Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #72
With this being the first week of 2023, I thought I’d reach into one of my hobbies and share a wrap-up post of my favorite photos from the previous year. This is something I do annually on my photo blog.
Now, on to the rest of this week’s stuff!
Careers and the Workplace
Life-altering lessons about work and life from 2022 - There is just a lot to think about in this article. Go read it.
How Micromanagement is Hurting Your Organization
How many of these problems do you see in your organization? As you consider those you are facing, ask yourself – what is the role that micromanagement might be playing? Once you isolate the situations where micromanagement is hurting your organization, you will stop treating it as an isolated problem for some leaders and see it as a systemic problem that needs to be addressed across your leadership culture.
Good News – People Probably Like You More Than You Think They Do - There are implications for this in the workplace too. If your people feel like others don't like them, they'll be less likely to speak up or engage.
Oh, and just in case someone needs to remind you - No, Remote Employees Aren’t Becoming Less Engaged
Training and Development
Linked – Skills, Skills, Skills
I’ve said it before, but let me repeat it. Regarding technology, what you learned in college is probably pointless within 2-3 years. What you did at work 5-10 years ago is useless. Continuous learning and upskilling are not optional. Talking about skills-based hiring is a new trend, but it’s the trend that made sense even before it became popular. Your degrees and resume don’t matter nearly as much as what you can do right now and what you can learn going forward.
See also - Taking a skills-based approach to building the future workforce
The Importance of Professional Development
Nothing says you don’t really support professional development like expecting staff to work all night after a training day because you won’t make any other arrangements.
In essence, people are lacking in this area for the same reason they don’t use their vacation time. No one else does the work while they’re gone, it just becomes less stressful to stay at work.
How to Rehearse for an Important Presentation
You do rehearse your presentations, right?
Mental Health in the Workplace
No two people are the same or have the same mental health issues. What I could accomplish work-wise during the time I was medicated and seeing a therapist might not be the same as someone else in therapy. One person might need some time away from work during a crisis, while someone else might need work to be the thing that keeps them living with some day-to-day structure. There will not be one solution that fits everyone. In any of these situations, it will be essential to allow employees to find what works for them and their work. Providing some flexibility will go a long way toward keeping an employee engaged instead of making them feel unsupported and looking to go elsewhere. It might also go a long way toward helping them heal as well, to know they have a consistent source of income that is not at risk.
How to set boundaries at work in the New Year
Boundaries aren’t always easy to manage, but they are worth the effort.
Also, some helpful tips to start 2023 - 5 Ways to Reclaim Your Mental Health at Work in the New Year
Social Media
Bring back personal blogging - We've tried social media; maybe it's time to go back to having our own space to share our voices and follow the ones we want to listen to.
Why I’m still on Twitter - This resonates. The alternatives aren't integrated into the tools I use to share my blog posts on Twitter and let people follow my blogs there, and since there are people still following my accounts there, I want to be there for them. Not to mention how much work it would be to work with multiple accounts.
Security and Privacy
2023 New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Get “Whacked” By A State AG for Cybersecurity Compliance
When a breach happens, organizations should be prepared to respond, but also be positioned to avoid getting “whacked” should federal and/or state agency investigations follow. They can bolster their position in those cases with a strong compliance program that includes, among several other things, becoming more aware of their compliance requirements; conducting risk assessments; shaping their policies and procedures based on those assessments; documenting their processes, policies, procedures; and training employees.
Why Use a Password Manager – To Help Others Access When You Can’t
But what happens if I’m incapacitated? What happens after I pass away? How does my wife get in to all those accounts, to transfer financial stuff, make sure bills get paid, even post something to social media?
Oh look, there’s that password manager again.