OG Tuesday Issue #112

Marie Forleo, entrepreneur, writer, and philanthropist, has some surprising advice for anyone (bosses, new moms, veteran moms, achievers, and do-ers everywhere) wondering how they can “do it all.”

“So here’s the deal: my dark little secret to fitting it all in is actually that I don’t fit it all in. I am the queen of “no” and a professional disappointer.”

Marie doesn’t even try to do it all. She simply focuses on the critical few things that make the biggest impact.

Do you wake up in a cold sweat worried something just slipped through the cracks of your new hire onboarding? Are you tired of managing everything in ugly, out-of-date spreadsheets? The constant pings? Endless emails? 😩

Escape the burn-out and start delivering better onboarding experiences in less time with Sora 🎉

Automate all those repetitive tasks in Sora, so you’re spending less time on tedious stuff and more time delivering a great, human onboarding experience.

It’s that time of year. Time to celebrate the holidays and (drum roll please)…

…take some well-deserved time OFF WORK!

You know almost everyone else is taking time off. You know you deserve to take time off and enjoy your friends and family over the holidays. Your boss and your coworkers support your plans to take time off.

Despite all this, a giant guilt cloud comes along to put a damper on your fun before it even starts. Blow it away by countering the common beliefs that lead to time-off guilt.

Check “Holiday Party Planning” off your list ✅

The holidays are fast approaching, and more teams than ever are struggling with how to celebrate in this new remote and hybrid world.

Fortunately, White Elephant Online has found the answer, offering the ability to play White Elephant – the fun and memorable gift swap game – virtually.

Here’s why thousands of teams at some of the biggest (and smallest!) companies across the globe have used their platform:

• It’s inexpensive. With games starting at just $49 there’s no cheaper way, remote or otherwise, to celebrate with your team.
• It’s easy to plan. Their self-service platform is easy and intuitive, both for the planners of the event and participants.
• It’s a tried & true holiday tradition that’s a blast. White Elephant, also called Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa, is played by millions each year.

Whether for your main event, or a fun add-on for those who can’t make it in-person, check out White Elephant Online for what may be the easiest decision you have to make all week.

Plan Your Holiday Party Today 🎁

In First Round Review’s Tactical Guide to Managing Up, Ralph Loura, SVP CIO of Lumentum and former CTO of Rodan + Fields reveals one key managing up strategy: Present your ideas and suggestions gradually and strategically.

Loura refers to this concept as the “rule of seven dippings.”

“Don’t save up a big topic until you feel you have all the answers — anything worthwhile takes time to build,” he says. “An old manager of mine had a ‘rule of seven dippings,’ which essentially means that anything sufficiently complex or abstract takes multiple exposures (in his case, seven) in order for someone to internalize the concept.”

Here’s a hypothetical breakdown of the “rule of seven dippings.”

Imagine…

You’re one of many on a team of fashion designers, all working to execute the vision of your lead designer. You read tons of fashion blogs and have a hunch that paisley-print pants could be huge next spring. You also know your lead designer tends to resist ideas that don’t originate in her own fabulous brain.

Here’s how you “pitch without pitching” your paisley-pants idea. 

Dip 1

This could happen, for example, during a presentation you’re giving about a broader topic. 

During your presentation on overarching industry trends, you cite (using a beautiful graphic, of course) an uptick of sales in novelty pants, breaking down the category into florals, bold colors, and animal prints.

Dip 2

This could happen, for example, during a blue-sky brainstorming session for next season. 

You bring a variety of visuals capturing trends in the novelty pants category. You include lots of prints, one of which happens to be paisley.  

Dip 3

This could happen, for example, on Boss’s Day or your lead designer’s birthday. 

You give your lead designer a card printed on beautiful paisley stationery.

Dip 4

This could happen at any time. 

You give your lead designer one of the trade publications or magazines your team usually mines for ideas. You don’t say anything, but you’ve earmarked a segment about paisley prints.

Dip 5

This could happen, for example, during a formal planning meeting. 

You present a social media lookbook featuring, among many other people, a selection of fashion influencers captured wearing paisley.

Dip 6

This could happen at any time you’ll be seeing your lead designer. 

You come to work wearing the perfect prototype paisley pants you’ve been slaving over for months. You encourage (and make a big fuss over) all the compliments you receive from other members of the team.

Dip 7

This could happen, for example, during a formal planning meeting. 

You directly pitch the idea, citing, if necessary, all the other reference materials, sales and trend statistics you’ve been collecting.

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TeamOut is an online platform where you can easily book a team retreat so you can build stronger relationships with your work fam.

Bonusly put out a free one-on-one meeting agenda template for Managers & Employees. Swipe it here.