and grow through opportunities and challenges. How are your adaptation chops?

• Is it okay to cry at work? Real Simple asked its readers and experts too. I can’t share that one here because it’s not online yet, but I found this on LinkedIn, and apparently according to both sources, it’s not as taboo as it once was. What do you think?

Hiya!

You know those days when it seems everything has gone sideways? We all have ‘em. I think the trick is to look at them in their entirety. Here are some thoughts:

• Is everything about traffic bad? Yes, it slows us down. Is slowing down always bad? Not always, for example, we slow down on vacations. Not saying traffic is like a vacation (cuz it ain’t). Perhaps it gives us time to notice the cloud formations in the sky or appreciate the sincere goodness of seat warmers in the midst of winter.
• How about making mistakes at work? Yes, it’s not fun to stare into the face of imperfection. We can sit with that. Notice how a mistake may draw you into a new path of thinking… of observing. Maybe those observations lead you to a new, creative solution…

Whatever hurdles may come up, remember that you have the strength and creativity to handle them.

Let’s get into the digital marketing rodeo!🤠

• Search Engine Land reports on the future of SGE, Gemini, Ads, and AI Search based on clues from the latest Alphabet earnings call and statements from the Google CEO. It covers a lot of ground with how AI is a key driver behind what Google hopes to achieve in 2024 and how their AI initiatives, including Bard and the Assistant (with Bard) mobile app, are being incorporated into their search products as complementary features.

Hi,

Happy February and watch out for groundhogs! Can you believe how far we’ve come so quickly? How are you tracking toward your goals? So far, I’m doing a good job–not without challenges–but hey, that’s what makes them goals!

Here are my shares for you for this week:

• 9 trends Gartner researchers identified you will want to factor into your leadership plans for 2024+:
  • Creative benefits to offset the costs of going to work
  • AI increasing workforce opportunities
  • 4-Day workweeks become commonplace
  • Manager will need to become great at conflict resolution
  • GenAI’s limitations are felt, adjustments will be needed by all
  • College degrees will stop being a de facto requirement for many jobs
  • Climate change support for employees affected by environmental issues
  • DEI doesn’t go away—it becomes embedded in organizations
  • Career paths dissolve as the blanket gets flipped and adjustments to who works when, where, and why reshapes

• The founder of productivity tool Evernote, Phil Libin, has moved onto other companies but he is ever vigilant about improving productivity for himself and his companies. In this article from , he shares POVs and tips based on what he’s experiencing. I particularly like #4: be a scout, not a soldier. How about you, do you have a favorite?

Hi,

Thank you to everyone who responded to my “super short survey” about compassionate leadership.

What I learned from the responses:

• Respondents believe they are a compassionate leader at least sometimes, with most saying that they would say they are compassionate in their leadership role most of the time.

• No surprise, employees were the most cited challenge to being a compassionate leader. Several people mentioned kindness being taken advantage of in various ways. Leaders also shared that knowing how and when to be flexible considering an employee’s situation versus standing firm for rules, policies, and other employees’ perspectives was a challenge.

• I also noted that respondents tended to use “empathy” and “compassion” interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Think of it this way: empathy means to feel something with someone. They’re in a metaphorical hole, and you climb in with them to show you feel what they’re feeling and can relate. What we want to do is to stay outside the hole, maintaining our perspective and reaching in to help them get out—that’s compassion. Empathy is not necessary for showing compassion—you don’t need to feel what they feel. Sympathy is valuable because it’s the signal that someone needs help. Compassion is the action that follows sympathy.

These insights are helping me shape and prioritize the opportunities I’m seeing to help those of you committed to building healthy, compassionate workplace cultures.

Here’s what caught my attention to share with you this week:

• Very few younger workers aspire to be managers–I started noticing this trend 4-5 years ago. Ryan Wong’s company surveyed 1,000 full-time, non-management employees across the U.S. and shared the results in Entrepreneur Magazine. Only 38% of them expressed interest in rising to the level of manager at their current company. Ryan shares insights as to why management no longer holds the prestige it once did, including a low respect for leadership, unreasonable pressures on managers, and the increased value of being an individual contributor. He also offers solutions. These include rethinking the responsibilities of the role and perhaps adopting a player/coaching model and looking at the smart compensation model he uses at his company to tie real performance metrics to compensation. Interesting stats throughout this piece, including that 73% of managers said they should be a model of well being for their employees but only 35% of employees see their managers as healthy people. Ouch.

• Does your brain tell you the truth, or do you need to rewrite its code? Cecelia Baum Mandryk, a life coach, makes great points about how our brains tend to present us with information that they’ve stored as valuable. However, we need to revisit the truth of what we’re telling ourselves. She does a better job of explaining this, so give this quick Instagram video a look.

Hi There,

January’s half gone, or has half to go—what’s your perspective on that? Guess it depends on how much you’ve accomplished so far this month. I’ve made a referral that closed, signed a contract to write a chapter for a book for marketing executives, and my company, Digital Brand Expressions, is getting lots of attention for the pioneering work we’re doing for a new kind of SEO, called Search AI Optimization (SAIO). Not a bad way to start the year!

What are your 2024 early successes? I’d love to hear them.

Thanks to everyone who completed my super-fast “Are You a Compassionate Leader” survey. Much appreciated, will share insights in a week or so.

Here are my shares for this week to help those choosing to lead with confidence and compassion stay informed, balanced, and spot on:

• No one likes having “those conversations” with underperforming employees. It helps to understand what may be going on with the person to better address the issues, and this article from American Express has some solid tips. If you want coaching on those challenging conversations, Michael Piperno has courses designed for you and the managers on your team to get directness, clarity, and positive action working for you.

• Glassdoor has a round up of the best places to work in 2024, according to data pulled from talent reviews. What do you see as the common factors among so many companies? I’m seeing a lot of: culture, colleagues, benefits that matter, and nods to the teams that make it all happen.

• What’s to become of shopping malls? Lots of them are being converted to residential properties. This story from The Wall Street Journal points to a growing trend of people wanting to be outside, so strip malls are gaining in popularity for retailers of all sizes.

Hi,

I never liked malted milk balls. Apparently, in 2024, I like malted milk balls. A lot. That is all…

And, now to the important stuff: I have a question for you. Do you consider yourself a compassionate leader? If yes, tell me why and if no, please tell me why not. I’m working on some cool initiatives and it occurred to me to ask you, so please take a moment to respond. Please fill out this super short survey before January 19th. Much appreciated! 😊

Okay, so here are mind expansion goodies I’ve got for you this week to help refuel you as you lead your teams:

• This article from The New York Times by Adam Grant talks about compassion fatigue. He’s talking about it in our personal lives more so than business but the crossover is clear and I found the research behind his statements led me down curious paths. So, of course, I’m sharing with you.
• Stanford University is integrating the study of ethics and the study of disruptive design. Why? To put business on a better path. Read the details in FastCompany.