Notably’s Post

What the friggin’ heck is up with managers who frown at employees for saying “TGIF”?!!? Like, really?! You’re telling me you’re not excited about getting: - A break from work - To hang out with loved ones - To do the things you truly *enjoy*...? One of the things broken in America is that we have this toxic culture of “living to work” instead of “working to live.” Why?! And the worst part of it: When you honor the fact that folks would rather be doing things for the sheer pleasure of it, *especially* when it’s already Friday… You get: - Better results - Better retention - Less workplace toxicity Now, I want to clarify that we work *hard* and that PR is *not* easy. But we also give the team two extra weeks of PTO and know when to chill and decompress. So if you’re a manager whose ego crumbles when you learn (*GASPS IN UTTER SHOCK*) that team members would rather chill and have fun than work, I recommend: - Walking barefoot on grass - Watching your favorite show on Netflix - Enjoying a cold one (can be non-alcoholic) with friends Or anything else that will restore your humanity… As well as the faith in humanity of the rest of us. Yours Truly, A founder who *loves* it when team members say “TGIF” on a Friday. P.S. Notably is looking for a Senior Public Relations Account Executive! Apply here: https://bit.ly/3yIdtXr

Empowering Ourselves: Strategies to Combat Gaslighting in the Workplace 💪 Welcome back to the final part of our gaslighting series! Here are some strategies to help combat gaslighting and create a healthier work environment: Trust Your Gut: If something feels off, trust your instincts. Gaslighting often leaves you second-guessing yourself, but learning to trust your gut can help you maintain clarity and confidence. Document Everything: Keep a record of interactions, including emails, messages, and notes from meetings. Having documentation can provide evidence and support your case if you need to address the issue formally. Seek Support: Don't hesitate to reach out to trusted colleagues, mentors, or HR for support and guidance. Having a support system can make a big difference in navigating challenging situations. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries with gaslighters and assertively communicate your needs and expectations. It's essential to prioritize your well-being and advocate for yourself. Educate Others: Raise awareness about gaslighting among your colleagues and leaders. By fostering open dialogue and promoting a culture of respect and accountability, we can work together to prevent gaslighting from taking hold in our workplace. Let's continue to support each other and build a culture of empowerment and authenticity. Together, we can make a difference! 💼✨ #GaslightingAwareness #EmpowermentInAction #HealthyWorkplaceCulture #SupportingColleagues #BeAuthentic #EngageConstructively #HRMillenials

I do love a plan, I'm a slave to a spreadsheet. But what if there is no plan? Last week there was no plan. How could there have been? It was unimaginable. Watching the recent unrest across the country was deeply upsetting. Knowing that friends and colleagues were facing into violence and hatred even more so. There was no spreadsheet or plan for this. Instead... We shared empathy and support for colleagues up and down the country. We shared stories of how we were feeling. We shared our hopes for peace and respect to win the day. Instead of a plan, a coming together. As I reflect, I'm proud that comms played a small part in supporting our people, helping us stay safe and reminding us that diversity is our strength. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You might be ironing, walking the dog, taking an exam, leading a team, or rocking out to thousands of fans (I wish). Whatever you’re doing, it’s my belief that we are all extraordinary. 🌻 Communicate with impact 🌟 Let your content shine ⚖️ Balance your time and energy 🦋 Trust, collaborate, give, thrive #worklifebalance #storytelling #culture #communication #employeeengagement #support #plan #crisiscommunication #crisis #unrest #diversity

Some of the reactions to my post yesterday got me thinking. One of the frustrations I feel is that the belief that employees are adults who deserve respect, privacy, and dignity is not a universal value. Many recruiters and managers seem to think that they have the right or even the obligation to pry into people’s private lives, thoughts, and feelings in order to properly evaluate or manage them. And I think this is fundamentally disrespectful. If your colleagues WANT to share those things, great, but it shouldn’t be an expectation. Let me give some examples of how a respectful environment would work.   Employee: I need to take Thursday off. Manager DON’T: Why? Manager DO: Fine, just let Marcus know so he can handle the status meeting.   Employee: I need a gluten free meal at the company lunch. Manager DON’T: Oh, do you have Celiac? Or are you on one of those fad diets? Manager DO: Thanks for letting me know. I’ll contact the catering company to make sure they accommodate that.   Employee: This office is noisy and it can be hard for me to focus. Manager DON’T: Are you autistic? You didn’t say anything about that in the interview. Manager DO: Yes, it can be a little loud. What do you need to make you more comfortable?   Employee: I need more data on last year’s sales to complete this analysis. Manager DON’T: Why? I’ve given you everything you need to know. Explain your process. Manager DO: We changed sales systems last year, so you’ll need to talk to Suzanne to pull those data for you.   Shift your mindset. #ExpectRespect #HumanWork

Being an introvert is often seen as a con in corporate but I find them to be the best people to work with! Relatively introverted managers and peers share some of the best traits I’ve seen: ➡️ They are the most efficient workers - less talk and more work! ➡️They aren’t interested in office gossip and don’t engage in toxic conversations ➡️ They don’t need constant company and are very well by themselves ➡️ They can be the most fun people to hang out with once they’ve opened up to you ➡️ They have a very underrated sense of humour - possibly the funniest folks if you know them well! Despite the entire charade of visibility and being out there in corporate still stands - being an introvert isn’t a shortcoming, Trust me, yall are a blessing - ever so refreshing!

May is #MentalHealthAwareness month. For me personally, communication habits and styles are definitely things that can trigger anxiety. My mind can play wild tricks on me. “Are they mad at me? Did I not complete that project properly? What did I do wrong?” Something stuck with me from an interview I took a few years back. The HR manager spent about 10 minutes of the initial screening asking about my communication style. How I preferred to talk with my superior and direct reports and how I preferred to be communicated with. I ultimately turned down the job, but I was blown away by their intentionality of learning the HOW portion of me, not just what I am as a prospect. Creating space is such a powerful and healthy way to aid #mentalhealth. We strive to learn how to better understand our friends, partners and family but fail so often to do that with the people we spend most of our waking hours with. As companies strive to improve retention and employee morale, these are the things that resonate. We all need to do better to care for one another in “work” and as we do in “life.”

Have you faced 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 before? When I was a manager, I also encountered malicious and hurtful comments.😢🥹 "𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂." "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲)." Everybody knows that office politics suck. Experts agree that they decrease productivity, and in many ways, can contribute to a hostile workplace. The best thing to do is to learn how to navigate around them. Here are four ways to find your way without getting tangled up in messy office politics. 🔴 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 - Try to remain neutral by not engaging in toxic behavior such as office gossip or backstabbing. 🔴 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 - Not be receptive to politics. But besides refusing to engage, you can also put yourself above it and compose yourself as someone that acts with integrity. 🔴 𝐁𝐞 𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥 - Treat everybody in your workplace with the same level of respect, kindness, and professionalism. Do this consistently and they are less likely to involve you. 🔴 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐱 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 - Come to these gatherings with a sense of mindfulness. Remain professional and try to strike a balance between having fun and setting personal boundaries. Work is work and shouldn't be your whole life! Agree? 😉😅 #leadership #toxicity #career #digitalmarketing ✪✪✪ I am #gladysɴg, a #LBFalumni member, at #SkyHighTower #careerağilityinternational Know me better ➡️ Gladys Ng (GCDF) (Photo credits: Business News Daily)

Leaving a Lasting Impact: Reflecting on Your Workplace Relationships As professionals, we spend a significant portion of our lives in the office, surrounded by our colleagues. But have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if you were to leave? Would your coworkers shed tears at your departure, or would they secretly celebrate your going? A video circulating on social media captured the emotional farewell of a headteacher to his teachers, with tears flowing freely as they bid goodbye following his posting to another school. It makes you wonder - would you elicit the same reaction from your own colleagues if you were to leave? It's a sobering thought, isn't it? As we navigate our careers and build relationships with our coworkers, it's important to reflect on the impact we have on those around us. Are we leaving a positive mark that will be missed when we're gone, or are we simply a passing presence in the office? So, the next time you walk out of your office door, take a moment to consider - would your coworkers cry at your departure, or would they be secretly relieved? And if the answer isn't quite what you hoped for, maybe it's time to reassess your role and relationships in the workplace. #ProfessionalReflection #WorkplaceImpact #EmotionalGoodbyes

Let’s Get Real About What Makes a Workplace Truly Amazing 🌟 I’ve been doing a lot of thinking (and, let’s be honest, a bit of daydreaming 🤔💭) about what makes a workplace not just good, but great. Not the “free-coffee-and-ping-pong” kind of great, but the kind where you wake up and actually want to go to work. So, here’s my take: 1. Where Ideas Bloom Freely: 💡 You know that lightbulb moment? We all should have a space to voice it out without the fear of being shot down. A place where ‘crazy ideas’ can turn into ‘why didn’t we think of this earlier’ moments. 2. Finding Purpose in Our Daily Grind: 🎯 We all crave that feeling of doing something meaningful. It’s not just about tasks and targets; it’s about knowing that our work matters. And a little ‘thank you’ or ‘great job’ can seriously make someone’s day. 3. Honesty is Everything: 🗣️ Can we just be real? If something’s not working or if we can do better, let’s talk about it. Open, honest communication builds trust, and trust is the bedrock of a great team. 4. Kindness is King (or Queen!): 👑 A simple act of kindness can light up an entire office. Let’s be the colleagues who listen, support, and genuinely care. Because at the end of the day, we’re all human, right? So, what do you think? What’s your secret ingredient for a fantastic workplace? Drop a comment, share your thoughts – let’s start a conversation! 💬 #WorkCulture #Teamwork #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #RealTalk