Meaningful Work

Advice That Rocks: My Sisters and Brothers

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I love the space where Gospel and Rock come together. Gospel’s hopeful energy renders Rock’s indignation righteous. Rock’s aggressive edge brings the Gospel down to earth, where the action is. This happens beautifully in The Jerry Garcia Band’s delivery of Charles Johnson’s classic, My Sisters and Brothers. 

Deadheads know that the songs written and covered by Garcia, JGB, and the Grateful Dead teem with biblical, literary, and historical allusions. They are nothing short of poetic, and Sisters and Brothers is no exception. The song laments the struggle for peace and justice, and it proclaims the promise of beloved community.

The work will not be easy; nor will it be futile.

I have recently been heartened to speak with many people who are fighting the good fight for justice: teachers, medical professionals, environmentalists. activists, progressive fundraisers, writers, nonprofit leaders, advocates for refugees, and more. These good people have dedicated their careers to the struggle. It has been my privilege to witness their efforts and support them where I can.

The good news is that we have a lot of boots on the ground. The bad news is that every single one of us feels uncertain. How should we proceed, in the wake of this election?

During this existential moment, should we lament, should we hope, or should we simply get busy? Moving forward without lamentation strikes me at best as naive, at worst as callous. Neglecting hope, on the other hand, may dissolve us into nihilism. So, we must simultaneously lament and hope. In this, we may find courage to do as Johnson bids and “go on at a steady pace.” Ceasing the work, however briefly, is not an option.

I want to say to my sisters and my brothers
Keep the faith
When the storm flies and the wind blows
Go on at a steady pace
When the battle is fought and the victory’s won
We can all shout together, we have overcome
We’ll talk to the Father and the Son
When we make it to the promised land.

Johnson’s song has both precedent in the civil rights movement and relevance today. It evokes Martin Luther King, Jr.’s reassuring yet radical claim, “the arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends towards justice.” According to King, the promise of justice is located squarely alongside past, present, and (yes, even…) future suffering. This paradox animates Johnson’s 1974 song as much as it does Gloria Steinem’s 2016 post-election plea, “Don’t mourn; organize.” All three examples — King, Johnson, and Steinem — reinforce the importance of determination that honors both battle and victory.*

In addition, both Sisters and Brothers and the JGB live collaboration illuminate the way forward: diversity.

Diversity is both means and end.

Thou shalt not be afraid
Of the terror by night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Nor for the pestilence
That walketh in the darkness
Nor for the destruction
That waiteth in the noonday hour

If we walk together, little children
We won’t ever have to worry
Through this world of trouble
We’ve got to love one another
Let us take our fellow man by the hand
Try to help him to understand
We can all be together
For ever and ever
When we make it to the promised land.

Let’s talk about what it means to “walk together.”

There is something powerful about the bald juxtaposition of Gospel and Rock in this performance and others like it. Both genres have unique energy for depicting humanity’s pain and potential, and they do it best when they collide — aggressively, but with love. Garcia’s guitar and Hornsby’s keys add a raw brutality to Johnson’s songwriting, which in turn exalts the band.

I’m sure this concept was the inspiration behind Christian rock, but the diluted hybrid just doesn’t cut it. There’s a lesson here for collaboration: remain faithful to the core strengths and value of everyone at the table. When diverse partners participate at full strength, something magical happens. When they water down their uniqueness, the result falls short of its potential.

Diversity is not a buzzword, but a value — at work, in life, and in art. It is, as the song reminds us, both means and end. It is both our path through fear and the final destination. Johnson reminds us of the latter gently, but directly: life is temporal, fleeting, and, ultimately, in service of beloved community.

This world is not our home
We are only passing through
Our trail is all made up
Way beyond the blue
Let us do the very best that we can
While we’re traveling’ through this land
We can all be together
Shaking a hand
When we make it to the promised land.

* Lending credence to the long arc of justice, both King’s and Steinem’s quotes are riffs on wisdom from earlier eras. King paraphrases abolitionist Theodore Parker, and Steinem paraphrases labor activist Joe Hill.

Charles Johnson and the Sensational Nightingales

Charles Johnson and the Sensational Nightingales

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I just gave a talk on 3 hours of sleep and serious election heartache. Here’s how I did it.

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I tried to sleep last night, I swear.

I’m grateful for the three hours I did get. They came early in the evening, when the writing wasn’t fully on the wall. The likelihood of sleep (and any peace of mind) evaporated after I woke at 1:30 and decided to check results.

In addition to my civic heartache, I could not stomach the next day’s work. Talking about the “business case” for anything, much less emotional intelligence, seemed outrageous. I tossed and turned, trying to figure out how to deliver the talk that I had promised, with integrity.

Worse—and I’m not proud of this—vanity threw fuel on the fire. I had no doubt that, in the light of day, my eyes would betray both my lack of sleep and my disappointment. My anxiety increased and my sleep prospects diminished.

Eventually, I acknowledged that sleep would not come, so I determined to get out of bed and get to work. Which I did. Here is how I did it with some degree of success:

As Best I Could, I Cleared My Calendar.

  1. I asked forgiveness on an evening appointment and cleared my afternoon for writing—a good recovery technique for introverts. Today, my single most important job would be to kick ass on the talk.
  1. I committed to an early bedtime. The promise of good sleep tonight bought me some welcome psychological peace at 4am. I had no more time for self-pity.

I Addressed Substantive Concerns Decisively (and Ignored the Rest).

  1. I decided that I would not ignore the partisan elephant in the room, but that I would respect the group’s officially nonpartisan membership. I wanted to acknowledge the election with an authentic, but gracious tone. I tested several iterations aloud in my living room. My phrasing wasn’t perfect, but I felt confident enough that it was honest and respectful.
  1. I decided to be transparent about my belief that business logic should be a means to an end, not an end in itself. I would make the point that financial outcomes are significant for all kinds of organizations, hopefully in support of meaningful missions. Again, I practiced the delivery out loud. My goal was to be respectful and very clear.
  1. Because my audience shared a service mission, I invited them to reflect on it. This reframed the entire talk in light of their shared ethical language, which supported my fourth-quarter changes.
  1. Finally, I mostly ignored the vanity factor. I had to hope that my pantsuit would compensate. I didn’t have energy to waste on outsized concern for my appearance.

I Leaned on My Preparation—Hard.

  1. I gave myself credit for staying off the sauce last night. Likewise, the attempted early bedtime was smart, even if unsuccessful.
  1. I reassured myself that I was very prepared. I knew that I would be tired, even in the best case scenario, so my goal had been the public speaking equivalent of muscle memory. I had practiced the talk over, and over, and over again.
  1. I trusted my audience to be forgiving. This gave me some much-needed calm. (They were delightful, by the way. I was right.)

I Allowed Time to Settle In Gently.

  1. I stayed away from coffee until I arrived, because I couldn’t expect endless forgiveness. I could not come out strong on the topic of E.Q. if I was jittery and on edge. (Also, I wanted the full benefit of that initial jolt.)
  1. I went through the presentation again, arrived early, and tested the onsite technology. I took a deep, quiet breath when I felt my heart rate increase ahead of the talk.

The talk went well. I found a way to execute with integrity, and it made me feel surprisingly great to put my pantsuit back on this morning. All in all, it was a welcome win in the wake of a tough election night.

Not every situation warrants the call to “put on your big girl pantsuit” and get to work. However, when one does, rest assured: you can do it.

My post-election, pre-talk, pantsuit selfie.

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Advice That Rocks: Get Outside

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This 1974 gem from Robert Palmer perfectly evokes the ennui of the modern professional worker. The lyrics describe the frustration of being stuck, with no way forward but the slog.1getoutside The tempo and Palmer’s buttery vocals add a tangible feeling to the song’s intentionally depleted energy. Best of all, Palmer offers the perfect antidote:

Get outside.

As it turns out, Palmer was way ahead of his time. Contemporary scientists would approve. Give him a listen, and consider these benefits of the great outdoors:

  • Outdoor time counteracts the negative health impacts of prolonged sitting and Vitamin-D deficiency (two markers of office work). 2AsapSCIENCE, “What if You Stopped Going Outside?”
  • Observing nature counteracts what psychologists call “directed attention fatigue.” When you return to your desk, you will be less distracted, less irritable, and less impulsive. 3Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
  • Time observing nature correlates with improved attention to detail. 4Rebecca Clay, American Psychological Association, “Green Is Good for You.”
  • Nature walks decrease activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for brooding. 5Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, “How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain.”
  • Time in nature correlates strongly with enhanced creative problem-solving. 6University of Utah, “Nature Nurtures Creativity.”

Trust the science, and get outside — on behalf of your physical health, your psychological wellbeing, and your performance at work.

The world outside your office is simply irresistible.7Sometimes a pun just calls out to you.

Concept music. Music background with headphones and musical note

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The #1 Question to Ask About Your Work

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I write this in the wake of horrible violence, yet again, in my country. Last night, snipers killed 5 police officers at what should have been a peaceful protest against bloodshed. Our nation is deeply troubled by cycles of violence, both individual and systemic. Civil discourse has degraded into partisan bullying, and everyone is heartbroken. You know this. I know this. But what do we do?

Let’s turn that question inward. What do you do? 

Seriously. What do you do with your time and energy each day? What is your work?

These are not easy questions, ethically speaking. In fact, they are decidedly uneasy. As you consider them, I propose that you employ a concept from just war theory. The just war tradition has been used for centuries by heads of state and other political leaders to make sense of right and wrong in the context of war. It has been extremely influential in world history.1Learn more about the content and history of just war theory here, and learn about pacifist ethics here. However, it interests me today because of its framework.

Specifically, just war theory unravels two distinct aspects of war-making and sets clear ethical parameters for each. The two aspects are jus ad bellum, which governs the decision to go to war, and jus in bello, which governs conduct in war. I see this framework as useful for examining the ethics of work because it untangles two important threads of consideration: major strategic decisions and in-the-trenches tactics.

Here are analogous categories for the ethics of work:

Strategic:

  • What is my profession?
  • Whom do I work for?
  • What is my organization’s mission?
  • What is the broad impact of my profession and organization?

Tactical:

  • How do I conduct myself at work?
  • Am I learning as much as I can, to do the best work that I can?
  • Am I practicing self-care to support engagement and energy?
  • What are the practical ethics of my profession? Do I know them and hold myself accountable?
  • What are the impacts of my specific, day-to-day decisions?

Surely, both of the categories above are paramount to ethical work. We need more people (you! me!) to choose professions and organizations that make positive impacts on the world. We also need to work ethically and earnestly within those contexts. What we learn from the just war framework is that both sets of conditions — the strategic and the tactical — are necessary. Either/or is inadequate.

I urge you to examine how closely your answers align with your personal values, your philosophical and religious commitments, your family’s collective mission, and your desire to DO SOMETHING in light of our shared struggles. Find the support you need as you make the changes you should (and surely we all must change).

What you do with your time is your impact on the world.

Let me say that again: what you do with your time IS your impact on the world. You likely spend 40, 50, 60 or even more hours at work — especially if you factor in commuting, travel frequently, or work as a caregiver. If you are fortunate enough to choose your work (and too many aren’t), you have a responsibility to choose wisely and a responsibility to go about it honestly.  Bring your values into the equation, rather than compartmentalizing work vs. life.

“What do you do?” is classic small-talk, but it shouldn’t be. It’s the most important thing we can ask ourselves as we grapple with the dark and difficult. Honest answers will begin to shed a little light.

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1. ↑ Learn more about the content and history of just war theory here, and learn about pacifist ethics here.

Laugh Your Way to Meaningful Work

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I love satire. It cuts to the heart of matters, and it makes me laugh. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see McSweeney’s tackling an issue that I feel strongly about — meaningful work (or, more to the point, meaningless work):

Despite the business being obscenely profitable, our office is overcrowded, we are underpaid, and our work almost certainly supports fracking, heart disease, and the blatant exploitation of the poor. In recent months, it has occurred to me that this makes what I do, at best, completely void of meaning and, at worst, totally amoral. In short, my life has no meaning… but, have you tried the new toaster?
If this hits too close to home, you can do one of two things. Either laugh it off and proceed, or…

Let the satire do its full work, which is both to make you laugh and to convey criticism. It should leave you chuckling, but uneasily, wondering, how did this happen? And, how can I change it?

 

How did this happen? 

In one of three ways:

(1) Though you are not actually manipulated by perks like shiny new toasters, you do bear the paradoxical burden of your compensation and benefits. Golden handcuffs are real — and really tight. They stand between too many people and meaningful work.

(2) You are smart, hard-working, and an expert in your field. You care intensely about everything you do at work, pouring intelligence and energy into each task and decision — whether small or large, meaningful or meaningless.

These favorable qualities propelled you to your current position. However, you bring this intensity to every situation and task, indiscriminately. In doing so, you rob yourself of the energy and time required for discernment and the work that really matters.

(3) The likeliest culprit — some combination of both.

 

How can you change it?

Laugh (heartily!), but don’t laugh it off. Channel that self-deprecation into a decision to prioritize your impact goals.

Since you are already smart and hard-working, this doesn’t mean finding new time in the day. Instead, you must redirect your existing resources towards more meaningful goals. This requires introspection, careful discernment, and re-prioritization.

It is likely that the process will also entail some risk — financial, professional, and perhaps even emotional. Be clear on your tolerance for that, as well as the return that you can reasonably expect. To that end, have a trustworthy person in your corner, who will both challenge you and respect your boundaries.

Laughing it off may be easy, but it isn’t a strategy. It leaves you as restless as ever and does nothing to improve your professional footprint. By contrast, self-examination and change are difficult. They promise valuable returns not only for your work satisfaction, but also for your legacy — and for the positive impact you will make on the world.

 

Let’s be real: this is a fortunate problem.

Many, many people suffer extreme poverty, unemployment, under-education and other hardships that make the challenge of meaningful work a privileged one. In that light, the “paradoxical burden” of golden handcuffs seems superficial.

However, this gulf is all the more reason to leverage educations and opportunities wisely. We owe it to ourselves, our communities, and the wider world.

 

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SMART Goals Aren’t (Always) Dumb

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I recently came across an interesting hypothesis in Forbes magazine: SMART goals “act as impediments to, not enablers of, bold action, and actually encourage mediocre and poor performance.” Author Mark Murphy takes the position that we should aim higher than “achievable” and “realistic.” To make his point, he looks at two modern innovators, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs, both of whom pushed for impact with ambition and determination.

 

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe.” – Steve Jobs

 

I agree with Murphy, at least in part. The world needs big thinkers: entrepreneurs who will innovate mechanisms for sustainable food distribution; activists who will dismantle unjust structures; school administrators who will find a way beyond the testing morass; artists whose creativity will broaden our perspectives. As he correctly points out, SMART goals undermine ambitious impact when they limit us to the “achievable” and “realistic.”

 

What’s more, I propose that the other SMART attributes—“specific,” “measurable,” and “timely”—can be equally limiting. The grandest ambitions  (e.g. to make a dent in the universe) are anything but specific, at least at first. Because of that and because they may not be empirical, they will be difficult to measure. Finally, we must face the reality that we might not complete the work alone, or even in our lifetimes.

 

“I may not get there with you.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Consider Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” The speech was delivered in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968, less than 24 hours before his assassination. It conveys both the beautiful promise and the daunting scope of his vision. He declares:

 

I’ve looked over (Yes sir), and I’ve seen the Promised Land. (Go ahead) I may not get there with you. (Go ahead) But I want you to know tonight (Yes), that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. [Applause] (Go ahead, Go ahead) And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. [Applause]

 

Behold: One person’s ambition, bigger than himself. 

 

On the one hand, this example confirms Murphy’s point. On the other hand, King’s work included both visionary statements and very hard work. He collaborated with organizations, politicians, experienced activists, and ordinary citizens to bring about real change on the ground…one campaign, one lawsuit, one march, one meeting, one boycott at a time. The work was imperfect, incomplete, incremental, and inspired. The goals of the American civil rights movement were indeed visionary, but they were also—in their increments—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

 

There is hope for the SMART concept yet.

 

SMART goals can be a crutch for small thinking, but they aren’t the root problem.

 

The real problem is with SMART goals existing out of visionary context. When they stand alone, SMART goals deserve all the criticism that Murphy heaps on them. As he describes, the problematic isolation of SMART goals often happens explicitly, through, for example, lackluster strategy or performance reviews that focus only on the near-term.

 

However, it also occurs implicitly—and more perniciously—via organizational culture. In these cases, isolated SMART goals are a symptom of larger, cultural weaknesses that permeate the organization, affecting every position and business function. When an organization’s culture cannot tolerate change or when it prizes short-term over long-term outcomes, it undermines employees’ potential for vision, creativity, and impact.

 

By contrast, organizations with healthy impact cultures tie their work to mission at every turn. Accountability to the organization’s impact drives performance review and goal-setting processes, rather than following them or existing tangentially. Leaders both model and manage genuine support for strategic risks, creative problem-solving, and purposeful change. And employees, from the corner office to the smallest cubicle, embrace the freedom to think big. The SMART goals they set reflect this.

 

SMART goals are truly smart when they connect to impact goals. 

 

When I was working on my doctoral dissertation, someone offered this wisdom: “It’s like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time.” It was brilliant advice, and  I leaned on it throughout the process. I needed to think in increments because the full scope of the project was so unwieldy. Likewise, SMART goals are a tool for incremental progress—one bite at a time.

 

I suggest editing the “R” in SMART from realistic to relevant. When connected to a larger mission, SMART goals shine. They are extraordinarily useful for incremental progress on big ambitions. Instead of limiting potential, they connect bold ideas and beautiful aspirations to real-time actions. They enable positive impact by making it concrete: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

 

Whether you are moving towards a career ambition, your dent in the universe, or a nascent vision for a better world, keep your eyes on both the next bend in the road and your true north. You will only  move in the right direction when both are in focus.

 

 

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Strength of Character at Work

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I recently met with a client who is handling a thorny challenge with impressive magnanimity. As we discussed her decision, her management of it, and the business impact, it struck me:

My client is doing a brave thing.

I sat back, looked her in the eye, and said, “I want you to know that I admire you for doing this. Most people would be less generous.” Her response was simply, “How could you not?”

That, dear readers, is strength of character.

When you witness strength of character, you should acknowledge it. Tell the person that you admire them. Doing so encourages them to continue their brave work, which will surely be difficult. Equally important, it raises your standards. Marking the moment gives you  a mental benchmark for your own difficult decisions.

Stay alert for colleagues and managers who make the tough decisions well. Thank them, and follow their lead. They deserve it, and so do you.

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10 Ideas To Free You From Your Desk

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From time to time, your office will feel stale. Maybe even oppressive. You may be procrastinating, in need of vacation, butting heads with your boss, or just drained by fluorescent lights.

Whatever the reason, recognize your restlessness for what it is. Don’t deny or judge it — just flip the script by changing your routine.

Try a change of scenery.

Hit the library. Libraries are free, quiet, and designed to enhance focus. While you’re there, take a few minutes to wander the stacks and soak up some literary inspiration.

Grab a cup. Coffeeshops offer soothing background noise, free wifi and unlimited caffeine. Need I say more?

Try co-working. Co-working studios have transformed my work more than once. In fact, I’m writing from one right now. They typically offer modern aesthetics, entrepreneurial energy, and a variety of workspaces (mine has carrels, sofas, shared desks, reading nooks, conference rooms, and outdoor seating).

Work from home. Treat yourself to a day at home, complete with your favorite tunes and your stretchy pants. Seek out the brightest room in your house — take advantage of that natural light while you can.

Reserve your office conference room. Can’t pull away for a half or whole day? Reserve your organization’s conference room for a window of time and escape from distraction right down the hall.

No laptop? No problem. 

Cultivate a reading list. Maintain a folder of articles and either print or bookmark them for easy access. (Bonus points for actual books.) If you think can’t afford to  slow down for this, you are wrong. Very wrong. You can’t afford not to.

Schedule a walking meeting or call. Stay alert for meetings that will not require note-taking. In my experience, this works best when your teams are reporting on status and for informal discussions with a close colleague. Do you sometimes find yourself pacing in your office? Take that nervous energy to the streets.

Schedule email sessions, and hit a park bench with your phone. This serves the dual purpose of removing you from your desk and imposing better email discipline. Turn off your email client in the interim. (I know, this one feels impossible. All the more reason to try it.)

Keep a running list of tasks that you do better offline. In addition to reading, my offline list includes outlining, theoretical work, reviewing client notes, proofreading, and task management. Grab your notebook and relocate.

Are you goal-setting regularly? You should. Goal-setting requires a fresh perspective, so it is tailor-made for unlikely settings. Try a sunny patio, a yoga mat, or even a bar stool. Wrap your week by reflecting on accomplishments and setting the next week’s focus. Allow yourself extra time at the end of the month and quarter to consider upcoming projects, performance review goals, and personal aspirations.

The idea is to experiment.

These ideas are low-risk, but substantial enough to alleviate the grind.  Try one for a re-engagement hack, or incorporate them all to revitalize your work life. If your otherwise awesome job lacks flexibility, discover alternative spaces within your organization. Keep your manager abreast of where you will be and why.

Whatever you do, challenge the assumption that you must be tethered to your desk or computer. Get off the treadmill and take a walk in the woods.

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