Hot Topic Friday: Feb. 21

Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 21 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: Surface Riding and ‘Impression Management’ at Work

What It’s About: The researchers published this really interesting article in HBR about how people invest emotional labor at work in getting to a more positive frame of mind when things aren’t going well. They noted: “We first asked our study participants to rate the extent to which they regulated their emotions with coworkers using two emotion regulation strategies — surface acting and deep acting… [We] also asked them about the benefits of engaging in these strategies towards their coworkers.” Essentially, you can try to fake being positive but people tend to see through it. It’s that well-intended but insincere smile when someone asks you how you’re doing. When you genuinely dig deeper for a more sincere response in getting positive, it resonates more with others. We show up more authentically going deeper.

Why It’s Important: The following is the punch line: “Based on our results, it is clear to us that being positive through genuine attempts to make ourselves feel better offers more benefits compared to faking our emotions. The next time you feel a bad mood coming on, take a step back and remember that having high-quality connections with your coworkers can be valuable to you, and to creating a better work environment. That should hopefully help you break a true smile.” It takes much self -awareness to really understand ourselves and get beyond the surface. We often have to reach out for a little help, which builds more trust. When we deal with ourselves at a surface level, it comes across as “impression management” versus authentic connection. Who said really getting to know ourselves was easy?

One Millennial Response: It’s likely that we’ve all experienced how someone’s poor attitude at work can truly poison the atmosphere in a room. But I truly believe so many co-workers would respond better to someone being like “I’m in a bad mood because of ____, but I’m really trying to look on the bright side and not let it keep me down in the dumps.” Everyone can resonate with that more so than a fake smile with hollow connection.

Hot Topic 2: The Super Power of Focusing On-Demand!

Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business.

What It’s About: Being able to focus on-demand is being considered a super power in a world of massive distraction. The article points out what contributes to distraction in the workplace: “The first characteristic is when companies don’t give employees psychological safety [a belief that they will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes]. The second is the absence of a forum to talk about these issues. And third, when management doesn’t exemplify what it means to become in-destractable, you get companies that are flooded with distractions because of culture, not technology. There are many companies like Slack, which makes a technology that everybody thinks is so distracting, that don’t struggle with distraction because they ensure their culture is one that respects people’s time.”

Why It’s Important: Without oversimplifying, the author points out that we have to be disciplined and block off the time for what needs to get focused on and done. Be INTENTIONAL. Do not buy into the idea that the work has too many distractions. Establish a culture that honors and shows what being really focused looks like. Read the article.

One Millennial Response: I’ve always appreciated the structure of set deadlines, and clear expectations of what needs to be completed by when. I know that I can be a professional procrastinator at times, but buckling down and getting stuff done is much easier for me when the culture ensures the importance of everyone’s time.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation.

Screen Shot 2020-02-20 at 3.34.18 PM.png

Earthquake Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

Screen-Shot-2019-03-21-at-3.11.14-PM-4-300x177.png

What is lost if humans never get lost?” - M.R. O’Connor

Bye for now!

— Lorne Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

My latest Lead In podcast.

My latest blog.

Season 3 of Culture Cast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 21 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: Surface Riding and ‘Impression Management’ at Work

Hot Topic 2: The Super Power of Focusing On-Demand!

Search Blog Posts:

Follow Us: