The round-up
Last week, we workshopped through some actual difficult relationships at work. A few threads stuck with me:
sometimes the difficult person isn’t the actually difficult person
check how much control your difficult person has over their own situation. they may just be difficult because of their circumstances.
spend your conversation capital with the source of the issue. maybe it’s their boss? maybe it’s the new VP who is still proving themselves?
consensus that directness is the kinder option, almost always
vagueness is for your protection, not theirs.
ask yourself, if this person described the conversation to their partner that night, would they get it right?
draw a clean line between the person and the job
write down your problems with this person and reflect on whether or not you are describing the person or their actions. whenever you have the conversation, actions only. Not vibing with someone is another topic for another day (maybe in October?)
The next two
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)
The Bookmark Club
Wednesday, 9/23 at 8:30PM ET (register here)
It's like a book club, but for all the content you've bookmarked and haven't gotten around to consuming yet.
Bring a few things you've saved (article, youtube video, tiktok) and we'll discuss! You’ll knock things off your TL;DR TBR and get recommendations for who to follow/listen/read for the future.
Down the trail
More chances for a good hang this month:
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
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