“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.

Heyo!

We’re in the midst of winter in New Jersey, and it’s such a great time to pause. Tara Brach, American psychologist, author, and meditation teacher gives some insights into the benefits of the “pause” in her book, Radical Acceptance.

“Pausing interrupts entrenched patterns of interaction. When the downward spiral of judging and misunderstanding is stopped, even for a brief time, it becomes possible to recognize the unconscious beliefs and feelings that lie behind the problem. Such insight naturally leads us to making wiser choices.”

When the moment is demanding a lot of you, if you have the opportunity, take a pause. See if anything changes.

• Econsultancy has put out their “Digital and Marketing Trends for 2024.” Their observations fall into five sections including:
  • Data haves and have nots
  • Customers are more than a conversion
  • Creative experiences
  • GenAI: Beyond the cool demo (with a note that AI’s presence is felt in other sections)
  • People as competitive advantage

Note one of the subcategories for the Customers section is “A rebound for trust” that explores how use of AI for content and/or images can reduce a customers sense of trust and how brands need to counteract that potential pitfall.

• Speaking of trends, Marketing Charts compares “Marketers’ Most Important Consumer Trends in 2024 vs. 2023.” Generative AI tops the list now but wasn’t even on the list last year. All the other trends show declines vs. last year with TikTok and Metaverse showing the biggest drops.

• Notice a theme here yet? What if we shared an eMarketer chart showing that 86% of adults worldwide want AI to “help research products or get information” during their shopping journey (according to October 2023 IBM data)? They also think AI would be helpful for customer service, looking for deals or reviews, and generally shopping for products or services. Does optimization for gaining AI chatbots’ citations in their answers now sound like something you might be interested in? (Yes, that was an Entourage reference.)

Between demanding bosses, long hours, and heavy workloads, it is no surprise so many individuals feel stressed and overwhelmed by their jobs. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), almost 3 in 5 employees reported lack of interest, motivation, or energy due to work-related stress. Many people discount this stress as an accepted part of life, not realizing that they may be suffering from burnout. The physical traits of burnout are broad, similar to stress and other ailments. Common symptoms may include headaches, stomach discomfort, fatigue, changes in appetite, and little to no sleep. Emotional symptoms may involve a lack of motivation, feeling detached, and a sense of helplessness. In this blog, we will go over various causes of burnout and talk about solutions to overcome it.

Signs and Symptoms of Burnout

Stress and burnout have numerous similarities, but it’s important to distinguish between the two. Stress primarily affects the body physically, whereas burnout is more emotionally driven. It’s important to note that stress can lead to burnout. Over-engagement can give rise to stress, which, if left unchecked, can evolve into disengagement, resulting in burnout. Difficulty starting your workday and maintaining focus, or constantly saying “I don’t want to work today, “can be early signs of burnout. Similarly, if you find yourself struggling to start tasks or consistently lacking concentration, these could also be signs of burnout.

Changes in sleep patterns and low energy levels are also signs to look out for. While occasional fatigue is normal, chronic exhaustion throughout the day may be a sign of burnout. Unexplained physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach issues can be triggered by workplace stress, potentially leading to burnout.

Causes of Burnout

Burnout can be attributed to several job-related factors, including a lack of control. When faced with an overwhelming workload and unrealistic deadlines, your energy can quickly be used up. A chaotic work environment and a lack of recognition for your efforts can be equally draining and make you lose motivation. Additionally, a major contributor to burnout is an unhealthy work-life balance. A balance between work and personal life is essential for your overall well-being. A healthy work-life balance can enhance productivity, reduce the likelihood of falling ill, and improve time management.

How to Overcome & Prevent Burnout

The first step in overcoming burnout is acknowledging that solutions exist for these problems. Many of these solutions resemble those for managing stress:

• Engaging in relaxing hobbies or activities away from work.
• Seeking support from colleagues, friends, or family members.
• Prioritizing sufficient sleep and regular exercise is crucial, though it may not be easy to initiate such changes.

Think of it as a lifestyle adjustment rather than a quick fix.

Start small by taking short walks, eliminating unhealthy food choices such as soda (something small but easy), and gradually adjusting your bedtime. Reducing screen time, especially before sleep, can also help in creating a healthier routine.

Engaging in hobbies and activities that provide separation from work is a key strategy. It’s essential to carve out dedicated personal time. This separation can significantly reduce stress levels and, in turn, mitigate burnout.

Seeking social support is another effective means of preventing burnout. Talking about your issues can be surprisingly helpful. Having these conversations/outlets helps you gain perspective (especially when you hear yourself speaking out loud) and may even lead to solutions right away.

It’s helpful to discuss concerns with your coworkers because they more than likely have experienced what you’re going through at some point. However, it’s important to choose someone you can trust and remain professional.

At DBE, we are proactive about preventing burnout. Below are some of the ways we do that–maybe these can work for your team too:

• Flexible 9-5 – Our team generally starts and ends around 9am-5pm ET. Employees can start a little earlier or later depending on the day.
• Quick Errands – Appointments don’t count against PTO, as long as the time is made up.
• Breaks – Our CEO, Niki Fielding, encourages employees to take lunch and walking breaks.
• 3 o’clock Fridays – We started 3 o’clock Fridays one summer and never changed back. As long as your work is finished, you can head off to enjoy the weekend a little early.
• Zoomraderies – These are our weekly teambuilders – they range from guessing each other’s favorite hobby to cookie decorating. Learn more about these wonderfully fun ventures here.
• Birthdays Off – This is our favorite way to show appreciation to team members.
• Wellness Reimbursements – We use this to allow and encourage team members to stay active and healthy. It’s separate from our health insurance plan and each of us gets up to $500 per year reimbursed for activities that get us moving. Pool membership, new bike, tennis lessons–they are all reimbursable.
• Weekly Touch Bases with your Manager – This helps to make sure all team members get the opportunity to be heard and acknowledged. Here, you can have honest conversations about workload and any factors that may be affecting you

Why Are We Sharing?

We are sharing because it’s not only important for yourself to understand signs and symptoms of burnout, but it’s also important that you understand it for your colleagues. If you’re able to see the early signs of burnout that a coworker may be experiencing, you can find ways to help them reduce the factors causing them stress.

Avoiding burnout in the workplace keeps productivity high, fatigue low, improves communication and flow, reduces turnover, and generally makes for happier, healthier employees.

More Sources on Burnout

https://www.midwestern.edu/Documents-/Counseling%20Services/What%20is%20burnout.pdf

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

https://www.darlingdowns.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/our-stories/feature-articles/signs-you-might-be-experiencing-a-burnout-and-how-to-regain-balance-in-your-life

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress

Inspired by Office Manager Extraordinaire, Stacy Sarno

It is commonplace to expect the standard medical/dental benefits when walking into a company.

But times are changing.

To retain top industry talent, a company has to add sprinkles to top off their offer. We all want to work in a place that cares about our needs as individuals. For a company to accomplish this, it has to recognize the lives people lead inside and outside of work.

Our fantabulous Office Manager, Stacy Sarno, and I pulled together our favorite company benefits to inspire other awesome leaders.

Click to skip to a section:

1. Wellness Reimbursements 🚲
2. Birthdays Off 🥳
3. Donation Matching 🤝🏽
4. Flexible Schedules 📅
5. Team Appreciation 🎁

Wellness Reimbursements 🚲

Before coming to DBE, I had no clue that a company could offer a reimbursement for certain wellness expenses. Hot take of my face when I found out:

It’s the day. All 3 runners are lined up, itching to burst at the sound of the whistle. When the sound hits the air, they’re off. The wind races past their ears as their legs pump into the pavement. In a split second, Runner 3 takes a rolling stumble over the first hurdle. Unexpectedly, Runner 2 follows suit on the next. Naturally, Runner 1 thinks they’re in the lead, then, whoosh. The next moment is a blur of flailing limbs.

Don’t worry, the runners are all okay. What was the cause of the 3-Stooges-esque stumbles? All these athletes were well-focused and intently trained. They had one itty bitty ginormous issue. They were so absorbed with winning the race they didn’t notice all their shoelaces were untied. 👟

Zooming out, think of the race as the next promotion or project. It’s common to think: If I try the hardest, exert all my life force into this [____], I will win. But, is it really a win if your eyes can barely stay open and you can’t remember your last meal?

THOUGHT 💭:

What if getting ahead wasn’t “fix what’s broken when it breaks,” but preventing the breaks? While you can’t stop life from happening, you can equip yourself with more padding. Protective padding isn’t always physical. It’s awareness of what’s going on with you and the world around you.

Work can become a little bit lighter… a little bit brighter through practicing mindful awareness.

Awareness Through Perspective

The first step on this road of “break prevention” is developing perspective. Venturing out of your personal routine is a wonderful way to awaken to the world outside your view. Two ways to do this are: 1. trying something new and 2. listening to perspectives outside of your usual circle.

You’ve done a lot of this already: you took a first breath. You went to your first day of school. You had your favorite meal for the first time.

The experience of going beyond your routine helps you gain views from different angles.

Awareness Through Listening

Snowballing off the listening for perspective.… Listening includes everything that is and isn’t said. Truly attentive listening does not focus on what you want to say next. PsychCentral has a simple guide for attentive listening. In it, Hilary I. Lebow suggests a technique of focused thinking called “active listening,” which is thinking of yourself as a mirror of the speaker and reflecting back, rather than waiting to insert your thoughts.

Focused listening is also an internal activity. Your body is constantly giving you signals. You retract your hand when it gets too close to flame. If we learn the language of our own body’s signals, we can reduce our stress and feelings of raggedness.

In a world that is so confusing, attentive listening helps open our minds to understanding.

Awareness Through Patience

We all forget people are living lives with stress and pressure alongside us. No one is exempt. That’s where patient awareness comes in.

Set a cautious leniency with yourself and the world.

1. You are allowed to be imperfect.
2. The world is, also, imperfect.

Living by these statements seems like a Sisyphus-and-the-boulder task. Yet, isn’t that what it’s about? What if beauty can only be found in imperfection? Patience helps uncover the beauty that may be lying under the surface.

Awareness That Leads to Resilience

Recently, our CEO, Niki Fielding, shared a 10-minute podcast on Resilience by Prof. Megan Reitz. The best way to describe it is the over-used plane metaphor: you can’t help someone else, unless you put on your own mask first.

You are strong enough to handle what’s coming next because you’re aware of what you need. You’ve equipped yourself, as best you can, with varying perspectives, the ability to listen and be patient.

Tactical Practices to Increase Awareness Without Rolling Out a Yoga Mat During Work

• Noticing Your Breath

It’s the only autonomic bodily process that we have some control of that can impact our nervous system! We might as well use it. If you’re a nerd that wants to learn more, check it out.

• Physically slowing down

For harder tasks, break down each step. Pace yourself. Fast work leads to mistakes as we know.

• Physically Pulling Yourself Out of the Situation

If you have the liberty to go for a walk or talk with someone outside the project, do it. Take a break y’all.

• Daily Reminders

Whatever you need, sticky notes, a mantra… remember you’re a person. People are not perfect.If something challenging comes along, it may be hard, but you will handle it.

The Goal

As we’ve learned from our runners, if you run a million miles a minute, you can miss out on: future signs of turbulence and the beauty of the moment.

You may notice that some pieces of advice surrounding awareness contradict themselves. That’s okay. Awareness is not something that can be accurately described. It’s felt. Just like athletes need to eat more protein, you take whatever advice you need to get yourself. Part of becoming aware is applying the right wisdom to the right moment.

Hi,

How’s your February going? Mine’s kinda awesome. Celebrated another birthday (whew, made it!) and am excited about launching the Philadelphia chapter of The Connective. I’m going to be sending information to the business development executives and other leaders in my network. If you don’t see an email about this, and are interested in learning more, please reach out. I’ll be happy to tell you why I’m so excited and what it can mean for your business.

This week’s shares are a hodge podge but sometimes there’s a theme I don’t see, so if you see a pattern I missed, shout it out! 😊

• Let’s talk a bit about Imposter Syndrome, because it’s a topic that seems to rise and fall in the mainstream media, and for some reason, I’m seeing a lot about it again lately.

What I’d like to do this time around is to suggest that even if you aren’t currently, or have ever, experienced this phenomenon, please read these 3 pieces from different perspectives on the topic and think if there is anyone in your circle: on your team at work, among your friends and family, etc. who may be having bouts of confidence issues that they are internalizing and perceiving as unique. You may find opportunities to help them see around this common syndrome that affects people of all ages:

• From The New Yorker: deep, long piece that presents imposter syndrome in a different light that is all about 3 perspectives of self.

• From one of my marketing agency’s team members who presented their views without a byline for our company blog (three cheers for bringing up the topic and working through it with us).

• And this from one of my favorite communications coaches, Michael Piperno. It’s not specifically about imposter syndrome, but rather a call for honesty around a core truth: sometimes there’s no lesson in a failure—it just sucks. When we can be “real” about that and not seek to soothe ourselves by uncovering a lesson in the crap, we do ourselves and others a favor by dealing in the reality of the situation and not the “social media wonderful” view of it. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes there is no silver lining. That’s okay too. You can’t feel like an imposter if you’re facing the highs and the lows of reality with equal balance.

• EVERYONE appreciates being appreciated. That shouldn’t surprise any of us. But did you know that 74% of the executive women surveyed by Chief about leaving the workforce in 2022 said that feeling more valued would be a reason to make them consider staying. 74%!!! Other big issues: pay transparency and promotions. Insightful research and analysis, read more here.

• I had lunch with a business associate recently, and she arrived a little rattled by an incredibly rude person she had unfortunately, inadvertently ruffled. I felt for her, because it’s so seldom that we directly interact with a truly rude stranger. And then I saw this BuzzFeed piece with readers sharing similar experiences with people who are quite cluelessly going about their lives. Just had to share so we can collectively shake our heads and send some good energy their way in the hope they redeem themselves.

• Logitech has developed booths that provide more immersive video calls to better simulate being in a room with others. I think it’s cool, but somehow not cool enough. If we need the booths, it harkens to phone booths for me. Anyone else with me on this throwback innovation?

Good day! *hat tip* 🎩

January whizzed by faster than a hummingbird’s wing, but I hope you had a good start to the year! Let’s get down to it….

• The Department of Justice is suing Google over its perspective on Google’s advertising dominance on the internet, particularly for Display advertising. Learn more on the case here. See reviews by CNN and TechCrunch.

• McKinsey Quarterly has this quick and easy-to-read, 5-minute briefing (more like an interactive infographic) on “Employee Well-Being: The Holistic Way.” The brief then links to a deeper, 50-minute dive as part of McKinsey’s Five Fifty Edition Series. While there, you could also check out the December Five Fifty edition that covered the Metaverse.

• It’s a new year, and it’s time to “move on from these nine fundamental content marketing myths.” We agree with all nine including “more is more” and the biggest myth of all is “content marketing is easy.”

When starting a new job, it’s normal to feel nervous about what lies ahead. For most people, this goes away quickly once they find footing in their new workplace.

However, for some people this feeling of being ‘the rookie’ may never leave them. Even after finding success in their role, they may still feel incapable of performing their role and believe they are in over their head. Even after receiving praise for their professional accomplishments, they may feel it is inaccurate or undeserved. This feeling of unrelenting self-doubt is popularly known as imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is defined as “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success” by Harvard Business Review. Those affected may wonder why this occurs and, more importantly, how these feelings can be lessened or overcome completely.

Hi,

I’m writing this while eating a Jolly Rancher. Do you have a favorite flavor of these little suckers? I’m on Team Blueberry. Watermelon is a close second. But I guess there are more important things to share today, so here are the notes for this week:

• Can you really catch up on sleep? These experts say you can, but it’s not as easy as sleeping in on the weekend.

• Is “quiet thriving” the antidote to quiet quitting? It’s what I used to do before I became the boss, especially the job crafting part. Come to think of it, that’s how I became the boss. 😉

• Four experts weigh in on the challenges facing leaders as we try to staff to manage and grow our organizations and ask if we’re being innovative enough to attract the right talent. Great insights, across several categories–here you go, via Harvard Business Review.

• And on that ivy league trail, this is a “big thinking” piece on ESG (environment, social, and governance) and how it benefits investors from Wharton Magazine.

Whew!

I’m guessing most Wordle players have experienced Whew! When you get the word on your 6^th try? That’s me with Niki’s Notes this week. I’ve been collecting stories to share with you, but it was a challenge finding the time to pull it all together. So, whew! And here we go:

• I think we all know mental labor can be exhausting. But why? And is there something we can do to ease the fatigue that follows long rounds of thinking? The Economist talks about the science behind this. How can you use this information to encourage your team to take breaks rather than plowing on and on to exhaustion?

• And on that note, Calm has a series for leaders you may enjoy. In this series is a 10-minute talk about resilience and how “pushing on” when you’re tired is actually not the answer. I shared this with my team at DBE, and we’re talking about it to explore ways to help each other based on these perspectives.

• What’s the smartest age? You might be right, let’s see in this Ted-Ed video.

• Valentine’s Day is just a month away. If you’re giving or receiving flowers, know that UBloom.com recommends using a knife, not scissors, to cut the stems. And what’s that white powder in those little packets? Here’s the answer, via Bouqs.

• Want to lower your carbon footprint? I do. But I was shocked at how many answers I got wrong on a quiz from the New York Times on that topic. Shocked, shocked I say. Let’s see how you do, and then let’s work together to make real change.

• And like the survey says, cutting back on business travel, by air in particular, is good on multiple levels. Here’s a story from Fortune.