Category: Culture

Over the last two years, companies have been moving back to more in person work. As businesses called employees back to the office, they encountered an unexpected challenge: a significant number of employees seemed to have forgotten how to navigate the office environment appropriately. This phenomenon has prompted a notable surge in the demand for workplace etiquette training, reflecting a critical adaptation to the hybrid work era.

A survey conducted by Resume Builder in July, encompassing over 1,500 business leaders, revealed that more than 60% of companies are planning to introduce or have already implemented etiquette courses for their staff this year. The profound impact the pandemic had on professional conduct has reaffirmed the idea that soft skills are indispensable for maintaining a productive and harmonious workplace.

The transition to remote work led to the blurring of professional boundaries. As employees adapted to working from home, habits and behaviors suited to a more private and informal setting inadvertently crept into the professional sphere. Michael Chertoff, a spokesperson for the necessity of reacclimating to office norms, captured the essence of the issue: “It’s like people just got out of practice in some ways…So, you have to learn and remember that, no, you have to wash your dish because you’re not at home, you’re at the office.”

Common etiquette missteps observed include inappropriate volume control during phone conversations, leaving communal areas untidy, engaging in unsuitable office discussions, awkward social interactions, and communication pitfalls such as overly lengthy emails or the misuse of emojis and acronyms with ambiguous interpretations. Additionally, the nuances of dressing appropriately for the office and virtual meetings pose a challenge, with Chertoff advising against overly casual attire (even for the lower half in case you have to hop up to grab something).

Because of this, office etiquette guidance has proliferated across social media platforms, with influencers and professionals sharing tips and insights.

Of particular concern is the integration of Generation Z into the workforce. Many in this demographic entered their professional lives amidst the pandemic, missing critical opportunities for in-person learning and internships. Consequently, they face unique challenges in adapting to office norms and expectations. Addressing this, some academic institutions have begun to emphasize the importance of soft skills alongside technical proficiency, incorporating courses on professional behavior, networking, and business etiquette into their curricula.

Understanding and navigating the complexities of modern workplace etiquette is not only about preserving decorum but also about ensuring effective collaboration, mutual respect, and the overall success of the organization. As Chertoff succinctly puts it, “Soft skills are just as important or more important than the technical skills that you learn.”

Luckily, it looks like the etiquette courses and Tik-Tok influencers have got Gen Z covered. Best of luck to them!

@marytheanalyst

Did I miss anything?? #corporatejob #professional #officejob #windows #outlook #wfh #workfromhome #remotejobs #dataanalyst

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A family from Northern California experienced a harrowing incident when their plane was forced to make an emergency crash landing in Mendocino County’s wooded area earlier this month due to engine failure.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported that the family, consisting of a man, a woman, and their 2-year-old child from Santa Rosa, had just departed from Shelter Cove Airport, which is located approximately 170 miles northwest of their hometown.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft, a single-engine plane, encountered a critical loss of power, leading to a rapid descent. In a swift decision by the pilot, a parachute system was deployed, which significantly slowed the descent, allowing for a relatively soft crash-landing in the woods.

Miraculously, all passengers emerged from the ordeal with only minor injuries.

As a child, Jim Kitchen harbored the dream of venturing into space. During his college years in the 1980s, he even dabbled in selling low-orbit space travel, an idea that was met with skepticism and jest by his peers. Kitchen’s commitment to his celestial ambition was so strong that he included a unique clause in his prenuptial agreement, ensuring he could seize any opportunity to travel to space.

However, opportunities to go to space were pretty rare, so Kitchen turned to traveling to all 193 countries. The inception of Kitchen’s global adventures stemmed from a youthful enthusiasm for travel, evolving from collecting passport stamps to a deeper passion. “I just transitioned from a collector to a connector,” he said. “I fell in love with the idea and the notion of meeting people.”

It was only about a decade or so ago that Kitchen realized the full scope of his travels, and set a goal to visit every U.N. recognized country. He achieved this milestone in 2019 with a visit to Syria, just before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted global travel. Reaching this milestone was a “bittersweet” experience for Kitchen, propelling him toward fulfilling his ultimate dream of space.

Kitchen participated in several zero gravity flights to mimic the sensations of space, but he wanted to do the real deal.

On March 31, Kitchen’s childhood aspiration was fulfilled as he embarked on a Blue Origin flight into the cosmos. At 57, the North Carolina entrepreneur not only realized his own dream but also set a remarkable record. By reaching orbit, he became the first individual to have visited every one of the 193 countries recognized by the United Nations and to have journeyed into space.

Reflecting on his journey before boarding on his flight, Kitchen told Nice News, “Some of my friends, some of whom will be at the launch, they ridiculed me mercilessly for selling space travel. And to be able to actually accomplish that dream 40 years later … it’s just mind-numbing.”

“Having walked the planet, I just want to see it from space. I just want to see this blue, beautiful planet of ours, the eternal darkness of space, I want to take in that whole spectacle,” he expressed before the flight. “Then, I think I’m going to float upside down and take it all in upside down.”

In the Boston area, a unique gathering of individuals, some long-time friends and others recent connections, meet every few months for breakfast. The occasion is marked by an extraordinary act of kindness: they collectively tip their server a substantial gift, aptly reflected in the group’s name, the Thousand Dollar Breakfast Club.

The initiative was started by Richard Brooks, an attorney, with encouragement from his wife Laurie. While group’s name suggests a $1,000 gift, they often exceed this amount, with one lucky server recently receiving a $2,050 tip. The sum varies depending on the number of participants, with each member contributing $100 towards the tip.

Brooks, 64, shared his personal connection to the gesture with Nice News, saying, “I was a waiter, so I know what it’s like to get a tip. And I still remember my first tip that was big, and it was a whopping $20. And I still remember it because I was paying myself through school.”

The concept for the Thousand Dollar Breakfast Club was inspired by a story Brooks heard from his brother about a similar generous act at a group meal. Brooks, who has a tradition of randomly giving out $100 bills to brighten people’s days, was immediately captivated by the idea. On January 2, 2023, he took to Facebook to create his version of the group, inviting anyone interested to join. The response was swift, with about a dozen people eager to participate.

Their first meeting took place at an iHop three months later, where they left a $1,400 tip. The club has grown in popularity, covered by both local and national media, but Brooks maintains a rotating email list of around 30 people to keep the gatherings manageable.

Smartphones are incredibly useful tools, but unfortunately, they can also have detrimental effects, especially on children and teenagers. Daisy Greenwell, an editor and writer at Positive.news, recently shared her experience of unintentionally sparking a significant movement from her kitchen to address these concerns.

The “Smartphone Free Childhood” movement gained unexpected momentum, initiated by Daisy and her friend Clare, two concerned parents troubled by the dilemmas associated with giving smartphones to children. They were particularly worried about the exposure of their children to potential harms such as pornography, cyberbullying, and social media-induced anxiety, weighed against the risk of social alienation for those without a smartphone. With increasing research showing a correlation between early smartphone use and higher rates of mental illness among the first generation of smartphone users, the founders felt a pressing need to act, spurred by the slow pace of regulatory measures to keep up with technological advances.

The movement began with a WhatsApp group named “Parents United for a Smartphone Free Childhood,” intended as a support network for parents opting to delay smartphone access for their children. What started as a modest, private group between two friends quickly exploded into a large community following a single Instagram post. The group swiftly reached WhatsApp’s membership limit of 1,023 participants, necessitating the creation of additional groups as more parents from across Britain joined the dialogue.

The founders, Daisy Greenwell, Clare Fernyhough, and Greenwell’s husband Joe, found themselves at the heart of an expanding movement, with their home transforming into an impromptu headquarters. The initiative has since grown nationally, with the formation of regional and school-specific WhatsApp groups throughout the UK. These groups provide a platform for parents to exchange experiences, offer support, and discuss strategies for promoting a smartphone-free childhood within their communities.

The initiative underscores the importance of utilizing simpler devices that provide basic communication functions without exposing children to the risks associated with fully featured smartphones. The movement also offers toolkits, developed in collaboration with experts, to aid discussions among parents and educators on this contentious issue, with the aim of shifting prevailing norms surrounding children’s smartphone usage.

The founders draw comparisons with historical changes in attitudes towards alcohol and smoking, suggesting that society will eventually reconsider its current approach to children’s smartphone use. Their objective is to protect the essence of childhood.

If you are interested, please check out Daisy’s original article. It is not very long and is a great story with good information. Most of you, our readers, are in the US not the UK, so joining one of these groups might not make sense. However, using them as a template could be a great idea if you find yourself in a similar position.