Sustainable Ambition Forum - 08.10.21
As you start to look out past the end of this month and heading back-to-work, I wanted to provide some thoughts on how to to step into this “new normal” (whatever that means!).
To that end, I wrote this article on Thrive Global and wanted to share it with you as part of my “Re-Write your Re-entry” series. These tips can help you re-write your re-entry on your terms and help you ask for what you need and want at work and at home. Or, perhaps it can help you identify some micro-shifts you can make that could result in big impact for your days. That is my hope.
Then below, we feature some articles that take a bit of a policy view on how our work world might take shape, but also hopefully provide some inspiration for how you might want to restructure your work-life. There are some good podcast episodes and articles on working from home and the impact on offices and cities, some articles on if a 4-day work week will take hold, and how much ageism is costing the economy. These are important areas that all relate to Sustainable Ambition, so they are topics I’m eager to track and see what manifests and what we can influence.
I also share below Episode #18 of The Sustainable Ambition Podcast with Laila Tarraf, Chief People Officer of Allbirds. We discuss her recently released book, “Strong Like Water: How I Found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life,” and we talk about what re-entry looks like from her point-of-view as a People leader. This is timely, since leading with heart is critical right now in the workplace.
I also appreciate that Laila introduced me to the quote we featured in the last newsletter. It’s SO good, so I’m repeating it here again. Remember, Brother David Steindl-Rast said: “You know the antidote to stress is not necessarily rest.... The antidote to stress is wholehearted living.”
I hope the article above and resources are helpful for you. If you have questions about re-entry you want to pose to me, please send on.
Here’s to wholehearted living!
Kathy
Founder of Sustainable Ambition
The Round-Up
Will work-from-home stick? I thought this episode from Freakonomics Radio offered good perspective of work-from-home pros, cons, and what works/doesn't work. Then this episode from McKinsey gave some practical tips on how to support workers in this new environment. While this Slate writer is of the opinion that for herself, she’s going back to the office “with a smile and a sigh of relief.” And Richard Florida weighs in on perhaps central business districts not dying, but changing to accommodate the new ways we’ll work.
Are we headed towards a 4-day work week? Yes, please! I know I work better when I can use my “5th work day” for my personal and creative projects, and buzz is growing for the concept. Kickstarter recently announced it's testing a 4-day work week just for this reason. Anne Helen Peterson and The Atlantic wrote great summaries of the benefits of the 4-day work week. As you craft your re-entry, perhaps you can start a campaign where you work? Or, if you work for yourself, institute the practice.
The cost of ageism. I know those past a certain age feel like they experience ageism when seeking work. Unfortunately, it’s true and hard to fight against. The best thing to do is control what you can control. Yet, I'm very happy to see that this dialogue is starting. Diversity and discrimination discussions rarely include age, which is a big miss. Older workers have a lot to bring to an organization. If you’re in this age group, know all the value you can offer and speak up about it in interviews.
The Sustainable Ambition Podcast - Episode 18
Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on
what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.
In this episode, I was thrilled to interview Laila Tarraf, fellow Haas School of Business alum and Chief People Officer of Allbirds, about her recently released book, “Strong Like Water: How I Found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life.”
In our conversation, we talk about Laila’s journey of becoming a heart-based leader, the benefits of leaning into discomfort, and the power of being vulnerable, soft but strong, and firm yet kind.
I encourage you to pick up Laila’s beautifully written book. Not only is it a wonderful read, it will leave you feeling inspired to lean into your own growth journey and to become a heart-based leader yourself.
Find it on Apple Podcast here
Or, listen on our website here
You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast.
The Olympics!
I love watching the Olympics. I’m not a fanatic like some, but as an athlete I’ve always appreciated watching others excel in sport. And I always end up feeling inspired and touched by the wonder of athletes’ talent. This year is no different. In watching, I realized there are many lessons the Olympics can offer. I thought I’d share mine with you here. What are yours?
11 Lessons from the Olympics
Don’t underestimate the power of bringing people together. Thank you, Japan, for uniting the world around a common, positive purpose amidst risk and lack of reward.
Take awe in and get filled up by the beauty of seeing excellence, talent, and effort in action.
Celebrate (small and big) victories, and celebrate with others.
Even at the top of your game, you can have an off day and not perform at your best.
Learn from defeat.
Know your limits and care for self. (Simone Biles demonstrated this for all of us.)
Listen to your own voice, not the noise around you. (Again, thank you, Simone.)
Build your support team. Be supportive to your team.
Effort matters. Age doesn’t.
Strength and power don’t look one way.
Be gracious and graceful.
The Monthly Progress Practice: August
At the beginning of the year, we shared our Monthly Progress Practice. Progress happens through small actions, so we offer a monthly practice of small actions or micro-habits to inspire positive change this year.
Our guidance for August: Honor your time. What do you want to put on your calendar first? What’s most important to put time against each day both professionally and personally?
Find Your Guide:
Find the perfect guide to match your journey.
“Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming.”
— Alice Walker
//
Want to sign-up for Sustainable Ambition™ Forum, our newsletter? Join here!
SUSTAINABLE AMBITION™ IS ABOUT CRAFTING A FULFILLING CAREER TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFE FROM DECADE TO DECADE.
It is centered around articulating your personal definition of success and achieving that without burnout while honoring your personal aspirations and ambitions as they ebb and flow over time. The end game—more fulfillment and ease in your professional and personal life, while still being ambitious.
We offer 1:1 Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, or Career Strategy Coaching, as well as VIP Leadership Brand Sessions and Workshops on a range of Sustainable Ambition topics. We also provide tips and inspiration, advice on career management over the decades, guides on key Sustainable Ambition topics of interest, and coverage of tools and inspiration.