The Four P's #139: PPPPresented By Casper
Because if this newsletter doesn't put you to sleep, Casper can help!
If it feels like it's been a month since the last Four P's, I promise it's only been one week. But given what's happened since, no one will blame you for your relative time distortion. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff flipped the Senate... the President of the United States incited an armed insurrection at the Capitol Building and his supporters murdered a police officer... the New York Mets pulled off their biggest trade in 20 years... we had the five worst days for COVID deaths... and the digital publishing and marketing platforms finally woke up and did something positive to curtail hate speech and violence (not listed in order of importance, obviously).
KEY THEMES THIS WEEK:
Insightful, Not Inciteful.
From Enraged to Engaged
Dirty Dogs
Year 2 of #WFH
REMINDER: If you’re newly discovering the Four P’s, ensure you get this each week in your inbox by clicking here:
AD ALERT: In other news, the Four P’s Newsletter gained its first sponsor this week. Welcome, Casper, to the family! Which is great on many levels, as I JUST bought a new Casper pillow several weeks ago after months of neck and back sleeping discomfort and it’s changed my life. Also, because FUCK the MyPillow guy. Casper’s story is remarkable, and they have expanded their product offering from mattresses and pillows to linens and dog beds. Basically, Casper is THE “sleep company,” having spent years studying and perfecting the art, science and magic of sleep science. Also, their ads are GREAT. So go on and dream big, my friends.
1. Something Political: Insightful, Not Inciteful
If you've been a reader, viewer or listener of this content for any period of time, you know my position on the catastrophic impact that Donald Trump's failed presidency has had on our nation. And while I imagined something like the events of last week's Trump-led attack on the Capitol Building, I never thought it would happen to the extent that it did. It was a “Designated Survivor”-like storyline, except the only person NOT in the presidential line of succession to be in danger was the President, himself. The violence is sickening, but the threat that it posed to American democracy cannot be underrated. Nor can we allow the spin and distractions that have taken place since last Wednesday to let the conspirators and criminals off the hook.
Fortunately, the social media platforms that were used to thicken plots, coordinate plans and proliferate this pandemic of hate are finally banning Trump and others for committing crimes using their channels. (Yes, inciting insurrection is a crime.) America's most prevalent and biggest business leaders are stepping up. Some far later than others, but we're seeing many CEOs and business associations condemning Wednesday's events. As they should. Some businesses even called for President Trump's removal. Ben and Jerry’s has always been a company of heroes, and it's why they've been a staple in our freezer for two decades.
But the biggest thing that corporations can do to improve both their bottom line and our society as a whole is to stop corporate campaign contributions to elected officials who've undermined democracy.
This article in Harvard Business Review calls on all business leaders to move on from the assumption that someone else will ensure democracy. The seeds of progress were planted in the wake of the social justice protests after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor last spring. Faced with a pandemic, racial injustice and electoral mayhem, companies ventured into previously unseen territories in 2020 and lent their influence to help solve these issues. And that has continued now into 2021 as many brands pulled back on marketing last week... but they shouldn’t have had to if they were aligned with being a force for good all along.
As Professor Scott Galloway said this week, "criminality should be prevented, and punished, by ALL viable means: public and private." And that justice must be swift and harsh. It must send a message to limit what could be even more violence in the run-up to the inauguration next week. This is not over. Trump has been de-platformed, but can we expect him or his cult to accept that their soft coup failed? The American democracy was tested last week, but that test isn’t over. If Congress doesn’t take appropriate action for a President helping incite a violent riot inside the Capitol which led to deaths and threatened the safety of Congress, then our system AND our people have failed.
2. Something Practical: From Enraged to Engaged
In last week's Four P's, I talked about the first steps towards accepting imperfection. One of the areas addressed was understanding how to identify flaws, and then fix them. But not all flaws need to be fixed. They’re part of who we are, and without them, we lose authenticity and the ability to connect with others. Instead of feeling “lesser” because of shortcomings, we can see them as opportunities for continued growth.
Most people’s instinct to hide their flaws is rooted in our sensitivity to feedback and criticism. Maybe it's our Neanderthal DNA and fear of being ostracized from the earliest known social circles and being cast out into the wilderness, but we're so attuned to negative feedback that we actually anticipate it. But we've come a long way as intelligent beings. Accepting and embracing flaws means viewing your thoughts, actions and even failures from a place of understanding, not judgment. Getting to self acceptance doesn't require (excessive) use of controlled substances or some hippy mindfulness instructor. It's just about being aware of, and forgiving, curious, and ultimately accountable for, our own issues. It's about taking responsibility for the negative ways that you respond to the world.
For me, this starts with recognizing and understanding my triggers. We all have them.
Content triggers are information or ideas that you find unhelpful, unfair, or simply don’t agree with. Lots of these going around these days. Relationship triggers are about the WHO - who is sharing that information and what, if any, any negative feelings you might have about them. Believe it or not, just thinking about this has allowed me to stay calmer and less likely to engage the trolls on Twitter... and even ignore the first "hate mail" email I got in response to last week's Four P's. (No, I will not unsubscribe you. Do it yourself with the link below. And thanks for the invitation to go fuck myself!) Finally, identity triggers are ideas about you that totally clash with your sense of self. Deep breaths, my friends.
Natural human reaction is to tend to push back against any perspectives that don’t align with our own. This behavior is harmful, however. Different perspectives are opportunities for learning and growth beyond the tint of our own assumptions. Even when you KNOW they're wrong (a.k.a: extremist terrorists with 6MWE t-shirts), this means being completely present when you receive information and withholding judgment until you’ve had the time to understand it. Another example: If you don’t hear back from a client after sending an email, don’t assume they’re unhappy or want to fire you. By giving yourself a chance to really understand information, you open yourself up to the growth and learning that a variety of perspectives can offer. Transformation isn’t a destination or a single “A-HA!” moment. It’s more like an evolution, one we encourage by acting on and learning from our triggers.
3. Something Personal: Dirty Dogs
I think it's fair to say that I'm somewhat of a germaphobe. Well, it might not be a phobia, but it's more than an awareness or aversion. This was NOT brought on by COVID, but more likely 15+ years in a relationship with a physician. This has manifested itself in a number of ways over the years, from excessive hand washing and Purell (again, way before COVID) to simple things like "no shoes in the house." Yet, I'm totally fine with our dog sleeping in my bed.
An animal. Who walks on the sidewalk and the backyard. Who sniffs other dogs' droppings. And licks the floor. And will eat our kids’ snotty tissue left on a nightstand.
In our bed.
So the question is... what's crazier? That I allow it? That I've thought about why this is totally inconsistent with all of my other rules and behaviors? Or why I've dedicated valuable real estate to this conundrum in The Four P's Presented by Casper (Have I mentioned that they sell dog beds!)? So... a question. Do you let your pet sleep in your bed with you?
Or… Let me know what you think on Twitter.
4. Something Professional: Year 2 of #WFH
For many of us, we've now gone over 300+ days since COVID forced us to work remotely. Many adapted quickly and have seen increases in productivity and engagement. Others have struggled. Most people fall somewhere in between. Of course, nobody romanticizes a rush-hour commute stuck on the train or in traffic. No one thinks of the stress of taking an entire day off work because the cable guy was supposed to come sometime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. No one thinks about having to choose between living in your favorite city or moving to somewhere drab and alienating because that’s where the jobs are.
All too often, office work acts as an obstacle rather than an asset to achieving our dream career. According to a (pre-COVID) survey by FlexJobs, 76% of respondents said they’d be more productive working remotely because of “fewer interruptions from colleagues.” But this also showed that employees who stayed home worked the equivalent of an additional day per week. Remote employees work during their nonexistent commute time, their breaks were shorter and less frequent and we now take far fewer vacation days... but also sick days.
As COVID vaccine deployment has many of us at least starting to think about returning to offices again at some point this year, leaders and managers are realizing that offering a flexible remote option long-term can translate into loyalty AND reduced costs. Organizations that refuse to offer their employees the possibility of remote work end up jeopardizing their competitiveness in the long term. And we know that the cost of hiring a brand-new employee usually far exceeds the expenses involved in keeping a current one.
Ultimately, focusing on results, rather than time spent, can help ease productivity concerns with remote employees. The marketing industry, especially agencies, thrives on creativity. Collaboration is typically better in person, but if we change our companies' goals mind-set from time-oriented to results-oriented, we will more than offset the lack of in-person time. By centering our collaborations around achievable, concrete goals – even if they’re done at different times – we can track progress in real-time, prioritize tasks, and delegate them accordingly. This fosters trust and transparency, not only between managers and employees but also among coworkers.
Transitioning to #WFH has always been suggested as a gradual process. We didn't have that luxury last March. So we also have to realize that not every employee was equipped for success in remote work environments, whether it's the time management skills, communication skills, work ethic or and technological foundations. So my suggestions are simple: Establish routines. Not doing so can lead to overworking. It can also lead to extra distractions. Multitaskers actually do worse than those able to focus solely on the task at hand. Turn off unnecessary email and phone notifications. Know at what times of day you’re most alert and engaged.
Use collaboration tools. And be as clear as possible in emails or on Slack channels: Make each point or question obvious – with numbers or bullet points – so that they can be responded to in an equally organized manner. More check-ins, even if less formal. And as corny as it's been in my own personal experience, connecting new hires with a buddy who is at their level or with similar circumstances (peer, not a manager), can be incredibly helpful with onboarding, culture, stability and long-term loyalty.
Hope this week is better than the last!