Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #71
Fatigue and Slowing Down
How was your holiday? Mine was a lesson in the things we can’t control. Yes, all of our plans were scrapped when I tested positive for COVID on Christmas Eve morning. It has been a very mild case, in fact the only real symptom has been fatigue. Lots of fatigue. Sleeping 16 hours a day fatigue over the holiday weekend and then 12ish hours as I started back to work. The nice thing about working from home is that I could do some work, take some time off to rest, and then go back and do some more work. If I was in an office, I would have just been off all week.
We could argue over which one would be better for me. Would I have gotten more rest if I was simply not working? Probably, but I also don’t feel like I needed more rest. Because I was home, I rested when I needed to, worked when I could, and kept some things moving during what was a slow week anyway. I’m happy with that. You might be happier doing something else. A coworker’s case of COVID might have been worse, with more symptoms. They might have needed less rest, or more.
It’s all individual, which is why having one “rule” for everyone is dumb.
Stay safe out there as we ring in the New Year and here’s to 2023! May we all make better choices about work and rest!
Careers and Workplace Culture
Stop Calling Them Soft: Why Today’s Essential Skills Are Anything But
Thousands of today’s job listings emphasize the need for “soft skills” — whether that’s empathy, communication, or other non-technical intangibles. But in today’s post-pandemic marketplace where those skills have become more valued than ever, why are we still calling them “soft?”
Quick Thought – What Does Your Organization Celebrate?
Because I don’t think we should be celebrating an industry where poor planning and the lack of proper resources is just the way we do business. It doesn’t have to be. These stories should be the exceptions, not the rules, and certainly shouldn’t be something we’re proud of.
If You Have to Constantly Remind People You’re a Leader, You’re Probably Not
You shouldn’t have to say certain things because if you are indeed the smartest person, a kind person, an alpha, or a leader, your actions will make that self-evident.
For the Job-searchers out there - Top Job Search Articles of 2022
Linked – Focus Makes Us Human; Don’t Give It Away
That’s no way to be effective, though, and it’s well beyond the time our work and personal cultures started recognizing that, and it’s beyond time we made changes to stop giving away our focus like that instead of keeping it where it matters. That can look like blocking time out on our work calendars for focused work, ignoring emails and other distractions during meetings, or ignoring our devices when trying to be fully present with our friends and families.
Legal Tech and eDiscovery
5 Must-Know Tech Concepts for Lawyers
Sarah Anderson, an attorney, specializing in cybersecurity, has some suggestions for the concepts you will need to know to work in that area.
The Move In-House for E-Discovery Has Accelerated
The almost 70 respondents represented companies from less than 1,000 to over 100,000 employees, with roles ranging from legal operations and project management to in-house paralegals, attorneys, and even general counsel. With as many departments handling 50 or more matters per year as those handling fewer than 10, one thing for certain is that legal departments are busier than ever--and more than ever before, they're handling the workload in-house as much as possible.
Lawyers are not resistant to transformative change provided that it does not involve their professional activities. Most lawyers have embraced transformative change as consumers but continue to resist it as providers of legal services. Why do lawyers make data-backed decisions, rely on peer reviews, gravitate to companies that value transparency and consistently provide superior end-to-end customer experience as buyers but resist the application of those practices to their professional roles? Why do they patronize disruptive-model companies but not emulate what they like about them as lawyers?
Have we even gotten comfortable with the old social media platforms? - 7 New Social Media Platforms Reshaping eDiscovery in 2022
Mental Health in the Workplace
How to Advocate For Yourself—And Your Mental Health—At Work
But with some thoughtful preparation, you can make this system work for you. Your mental health issues are not a personal failing, nor are they something to be ashamed of. You deserve to build a career that you love free from unnecessary suffering. You have rights. I’m rooting for you.
Something else worth your time:
Bookmark This! Employee Mental Health Edition
A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication
Talking about mental health at work requires empathy and a clear understanding of each individual in a given workspace.
Quiet Quitting: Burnout, Stress, or Bad Managers?
If you’re a manager, ponder this thought from Harvard Business Review: Suppose you have multiple employees you believe are quietly quitting. In that case, an excellent question to ask yourself is: Is this a problem with my direct reports, or is this a problem with me and my leadership abilities?
Security and Privacy
Trust, Risk, and Opportunity: Overseeing a Comprehensive Data and Privacy Strategy
From the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. It might be worth reading if you’re into that sort of thing.
Why People Use the Worst Passwords
It’s easy to be lackadaisical about security when there’s very little risk involved for me.
The people who use these lax passwords at work are the ones who simply don’t care if their account gets hacked. There’s not really a personal risk to them.
Jan. 1st is coming…. New Virginia legislation to protect personal data goes into effect Jan. 1