Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #92
Have long weekends really changed when it comes to working?
Welcome to this week’s collection of thought-provoking things. I write this weekly newsletter so subscribers can see some of the things I’m writing and sharing without depending on social media algorithms to show them to you. Each week 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.
A few years back I wrote a blog post with this headline - How Much Work Will You Do This Memorial Day Weekend? I wonder if it’s changed as much as the media would have us believe. I think there is a much broader awareness and desire for work-life balance. That is true. What I wonder though is even with that desire, how many of you will still be doing some work over the long weekend? How many of your bosses, and for law firms, this includes all of the attornies, are going to just shut down and not do any work all weekend, and how many of them are going to then need you to do some work to help them?
Count the number of emails you get over the next three days and then come back and tell me again how this was a holiday for you. I hope it’s less than it used to be. I hope it’s zero, but I doubt it will be for many of you.
Regardless of what work you end up doing this weekend, I hope you’ll take a moment and remember why we have a holiday on Monday.
Careers and the Workplace
Quitting Is Not a Sign of Failure
Whether you quit a job, a hobby, etc., quitting is okay if it’s done for the right reasons and at the right time. For example, we really should quit doing things that are unsafe.
There are plenty of workplaces that are unsafe. Maybe not physically, but emotionally and mentally.
I have talked about this before, the overwhelming change that occurs among those left behind after a layoff - Remote Work Layoffs Threaten Morale And Productivity Of Remaining Employees
What does it mean when more people want to freelance than take full-time jobs?
7 Reasons Why Freelancing Is the Future of the Work Industry
What will Recruiting Look Like in 2028? - "Most firms have only a handful of employees who tap into a network of consultants, contractors, and other non-permanent workers."
Maybe we’ll also learn this lesson - Quitting Is Not a Sign of Failure
Training and Development
Once More For Those in the Back - Training is a Skill!
I've lost count of the number of conversations I've had about this over the years. Trust me, there have been a lot. I've watched some really brilliant people who do great work and are highly knowledgeable have terrible experiences trying to train others because they were not adept at the skills necessary to run a training class. A great many people have, through no fault of their own, not learned how to facilitate, the finer points of public speaking, or how to read students' body language.
How to Encourage Professional Development for Employees - continuing some of the shared links from last week on the topic.
Mental Health in the Workplace
Linked - For Your Mental Health, Vacation is Not Always the Right Answer
If you feel burned out a break can help. If you're feeling stressed some exercise or yoga can help too. But if that's all the workplace can offer, it's not going to solve the problem. Taking a long weekend only to return to a job that will now require you to do your normal 45-50 hours of work in 3 days instead of 5 is not a fix. Working all weekend so you can take a three-day weekend next week, is not a sustainable solution.
Linked - I’m here, I’m queer and I have depression – but workplace support makes all the difference
The reality is that the labor force is diverse, and your employees are as well. There are also going to be a wide range of life issues that they are dealing with. Mental health is one of them, and based on the statistics, someone who works for you is dealing with some form of anxiety, depression, or some other issue. Wouldn't it be great, and help employee retention, if they were supported at work?
Uncomfortable, but Important | Let’s Talk About Mental Health in the legal profession
Nice Texts to send someone going through a tough time
Privacy, Security, and Legal Tech
Why do Hackers Target Law Firms? - Here's an Example
Over the years I think many firms have started to understand that and taken steps to improve their own security posture.
And then along comes a story like this.
As a society we are not prepared to fight against this - Digital theft demonstration: Ethical hacker scams 60 Minutes employee
The public conversation might be about keeping kids safe. It always is when someone is going to take away your rights. Your right to privacy online is about to disappear:
Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block
Generative AI: A Double-Edged Sword
I think there’s a really good chance that we get this wrong, and it’s not going to be fun when we do -
“As we continue to develop and rely on these systems, transparency, accountability, and user-centricity must not become casualties of progress. The time is ripe for us to confront these challenges head-on.”
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.