Life Skills, Work Skills, Empathy
January 17th, 2025
NOTICING AND WONDERING
This is a particularly short one because I came back from a restful break around the holidays and dove head first back into the busyness of startup and teaching - I say that knowing full well how lucky I am to have work I love.
A theme I am noticing is a need for Work Skills 101. One of our partners told a story about a new, young professional in her office who was watching a movie on their phone while working and had to get feedback that that is not allowed. No harm, no foul - this person entered the workforce during COVID and just returned to the office recently, so they had not yet learned the norms of the workplace. But feedback was required and training for the manager was required in terms of how to give feedback effectively (while reserving your own judgment and frustration).
I am looking at schools with my youngest kid right now and multiple have a focused class called something like Life 101. I found it brilliant. They teach everything from how to draft an email, to when to pull your parents into an issue at school, to how to structure your calendar effectively. It sounds like a mashup of executive functioning training and Emily Post for the modern kid. Regardless, it is awesome.
It made me wonder, what is the workplace version of this? How can we structure initiatives at work to best support employees of all ages, with a particular focus on people who have little experience working with others, yet. Now, I am thinking about how to build something like this to meet this need.
A QUOTE TO THINK ABOUT
“Motivation aside, if people get better at these life skills, everyone benefits: The brain doesn’t distinguish between being a more empathic manager and a more empathic father.”
A DEEP-ish QUESTION (or Three)
What unspoken norms in your workplace might confuse or challenge new employees?
How can managers give feedback on norms while fostering a supportive environment?
What would a "Workplace Life 101" program include to help employees thrive?
SOMETHING TO TRY
This week, observe a situation where someone might benefit from feedback or guidance on a workplace norm. Practice giving feedback empathetically, focusing on clarity, curiosity, and support rather than judgment. Reflect on how the feedback was received and what you learned from the interaction.
Thanks for reading and keep on connecting. :)
Best,
Bobbi
Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D.
Founder and CEO of Groops: helping teams feel and function their best
Lecturer at Harvard University in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
If you are curious about a workplace dynamic or issue, send me an email at drbobbiwegner@joingroops.com and I will anonymously post it and respond. If you are thinking it, others are too. We can learn from each other. Also, if you are curious about the cohesion and health of your team, book a complimentary 30-minute consultation HERE with one of our Groop Guides.