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The Newsletter | Edition 095
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Progress Report is dedicated to providing inspiration for action. In our Off-White Papers, we provide practical guidance on how to respond to our rapidly-changing world. This newsletter explores those topics in real-time, with information and action steps on how to make progress now.
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
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Trust is foundational to all interpersonal relationships. In the workplace, broken trust can have big stakes: a team member resigning or a client relationship ending. What harm do unfulfilled promises cause? What can we do when breaking a promise seems inevitable? And how can we regain trust after breaking it?
- Lean into trust, from Sheila Villalobos
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Watch out for flaky behavior, from Katie Driscoll
- Reframe your promises, from Tessa Kalinosky
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TAKING THE TRUST FALL
From Sheila Villalobos |
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TL;DR
Rebuilding trust is challenging, but it's crucial to not become jaded and shut ourselves off completely from trusting again. Each act of trust adds to your judgment, while distrust denies you valuable lessons.
WHY IT MATTERS
Regaining trust after a bad experience is hard. It can be deeply emotional (just look at how many playlists exist about it). But it’s important to not get jaded and close ourselves completely off from new situations. Trusting is not only the noble thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do, because broken promises can be sources of information. Every time you trust, you learn whether your trust was justified or not. When you don’t trust, you keep yourself from gaining that experience. Of course, not every experience will be positive. The more we trust, the more we open ourselves to breaches of trust. But embracing trust with a mindful awareness of the risks allows us to not be paralyzed by distrust.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Build your instincts by choosing to trust.
EXTRA THOUGHTS
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Give a fair second chance. Just because you had one bad experience with a coworker or client, it doesn’t guarantee a repeat experience on a different project. People learn and grow, so giving them the benefit of the doubt may surprise you. Fool me thrice? Then it’s probably fair to lean into those instincts.
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Take the gamble, and say yes to new experiences. Faced with something you’ve never done before? Dive in. You’ll get so much out of it and learn best when you experience it for yourself.
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PROTECTING AGAINST FLAKE CULTURE AT WORK
From Katie Driscoll |
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TL;DR
Flaking on plans, especially in the spirit of self-care, has become more and more normalized in social and personal scenarios. Are we at risk for 'flake culture' infiltrating the workplace?
WHY IT MATTERS
What does it look like when this casual attitude towards honoring commitments enters the workplace? Maybe it starts small, like a regular tendency to show up late to meetings, then escalates to avoiding chats or emails. Before you know it, some of the more minor things on your to-do list may fall to the backburner, or eventually fall off altogether, with the hopes that no one will notice. On the one hand, being less hard on ourselves is a mechanism for balance and self-care—both essential values, especially given our modern mental health crisis. But it’s critical that we find ways to protect against flakiness at work, because even small slips in accountability can have a negative impact on our peers.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Check yourself for flaky behavior at work.
TIPS
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Don’t overcommit. Say yes to less, so that nothing falls through the cracks.
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Do over-communicate. Whether you’re running late to a meeting, or need an extension on a deliverable, flag it with the appropriate people in a timely manner, and do your best not to make this a regular thing.
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Get to the root of the behavior. Examine all the factors at play, and maybe even talk to a trusted mentor to brainstorm ways to solve the root issue.
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WHEN BREAKING A PROMISE IS THE BEST OPTION
From Tessa Kalinosky |
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TL;DR
Alice Ramsay was given what others (especially her parents) considered a “perfect life” in the form of a banker husband twice her age. But when her life didn’t suit her, she redefined the role of marriage and, in 1909, became the first woman to drive across the US.
WHY IT MATTERS
Ramsay skirted the expectations of a housewife and instead honored her sense of exploration, finding fulfillment on the mostly unpaved roads of America. When a promise no longer serves us, it’s an opportunity to assess and align around what is going to lead to the best possible outcome. For this reason, there are times when a broken promise is ultimately the best path forward.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Redefine success on your terms.
TIPS
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Focus on the how. Bring an expansive definition of success to stakeholders that includes unexpected metrics and goes beyond traditional KPIs to include mindset- or approach-based goals
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Talk it out. Create space and hold time to align with your team on what success looks like both as a collective and as individuals. Consider alternative definitions of success that are meaningful to you, like learning a new skill, not just in creating the most amount of value.
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