As Millennials continue to grow into their forties and GenXers are moving into their sixties, there is a pressing issue that every workplace is dealing with. Their leaders need time off to take care of (not their kiddos) but their aging parents.

I brought Scott Sutherland on the Porch to provide a perspective on what this looks like and what questions we need to be asking our parents now so that we don't end up in a chaotic and heartbreaking situation later. 

Check out this fascinating conversation with Scott and grab his 10 Questions here:

https://www.practicewithlindsay.com/talktoyourparents

We had my dear friend and incredibly talented author, coach, and facilitator Kris Taylor on The Porch to talk about the trends in the workforce and how they are impacting all of us. It was such a thought-provoking conversation:

We’re seeing 3 main areas of change in the workforce and the all intersect and compound change for one another: 

-The work itself is changing - think AI, technology, etc.

-The workforce - demographics are changing quickly

-The workplace - we are becoming more virtual, more flat, and much more fluid

In order for us to successfully adapt to this ever-changing world we must adopt the identity of being agile and being a lifelong learner. 

It is important to have your own “report card” of what is important to you - the world is full of priorities (that are always changing) - by having your own true north you can avoid getting caught up in the chaos.

The people who will have more success and peace in their life in this increasingly complex business world, have decided to be more agile and are willing to adapt. 

We have to bake in some slow-ness into our work. It doesn’t excuse you from learning and growing, but you don't have to know everything immediately. Increasing your speed will only burn you out in the long run!

You can find Kris here ⬇️

LI Link:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorkris/

Website: https://evergreenleadership.com/

Books: 

Owning It - Take Control of Your Life, Work, and Career

The Leader's Guide to Turbulent Times

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏

LinkedIn:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

Have you ever wondered what it's like to work with a coach? Missy's new book "Forces at Work" will introduce you to life-coaching principles and stories that give you that sense of wonder and imagination many of us lost as we grew up and took on adulting. 

We covered a lot of topics during our conversation: 

🌟 Seeing challenges as catalysts

🛑 Navigating the Information Age and taking care of our minds so that we can find our inner wisdom 

📓 Journaling for daily self-care and imagination 

So much is crammed into these 40 minutes - I can't wait to hear what you think!

You can find Missy here ⬇️

https://www.missyshopshire.com/

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏

LinkedIn:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com​

We had Forbes' top-rated speaker Jess Ekstrom on The Porch to talk about speaking with confidence and using your story to make a difference. There is so much great advice in here for speakers.

You can find Jess here ⬇️

Website: https://micdropworkshop.com/

This month, I came on the Porch solo to talk about my experience as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

We had bestselling author Mark C. Crowley on The Porch to talk about what it looks like to Lead From The Heart.

We had Alison Martin, Founder, and Managing Director of Engage Mentoring on The Porch. She joined us to talk about the serious need for mentorships in all sizes and types of organizations. Did you know that by 2030 boomers will have reached retirement age? That means companies need to start thinking about the transfer of knowledge of their senior leaders NOW to ensure future success.   

Mentoring isn’t a “nice to have” it’s a highly strategic "need to have", and Alison shared quite a few reasons why:  

1. Everyone needs to grow regardless of tenure and experience. The core of mentorship is the successful transfer of knowledge. That can occur at all levels and through all levels - it doesn’t have to be only top-down mentorship.  

2. Mentorship training = Emotional intelligence training. When you teach people the specific skills of mentorship, the byproduct is transforming the culture. Not only are the mentees transformed but so are the mentors. This is because they are learning how to listen, how to support, and how to continue to develop their own communication skills as well.  

3. Custom growth paths for each person. Every organization has different developmental needs - mentoring is the only program that meets people where they are and lets them take charge of their own developmental plan.  

4. Inclusion and belonging. A formalized mentoring program ensures that diverse employees (ethnicity, gender, background, etc.) aren’t passed over simply because senior leaders tend to pick mentees that they have the most in common with. This is how we raise minority voices. 

You can find Alison here ⬇️ 

LI Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-martin-she-her-7347319/

Website: https://engagementoring.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Lead-Through-Mentoring-Relationships/dp/1530346584

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

We had Kristin Fuller on The Porch to talk about taking a sabbatical. No, not a yearlong vacation in Europe (although, that could work for some!) For Kristin, it was a set-aside time full of rest, learning, and quieting the noise of life to recover parts of herself.  

Here are some tips she gave us on creating a sabbatical for yourself:  

-Financial: Start small by figuring out the actual monthly amount of income you need to live. Consider living below your means to give yourself some wiggle room and come up with a game plan so you can do this without considerable stress and anxiety.  

-Focus: It can be easy to just want to take a long vacation and not strategically make purpose out of your extended time off. Instead, identify your needs for your sabbatical first by prioritizing the things you need to restore the parts of your lost self.  

-Listen: Even in the self-care world, we can be distracted from what we actually need!  You’re the only one that knows your deepest desires and needs. Create the space to get rid of the noise so you can hear your inner voice again. It’s not that you don’t know what to do, it’s that you can’t hear yourself.   

You can find Kristin here ⬇️ LI Link: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinefuller/

KEEP IN TOUCH 

🌏 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

We had Ann Betz, an expert on the intersection of neuroscience, coaching, and relational trauma on The Porch. She joined us to talk about recognizing toxic traits in the workplace and what to do about it. So many of our guests felt seen and heard by what she shared, one attendee even called it “balm for the soul”.

This is one of those conversations that can permanently change your perspective on toxicity in the workplace. If you don't have time to listen to the whole thing, here are some major key points:

1. It's the good, flexible, hard-working, intelligent souls that get worn to the bone by toxic relationships. In fact, having high empathy can make you a target for narcissism.

2. The FIRST sign of a toxic relationship is surprising because it feels good. It's called LOVE BOMBING and it's the initiation into a toxic dynamic. If someone is admiring you, lavishing praise on you, idealizing you, and it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

The irony is after being LOVE BOMBED for weeks or months, the individual is quickly DEVALUED and DISCARDED. All of a sudden, you aren't being asked to those meetings, and you aren't asked for your input. You may even feel accused of things you haven't done.

This roller coaster of admiration and then accusation can be very disorienting. The individual with "super traits" like extremely high empathy will give more to try to fix this pattern. The average person won't tolerate and flex that far and will leave before the dynamic continues further.

3. One of the best things you can do is listen to your body after you leave a meeting. Your body is telling you the truth. If it seems too good to be true, or you feel very disoriented, this is a sign that you are walking into a toxic situation.

4. If you recognize that you are in a toxic dynamic, don’t engage. You will not win. Do whatever it takes to get away (yes this may mean quitting your job). Ann said it best: "don’t wrestle with a pig in the mud. You’ll get dirty and the pig likes it..."

Want to learn more about toxic relationship patterns? 

Video - Explaining Narcissism to others using the CRAVED Method- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ypZnVF03M&t=0s

Book - Dying for a Paycheck - https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Paycheck-Management-Employee-Performance/dp/0062800922

Webinar Series - Narcissism at Work - https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaboveleadership.com%2Fwebinar-narcissim-at-work%2F&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1673466459561065&usg=AOvVaw2kZeanDgbw5hIIeIbGD6Nx

You can find Ann here ⬇️

LI Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-betz-a6b31018/

Website: https://www.beaboveleadership.com/

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏

LinkedIn: https: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

We had Lindsay Mitrosilis on The Porch to talk about LinkedIn as a strategy for recruiting and retaining top talent.   

💥 Fast forward to 26:25 if you only have 10 minutes a day and want to be strategic with your time on LinkedIn!  

Big picture takeaways:  

- HR Leaders, hear Lindsay out. Employees SHOULD be on LinkedIn and active. If you’re afraid they’ll get poached and leave, that’s a whole different issue.   

- When it comes to recruiting the next generation of top talent, building your virtual presence as a leader is the most important thing you can do. People want to work for a person they like and know.

 - showcasing your presence on LinkedIn does just that.  

- When you feel tension around having an online presence, remember you have full permission to set boundaries. Delete negative comments, ignore requests of people spamming you, and set limits for yourself.   

You can find Lindsay Mitrosilis here ⬇️ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymitrosilis/

Website: https://lindsaymitrosilis.com/ 

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com