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Wow!
I had a wonderful holiday season and am back fully recharged. I hope you’re feeling the same way!
We had seven days, non-stop, with family and friends and made great use of the spare room. I cooked up a storm and had a blast doing it.
When I did have me time, I did a lot of reading and came across so many insightful and thought-sparking items to share with you. You know sometimes there’s a theme, but this time, it’s probably as random as random gets. And away we go:
- As a follow up to New Year celebrations: Gallup’s latest survey of American drinking (alcohol) habits doesn’t show much change, but I recently learned a new phrase—sober curious—that Insider says started as a movement in 2018 and has become mainstream. Where do you find yourself these days when it comes to alcohol consumption? I’ll share: definitely drinking less than 5 years ago when 2 cocktails a week was about average and now I’m down to maybe 4 a month. Rationale: it’s really not good for you, but I don’t want to completely turn my back on an occasional Bloody Mary, Martini, Manhattan, or Scotch.
- More on American workers being less ambitious and redefining their boundaries around work and what it means to them.
- I had a very enjoyable conversation with Dr. Jeremy Weisz as a guest on his show, Inspired Insider. We talked quite a bit about company culture, the changing parameters of what companies expect from employees and vice versa, and I shared a bit about my career journey and what I learned along the way. Dr. Weisz is a gifted interviewer. If you want to see what I mean, check us out here.
- Menopause was a verboten subject in the workplace for, well, forever. And now, not. This from Harvard Business Review explores studies showing the evolution of talking openly about menopause at work.
Noteworthy 🖋
Conversations Worth Having
Does your team tackle issues by focusing on what’s wrong, getting bogged down in why a solution won’t work? I can tell you from experience, things go much better, faster, when you look at what’s working and find solutions from that starting point. Deficit-based conversations that focus on what’s wrong, what’s missing, or what’s broken provide information about what can be corrected. Asset-based conversations strengthen relationships and generate possibilities toward a shared vision. Want to help your team become better problem solvers together? Check out Conversations Worth Having — the best-selling book, the virtual workshop, and now offered as on-demand bootcamps. It’s never been easier to learn and apply the principles that foster connection, innovation, and success.
Hat tip to Kelly Stewart who told me about Conversations Worth Having and the many options they have for helping teams and their leaders problem-solve productively.
- Umm, have you noticed there are fewer CPAs around these days. If you have, rest assured, it’s not your imagination. As part of the readjustments we’re seeing in so many fields regarding what are reasonable work expectations, fields with grueling hours like law, finance, and accounting are feeling the crunch as talent pushes back on traditional standards, like 80-hour weeks. This article from The Wall Street Journal focuses on CPAs and how it’s not the appealing career it once was.
- Do you ever wonder why some people are so pumped to exercise and others find it hard to get motivated? It’s not in their heads, apparently, it’s a gut thing according to Penn Medicine.
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Boys Town 🌟
Every December, I donate to Boys Town in honor of my father, Robert Fielding, who lost his father when he was a small boy. Sent off with his 4 siblings to live with extended family during WWII so his mother could work back in Brooklyn to support the family, he feared becoming an orphan. When he grew up, he donated to Boys Town to help kids who didn’t dodge that fate. I didn’t learn about this until I was an adult (my dad died when I was 16), so I picked up the tradition and continue to support this and other not-for-profits that help kids get a boost up from where circumstances may have started them. Here’s where you can learn more and donate: Boys Town.
- Just for fun, what was the most popular toy the year you were born? Stacker’s got answers from 1920-2021.
- Great share from E.B. Moss, “Best of Listicles” — random tidbits, including a list of the most listened to podcasts.
- And if you don’t know why I produce these Notes each week, here’s an article I posted on LinkedIn explaining this weekly labor of love for leaders like you who want to help make the world better through your work.
Here’s to wishing you a wonderful 2023! Stay strong and stay focused—we need you!