A late November batch of links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers have received an argument for how offsites should be conducted, a special election re-post, and a meditation on how not to be a jerk. This coming weekend, they will enjoy a column about the rapid decline of the midlife crisis.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that cover the topics of this newsletter: career development, community building, and self care.
Airbnb CEO’s Counterintuitive Leadership Playbook for the $85 Billion Brand. I like the distinction he makes about autonomy. You need both guidance and independence, and that balance is going to differ wherever you are. It’s up to the employee to find what they seek and need, not for the company to assign them one or the other.
The election was exhausting. Here’s how to survive work afterward.
There's a reason licensed therapists are bound by a whole host of ethical boundaries when working with clients. They can't be intertwined with the client's friends or family or colleagues. They must be competent in the specific areas where they recommend interventions. There are all sorts of healthy constraints on the relationship.
What Spotify has learned from its ‘work from anywhere’ policy.
The Unspoken Grief of Never Becoming a Grandparent. This is such a tough issue because it’s not really about that person, but that person could have had some hopes and expectations that were lost due to another loved one’s decision-making. All in all, the makings of a very good story because there’s tension involved and no clearcut answer.
When Did Apple’s Notes App Become an Extension of Our Brains?
How Big Toilet Paper dupes us all. This is really very obvious: “Toilet paper manufacturers have come up with a way to keep prices roughly the same, though — at least at a quick glance. The same pack of toilet paper you buy every month might only be more expensive upon close scrutiny of the fine print, when you realize each roll is made up of fewer sheets.”
‘Narcissists – only more devious’: the truth about dark empaths.
What I wish I’d known when I started my career. I liked the part where the editor said that as long as writers work for him they couldn’t be labeled as friends in the formal sense, and I suspect that some would push back on that idea, but it makes for a better working relationship so that neither side grows too comfortable and keeps their eye on the prize along the way.
Your Coworker is a Secret Influencer. Now What?
RTO failing to deliver on boosted collaboration. “According to Tobaccowala, there are four things the office is good for: building relationships, better understanding company culture, learning, and tapping into innovation and creativity. However, throughout most of his career, those moments rarely happened at the office.” We are so bad at talking about this subject, it’s downright embarrassing.
Hiring the right people requires more than just a resume.
Singles Want to Find Love in Real Life Again, if Only They Could Remember How. I know that people can meet any which way, but I always preferred to meet people myself because it was the best way to make a good first impression. I can’t say we should expect more of it ahead, but I do think this next wave of adults want to get away from their phones more than the previous generation was able to.
Amazon Makes It Harder for Disabled Employees to Work From Home.
I Spent $2.6K In A Week — All In The Name Of Self-Care.
Sometimes, things pop up that blur the lines, case in point: my ongoing chase for better sleep. With the holidays coming up, I’m not messing around with that aspect of my personal health and am willing to (finally) splurge this season — so long as I scrimp in other ways.