Change in peoples’ mindsets (4:23 – 5:20)

The idea of a career path has shifted dramatically from pre-pandemic to post- pandemic times. Before the pandemic, many people viewed a career path as climbing the career ladder and moving up the organizational rungs. However, people have started to rethink how and where they are spending their time. Instead of the career ladder, the focus is shifting to the ‘”career lattice”, a career progression pathway that allows for vertical, horizontal, and diagonal movement.

Importance of organizational purpose (5:30 – 6:27)

Organizational purpose is like a guiding star. Although purpose itself does not change, it does inspire change. Purpose provides clarity and stimulates innovation. They understand the organization’s expectations of them and the reasons behind those expectations. It empowers them to discover new methods of doing their work that meets the organizational mission.

Employee stress and burnout (8:17 – 8:31)

Employee stress and burnout is growing. How do we manage this? The first step is to acknowledge it. Acknowledging out loud to your colleagues and manager that you may be tired and exhausted is a big step.

Advice for employees lacking confidence (11:26 – 13:49)

The first thing to tell employees lacking confidence is: you are not alone. There are a lot of others who feel the same way.

The second thing is help them understand the “imposter syndrome”, which is commonly understood as a false and sometimes crippling belief that one’s successes are the product of luck or fraud, rather than skill.

Finally, promote a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a set of beliefs that shapes how you make sense of the world. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. People with a growth mindset see failure as an opportunity to grow. They see challenges as a path toward growth and let their effort and attitude determine their abilities. They are inspired by the success of their team members and take feedback as a constructive way of improvement.

Employee engagement (14:02 – 15:46)

Approximately 40% of US employees are engaged at work and psychologically committed to making a positive contribution at work.

So, what’s everybody else doing? Are they just going through the motions? Sometimes, it’s legitimate to go through the motions; maybe you’re taking care of your parent who’s ill, or dealing with other issues.

However, if you know you’re coasting and not challenging yourself, look at the root cause of what’s going on and identify how you can move forward.

Organizational culture (16: 47 – 17:14)

An organizational culture is comprised of three things: organizational values, the behaviors around those values, and the mindset around those values.

Reducing toxic culture at work (19:09 – 19:46)

We cannot control other people and how they speak to us or others. That is outside our sphere of influence.

Instead, think about what is in our sphere of influence and what we can control, such as how we react to others. Are we fighting back or are we using our Emotional Intelligence? This will help reduce the toxic culture around us.

Throwing young, inexperienced people in leadership roles (32:48 – 33:49)

Throwing young, inexperienced people in leadership roles can be challenging. The good news is that organizations have enough confidence in these people to handle the tough situations. The bad news is potentially overwhelming them.

Interested in learning more? Feel free to ask me any follow-up questions about what you heard on today’s podcast in the comment section, via email, or on Twitter. I’m happy to continue the dialogue!