5 Things / Reconnecting

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The number one goal my clients consistently have for my keynotes is to give people tools to connect with others. What’s the solution to a culture where people shut down instead of opening up?

In this case, I’m talking about putting up walls, staying in our “lane”, and avoiding differences. I hear about this problem from clients over and over again. The great disconnect.

Our culture has normalized ridiculing others through memes and satires, mocking identities, beliefs, musical interests, communication styles, age, levels of knowledge, and yes, even party affiliation and voting histories. This exacerbates the us vs. them energy. As a culture, we’re awfully judgmental, especially of other’s mistakes, so of course, it shows up at work.

When I’m afraid of being judged, I can shut down, too. I stay in my lane. I walk on eggshells. We’re all biologically wired to judge others. Yet by judging others, even subconsciously, we perpetuate the disconnect. And on it goes.

It’s time to reconnect. We all need to take ourselves, and even our identities, a little less seriously. But not through ridicule – through play. Through joy. Through laughter. Through shared experiences, through in-person connection.

In that spirit, I’m going to go play some pickleball. But I’m here if you want to talk about this more or bring this topic to your organization.

This Week’s Good Vibes:

  1. WNBA Players to Fly Charter Flights

  2. American Cancer Society to Study Black Women

  3. Japan Airlines’ New CEO is a Woman

    • Mitsuko Tottori, the new CEO of Japan Airlines, is a woman, and that’s a big deal. Japan is ranked near the bottom of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index and is the worst-ranked country in Asia, so this news sets a precedent. Tottori actually started at the company as cabin crew so she sets another precedent as well, underscoring the value of diverse career paths. Let’s hope she’s set up for success.

  4. Sesame Place Is More Inclusive of Neurodivergence

  5. Kate Spade Promotes Mental Health Awareness

Call to Action:

Speaking of mental health awareness, I’ve developed a “bag of tricks” to manage my own in times of acute stress. Here are some great quick tips I learned from Ana Del Castillo that you can try in the moment: 6 Ways to Regulate Your System

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5 Things / The Belonging Buzzword