As we go on, we remember

Happy freaking Friday. Anyone who feels like four-day work weeks should just be the norm at this point say “I.” Or…don’t say anything at all because doesn’t it feel kinda obvious that they should in fact be the norm at this point?

Today’s Q&A tunes: The lyrics “so we talked all night about the rest of our lives, where we gonna be when we turn 25” hit a little differently when I was walking across my eighth grade graduation stage. But the song still slaps nonetheless.

Let’s get to the Q-ing and A-ing!

—Rod

Get the Big Jobs, Make the Big Money

 question 
I’ve known my boss and his family for over 10 years and they’ve become like a second family to me. After 2.5 years working for him, the job can't pay me what I'm worth anymore. A new opportunity has come along, and I want to tell him as soon as possible so he has time to find a replacement. Any advice on how to approach the conversation?

 answer 
Leaving a job you actually enjoy with a team you actually like is never easy. But based on what you’ve shared about your relationship with your boss, he probably wants the best for you—even if that means moving off his payroll.

So how to approach the conversation? 1) Honestly and 2) as soon as you can. Because if you’re like me, having a hard conversation is like emptying the vacuum cleaner or answering a simple “is this report ready yet” email—I’m gonna put it off.

To stop that procrastination before it starts, take the following steps to put yourself at ease:

1. Ask WWYBD (what would your boss do?). Worried you might be letting your boss down (a feeling some ((me)) would qualify as the absolute worst)? Asking yourself what your boss would do in this specific situation can help put things into perspective. Hint: They’d probably take the higher paying job.

2. Consider it a friendship upgrade. It seems like your relationship goes a lot deeper than “this guy matches my 401(k) contribution.” Think about how much better and fuller your friendship could become now that you don’t have to mix work in with fun—because everyone knows talking about tomorrow’s all-hands agenda really harshes the vibe at Margarita Monday.

Good luck and congrats on the new opportunity!

Anyone Got Some Lactaid?

 question 
I’ve always hated the cheesy stuff supervisors use as “inspiration & motivation” at the start of the new year. How do I motivate my employees in an authentic way without making them feel like cheap ballpark nachos who never stood a chance?

 answer 
First of all, loving the nacho imagery. Second, in my humble opinion, the whole motivational speech thing reads as fake and out of touch. It rarely kickstarts anyone into doing anything…other than making fun of how their manager used a quote from Finding Nemo to inspire the team to make quota.

A few things that will actually help inspire your employees to keep working hard?

Get personal. Don’t cross any unnecessary boundaries, but get to know each of your employees. Set up meetings to learn about the projects they’ve been working on, ask them about their strengths, and listen to their goals.

Validate. Take the time to acknowledge achievements and praise your team for their great work. Highlighting positive progress is an immediate vibe boost.

Cut the cheese. Because everyone can see right through both the cornball antics and the “Be Your Best Self” poster in the company kitchen. And if you really, really need to hang a poster…just make it this:

Got a Q for me to A? Submit yours here.

Things to Slack your work besties

…when your “internet is down” so you have to be off-camera for the day.

A millennial wrote about how managing Gen Z has both 1) been challenging and 2) been eye-opening, especially re: communication and work-life balance. If working with Gen Z has shifted your POV on your job (or encouraged you to once again try out cargo pants), hit reply and let me know how.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Ain’t no party like an S Club party. 25 years after getting together, S Club 7 recently announced they’ll be reuniting for a UK tour later this year. Immediate flashback to me making my entire family watch me perform “Never Had A Dream Come True” with my karaoke machine on Thanksgiving.

I hung out with my friend and the nation’s boyfriend Tyler Cameron on his podcast, Everybody But Me, and talked about how I ended up writing this here newsletter, the importance of mental health in the workplace, and the some dos and don’ts for dating your coworkers. Listen here!

That’s all for today! Wishing you a weekend filled with so much fun! See you back here, same time, same place, on Monday.

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod