Remote work has been a hot topic since the beginning of the pandemic. Many businesses transitioned to remote work to comply with social distancing measures. However, as the world continues to recover, remote work remains a trend as organizations contemplate how to continue to address this transformative movement. In this blog, we discuss the shifts that need to take place to ensure remote work success, including how to mentor and sponsor in a remote environment, build connections, and increase productivity.
Laura Cox Kaplan runs a small media company focused on helping women build and sustain influence in their lives and careers. Influence isn’t a topic we often focus on as it relates to career and personal development and yet it’s essential, especially as we contemplate or plan for future career evolution and pivots—both those we know about and plan for and those that tend to surprise us or that take us off guard.
People adapt to the conversational style of their workplaces, repeating its jargon no matter how ridiculous it sounds. As champions of clear writing, Writer cuts out wordiness and suggests crisper alternatives. While we see some pretty wacky prose, by far the biggest category of less-than-pristine writing is — you guessed it! — corporate-speak.
Not only is that wildly inappropriate to discuss loudly in full view of staff, but to do so with a young woman new to the environment is indefensible. Had that been me on the receiving end of this manager’s diatribe, I would be having a lot of second thoughts about working in an office where worker safety is so dismissed. The way you describe it, he was essentially advertising that this workplace was unconcerned about hiring sexual predators to the point that they don’t even check—and under the guise of it being a drag to do so.
An autonomous worker is an incredible asset. They are happier, more productive, loyal, more creative, and they experience greater wellbeing. Autonomous workers are the types of employees you want in your business. Yet, true workplace autonomy is surprisingly uncommon.
With the future of your brand on the line, codifying your culture, letting the world know you are, and telegraphing your values should be at the top of your priority list. One key to success is reflecting those things in your messaging, wherever it appears.
"More grapes, please," my daughter asked, as she continued to color her Peppa Pig drawing at the kitchen table."What do you say?" I asked her, as I was about to hand her the bowl."More grapes?"I shook my head."Please?"I stood there."I want green grapes instead of red grapes?"I shook my head again. I handed her the bowl of green grapes. "Thank you. Please don't forget to say thank you.""Thank you, Momma!"
My career has always been deeply rooted in community. I'm the Cofounder and CEO of Makelab, a Brooklyn-based 3D printing company. I also sit on the board of Women in 3D Printing, an organization on a mission to close the gender gap in additive manufacturing. In the simplest of terms: the 3D printing industry is not diverse. Currently, women make up 10% or less of the industry. A significant part of the reason I've been able to establish a successful company is that I've developed and magnified my voice in a space with very few women.
Lately, brands have been bravely stepping up to take a stand against racial injustice and other societal ills affecting our world. Almost immediately after the murder of George Floyd, Nike came out with its "Don't Do It" ad. Walmart pledged $100 million for the creation of a center on racial equity. Ben & Jerry's rolled out a new flavor called "Justice Remixed." Pepsi / Quaker Foods has decided to drop its Aunt Jemima brand, whose identity is based on a racial stereotype, and Facebook has created "Lift Black Voices" to highlight stories from Black people and share educational resources.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies were resistant to implementing remote work for a variety of reasons such as concerns about technology and infrastructure, a lack of trust that employees would get their jobs done, the longstanding (and understandable) bias in favor of face-to-face interactions, or some combination of these factors. However, not only has the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to switch to remote work despite their reservations, it's clear at this point that it's going to be very hard to put the genie back in the bottle. Remote work is here to stay, at least partially. By analyzing the pros and cons of remote work we've witnessed over the past few months, we can apply various insights towards maximizing its benefits while minimizing the downsides.
Our brand all started because of our community. Each and every product and formula has been created alongside our co-creators. They help guide us to figure out what is missing from the market and help outline what people actually use. That's why our relationship with our community is so important to us at Alleyoop, they helped build our company in more ways than they may realize.
While more women are rising to the top of the corporate ladder, a question persists: Why do female CEOs still comprise such a small percentage of the highest leadership positions? Despite the fact that research underscores women's capabilities as corporate leaders and their positive effects on organizations.