Human Workplaces, Pandemics & Turkey

Working during a pandemic is an opportunity

Here, we believe that modern organizations are flexible organizations where people are treated like people and have the freedom to create, innovate, and come to work as the people they are.

That can sound pretty lofty in the middle of a pandemic when you’re just trying to get your job done and keep your toddler from starting a fire. Some advice below on how to apply our values (leadership, freedom, and humanity) at work and on Thanksgiving day.

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving! Stay safe!

🦃Leadership

Demonstrate the behaviors you want to see. Like me, if you are fed up with the constant bickering and polarization in our society, figure out how you can stop or reduce those behaviors in your area. Step up as a leader and work to build connections with the opposing team.

You may discover that YOUR team is the problem. Or you might find out there is a reason for the roadblock.

Applying this lesson at Thanksgiving: Leadership at Thanksgiving means cooking turkey legs because that's really the only part of the turkey that anyone wants to eat.

Freedom

So much of leadership is stepping up and speaking out when no one else wants to. With the holidays approaching, in the middle of a pandemic, give your team the gift of space. Space to figure out if they want to visit family and take time off. Space to work from home or come into the office. Space to breathe because, let’s be honest, not much gets done the week of Thanksgiving.

Applying this lesson at Thanksgiving: Freedom also means keeping your mouth shut when someone describes their love of canned cranberries instead of fresh.

🧘🏻‍♀️🚬🛍Humanity

We are all working through a lot of stress and anxiety outside of work. Stop for a second and think about the impact of an organization full of people dealing with a hundred year pandemic on top of the normal work stuff. What does that make you realize about your team? About yourself?

Applying this lesson at Thanksgiving: Don’t judge. Don’t judge. Don’t judge.

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📚📰📺What I'm Reading/Watching/Listening To This Week

The Halfway Point - Based on vaccine estimates we are likely halfway through the pandemic. With an unprecedented amount of free time and the knowledge that a vaccine is ready, what do you want to do? Learn? Read? Bake? Write?

Man Refuses to Leave Job He Hates - Florida Man puzzles psychologists once again.

The Crown - After a bumpy third season, my favorite royal/drama/soap comes roaring back this year to tell the tragic story of Diana, against the backdrop of Margaret Thatcher’s years as PM. As this review details, episode 2, the Balmoral Test sets up a fantastic season 4.

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“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”

– Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea