The Obligatory Lessons Learned After Four Months Unemployed
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The Obligatory Lessons Learned After Four Months Unemployed

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 6 minutes

So after 12 years, I’m back, but it’s very different. Because 12 years is a long time and things change fast around here. This opportunity only came about because I’ve been changing and now have something different to offer, that matches up with how the firm has been changing. I could have resisted learning all these new things over the years, but that would have also limited what I could do going forward. I’m really happy I didn’t do that. It might be the best career move I’ve ever made.

Linked – How to spot wellbeing washing at work

Linked – How to spot wellbeing washing at work

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

As pointed out in the link below, these types of behaviors break trust. I can’t trust leadership who doesn’t act in a way that matches the talk, and in too many cases the talk about well-being is just talk. You could say the same about diversity and inclusion and other efforts that exist mostly to appeal to customers and potential employees instead of demonstrating a true commitment to those things.

Diverse Workplaces are Flexible Workplaces

Diverse Workplaces are Flexible Workplaces

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 3 minutes

Eliminate all that time spent commuting, hassling with after-school, Summer Break, sick day childcare, and dealing with office politics, and you just became a massively more attractive place for moms, let alone all women and other people who would benefit from the job being something other than 8-5 in one, singular, location for everyone, every day.

Again, you broaden your labor pool, which broadens your diversity efforts. It’s not rocket science. The more “rules” you have in place, like a full-time return to office policy, the more people will find it difficult to work for you, and the smaller pool of candidates you’ll be choosing from.

Linked – Culture Fit – Another Way to Discriminate?

Linked – Culture Fit – Another Way to Discriminate?

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

There’s no simple answer here but I would look at how you define culture. There should be an organizational culture that includes diversity. Think more about “we value a variety of experiences and viewpoints” as opposed to “we like to work in a locker room environment” and then find the diverse group of people who “fit” your culture.

I will agree with Kevin on this though, “culture fit” is too frequently just code for people like me, and that needs to go away.

Linked – I’m here, I’m queer and I have depression – but workplace support makes all the difference

Linked – I’m here, I’m queer and I have depression – but workplace support makes all the difference

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

The reality is that the labor force is diverse, and your employees are as well. There are also going to be a wide range of life issues that they are dealing with. Mental health is one of them, and based on the statistics, someone who works for you is dealing with some form of anxiety, depresssion or some other issue. Wouldn’t it be great, and help employee retention, if they were supported at work?

Linked – Research: Asynchronous Work Can Fuel Creativity

Linked – Research: Asynchronous Work Can Fuel Creativity

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 3 minutes

Have you ever been in a brainstorming meeting, in person or on Zoom, and walked away thinking it was great? The ideas were flowing, and people were expanding on each other’s ideas, professionally disagreeing constructively, and bringing energy to the discussion. It was great, all of our meetings should look like that.

Except that’s not really what happened. At least it’s not the whole picture. Yes, perhaps there was a good exchange of ideas, and perhaps some of the folks on the call brought their energy and passion to the discussion. The key word there is “some”. The important thing to remember is that those people who did bring that energy also probably made it really difficult for other voices to be heard. The science would tell you that the straight white men on the team probably spoke up, while others did not speak up. (In the experiment that is detailed in the article, it was men and women singers who were compared.) In my experience, it’s a little more complicated than that. Yes, a small group of white guys can absolutely drown out all of the other voices, but so can a small group of extroverts.