On Management #39, P.S.

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Each issue of On Management orbits a theme.  Each short P.S. edition (like this one) offers a few (more) good things I’ve found to read, watch, or hear about my last issue’s theme.  

On Management #39 was Are norms really normal?

• Author and scholar CV Harquail and I discussed her new book, Feminism:  a Key Idea for Business and Society, and how feminism can help people and businesses to flourish.  One of my conclusions:  feminism has a branding problem.
• And, more on creating and communicating healthy (and toxic) norms.

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Links

• “Suppose for a moment, though, that my hunch is correct – that the most powerful critiques of the technology, and of the industry based on it, come from female commentators. Why might that be?”  To secure a safer future for AI, we need the benefit of a female perspective, by John Naughton at The Guardian.  (h/t Karen Gregory)
  

• I endorse The Costs of Code-Switching, and Why so Many Organizations Stay White in Harvard Business Review’s 5-part series, “Advancing Black Leaders,” and must dive into the entire series. (h/t Yvahn Martin, who hosts one of my favorite Twitter feeds.)

  • Toward a Racially Just Workplace, by Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony J. Mayo

  • The Costs of Code-Switching, by Courtney L. McCluney, Kathrina Robotham, Serenity Lee, Richard Smith, and Myles Durkee

  • The Day-to-Day Work of Diversity and Inclusion, by Paige Cohen and Gretchen Gavett

  • Why So Many Organizations Stay White, by Victor Ray

  • Success Comes from Affirming Your Potential, by Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony J. Mayo

• Soonish, I’ll say more about “OK Boomer.”
  
  Let’s be honest, though — how many boomers do you really work with? Older Workers Have a Big Secret: Their Age, by Carol Hymowitz at The Wall Street Journal. (h/t Marci Alboher).
  
  

• “Business, for me, isn’t just something I do. It’s a purpose…This is not a rags-to-riches story. It’s a spiritual-evolution story.”
  
  Respect for personal boundaries can support healthy norms. Suzy Batiz’s Empire of Odor by Carina Chocano raised my hackles.
  
  

• The mavens at Pop Culture Happy Hour did not like Dolly Parton’s America, which I’m enjoying. Next up for me, podcast-wise: Making Beyoncé.

I got a note from a reader who had been let go.  While I won’t go into their specifics, I want to share some general thoughts about being let go.

Whether laid off, fired, RIF’d:  it may be emotionally tough, and hard to find your ground.

One norm to try to maintain:  when asked to sign an anything, first have it reviewed by an employment attorney.

Of course you don’t have an employment attorney.

Your best source:  someone in your circle who has been laid off.  Or, your own attorney, if you have one.

If you don’t have a direct connection:

• Reach out (quietly) in your alumni network.
• If you’re part of a community of faith, check in with a leader there.
• If your library has rich career offerings, a reference librarian may be able to help you figure out how to connect with local resources.

If you’ve experienced discrimination, or been sexually harassed, the Times Up Legal Defense Fund may be a good resource.

People in my circle have FREAKED OUT ON ME when I have suggested talking with a lawyer:  “But I don’t want to sue!”

No, you probably don’t.

Working with an attorney does not mean that you need bring a lawsuit.  An experienced attorney knows the norms — what’s legal and what’s considered fair — and can help you to navigate unfamiliar territory.

The norms are sometimes, to be clear, not great.  This is my opinion, not legal advice, I’m not a lawyer, and so forth.

When you have questions, please do send me a note!  I always answer my emails.

Thank you so much for reading,  

Anne Libby

ICYMI

• Are norms really normal?  On Management #39
• Wheels within Wheels:  Members Only #12
• Ready for your intervention?  On Management #38
• The rest of the archive

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Ever curious, I watched Three Amigos.