KO#9
Welcome to the 9th issue of the Knockout Your Sunday Scaries Newsletter, an every-other-week newsletter by me, Kristy Olinger, with a focus on workplace communication and self-development. I’m glad you’re here. Was this forwarded to you? Get yours: Subscribe here
Sunday, May 5th, 2024
Hi there,
Before joining HR, I’d never heard the term ‘culture carrier’ before. Then I heard it all the time, to describe those employees that are the glue of the team. You know who I mean. The person who organizes events but also the person that others seek out when they are frustrated and need an empathetic ear or an idea on how to tackle something tricky. Here’s my favorite definition:
Culture carriers are the people in your work community who embody your company’s culture and put your values into practice. - Workplace from Meta
Then, last week, Priya Parker sent an email with this subject line:
Meetings are now your culture carriers.
🤯 🤯 🤯
AAAHhhhh! Of course they are. Gone are the days of managers ‘walking the floor’ because now their team isn’t co-located. There are fewer informal coffee breaks or lunch outings because many people are compressing their in-office hours to get to the soccer field by 4:00.
Team and company culture is different because WHERE culture is created has changed… and it’s moved to a place nobody is focused on.
Meetings are a primary connect point for teams, yet they go largely ignored in terms of prioritizing the steps needed to create a positive experience. For an actionable tip that you can use tomorrow to make meetings more meaningful by creating fast rapport at the start of a meeting, listen to Episode 147 of The Opposite of Small Talk podcast HERE.
What if more of your meetings had meaning? That sounds like a possible cure for the Sunday Scaries.
Hit reply and say ‘hi’ - wether you’re an OG subscriber or just stumbled across this, I would love to hear from you. What do YOU want from a newsletter like this? How can I help you banish your Sunday scaries? Let me know.
📚 What I’m reading: Daisy Jones and The Six, Taylor Jenkins Reed
A recent book, Fleishman is in Trouble, was a DNF for me and I’m already behind my annual reading goal by several books. If I’m honest with myself I picked this one up because I’ve read Reed before and I knew it would be a quick read while also having interesting and multidimensional characters. This is a book about the rise and fall of a rock band with a unique structure that tells the story from each band member’s perspective… with the narrator changing each paragraph.
Content Round Up - In Case You Missed It
Even if you’re following me on social media, the algorithm may or may not put my post in your feed. Here is what has launched over the last 2 weeks, in case you missed it.
Episode 147. What To Do WIth Those Awkward Minutes Before the Meeting Starts - PODCAST
Learn the secret to building quick rapport in this short solo episode of The Opposite of Small Talk. This is especially for you if you work remotely!
What to do if people interrupt you when you pause - VIDEO
Pausing is the antidote for filler words, but what do you do if people interrupt you whenever you pause? Watch this video to find out.
You made it to the end! Congrats & thanks. ❤️ Have a great two weeks.
Stay Curious,
Kristy
P.S. If meetings where you work are unproductive and boring, consider bringing me in for a workshop to teach you how to hold meetings with meaning.
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