Newsflash, it’s a short work week! In honor of the holiday 🇺🇸 here are some of our favorite 4th of July traditions:

🎆 Fireworks, did you know consumers spend $1 billion on fireworks each year?!

🏛️ Parades, over 100,000 of you will attend the National Independence Day Parade in Washington DC.

🌽 The Cookout, 87% of Americans will have a BBQ or picnic making the 4th the most popular outdoor cooking holiday.

🇺🇸 Patriotic displays, 66% of Americans will display a flag on the 4th.

Might we suggest one new tradition to add to your list? Sharing the Work Therapy newsletter with your holiday comrades 😊 

Have a happy and safe 4th of July friends.🎇

Career Advice: What Kris Said.

“You didn’t pick up my call so I sent you a slack about what was said in the meeting that was a follow up to that email.” Said someone in your office at least one time this week. Am I right?

If trying to determine where, when, who and how to communicate something at work looks something like this…

Well, you are not alone. And if you’re like me (Kenna), the method in which you receive communication always leaves you wanting something different. i.e. a meeting that should have been an email or a Slack that should have been an email. Is it me, or do we just not email anymore?!

Communication is hard. But don’t worry, we’re going to give you a few principals to help better navigate your complex, dynamic communication landscape.

When people speak, believe them. If you listen well enough, people will tell you about their whole world, the things that matter to them, what topics they care about, how they think about things. Even when a speaker is sharing objective data or statistics, they are choosing what data they believe to be important, revealing insight into what they view as a concern.

Listening is an action. If you really want to get to know someone, listen deeply. When we do this, we are able to understand a perspective and learn what matters to the speaker. Be aware of their tone of voice and body language. Take note of the stories they tell again and again. An engaged listener builds connections and trust. This is hands down one of the most challenging yet important skills we can build.

Sometimes, the ACTION of listening is enough to accomplish alignment, connection, and forward momentum.

Listen for the commitment. Beneath every complaint is a commitment to something.

I had a client vent to me about how hard it was to work with their business partner because their working styles were different. There was frustration around priorities and the speed at which things were getting done. Instead of over-empathizing (which is easy to do), I listened for the commitment underneath the complaint. I shared that I heard she was committed to aligning on priorities in order to build momentum and ease in accomplishing their agreed-upon goals.

This immediately shifted their energy, and they could see and understand why there was frustration and identified what was needed; a conversation to re-align on priorities.

Over-empathizing in many situations is not helpful because it can expand a reactive emotion. When you listen for the heart of the conversation, you can help the other person see something they cannot.

Our commitments always carry a stronger energy than our worry, anger, doubt or frustration. Being a good listener involves helping people come back to their commitments.

Believing People is different from agreeing with them. This is the key characteristic that will increase your listening skills dramatically. So often, we argue with people when we have a different perspective and spend our time trying to convince them otherwise.

Guess what, people are always and only listening to themselves.

What you can do is believe them when they say they aren’t over something. If they aren’t resolved from a conversation, there is still work to be done. And there may be nothing you can do about it, but to listen, and articulate back to them what you are hearing.

With these principles in mind, we can build a brighter future with more ease. And who doesn’t want that? I know I do.

Tell Me Somethin’good:

The Bear Season 3 debuted this week and we can’t think of better news to share. This show is not only one of the best shows on television right now but also, it’s an inspiring model of human-centered leadership and teamwork.

Here are some examples that have us saying “yes chef!” as we watch every week:

• Chef Carmy provides opportunities for his team to grow, leading to one of our favorite character transformations in Cousin Richie. “I wear suits now.” IYKYK 😭

• Every episode is a masterclass on adaptability and resilience as the team is faced with obstacle after obstacle and are guided by Coach K’s (yes, of Hall of Fame College Basketball fame) wisdom on how to overcome obstacles.

• Carmy’s contagious obsession with excellence and being customer focused exemplifies design thinking — a concept we will be sharing more about in the coming weeks!

• The team’s rhythms and rituals like family-style meals, pranks and secret sign language codes keeps the team connected during difficult times.

The Bear will not only entertain you, it will leave you thinking deeply about how you invest in your people and how you are (or are not) intentionally investing in your culture. Don’t miss it.

Resources Worth Your Click

🎧 Pivot Podcast with special guest Brené Brown talking about concerns with social media and how people can deal with election anxiety.

🎙️ As the lights went out on the Pac 12 Network last week, on-air host, Ashely Adamson — who had been with the network since the beginning — reflects on necessary endings on the Your Mom Podcast. 

📝 5 tips for employee surveys that actually make a difference from Atlassian.

Quote of the Week:

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We’d love to connect with you on Linkedin. Find us (Kenna & Brooke) and either let us know what you are loving about the newsletter or send us topics you’d like us to cover!