Life of the (office) party

Happy Friday friends! I just heard that the new iPhone won’t autocorrect your obscenities with an animal name anymore, even though “what the duck?” texts make me laugh every time. 🦆

Friday feels: Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “Who Says” is the inspirational banger we all need after a long work week.

P.S. Have you found out what T. Swift Era you are based on your email vibe yet? I bet Selena is a Lover girlie…

—Rod

How to Be the Life of the Quiet Party

 question 
I'm a very outgoing extroverted-extrovert, but I'm in a new job with a very quiet office where no one even says “good morning.” I'm trying to be respectful of a new environment but I feel myself holding my personality back. Do I ease people into my authentic self? Or do I Clark Kent it and just have a different work persona?—K.

 answer 
Follow the advice of the wall decal you had in your dorm freshman year: “Never let anyone dull your sparkle.”

Because there’s no need. Here’s what I’m thinking about your sitch: A new team dynamic is always a bit awkward for everyone at first, which may be the cause for the silence. But time passes, office drama is shared, and before you know it, you're talking about your childhood pets with your coworkers at 2am on a Tuesday at the bar across from your office. You just have to be patient ’til you get to that point.

Some people (like your coworkers?) aren’t comfortable initiating conversations, especially with people they don’t know well. I’m guessing you are comfortable doing that, so here’s my advice to help break the silence.

Schedule 10-minute meetings: Set time to hang out with coworkers during the work day, even just for a few minutes to introduce yourself and learn a bit more about them.

Volunteer as social chair: Organize a happy hour after work. You’ll get a chance to meet and talk to your coworkers on a more personal level, and if you step up as Cruise Director? You can guarantee a good time.

Keep being you: Pretending to be someone you’re not will score you a one-way ticket to Burnout Town. Be yourself. Okay, maybe not the self who wants to belt Britney out loud at your desk, but definitely the self who wants to say hi and get to know people. Your coworkers will catch on.

What to Do When You Can’t Talk to Your Boss

 question 
There’s an "old-league" at my company that has worked together for a long time. So much so that if I have a problem, I have nowhere to turn. My boss's boss is the company president. HR has been best friends with my boss for 10+ years, and my teammate has been friends with my boss since middle school. What do I do when I have nowhere to turn?—N.

 answer 
This is not Waystar Royco. Whatever relationships your coworkers and leaders have outside of work should not impact the professionalism or management of your company.

So say what you need to say, and if you get reprimanded because of your manager’s personal relationships? I wouldn’t give your company any more time than I give [REDACTED TO AVOID SPOILERS] as Logan Roy’s successor…which is to say, like, three weeks.

Keep in mind:

• Your HR department is likely legally required to keep conversations confidential unless they fall under certain circumstances like these.

• A big part of your boss’ job is to manage people. As uncomfortable as it may be for them to remind their BFF that their slides are due at 2pm (when you’ve been asking for them all week), it comes with the territory.

Confidentiality and good management are two major parts of feeling comfortable and supported at a job. If your coworkers can’t separate their work and play, that’s a major 🚩.

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

Things to Slack your work besties

…as you work from bed the entire day.

Sober lifestyles have become more and more common, especially among younger people who want to prioritize wellness, both mentally and physically. Color us interested in that…but also in this spicy pineapple marg mocktail recipe.

Sorry “jeans and a cute top” can’t come to the phone right now. Why? ‘Cause they’re dead. RIP (literally) to the only answer to the text “what r u wearing tonight” in 2010. According to Gen Z, fun pants and a simple top are all the rage these days. You kids keep me young.

Got a secret, can you keep it? Shay Mitchell AKA Emily from Pretty Little Liars was a guest on the Call Her Daddy podcast. She talked about getting her start on PLL, her life now as a mom of two, and her advice for living your best life.

Alright, that’s all for today! Hope you have the best weekend. Same place, same time on Monday!

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod