Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #163
Do you care about your team or only the bottom line?
I have been known to hold grudges. I suppose that’s true. I might argue about it. One thing I won’t argue with you about is that I have colossal pet peeves that I never let go of.
I’m grumpy that way.
One of my biggest concerns as a mental health advocate is the way most articles about mental health in the workplace are written.
Welcome to this week’s collection of thought-provoking things. For each issue, I’ll share information about careers and workplace culture, mental health in the workplace, talent development, and important information about privacy, security, and legal tech.
You can find out all about me here - Mike McBride Online.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not necessarily blaming the authors. They are doing what authors do: trying to persuade using arguments that will resonate with their audience. When the audience is upper management, CEOs, department leaders, etc., the argument that is most likely to get their attention is an appeal to the bottom line. On the other hand, as a human being, I cringe every time I see a headline like “Your employees' mental health struggles are costing you $$$ in productivity.”
That may be true, but can’t we find ways to support our people because we care instead of always needing it to be good for us financially?
I find it gross, honestly. It wouldn’t make me feel very supported if my employer talked about supporting my mental health because it makes them more money.
It does; we know that. However, I’d prefer it not to be the only motivating factor.
In the current climate, I worry that this bottom-line mentality will only provoke some employers to fire anyone who talks about their mental health. It’s hard enough to get people to open up; let’s not create another reason not to.
Careers and the Workplace
Linked - How you can help others right now
When Rachel says this in the article below, it reminds us that we can all spare 15-30 minutes to chat over coffee, even with people we don't know very well, because it reaffirms that they are human beings.
When someone who has lost their job in one of the career tracks decimated by this administration gets up the courage to reach out to you on LinkedIn–write back.
Even if you don’t know them.
Even if they’re not in your industry.
Even if you’re not sure how you can help them.
If you can jump on a 30-min zoom call, that would be great too.
And if you can make intro’s to others who could open doors for them–that would make them feel like they are not alone. Their careers and their expertise have meant something. And still mean something.
Is this one reason remote employees are forced back to an office?
Why we need DEI:
The World Wasn't Built for My Son—Or the Millions of Neurodivergent Employees.
Workplace stress and gender bias: How it affects women’s mental health.
I have a question. If mid-level employees with AI are so much more productive that we no longer need junior-level employees, where do the next mid-levels come from? - AI won't take your job, but this definitely will.
Artificial Intelligence
Linked - Not All Revolutionary or Garbage: A Moderate Take on AI
Generative AI is already creating positive change and will continue to do so. It is also making very negative changes as well, with deepfake porn, fake video and audio, scams and disinformation proliferation, etc.
I believe it will change our world, but not in the way AI founders think it will or promise that it will. It will also hurt a lot of people along the way. History will have to decide if it was worth it.
Linked - SharePoint Agents PAYG costs
So much of Copilot is work behind the scenes. The $30 per month cost per license is just the icing on the AI cake. The actual cost of ownership is the work involved in Information Governance and Security, planning, training, etc. You should never forget that when integrating any new technology, especially with AI.
I’m seeing this every day - Navigating the AI Frontier: Why Information Governance Matters More Than Ever.
I agree, to a point. Eventually, though, there needs to be a business reason to invest:
Why the infamous 'Let’s make a list of use cases' is THE way to kill AI innovation.
Speaking of use cases, here’s an interesting one: Using Copilot as a neurodivergent marketer, social scripting can transform workplace interactions.
Training and Development
This is interesting. I’m about to embark on a mentorship journey with some folks through the ILTA mentorship program and look forward to connecting. Even though I’ll be in the “mentor” seat, I expect to learn plenty from the experience.
This seems interesting - Free online virtual reality tool helps people tackle public speaking nerves.
I’ve seen many public speaking experts recommend rehearsing in front of a friend or family member, but how about in front of a sizeable virtual-reality crowd?
Mental Health in the Workplace
Pay people enough money so that they can live and stop the mass layoffs every time the stock price dips a little bit. Much of the financial stress people face is because they don't make enough money to pay for things like childcare and are constantly worried about losing their jobs. If you want to help your employees struggling with stress, anxiety, and burnout, there's a good place to start.
Related - A basic income can be a strong investment in mental health.
Privacy, Security, and Legal Tech
The legal industry barely saw AI coming at all, let alone as an eDiscovery issue. Generative AI in eDiscovery – The Legal Questions No One Saw Coming.
I’ve always been a fan of co-authoring - iManage says Microsoft Co-authoring is now generally available.
This situation is not going to end well. - Your DNA Data Is on the Market: Court Allows 23andMe to Proceed With a Sale
That’s all, folks. If you found something interesting in this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends. It’s the best way to help support the effort I put in each week to share this with you.