'Ben Thinking' for the week of 03.10
If you are trying to stay up to date on the news, you very likely have whiplash, an ulcer or both. I can honestly tell you that this issue of ‘Ben Thinking’ has been one of the more difficult to put together in a while only because so much is happening…but not a lot is happening. Meaning, companies are trying to maintain day-to-day order, be smart about what’s next and stay informed.
But don’t worry – I dug deep, exhausted all of my sources and have put together a ‘Ben Thinking’ worthy of the time and attention you give it. It’s not the…eh, rosiest issue, but it IS full of meaningful and insightful content. I take your interest and your readership seriously - so I hope you find value in this week's edition.
Here to talk, as always, if you need to bounce anything off me or want to dig deeper.
Onto what I’ve ‘Ben thinking’ about:
LinkedIn has changed its algorithm (again). (Simon Schmitz, LinkedIn)
If you are just posting and ducking…well, hope isn’t a strategy. You need a LinkedIn strategy more than ever. Why? Because it keeps changing!
For example, did you know links are getting punished? (Point 6 on that list.) Our own Christina Kay and I have been talking about that and how we will need to be resetting our clients to think video first. (And why all you lucky folks will get more videos of me!)
Check out the post I linked to – if you have questions or concerns about any of those things or feel it’s time for a LinkedIn reset, let’s talk.
On a related note, check out the latest ‘best time to post to…’ report. (SocialMediaToday)
“Management has mandated that I take the time to listen.” (The Seattle Times)
Ouch. How would you like that to show up in your employee survey?
Check out this piece in The Seattle Times about the Boeing CEO’s reaction to the company’s latest employee survey. The CEO, Kelly Ortberg, claims things are going to change, and his action plan will be ‘brutal’ to leadership.
Mike Lawrence/Imagen 3/Gemini
The employees’ response? We’ll see. One employee who was interviewed seems to have made up their mind on what metric will be used to determine if things really change or not:
“If we see people being let go, we’ll know he’s serious.”
So why am I sharing this. Beyond the interest in stories like this, I think the article points out a few key things company leaders should keep in mind when it comes to culture and employee engagement:
First, have a plan. The fact that some employees will measure this by ‘people being let go’ is proof that the two parties (management; employees) aren’t on the same page. Orberg deserves a lot of credit for wanting to act and speaking out so quickly, however, he did miss an opportunity to define his version of success, which he could use to hold himself accountable to the organization.
Second, have a plan. Ever hear the phrase ‘you get what you tolerate’? If you are putting the culture in the hands of your management team, you should make sure that team is aligned. Based on this quote from Ortberg there may be a gap: “[if] now you’re leading a whole bunch of people and you have no idea on how to do that, please reach out.”
Third, you guessed it – have a plan. While Boeing and Ortberg are doing the right thing by taking the steps to talk to employees then share those results with the company, it would be short-sighted to just start doing ‘stuff’. This can’t look like the ‘flavor of the month’ and it needs to be sustainable beyond that first wave of enthusiasm/reaction/until something else becomes the priority. That takes a plan to outline the specifics of what needs to happen, what is going to happen and what will happen.
Reverse mentoring (Chief Executive)
One of my favorite pieces of advice to give young professionals is ‘speak up – your company will be in awe of what you know!’. I go on to explain that the world they’re living in – the tools they use, how they use them, etc. – is much different than the one they’re entering. And any company that truly values entry-level talent will want to hear what they know.
This article articulates that point perfectly. Reverse mentoring – what can senior-level associates learn from those who are just entering the workforce? A lot. But they have to want to listen and learn (and if you're reading this and are newer to the workforce -- trust yourself!)
Mike Lawrence/Imagen 3/Gemini
Dig deeper on reverse mentoring
A call-out from that last article worth sharing here…
“Mentoring works in the workplace. According to mentorcliQ, 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies sponsor mentoring programs, and those that do are about twice as profitable as those that don’t.”
Tick Tock, TikTok. (SocialMediaToday)
I’m going to keep using that headline because it keeps being relevant. Here we are again…25 days (as of the date on the article) until it needs to be sold. President Trump said a deal is ‘coming soon’.
Until then, if you want the latest on what’s going on in the world of TikTok, here is a recent insights piece about what brands should be doing while they wait. (Akhia)
Speaking of TikTok (if it’s still around)…here is a great read on the future of influencer marketing, courtesy of Marketing Dive.
Labor market ‘frozen in place’ (Manufacturing Dive)
Mike Lawrence/Imagen 3/Gemini
I won’t take up your time recapping the conditions that brought us to this point, but however political recent economic moves have been, the reaction to them are non-partisan as businesses across the board are ‘frozen in place’.
The article breaks down the numbers that have companies ‘frozen’…but doesn’t do much in the way of saying what they can do in the meantime. So allow me…
=Look for opportunities to embrace diversity, potentially investing in new market research or product extensions that will create separation for you and…
=…new challenges for your employees. Remember when we talked last week about the different types of ‘skilling’? Here’s your chance to leverage two of them: up- and re-.
=Have you considered an employer brand program? Now may be the time. Invest time and resources into defining what it is that makes you a top workplace…a culture worth staying for…a company that believes in its employees.
I’m not one for standing still…and I believe that when you have the opportunity to establish a stronger point of differentiation AND engage your team while doing so, you have to take it.
One more thought on that…
This nugget came in right after I wrote that last blurb…it fits so perfect with what I was saying. (Source is LinkedIn News)
So what can you do to future-proof your career right now, whether or not you're looking for a new role? [Kori] Burkholder (a career coach) recommends "maximizing your current role" by taking on new challenges and making yourself indispensable, networking strategically and upskilling. Business development exec Kelly Lewis recommends being very open about this: "stay visible and vocal," she commented. Inside and outside of work, "share insights, contribute to discussion and highlight accomplishments to reinforce your credibility."
Shameless plug!
Are you subscribed to my AI Round-up? It’s worth your while – but only if you’re interested in the latest AI news and notes. It’s the one place, I’ve seen, that has all of the best voices, biggest stories and key insights in one place.
Just for fun: Glow in the dark Sour Patch Kids (PR Newswire)
We’ve all seen Dateline enough to know…when you pull the black light out, it doesn’t mean good things.
Well now…it does! You can see your new glow in the dark Sour Patch Kids light up!
Sooooo many ways to market and have fun with this, right? Here is a WSJ article about how the brand plans on doing just that.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to share with anyone else you think would enjoy the articles and resources!
Thank you,
Ben