So that was fast…in typical “f**k you Fall” fashion, winter has rolled in, guns blazin’. Oh how I haven’t missed the dark, cold mornings, brushing snow and chipping ice from my windshield, snow in my shoes, eyeball gloss freezing over as I trudge thirty feet from my car to Rise Café. Luckily, we have some hot drinks to perk you up and thaw you out for a productive day of work!
I’ve been loving the feedback from the last few posts and my conversations with everyone have bred some great new topics for this month. Remember, you can always submit a new topic here!
This month we’ll talk about what to do when the winter weather has you in lull, how to proceed after accidentally “replying all” to a company-wide email, and your options for when you wake up next to a clown the morning after your Halloween party only to find out it’s actually your coworker.
Let’s get down to business.
Steve! The snow and the cold has me in a wintertime lull and all I want to do is nap. How do I shake this so I can be more productive?
I’m no stranger to the wintertime lull. It’s hard to get up and going when the days are short and the air feels like needles. One thing to keep in mind is that we’re all experiencing this together and we’ll all get through it together! But how?
One option is to give in to what your body is telling you. We don’t have those ugly Star Wars-looking nap pods anymore, but we still have the Zen Room to curl up in. Naps never worked for me, but I know they work for others. Hop on down there and take a quick 20-min power nap when you feel your eyelids drooping. Hopefully you’ll wake up refreshed and ready to go.
My next suggestion, might be a little obvious, but it’s what I know. Come on into Rise and grab a stiff espresso drink. Caffeine has been the answer to most of my problems and I’m sure it’ll work for you. Or try a Red Bull or Yerba Mate for a different flavor.
I just hit ‘reply all’ to a company-wide email when I meant it for my one coworker and now I’m fearing for my job. What do I do?
A little trigger happy, eh? I feel for you, but you need to be more careful! I can’t say this has happened to me before, but I’ll try my best to help.
Depending on what exactly was said, you could be in the clear by sending a quick follow up “just kidding” email to everyone. But make sure your wording doesn’t look like your trying to save your butt, so elaborate and then try and change the topic. It’s worked for my past relationships, why couldn’t work for your execs?
Other than that, I would say to just own up to it. Don’t reply to everyone, but reply to the people to whom it matters most. Explain your reasoning for what you said and apologize if it sounded condescending or mean. If in your ‘reply all’ email you make a joke about a company decision, explain why you think it’s the wrong direction. Show them that you have your own opinions and reservations on company decisions. Show them you care.
Now if your email is bad, like really bad, like racist or sexist or disgustingly immature, I’d say pack your bags and resign while you still can. Aint nobody got time for that.
Steve, I effed up. I woke up today after a Halloween party last night and there was a clown in my bed. Turns out he’s a coworker. What do I do?
Excuse me for laughing, but what? And why wasn’t I invited to that party?!
You all know me. I’m no stranger to a bit of partying. I understand the browning out that led to this unfortunate event. So you hooked up with a coworker dressed as a clown. And now you need to know how to proceed.
I’ll start by saying, lots of relationships start in the workplace: Jim and Pam. McDreamy and Dr. Grey. Don Draper and…lots of women. Maybe this is the start of something magical! Maybe you just…go with it?
Now, if your workplace has a policy against office romance, or you simply aren’t that into him, you have another direction to go. Talk to him. Tell him you don’t want to ruin the work relationship. Toss him in the ever-so-cozy friendzone. Tell him your career is the most important thing to you right now and that what happened at the party (and after) was fun, but it will never happen again. The clown should understand that.
You could also just do as the climate change deniers do and pretend it never happened. Although in order for this to work, you would have to be certain that he was doing the same. What’s most important is that he knows not to tell anyone else. Rumors are like an infectious disease, losing truth as they spread. Squash the rumors before they start. Get him on the same page.
If you have a topic or question you’d like Steve to tackle for next month, don’t hesitate to ask! Submit an anonymous question or problem here. No name or email is required.
