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.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some good old-fashioned book reading. (Well, reading or listening to audiobooks, but still.) I thought I’d start this newsletter with some quick thoughts on what I’ve been reading while I find myself on the job search.
Platonic by Marisa Franco - if nothing else, a fantastic reminder of the role friendships could play in our lives if only we’d prioritize them. Also a reminder of how little we actually do prioritize them and the ill effects of that decision.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe - a very detailed look at the IRA during the troubles and right through the Good Friday Agreement in Ireland. I found it interesting and educational, but if you’re a big Gerry Adams fan, be warned that he does not come off well in this telling.
The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant - another personal interest, an outsider digging deep into the history and current culture of Natchez, Mississippi. It’s only about a two-hour drive from where we live, I’ve been a few times. There’s a lot to unpack about it, and it serves as a microcosm of things the South is still trying to unpack.
A Hacker’s Mind by Bruce Schneier - a brilliant look at all of the “hacks” that allow certain kinds of people to get away with breaking the rules. Not just computer system hacks, but financial and political “hacks” as well. It will educate you, but it did not leave me feeling very good about humanity.
The Song of Significance by Seth Godin - If you’re a fan of Seth’s blog, you’ll love this. It might even feel familiar in many ways if you follow his blog and podcast. I just finished it this week and haven’t fully grasped how to talk more about it, but if you just read the early section about the results of his poll on what makes a “great” job, and compare it to how we’ve been increasingly making work something that looks nothing like that, it might just explain a lot of what we’re seeing now.
The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff - I just started this book and haven’t finished it, but already found this quote to be worth writing down in my notebook
“Here, capitalism is not just an economic system; it’s also a social philosophy - a philosophy that says a person is as valuable as their output. In the United States, productivity is more than a measurement; it’s a moral good.”
I think we all have infinitely more value as human beings than the output of our work hours. It might take an outright workplace revolution to get that back.
Now, the rest of the stuff.
Careers and the Workplace
I'm solidly GenX. Since leaving college I've worked for 12 different organizations and had 17 different jobs thanks to internal job moves as well. (I'm currently looking for the next one too.) Since 2007, I've worked in an industry, eDiscovery, that didn't exist when I was in college.
The idea that I would leave college knowing what I wanted to do, find a company to dedicate myself to, and spend my adulthood doing that thing is a joke to me. It's been an unrealistic expectation for a long time. GenZ is just the first generation where we stopped even trying to convince them of it because it's become too obvious.
Tell me about your meetings, and I’ll know everything about your culture, right? - Meetings are a Window to Your Culture
Linked - Culture Fit - Another Way to Discriminate?
In my experience, cultural fit is a double-edged sword. It can be used to find someone who will slide right into our team comfortably. It can also be used as an excuse to only hire a certain type of person.
Training and Development
This podcast is targeted at managers, but much of the advice is worth listening to, especially around building your team meetings around learning from each other. - How to make time for career development
Six Reasons Why Training Is Crucial In Any Business - If we’re limiting it to six, OK, but there are more than six reasons.
Mental Health in the Workplace
Should You Disclose Your Depression To Your Boss? - It is a massively complicated question.
6 Science-Backed Ways to Improve Your Well-Being at Work - They are good suggestions, but no word on what to do when your workplace actively blocks you from taking the advice. ;-)
This was an interesting discussion with Kara Hardin. - The Future of Organizational Mental Health
A few years ago I started hanging on to emails and notes from people who appreciated the work I was doing for them. I refer back to it on the days I’m struggling to see that in myself. I called it my Appreciation File. I was reminded of that when I saw Irina writing about her confidence portfolio.
Privacy, Security, and Legal Tech
One of the recurring themes in my new M365 newsletter is making sure that you aren’t promising things in your production protocols that aren’t possible, and also checking what you promised before starting down the wrong path. Kelly Twigger does a good breakdown of what that means with new types of data - ESI Protocols Part X: Issues in Production from Collaboration Platforms
This is not a surprise, firms often have a lot of valuable insider information about their clients and don’t always have the same investments in security. - Law Firms Are Getting Hammered by Cyberattacks
This, however, seemed surprising, but maybe not - Linked - In-office work is the real threat to cybersecurity
There is something to this. How many times has someone fallen victim to phishing or drive-by downloads and wondered why the IT department didn't build better protection? (I've seen it!)
When you work from home, it's your connection to your network.
Speaking of security threats, this seems bad - Ransomware Extortion Skyrockets in 2023, Reaching $449.1 Million and Counting
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.