So please, read the whole thing and be prepared for the possibility that someone you work with may be at risk for suicide or surviving after a loved one’s death by suicide. The more you know the more you can support them.
My point was that as a trainer, I do quite a bit of presenting and public speaking. I also do a fair bit of storytelling, but I didn’t learn that skill in business school or from my technical education. I had to learn those skills later in my professional life. So, I take every opportunity to encourage young people to learn those skills. You may not be looking for a career as a speaker, actor, or Improvisational Comedy, but the skills you learn there will make you stand out in the workplace when it comes time to do a presentation or speak up for your ideas.
I was reminded of this again last week when I listened to my friend and former colleague Laura Prael being interviewed on the Aussie podcast Two Drunk Accountants.
I’d argue that no job is worth risking your health, but I don’t think Elon would see it that way.
I know he likes to brag about his work hours and how “No one ever changed the world working 40 hours per week”. Reading the science on how more mistake-prone employees working all of those long hours can be makes me wonder if Elon had taken a few hours off and gotten some rest maybe he doesn’t make that offer to buy Twitter and find himself in the mess he’s in.
Nevertheless, the most significant point of the article below isn’t to argue about the negatives of being a public company or not, it’s to point out what should have been obvious but too many people in tech have lost sight of. A company that consistently reminds you that you’re part of the family and that everyone should view it that way and dedicate themselves accordingly will let you go in a heartbeat when things aren’t going as well as they’d like.
And people wonder why quiet quitting is all the rage.
I’m sure there are still some “old-school” bosses running around who believe the best way to motivate employees is to threaten them and never let them forget that they can be fired at a moment’s notice.
Turns out that they aren’t motivating as much as actively harming them.
Don’t get me wrong. I would have still spent some time reviewing the document before the meeting, making notes, and mapping out plans after the other meeting. But because these were not in the middle of back-to-back meetings, I could do them and keep the flow through the process. I wasn’t filing it away in my brain and hoping I could fully recall it later. It was fresh.
It was better.