Hi!

What’s the best thing that happened to you so far this week?

Here’s mine: I made a transformative discovery about my perception of time and energy that I’m using to reframe my perspectives for more positive outcomes. An attitude of gratitude only begins to scratch the surface, and I’m happy to share what I’m learning with anyone who wants to chat about it.

Speaking of chatting about it, are you interested in joining my intention pod? We’re going to start with once per week (Monday, 9AM ET), quick meetings (20 minutes). We’re purposefully setting aside time and using the energy of community to set a positive, purposeful course for the week. No need to share anything you’re not comfortable sharing—it’s more about dedicating time to envision and set your intentions with like-minded people as the workweek kicks off. Happy to share more if this strikes a chord. Email me if you’re interested in learning more/participating.

And here are the stories I thought might be helpful as you work to create and maintain your own compassionate workplaces:

• Abhijit Bhaduri makes so many excellent points in this short read about the importance of work adaptability now and for the future–for leaders as well as employees. Make sure to read this one; it’s a great heads up.

• Younger employees tend to expect their companies to take a public stand on social, political, and environmental issues – we know that. But what happens when companies make statements about events and find themselves in non-stop communications with employees and the public on those topics? How do companies navigate their responsibilities to their stakeholders effectively and efficiently? Harvard Business Review has a quick-moving overview and solid suggestions.

• For what it’s worth, here’s a report from The Wall Street Journal on how professionals skew in relation to gender and race. I’ve never heard my sister, a dental hygienist, mention a male colleague, so that stat wasn’t a shocker, but there are a few eyebrow raisers too.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Access Fund 🌟

The Access Fund is one of our team member’s favorite advocacy organizations for both. They work for sustainable access to climbing areas across the country, while educating others how to advocate. If you’re all about nature and vertical adventure, check them out: Access Fund.

• Would you be surprised to learn that 90% of hiring managers were never trained how to interview? That’s been the experience of Anna Papalia, author of the new book “Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing.” In this article for Chief, she points to self-awareness as a key element for the interviewer and interviewee and shares ideas for improving recruiting the right people.

• Mark Feffer writes in WorkforceAI that according to the American Psychological Association’s recent survey, 38% of US workers worry that AI might take some or all of their job responsibilities in the future. BTW, WorkforceAI is a new publication from a team with deep roots in the HR Tech space. You can sign up for the free newsletter or opt-into paid subscriptions.

• Middle management is in trouble. Subhash Chandar shares what’s happened and offers fixes via Forbes.

As you saw in several of this week’s shares, people are SUPER STRESSED. As leaders, we need to be creative and dare I say the word again—compassionate—about how we help our employees navigate to better outcomes for us all. To be compassionate to others, I think we need to feel confident about ourselves first. So make sure you’re energizing yourself, staying focused, and seeing if some of the shares this week can help you chart a steady course for the culture you want to lead.

Niki