5 Things / I Lied


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Not long ago, I was feeling incredibly run down, not exactly sick, but not energetic enough to do my best. I didn’t want to admit my own fatigue and I pushed back a client deliverable with a family excuse. I lied.

I’m not sure why I didn’t just tell the client that I wasn’t feeling well. Was I afraid of seeming weak? I didn’t put much thought into it at the time, but in hindsight, I’m sure I’ve been socially conditioned to associate fatigue = weakness.

The whole story is harmless in that I didn’t miss the client’s deadline, just my promised delivery date – except that a ton of other people do the exact same thing. They tell half-truths and white lies to avoid looking weak, different, or incapable – especially at work. The cumulative effect of this is huge and means that many teams lack psychological safety, which has been shown to drive innovation in diverse teams.

Wouldn’t it be nice if making excuses wasn’t necessary and we could just be a little more honest? Managers have a huge role to play here…and it starts with kind curiosity.

This Week’s Good Vibes:

  1. Singapore Enshrines Flexible Work in Law

  2. NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Sets Records

  3. Allstate Managers Get Connections Budget

  4. Wisconsin Includes Asian American History

    1. Wisconsin's new law adds Asian American and Hmong history to K-12 school curriculums. Governor Tony Evers sees it as a way to acknowledge the state's diverse roots, including the third-largest Hmong population in the country. This is especially important in light of recent anti-Asian sentiments. Wisconsin currently requires instruction of Black, Native American, and Latino American history and this addition is long overdue. It finally gives students a chance to see themselves in their lessons.

  5. Ashley for State Rep!

This Week’s Call to Action:

Read this article in HBR by Lily Zheng: What Needs to Change About DEI — and What Doesn’t.

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