How I Work: The Hybrid Edition
According to Gallup, 53% of the U.S. full-time workforce operates within a hybrid work model that allows them to spend part of their week working remotely and in the office.
Coordinating a hybrid life requires organization for the remote and office environment. Traveling between the office, my home office, and on-site with a client is easy when you have the means to adapt to any setting.
Admittedly, my transition into hybrid life was rocky. I never had everything I needed or lost gear along the way (i.e., phone chargers, computer chargers, and endless cords to who-knows-what).
At networking events and around the water cooler, folks ask me, "How do you work hybrid and stay steady?" It's easy now, after losing items and making these staples on the go.
Here's what's in my bag:
Hiearcool USB-C Adapter - Plug into docking stations and set a great day in motion without a ridiculous number of cords.
EarFun AirPro 2 Noise Canceling Earbuds - Impressive noise canceling with a long-haul battery charge at a reasonable price. CNET and CNN consistently ranked these earbuds best in their class.
Team Gee Portable Triple Monitor for Laptop - A triple monitor setup on the go better ensures productivity, especially in offices that lack several docking stations and multiple monitor setups.
Jabra Elite 85h Noise Canceling Headphones - Because I am most often in an "open bull pin" concept office, I can go without headphones. Jabra Elite 85h are wireless headphones with a built-in battery that lasts up to 36 hours on a single charge for continuous use while accepting calls. These are a solid backup to my earbuds.
Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook - Instantly connects and stores my notes, UX doodles, information architectural sketches, and lists in the cloud with the free smart notebook app. I purchased a Rocketbook shortly after my Spring Cleaning 2022 unearthed 28 paper notebooks, a collection amassed over the past five years.
Pilot Frixion Ball Point Pens - Compatible with the Rocketbook and "regular" paper notebooks.
Lovevook Tote Bag with USB Charging - A waterproof bag that seamlessly transitions from coffee meetups to a client's office to a networking happy hour. Holds two laptops and helps me out when I am running low on a charge.
Note: This is not a sponsored ad, and I do not receive a commission for these recommendations. These are just amazing products that withstand turmoil in my bag from place to place.
Top 3 Pointers For Giving an Impressionable TEDx Speech
TED speeches are difficult to write. A fan will tell you that TED talks are not traditional lectures by subject matter experts. In fact, the tone is conversational. Here are my top 3 suggestions for a successful speech:
This month, I’m a featured speaker at TEDxRice. I am nervous because Rice University is my alma mater. My formative years on-campus shaped the trajectory of my career as a Digital Strategy Consultant. My talk goes beyond the realm of professional; it’s deeply personal. The 15-minute presentation focuses on a topic I’ve dedicated 6-months of full-time work: a mobile app to support citizen journalism. The talk will unveil my “baby” so to speak. It will reveal my ideas on the future of digital journalism at the risk of facing harsh criticism, vulnerability, and/or applause.
When I drafted my speech, I scoured the internet for helpful TEDx tips and resources. I ran into a bunch of dead ends with 404 errors and outdated information. TED speeches are difficult to write. A fan will tell you that TED talks are not traditional lectures by subject matter experts. In fact, the tone is conversational. An attempt to develop a relationship with a crowd that suggests, “We are all working together on this idea.”
Here are my top 3 suggestions for a successful speech:
INTRODUCTION: Draw in your audience members with something they care about (read: not something only you care about). Start with a clear statement of what the idea is. If the idea is something fun, but not something the audience would ever think about, open with a surprising and cool of relevance.
MEAT & POTATOES: Make a list of all the evidence you want to use. Consider what your audience already knows about and the things you’ll need to convince them of.
CONCLUSION: Find a landing point in your conclusion that will leave your audience feeling positive towards your idea.
In addition to these bullet points, I will re-emphasize the need to draft and re-draft your writing. Also, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. As a speaker, you can blow through 15-minutes when you are on top of your game. Alternatively, 15-minutes can seem like an eternity when you are flailing. For a terrific TED talk to look to for inspiration, take a look at one of my favorite talks.
Stop Saying “I’m Sorry” in the Workplace*
There are standard reasons for apologizing at work: missing a deadline, miscommunication of deliverables to a co-worker, or accidentally double-booking meetings. And, it’s understandable. From childhood, men and women are taught to say “I’m sorry” to express remorse for their actions. But, the gesture happens so often that, in the workplace, it falls flat. There’s a fine line between politeness and seeming insecure. And, the habit of over-apologizing may hurt your career.
I’ve been in marketing for approximately seven years now. When it comes time for the periodic performance evaluations, I hear one common criticism from my supervisors: “Alley, you say ‘I’m sorry’ too much.”
There are standard reasons for apologizing at work: missing a deadline, miscommunication of deliverables to a co-worker, or accidentally double-booking meetings. And, it’s understandable. From childhood, men and women are taught to say “I’m sorry” to express remorse for their actions. But, the gesture happens so often that, in the workplace, it falls flat. There’s a fine line between politeness and seeming insecure. And, the habit of over-apologizing may hurt your career.
It’s time to be judicious when weighing whether to dole out an apology. Was the situation out of your control? Don’t apologize. Did someone else make a mistake and you’re “kindly” taking ownership? Don’t apologize. Next time, here’s are three tips for consideration (taken from someone who’s a reformed culprit):
Lack of Confidence — The apology may come from a place of self-doubt where saying “I’m sorry” undermines your original intention. Example: “I’m for editing a full-length video and creating two sound bites. It’s way too much. You’re right.”
Explain the rationale— Leverage these uncomfortable moments as an opportunity to explain your reasoning — -not to make up excuses. Example: “I created the extra sound bites for easier consumption on a social media campaign. It encourages users to view the full-length video on the website.” By explaining the rationale, your colleagues are more likely to understand that you were acting in good faith — and it’s better than nothing at all.
Keep your values in check — Do not apologize out of guilt — because you want to appease co-workers. It takes confidence to be a leader and excel in your career. If you stand by the decision made, embrace it as an opportunity to start a conversation with colleagues and move forward. It’s better than being meek and apprehensive.
It will be awkward before it gets better. Re-configuring a hardwired habit is difficult. I’m still stumbling through it knowing that, if I do not change it, it may influence how colleagues perceive my judgment. I’m willing to be pleasant — but not at the expense of my career.
*Not really. Just say it way less often.
Suit Up: How Clothes Influence Our Career Performance
My experience validates workplace psychology academic findings: the right clothes can boost confidence and catalyze career performance.
“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.”
— Edith Head, Academy Award Winning Costume Designer
Time is a finite commodity. Unfortunately, our schedules do not always allow us to give back to our communities with a sustained volunteer commitment. I support my favorite non-profit, Dress for Success, with in-kind and monetary donations twice a year. Dress for Success empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and life. At the beginning of my career, I relied on “hand me downs” to get by. My experience validates workplace psychology academic findings: the right clothes can boost confidence and catalyze career performance.
It’s a matter of psychology. I wake up every morning at 5 am, and, I grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Then, I reach for a tailored dress and high heels off the rack in the closet. A dress puts me into beast mode; the heels help me stand taller with proper posture. Ten years ago, at the start of my career, the only suit I owned was a hand-me-down from my aunt which I gratefully accepted. The Calvin Klein suit was too big and a faded black. I used two safety pins to hold up the over-sized pants. I made it work. I wore that suit into the ground and replaced it when I made bank. Professional appearance is influential to others — and yourself. Accordingly, I put my best high-heeled shoe forward.
I am donating a big chunk of my closet to Dress for Success. The clothes will set-up the next boss marketer — without the need for large safety pins to hold up pants.