Bossed Up

Where do you draw the line between work and play when it comes to office friendships? It’s hard to make friends as adults, so it’s no wonder we get excited when we discover a coworker we genuinely click with. 

Lots of research supports the benefits of workplace friendships. These relationships are key to job success, and employees with work friends are more likely to get engaged and innovate, be more productive, and genuinely enjoy their time. Most of us know that making friends at work also comes with unique challenges, and keeping those potential pitfalls in mind can help you build deeper friendships that last while also keeping your career on track. In this episode, I cover some issues that could crop up and explore how we can navigate them as we nurture those cherished office friendships.

Check out these helpful tips for making the most of your workplace friendships:

• Two tips to keep your work friendships working;
• The research on the shifting power dynamics of being friends with your boss;
• How to maintain your integrity and your friendships as a leader, for the sake of your team, your organization, and your career.

Related Links:

• Episode 329, Female Friendships: Why We Need Them and How to Keep Them - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode329
• Episode 458, Establishing Your Personal and Professional Network in a New City - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode458
• Stuff Mom Never Told You Episode 105, Can We Be Friends? - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-mom-never-told-you-21123631/episode/can-we-be-friends-30231271/
• That Moment When One Friend Is Promoted—And The Other Is Not, Forbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2020/07/01/that-moment-when-one-friend-is-promoted-and-the-other-is-not/
• Does Organizational Cronyism Lead to Lower Employee Performance?, Frontiers in Psychology - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7566910/
• Cronyism and Nepotism Are Bad for Everyone: The Research Evidence, Cambridge University - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/industrial-and-organizational-psychology/article/abs/cronyism-and-nepotism-are-bad-for-everyone-the-research-evidence/7EED4D042812470B60D0312008DBA438
• Workplace Friendships: the Double-Edged Sword, London School of Economics - https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2023/02/13/workplace-friendships-the-double-edged-sword/
• What to Do When You Become Your Friend’s Boss, Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/2020/09/what-to-do-when-you-become-your-friends-boss
• Friends Without Benefits: Understanding the Dark Sides of Workplace Friendship, Academy of Management Review - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julianna-Pillemer/publication/323220675_Friends_Without_Benefits_Understanding_the_Dark_Sides_of_Workplace_Friendship/links/5b79f5cb4585151fd121920c/Friends-Without-Benefits-Understanding-the-Dark-Sides-of-Workplace-Friendship.pdf
• The Limits To Workplace Friendship: Managerialist HRM and Bystander Behaviour In the Context of Workplace Bullying, APA Psych Net - https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-09564-005
• Gossip in Evolutionary Perspective, Review of General Psychology - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1037/1089-2680.8.2.100
• Are Workplace Friendships a Mixed Blessing? Exploring Tradeoffs of Multiplex Relationships and their Associations with Job Performance, Personnel Psychology - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/peps.12109
• Social Undermining in the Workplace, Academy of Management Journal - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257307370_Social_Undermining_in_the_Workplace
• Crossing The Line: Boundaries of Workplace Humour and Fun, Employee Relations - https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/01425450910991749/full/html?casa_token=CIojz70WmukAAAAA:3I1KGNeHRpiD8ugwn0KmCazvPn3zWPniNAUtGyOp_2F4xkU83TE-1u0c8-c3XKM63LealAcq7FBud5toouq88q6U2ehi3_m_iVitDbj1wZ0yDlbP0UD3
• Why work friendships are critical for long-term happiness, CNBC - https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/13/why-work-friendships-are-critical-for-long-term-happiness.html
• Should You Be Friends With Your Boss?, Forbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliawuench/2021/09/06/should-you-be-friends-with-your-boss/
• The Increasing Importance of a Best Friend at Work - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/397058/increasing-importance-best-friend-work.aspx
• From BFF to Your Boss, ResumeLab - https://resumelab.com/career-advice/from-friend-to-boss
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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How do you ensure you get what you need when you’re called to work in the nonprofit sector? Working for a nonprofit differs in many ways from the corporate world, but there’s no reason your passion and your dream career trajectory can’t go hand in hand. In this episode, I share my conversation with Jenny Mitchell, the chief visionary officer of Chavender, an organization that coaches mid-level to senior executives—particularly women who work in nonprofits—to help them build leadership skills. 

Find out what women need to know to navigate the nonprofit sector with ease:

• The differences between the nonprofit and corporate worlds;
• Why the likeability factor can be even trickier to navigate for women leaders in this area;
• How to balance the martyr mindset to set a good example and prevent burnout as a manager;
• Why celebrating achievements is a vital step in staying focused and hopeful in the nonprofit realm.

Related Links:

• Jenny’s book, Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, & Lead - https://www.amazon.ca/Embracing-Ambition-Empowering-Women-Step/dp/1958870110/ref=sr_1_1
• Explore Chevander’s good work - https://chavender.com/
• Listen to Jenny’s Podcast The Underdog Leadership Podcast - https://chavender.com/underdog-leadership-podcast/
• “More Women Work in Nonprofits. So Why Do Men End Up Leading Them?” on HBR - https://hbr.org/2024/04/more-women-work-in-nonprofits-so-why-do-men-end-up-leading-them
• Bossed Up Ep 421: The Top Struggles of High Achievers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode421
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Book me to speak: www.emiliearies.com
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
• Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/emiliearies

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How do you motivate yourself to start your job search? There are a lot of Bossed Up episodes about the job search process, but they all assume that you’ve already gotten started—and that can be the hardest part!

When your current job no longer fulfills you, the first step is always to turn your analysis paralysis into forward momentum. In this episode, I share some tips to spark that motivation and get your job search rolling full steam ahead.

Explore these strategies when you’ve put off getting started in your job search:

• Why you need to get clear on your vision and values first;
• How to create a realistic and attainable action plan;
• How to build your own unstoppable inertia.

Related Links:

• Episode 2, When is it time to quit? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode02
• Episode 453, Prioritizing Your Job Search While Holding Down a Full-Time Job - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode453
• Episode 455, How to Create a Sustainable Job Search Schedule When You’re Unemployed - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode455
• The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin - https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/
• Working Identity, Updated Edition, With a New Preface: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career - https://bookshop.org/p/books/working-identity-updated-edition-with-a-new-preface-unconventional-strategies-for-reinventing-your-career-revised-herminia-ibarra/19691624?ean=9781647825560
• The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa M. Amabile and Steve J. Kramer - https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=40692
• HIRED: my Job Search Accelerator - https://www.bossedup.org/gethired
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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How do you create a practical plan for taking a career break? We talk a lot on this podcast about high achievers, burnout, and work/life balance because we’re driven professionals striving to live our most fulfilling lives while also leveling up our careers. Chances are, the thought of taking a lengthy break from work has crossed your mind, but you might have been as skeptical as I was until I spoke with Laura Nguyen.

The author of Career Break Compass, Laura is an executive coach who transitioned from a high-performance, high-stress marketing career to guiding high-achievers like herself in planning and pursuing career breaks that let them come back better than ever. She shares what brought her to this field and her four-step framework for making the most of your time off.

Uncover her strategic process for making a career break a reality, including:

• How to strike a balance between career advancement and rest;
• The time off options available to American workers;
• Building a logical framework to guide your career break;
• How intentional time off can create holistic and long-lasting shifts in your career and life.

Related Links:

• Laura’s book, Career Break Compass: Navigating Your Path to a Balanced Life Through Intentional Time Off - https://www.lauranguyen.co/career-break-compass
• Learn more about Laura’s work - https://www.lauranguyen.co
• Connect with Laura on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauran546/
• Episode 136, Is Job-Sharing the Secret to True Work/Life Balance - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode136   
• Episode 456, How Connection Can Cure What Ails Us - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode456
• A Better Balance, workers’ legal advocacy organization - https://www.abetterbalance.org/
• The Effects of Decision Fatigue on Judicial Behavior - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-law-and-courts/article/abs/effects-of-decision-fatigue-on-judicial-behavior-a-study-of-arkansas-traffic-court-outcomes/8B7EB8735C10F7730FB402D6F2E80D70
• Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown - https://bookshop.org/p/books/play-how-it-shapes-the-brain-opens-the-imagination-and-invigorates-the-soul-stuart-brown/577397
• Take my LinkedIn course, Managing Career Burnout - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/managing-career-burnout/today-s-burnout-work-culture
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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Caregivers: when’s the last time you didn’t feel stressed out? In August, the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory, titled “Parents Under Pressure,” that identified parental mental health as an urgent public health issue. Nearly half of parent participants in the surveys confirm that “their stress is completely overwhelming.” 

The wellbeing of these adults is worrisome on its own, and research also shows a strong correlation between poor mental health in parents and poor physical and mental health in children. In other words: this public health issue impacts multiple generations and, by extension, our entire country. In this episode, I take a closer look at the advisory and what workplaces should be doing to mitigate this national crisis.

Discover what the research says and what your workplace should be doing about it:

• Seven unavoidable causes of parental stress;
• The overt connection between parental mental health and talent retention;
• Specific steps organizations can take to help improve the wellbeing of employees who are also parents or caregivers.

Related Links:

• U.S. Public Health Service “Parents Under Pressure Advisory” - https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/parents-under-pressure.pdf
• Episode 468, “Disrupting Elder Care: We Need to Talk More About Working Daughters” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode468
• Episode 434, “The Economic Imperative of Affordable Childcare” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode434
• Episode 472, “How We Get Over Overwork to Build a Better Life” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode472
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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How can managers navigate the ever-changing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging landscape? While most people grasp the overall intention of DEIB—fair and equitable treatment for all workers—the specifics are nuanced and easily misunderstood, and they can be difficult to implement, especially in the face of recent pushback.

Alida Miranda-Wolff is a DEIB practitioner, author, and podcast host driven by a deep passion for cultivating belonging. In 2019, she launched Ethos Talent, a full-service DEIB and employee advocacy firm that serves companies all around the world. In this episode, she leverages her decade of expertise to explain how support for this field has fluctuated over the years and what leaders—and first-time managers in particular—can do to facilitate the day-to-day integration of these practices, which are deeply intertwined with basic human rights.

Elevate DEIB in your own leadership practice with these takeaways:

• How managers can be inclusive and equitable in their day-to-day leadership;
• How to navigate difficult interpersonal situations through a DEIB lens;
• Why the current political climate is such a challenge for DEIB practitioners and managers;
• The problem with the segmentation of DEIB within organizations.

Related Links:

• The First-Time Manager: DEI by Alida Miranda-Wolff - https://alidamirandawolff.com/book/
• “Care Work with Alida Miranda-Wolff” podcast - https://alidamirandawolff.com/podcast/
• Connect with Alida on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alidamw/
• Learn more about Alida and her work - https://alidamirandawolff.com
• Work with Ethos - https://www.ethostalent.com/
• Bias in Feedback Decision Tree - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C-HMz4RFwQNuIzMgS0wCmafQX09N81lp/view
• Episode 388, How To Leverage Your Power and Push For More Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode388
• Episode 423, Being White and Latina - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode423
• Ezra Klein affordability crisis article, “The Economic Theory That Explains Why Americans Are So Mad” - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-annie-lowrey.html
• Intercept diversity and social justice article, “the Evolution of Union Busting” - https://theintercept.com/2022/06/07/union-busting-tactics-diversity/
• Alida’s interview with Truthout “Here’s How Workers Can Build Power Amid Corporate Co-optation of DEI Programs” - https://truthout.org/articles/heres-how-workers-can-build-power-amid-corporate-co-optation-of-dei-programs/
• Philosopher and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon’s work “Black Skin, White Masks” - https://monoskop.org/images/a/a5/Fanon_Frantz_Black_Skin_White_Masks_1986.pdf
• Frantz Fanon’s other work “the Wretched of the Earth” - https://monoskop.org/images/6/6b/Fanon_Frantz_The_Wretched_of_the_Earth_1963.pdf
• Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò - https://bookshop.org/p/books/elite-capture-how-the-powerful-took-over-identity-politics-and-everything-else-oluf-7865-769-mi-o-taiwo/17984390?ean=9781642596885
• LEVEL UP: A Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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How will the various abortion bans across the U.S. affect HR policies? 

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, federal protections on abortion ceased, and states were suddenly free to make independent decisions about this essential healthcare issue. The new laws range from full allowance to complete bans and criminal charges for those who circumvent them. So how are employers and HR teams navigating the impacts of this change, and how are employees across the country reacting when it comes to travel and job change considerations?

The consequences of how these new laws impact women and their careers—both in states with bans and those without—can’t be overstated. In this episode, I examine some of the policies being discussed in regard to women’s rights and safety and how these laws are impacting both organizations and employees.

Find out how abortion ban HR policies are affecting our career decisions:

• Why announcing abortion travel accommodations is a questionable corporate decision;
• How companies might begin to develop truly beneficial travel policies;
• The impact of abortion bans on the entertainment and events industry;
• Survey says: recruitment is likely to feel the impacts of these shifting laws.

Related Links:

• SHRM: Companies Are Announcing Abortion-Travel Benefits Following Dobbs Decision - https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/employers-prepare-benefits-policy-responses-to-abortion-ruling-shrm-survey-finds
• SHRM: Companies Announcing Abortion Travel Benefits Following Dobbs Decision - https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/companies-announcing-abortion-travel-benefits-following-dobbs-decision
• Northstar: How the Events Industry Is Responding to State Abortion Bans - https://www.northstarmeetingsgroup.com/state-abortion-bans-could-drive-event-planners-cancel
• Perry Undem: What Does "Top Talent" Think About Working in States that Ban Abortion? - https://perryundem.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PerryUndem-TX-Abortion-Law_Survey-Findings_0901.pdf
• Resume Builder Sruvey - https://www.resumebuilder.com/one-third-of-job-seekers-wont-work-in-states-with-abortion-bans/
• Stop congratulating companies for making abortion a corporate 'perk' by Ali Griswold - https://oversharing.substack.com/p/stop-congratulating-companies-for  
• Episode 357, How to Talk About Abortion at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode357
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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Men comprise over 90% of the CEOs in the U.S.—so how do we help them become allies in the vital pursuit of workplace equality? Rather than dismissing the defensiveness that sometimes arises in men who believe promoting more women to power means taking theirs away, Wendy Wallbridge uses her platform to change the narrative. She teaches tech companies how to create cultures of belonging and strategies for workplace equality, with a focus on equipping men as allies. Her strategies show next-generation business leaders that the right approach to equality lifts everyone up: the employee, the executive, and the company.

Discover how both men and women leaders can pursue gender equality in the workplace, including:

• The very real benefits of gender equality for men in positions of power;
• Why emotional intelligence is the leadership skill of the future;
• The three biggest challenges facing women and non-binary people in the workplace;
• How to use micro-interventions to improve inequality in the corporate world.

Related Links:

• Learn more about the Spiral Up program - https://spiralup.com/
• Order Spiraling Upward: The 5 Co-Creative Powers for Women on the Rise - https://spiralup.com/book/
• Read Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez -https://bookshop.org/p/books/invisible-women-data-bias-in-a-world-designed-for-men-caroline-criado-perez/15136602
• Bossed Up Ep 452: Redefining Success: Women and the Fight for a Fair Economy - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode452
• Level Up: A Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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Earlier this year, the FTC put forth a ruling that would ban non-compete agreements nationwide. But last month, a Texas federal court blocked this endeavor, leaving workers in limbo while the Supreme Court considers taking up the issue next. In today’s episode, I explore what’s going on and why there is still hope for a new path forward to defeat non-compete agreements for good.

Get the latest details on this recent workers’ rights development:

• Why the lack of a federal ban isn’t the end of the story;
• Where the power to prevent harmful non-competes lies now;
• What we as citizens can do to foster fair policies for workers.

Related Links:

• Episode 459, Why Non-Compete Agreements Can No Longer Derail Your Career - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode459
• Economic Innovation Group’s State Non-Compete Law Tracker - https://eig.org/state-noncompete-map/
• Axios: The Future Of The Noncompete Ban Isn't Totally Bleak - https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/noncompete-ban-states
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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Growth mindset is a hot topic these days. We hear a lot about how important it is to approach life and work open to learning, changing, and growing. This concept is often focused on the individual, but my guest today centers her research on how to build a workplace culture that fosters a growth mindset for all.

Mary C. Murphy is a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University and a protege of mindset scholar Carol Dweck. During her PhD, she began to explore the potential for cultures of growth to create learning organizations. Mary and I explore the research and practice behind how employees and leaders alike can start transforming their organizations with growth in mind.

Discover how cultures of growth build better businesses for all, including:

• How to identify the current mindset culture of your workplace;
• The difference between cultures of growth and cultures of genius;
• How to circumvent mindset triggers with mindful feedback;
• The huge impact of cultures of growth on diversity and equity.

Related Links:

• Mary’s book “Cultures of Growth” - https://marycmurphy.com/cultures-of-growth/
• Take the Mindset Triggers Assessment - https://marycmurphy.com/resource/mindset-triggers-assessment/
• Take the Mindset Culture Assessment - https://marycmurphy.com/resource/mindset-culture-assessment/
• Connect with Mary on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-murphy-2b4a70235/
• Episode 452, Women and the Fight for a Fair Economy -  https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode452
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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