Workplace trends

A loneliness epidemic is sweeping the US workplace

Over 40% of fully remote employees reported going days without leaving their homes according to a poll of working parents by Bright Horizons. For those who work in an office, many spend a mere 8% of their time in face-to-face meetings, according to data from real-estate company Cushman & Wakefield. The result? The number of U.S. adults who identify as lonely has surged to 58% – up from 46% back in 2018, based on a survey of 100,000 Americans by Health insurance company Cigna. Based on their findings, Cigna estimates that loneliness is costing companies $154 billion a year, between increased staff turnover and absenteeism. To address the issue, some companies have made engaging their workers a business priority, like Ernst & Young, which is training employees to identify and support coworkers struggling with isolation.

In Mexico, running for mayor is the most dangerous job

While a career in politics often involves some risk, running for mayor in Mexico has become especially deadly due to organized crime groups. In fact, since the electoral process began in September, more than 200 government officials, candidates, and political activists have been killed, according to Integralia Consultores, a Mexico City consulting firm. Organized crime groups go to great lengths to rig elections and control budgets, public works, and smuggling routes for migrants and drugs into the US. This climate of political violence significantly impacts Mexico’s business environment, according to experts in trade and risk management, deterring foreign investment and skewing economic growth.

The AI corner

Media outlets are increasingly partnering with AI

Major media organizations like the Financial Times, the Associated Press, Reddit, Vox Media, and The Atlantic have all partnered with OpenAI to help the company train its AI systems. While the hope is that these collaborations will lead to advancements in AI technology and journalism, not everyone is on board. Many journalists have expressed alarm at the growing partnerships, citing concerns over a lack of transparency, copyright violations, and environmental harm. And last year, The New York Times even sued OpenAI, seeking billions of dollars for copyright infringement. Despite these concerns, AI experts emphasize that AI collaborations are inevitable and urge media outlets to adopt an “adapt or die” mindset.

No one can agree on what “Safe AI” means

Ensuring the safety of AI technology, once a common goal within the industry, has now become an ideological battleground. Over the past year, as AI development has accelerated, the term “AI safety” has taken on different meanings for different people. For some, it means combatting the existential threat of AI going rogue and destroying humanity; others believe it’s about preventing AI from spreading misinformation; and some think it’s prioritizing efforts to ensure AI does not discriminate based on gender or race. According to AI ethics experts, this sharp divide over the definition of “safe AI” complicates the implementation of AI regulations. It also poses the question: who should be responsible for ensuring these varied safety standards are met?

How to effectively lead with transparency

Leading with transparency has become crucial to business success. For workers, knowing industry and market trends, understanding internal workflows and the logic behind company strategies, and having clarity on professional growth paths prompts more confidence, creative thinking, informed decision-making, and greater team alignment.

And yet, in Slack’s recent State of Work report, while 55% of leaders said they believed their organizations were very transparent, just 18% of their employees agreed.

The good news? As a leader, you have the power to fill in the gap. Transparency is not about sharing confidential information or delving into every little detail that you uncover, but rather about knowing how to openly share relevant information with your team members to help them succeed.

From business strategies and financial results to organizational challenges and professional growth opportunities, leading with transparency is about building a culture in which your employees have visibility into what’s actually going on at your organization.

So, how should you lead with transparency?

Be open with your team

As much as possible, loop in your team members – tell them about challenges the company is facing, changes that are taking place across the organization, new strategies the company and you may be contemplating, and anything else that could influence their work experience or approach. Even when you don’t have all the answers, be intentional about sharing what you do know in order to send the message that you are committed to being transparent with them. And be sure to make it clear that your organization encourages you to share information – statements like, “I shouldn’t be telling you this” or “don’t share this with anyone, but…” insinuate secrecy and distrust, so actively highlight that the information that you’re relaying comes directly from the top.

Prioritize team alignment

Set aside recurring time on everyone’s calendars to bring your team members together and fill them in on what’s going on in the industry as well as at the organizational, and team level. Share relevant updates, present strategic pivots, discuss team-wide goals and priorities relating to company initiatives, and leave time for questions. Giving everyone the same information at once avoids any risk of miscommunication or confusion.

Be upfront about challenges

Let’s be honest – while it’s easy to acknowledge successes and organizational wins with your team members, it can be pretty intimidating to admit when things aren’t going well. However, transparency goes hand-in-hand with humility, and it’s at moments like these that it’s most important to be honest and truthful with your team. Openly acknowledging challenges, mistakes, and shortcomings instills confidence among your team members that you’re not withholding information from them or trying to make things appear different than they really are. So set the standard that challenges and missteps are honestly discussed to help reduce the likelihood of employees keeping their mistakes a secret and potentially causing real damage.

Clarify growth expectations

Try to set clear benchmarks for your team about what it takes to get promoted to a more senior position by outlining key milestones to reach, setting quantitative KPIs, and establishing important qualitative contributions that are required to take that next step. Especially given that word travels fast and employees will likely share snippets from your conversations with one another, it’s essential to be consistent with these metrics and to create a clear standard for growth. This way, there can be a cross-team sense that processes are straightforward and logical.

Address macroeconomic influences

When relevant, openly address macroeconomic factors that may impact budget, headcount, and compensation rewards. This way, rather than feeling overlooked and resentful, your team members will have big-picture context and can feel assured that the decisions being made are not a reflection of how much they are being heard or valued.

For example, saying, “Given the economic challenges, the organization is being stricter about promotions, but I want you to know that I am advocating for you” or “We aren’t able to increase headcount right now but I want you to know that I see how much you are taking on and am going to try and take some things off your plate” are a great way to show your team members that you, as their leader, respect them, appreciate them, and are invested in their success and well-being.

Acknowledge the emotional side

Sometimes being fully transparent with your team members can lead to pushback. They may find a new company policy or business priority frustrating or wrong, and while you may fully relate to their reactions, as a leader, it’s your responsibility to get your team on board. So, the best thing to do is validate feelings while still sending a clear message that you have trust and confidence in the company’s decision-makers. For example, if the organization is cracking down on return-to-office efforts, and you too honestly prefer the old model, you can acknowledge that you’ll all have to make adjustments while highlighting the clear benefits of this effort, both for the company and for your team. When you come at this situation human-to-human, you can really help your employees feel like you’re in this together, even when you [don’t] support the company’s decisions.

Provide honest feedback

Throughout the year, be transparent with your team members about what they are doing well and address the areas where they still need to improve. Being clear about where they stand ensures nothing comes as a shock to your team members later on. It also shows that you’re actively trying to give them the tools and guidance to grow and excel. And try to make that transparency go both ways – encourage your team members to be open and honest when there’s something they’re missing from you or team processes that they think could work better.

Water cooler chatter

The Chinese internet is shrinking. WeChat, the country’s leading social media platform, reported that all information on Chinese news portals from 1995 to 2005 had been erased. As more Chinese websites shut down due to increased censorship, Chinese historians warn the nation’s collective memory may be in jeopardy.

The French Open has banned alcohol from their stands. Following a recent commotion where a professional player had chewing gum spat at him by a drunk fan during his match, the new rule aims to put an end to unruly fan behavior during games.

Question of the week

Last week’s answer: 22%

This week’s question: On average, how much time do US workers spend looking at their screens per day?

Just for laughs

Project management gospel