The round-up
Last week, we had a lively chat about staying sane when things get busy, setting work boundaries and avoiding burnout:
summertime work might have included working from the beach rental, the kitchen counter, the backyard. Now that things are busier, stick to working from your desk, wherever that may be.
reflect on what your routine looks like these days. Make sure you’re landing the basics, which will help you feel more together throughout the day and avoid burnout (are you getting dressed? taking a chill on screen time at night? drinking water?)
(or are you reading this email in bed with the lights off?)
some other great tips for protecting your time
have a recurring meeting where you don’t do much? try sending someone on your team in your place! You’ll buy back the time and its a development opportunity for them.
it’s worth asking your team “what should we stop doing?” in your 1:1s. You can always run an experiment for a few weeks and see what dropped (if anything).
remember that unstructured chat builds up the trust battery and can break up the slog, so it’s worth protecting. It’s one of the first things to go at work when you are slammed.
did we end up discussing antique rug Instagram, long-form YouTube essays on the best pizza joints in America and the 90s computer game MYST? yes, yes we did.
The next two
Dealing with toxic colleagues
Friday, 9/11 at 12ET (register here)
Have you been a victim of passive aggression, incompetence, abuse of company policy, cc-ing your boss on every email or general combativeness? You may have a toxic colleague! Let’s make that less painful:
hear how others have handled tough working relationships
tactics for different types of toxic relationships: a peer, a direct report, someone with seniority/influence, etc.
when to let it go, document, escalate or cut ties
Articulating value
Friday, 9/18 at 12ET (register here)
The great proving is upon us! You know, business cases, budgets, asking for headcount for next year, promotions, etc. Sometimes the hardest thing at work is proving that work to others. Let’s talk about it!
proving impact beyond quantitative results
translating what you/your team did into what impact it had
tips for what “value” means to various roles (to leadership, to your team, to other departments)
Down the trail
More chances for a good hang this month:
The Bookmark Club — Wednesday, 9/23 (after hours!)
The Go-Round: getting what you need from leadership — Friday, 9/25
The Go-Round: giving and receiving feedback — Friday, 10/2
Thanks and see you around,
Ashley
P.S. Know someone who may benefit from this content? They can sign up for the newsletter here. Toxic-free since 2026!