Kathi and Katherine talk about promotions on this week’s episode of the My Crazy Office podcast.
First we give advice to an employee who puts in labor for a promotion only for it to go to their boss.
Then we discuss what a manager can do if an employee doesn’t get promoted and it’s their fault.
Podcast: Play in new window
Kathi and Katherine talk about asking for help on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.
Are you able to ask for help at work when you need it?
Listen to this week’s podcast here.
Podcast: Play in new window
Kathi and Katherine talk about uncertainty on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.
How should you deal with uncertainty at work and in what ways can it show up?
Listen to this week’s podcast here.
Podcast: Play in new window
A social contract is an unofficial agreement shared by everyone in a society in which they give up some freedom for security. The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau popularized the idea of the social contract in the 1700s, but it’s just as applicable today. A good example is when we go to the airport and go through security. We may not like it, but we understand that it’s a freedom we give up for the benefit of safety in our society.
Social contracts in the workplace have primarily been between employees and employers where employees receive a living wage in exchange for their labor. This exchange would help employees achieve a stable life while employers would be able to produce their goods and services. As the workplace and what constitutes work have changed so has that philosophy of a social contract. Now, because of technology and the restrictions in place with COVID-19, that former social contract is being further challenged.
When reasoning through this new challenge here are five areas that need rethinking:
1 – Working virtually most of time. So many companies resisted having staff work from home for years, but guess what? We learned through the pandemic that it works! Staff have worked harder and have not missed a beat. This experiment of working from home because of the quarantine has proven that working virtually works and people like it.
2 – Flexible work hours. Another lesson the quarantine has taught us – if we do need to commute or take an elevator or fit into the same office space close to our coworkers, then we can not all do it at the same time. In addition, having also having our children homeschooled taught us that we must be flexible as people do have full lives.
3 – Equity and diversity. This is a topic that has been talked about for way too long. Its time has come, and each organization should take some time now to agree that they will hire and promote a diverse team instead of hiring and promoting the same people who look like themselves. It is going to take real effort and a level of self-awareness to do things differently. You may want to seek help.
4– Social distancing, the handshake, and buffet lunches. Adjusting to these social rules is going to be a hard one for me. I’m a hugger. I hug most of my clients. I’m sorry to say I will not be hugging anyone until we have a vaccine. Handshakes? No way! So what is your plan? Will you bow? Greet others by touch elbow to elbow? Wave? And forget about sharing platters of food for a while.
5 – Wearing a face mask. Many spaces including retail stores, supermarkets, hospitals, doctors offices, office buildings, elevators, etc. require you wear a facemask, and yet some people feel it does not apply to them. The department of health in most states is giving recommended guidelines for the workplace so how will your company handle this?
Understanding that Social Contracts are mutually understood arrangements for the greater good, we know that what constitutes greater good today is significantly different from what it was four months ago. How are you going to participate? How is your organization going to participate? Let us know how it’s going at your place of work.
Kathi Elster – Executive Coach and co-owner of K Squared Enterprises.
Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.
In the post COVID world, a return to the way things were in our traditional workplace is most likely not possible. The new standards of how we work at an office are being set for at least the next one to two years, or is it forever?
Is having an office space necessary?
Will we return to the office at all? Between 2005-2007 we saw a 5% increase in remote workers and by 2019 43% of Americans said they worked remotely occasionally. Today most of us are experiencing firsthand working from home. How many of you are realizing that not having to commute is a nice way to go? From my perch, I am hearing that many of you are disinterested in going back to the way things were.
We are also bound to hear that office hours are a thing of the past, as workers will be forced into staggered hours to allow for the safety of six feet of separation between people. The normalization of fewer workers in the office on any given day may mean that less space is required.
Are open floor plans over?
I never understood how anyone thought the open floor plan was a good work environment. Now it looks like a bad fad that has become downright dangerous. Like shag carpet, that trend is over and out, and I’m not sad about it. Originally the thought behind this design was that clustered seating would encourage collaboration. Instead, it fostered conflict and disruption to the point of a distracted workforce. Bye, Bye.
Business Travel – when is it necessary?
Last year before the pandemic, 62% of American workers traveled to another state for work. That means that roughly 1.1 million people traveled for business each day. Now, this once normal version of work in which we travel distances for face-to-face meetings is not going to return for some time, if ever. Video conferencing is working for now; the cost and logistics around business travel may be prohibitive – not to mention the cost to our environment.
Companies Must Embrace Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility
If there is one lesson to take away from a worldwide pandemic, it’s the fact that we are all connected. It’s time to understand that we have a moral and ethical obligation not only to ourselves and our workers, but also to humanity. Companies who have always addressed the broader concerns for humanity will be on-purpose while other organizations will have to figure out their place in this new normal. I believe this will matter. Think outside of your community and client base to how you can help make a difference.
Being Authentic at Work
Let’s stop pretending that work and life exist in separate spheres. I’m not talking about work-life balance I’m talking about being more authentic and free to be yourself at work. Now that we are all videoconferencing from home, we are seeing how our co-workers live. Perhaps you are seeing your colleagues’ pets and kids and extended family. Maybe you are learning more about your coworkers’ hobbies or taste in art. These are all things that you might not have been exposed to in the past. The opportunity here is to realize that people are not disembodied humans who come to work. We are whole people with whole lives. This is a moment where we could get to know one another differently.
Kathi Elster – Executive Coach and co-owner of K Squared Enterprises.
Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.
During this pandemic, it’s our essential workers who can travel and physically go to work while the rest of us shelter at home. We naturally and deservingly celebrate these dedicated and courageous members of our workforce. We are forever grateful to our medical workers, police and firefighters, EMT’s, transit workers, mailmen, package delivery folks, food delivery people, supermarket personnel, liquor store workers, military etc.
If you are not considered an essential worker today, that does not mean your work is not important and essential at other times. But, many of my clients are wondering how they can be of service at this time. Some are feeling sad that their work is not needed, and some are discovering what can be essential in what they are doing.
How do you become essential? By making your product or service useful to your customers at this time.
For example, you may want to offer your product or service at a very low cost today in order to insure business in the future. If you have a product, it might be time to put that product on sale to make it more desirable. If you are a hairstylist, fitness trainer or home organizer, you may want to reach out to your clients and see if you can help them do some maintenance with a video call.
If you are a travel professional, it could be time to reach out to your customers and talk about future trends, or get them excited about what’s next. It’s best to stay in touch. Remember out of sight before you become out of mind.
Ask yourself:
Think out of the box and be generous. Think Strategically:
We are all in this together, and together we will get through this. All of our customers and clients will once again need us more then they need at this time. Business will resume. The economy will come back, and so will our work.
Kathi Elster – Executive Coach and co-owner of K Squared Enterprises.
Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.
We are all being ordered to work remotely. For those who are accustomed to working this way, it’s likely you’ve developed best practices. At the same time, even seasoned remote workers may have kids at home or pets who suddenly expect your attention 24/7. While some families have come together to shelter in place against the virus, many people are living (and working) alone. Both situations have their challenges. We are now in a new reality that requires new rules for etiquette and protocol.
Here are 10 things to consider as organizations create internal systems for their remote working culture.
1 – Be mindful of workday hours and please take time zones into consideration. For some organizations, this may be a time of true emergency. During an emergency, it’s all hands-on deck. You may be required to respond to emails or texts from your manager or co-worker at all hours of the day/night. If your business does not fall into the emergency category, however, please reconsider working as if you are. Set realistic work hours and refrain from communicating outside of those times.
2 – Use video conferencing – to help with the isolation and communication. Using a camera will help you, your coworkers, and possibly your clients connect. Seeing your team will remind everyone that they are not alone. It’s also interesting to see each other’s homes (or at least the room used for work).
3 – Be transparent with communication. Without the office water cooler for conversation/gossip, it easy to fall out of the office communication loop. Use all forms of telecommunication (texting, Face Time, Slack etc.) that can enable you and your colleagues to ask questions and get all the news you once were able to obtain by being in the same space. If you need to run an errand or help your kid, let others know.
4 – Do not base work performance solely on hours. Each organization will want to use an online tracking system for productivity. Examples are Basecamp, Slack, Trello, Wrike, Zoho projects and Google Drive. As home responsibilities for many have increased, some people will not have the same uninterrupted time to put into their work day, but still may be able to be as productive. Establish an honor system (set expectations and deadlines) then try to be respectful of each person’s situation.
5 – Train your workers on using video conferencing and online tools. Don’t assume anything. Have your office tech run a few tutorials to be sure that no one feels incompetent, embarrassed or ashamed.
6 – Watch your communication style while on camera. Eye rolling and looking uninterested will show. Get dressed – casual is fine – but wear bottoms just in case you have to get up to get something.
7 – Be sensitive to cultural and age differences. Keep communication professional. Using short cuts to speak may work for your peers, but be aware that others may not get your humor or contemporary slang.
8 – When on a teleconference don’t all talk at once. Without visual cues, it can be easy to talk over one another during a conference call. It might be best to have a moderator who can track each participant and determine who wants to speak next. Establish order.
9 – Be flexible about kids and pets in the background. Children and pets are a reality in today’s world of remote working. You and your coworkers should do your best to have a space at home where you can have privacy but many people do not have that luxury.
10 – Avoid eating during videoconference and teleconference calls. Others can hear you crunching and slurping. Sipping water while on a call or meeting may be fine – we all need to stay hydrated. Save your snacks and beverages, however, for Virtual Happy Hour, which happens at the end of the workday, right?
Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.
Kathi and Katherine talk about uncertainty on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.
How should you deal with uncertainty at work and in what ways can it show up?
Listen to this week’s podcast here.
Podcast: Play in new window
Join Kathi and Katherine as they answer real workplace questions with solid advice, and a great sense of humor.
Podcast: Play in new window
Bestselling authors Katherine and Kathi use humor and a slue of engaging techniques to mediate solutions for individuals at every level of employment — from executives to managers to frontline employees.
Podcast: Play in new window
Looking to advertise with us?
We have sponsorships available on the My Crazy Office Podcast.
Please email us at info@mycrazyoffice.co.
Podcast: Play in new window