How Are Current Events Impacting You?

Have you ever wondered how the current events are influencing your work environment?

Keeping track of daily events is challenging, if not impossible. Perhaps we don't want to because most are stressful.

Three events that caught my attention and made me wonder about how it impacts us at work are:

• Generations

• College protests

• DEI

Generational Differences

During a recent meeting with a group of college students at UCI, University of California Irvine,  our discussion on leadership led to a deeper understanding of their concerns and aspirations. As representatives of Gen Z, they expressed a strong desire for a different work experience than what they've observed from previous generations. Their perspectives, as a Baby Boomer, were truly enlightening and thought-provoking.

To summarize, my takeaways were:

• They’ve watched their parents work from 9-5 and want no part of it

• They expect to have flexibility and unlimited vacations.

•  Most of them prefer remote or hybrid work and are appalled by the thought of coming to the office every day.

•  Work-life balance is of utmost importance.

Do you have many or any of this generation on your team? Have you engaged with them to learn more about their desires and expectations?

I conveyed to them that their expectations are commendable, and some privileges are earned. The models they’ve encountered reflect reality.

I shared with them the importance of executive presence and communication. We could have continued the conversation much longer.

 I hear from several clients that empathizing with various generations is challenging and I get it. Having informal ‘chats’ with people who are different from you will go a long way. Tell them your stories and let them tell you theirs. Let me know what experiences you have and what you learn.

College Protests and Freedom to Speak up at Work

The college students protesting on multiple campuses have reminded many of us of the Vietnam War. We were much younger then and may have had different perspectives than we do now about the protests..

I've been thinking about psychological safety and wondering if there are people in organizations who want to speak up but are afraid to do so. I also wonder how many environments there are where people do speak up and challenge but then get shut down, making it no longer safe to speak up.

I’m just posing the question now, and I hope it gives you reason to ponder and evaluate your culture. I’d love to have a conversation with you about your thoughts.

DEI

I am amazed at how divided this country is about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). So much so that many people are suggesting removing the ‘D’ and renaming it.

You know that this is a big part of my work, and honestly, DEI is one important aspect of leadership, the broader scope of my work.

The whole concept is to appreciate people for their differences and understand the numerous aspects of diversity. It is not just about race and gender, although those are two very important aspects. Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are all critical pieces of this work.

I think that taking the D out of DEI is like having a delicious piece of carrot cake without the creamy, smooth cream cheese icing. What do you think?