The Source

The shift in seasons brings many exciting things along with it. Unfortunately, it also brings an uptick in sickness. The flu season, along with many other exciting bugs, is quickly approaching. Like every other aspect of our professional lives, sick days also come with unspoken etiquette. We can all name coworkers who have broken these implied rules and not let anyone know they were sick, leaving everyone wondering where they were. Or even worse, those who refuse to take a sick day and end up getting the rest of the office sick.    

There's a meme circulating on social media that reads, “Behind every broke Millennial, is a Baby Boomer who makes 6 figures but can’t open a PDF.”It's humorous commentary on what is becoming a notable issue for almost all companies – accommodating generational differences.    

The Source is no stranger to the issue of time management. This topic, along with work-life balance, is one we get frequent inquiries about, and they definitely go hand-in-hand. You cannot obtain work-life balance without a good grasp on time management.    

I am a classic over-thinker. Just now, as I write this, I'm looking back at nearly every word I've typed and will likely re-read the post a good eight or ten times before I click "publish." Maybe it's because of my communication background, but I tend to overanalyze each word I write. Never is this more obvious and daunting as in an email. Women tend to be more self-deprecating in these messages, concerned we'll sound arrogant, bossy, or impolite.    

Do you ever look up at the end of day only to feel like you’ve spent every waking hour managing your inbox? You get through one email only to realize two or three more now need your attention. It’s a feeling that can leave you defeated and frustrated.    

Autopilot is a great tool for our vehicles, but sometimes the concept can creep into our personal or professional lives. We check off the same to-do list day after day, which turns into week after week and month after month. It’s September, and we had goals we set in January that have become lost in the shuffle. It’s an easy thing to do as we become familiar with our day-to-day routine. We become comfortable, complacent, and mindlessly efficient.    

For many, the idea of an eight-hour work day or leaving the office at 5:00pm on-the-dot is nothing more than a pipe dream. You dispensed with the notion of 40-hour weeks long ago and have never looked back. Would it surprise you to learn Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, makes it a point to leave work by 5:30pm everyday in order to have dinner with her family?    

Janita Stewart is no stranger to breaking down barriers. As the state Director of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in Mississippi, she helps aspiring business owners overcome obstacles and break down barriers every single day. As the first African American female to lead a federal government agency in Mississippi, she has much to be proud of and share with other aspiring professional women. We’re incredibly proud to have her as a member of The Source Advisory Panel and share her story with you.    

In our last blog post, we discussed receiving constructive criticism. This week, we’re diving into an even more cringe-worthy topic, giving constructive criticism. I have never encountered one person, no matter the position, who enjoys giving criticism. Even those at the top of the corporate ladder liken the task to walking on a bed of nails. However, in order to be a capable leader, constructive criticism is something you’re going to have to embrace if you want yourself and your business to succeed. How do we make this task more bearable and beneficial to both parties?    

If there was one thing we all hated in school, it was group projects. At the root of this disdain was the fact that we were forced to constantly work through issues with other human beings and couldn’t just solve the assigned project alone. We had to think outside our own bubble. Upon graduation and entering the professional world, you quickly realize that your job is just one continual group project that never ends, and our teachers weren’t wrong to try and prepare us.