[Work Check podcast] Input needed on how to make debates impact the way you work

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Drop us your feedback (see immediately below) + we'll send you a thank you in the form of socks (info on how to receive that at the bottom).

Much like this group, sharing how you do something at work and then inviting other people's opinions into the conversation is one great way to evolve the way we work. But to help folks apply what they hear in discussions to their own work practices, the topic needs to be something that resonates with people.  

Well, we need your help in having more of these idea-generating conversations. For context, Atlassian produces the podcast, Work Check, a debate show that argues whether people should work one way or another in the workplace. Just a handful of example episodes below.

• Should you send that message in a DM or a group channel?
• Should your manager be responsible for your emotional wellbeing?
• Should you only give your coworkers feedback to their face?
• Should you really wear pajamas to a Zoom meeting?
• Is it time to get rid of annual planning?
• Should you get your team in sync, async?
• Does your remote team really need an in-person offsite?

We want to consider what parts of a debate show like this will help folks apply what they hear to their everyday work. 

Listen to at least one episode and then let us know what part(s) made you think about the way you work. Is it an example of how someone on the show discussed the way they worked? Is it a counter argument made? Is it research introduced? A look back on how a practice came to be?

Drop your notes in a discussion comment--please be specific in what you heard in the episode, and then most importantly, tell us what you did after hearing it. We want to know if parts of the show are actionable, if they open up viewpoints, if they make you reflect what you do, etc.

PS - if you want a free pair of socks as a thank you, please email me your username or a screen grab of your comment. In return, I'll send you a redemption code to our swag store. Socks only available for responses provided by September 30, 2022.

---

*Note: if you haven't listened to the Work Check podcast (available via search on wherever you normally download podcasts or on our full audio player, transcript, and takeaway notes in the archives here). 

[Patrícia Fortunato Montenegro]

Hi @Christine P. Dela Rosa

Well, I heard this one:

Is it time to get rid of annual planning?
And congratulations on being so organized and the performance on the Work Check; you look like you have been doing it for years. 😃

I have to say that the first thing which caught me was the enthusiasm about starting plans like sometimes on a daily isn't something pretty easy. It is a massive effort involving teams, time, and ideas. It's possible, and we can move forward.

However, this statement: "Because the process is slow and bureaucratic, and the big one: plans change. " reminded me of how working with technology demands us as a Company to have a north star. Still, we must also continually review the procedures when we achieve our goals or when we need to improve in some situation. Always comes up with a lesson for each circumstance. And because it changes, we need to be careful without precipitating and attentive to signs of specific and necessary changes. As a result, it would be more dynamic and quite fun! 😃 🚀

I wish you a great week! 🙏🏽

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Thanks, @Patrícia Fortunato Montenegro ! 

It sounds like the thing that helped you think through what you were hearing are distinct statements on the show that you related to. So, the specific ideas shared that made you think "yes, I can relate!" Those ideas (or possibly stories in the future) are helpful to signal that what's being discussed is for you. Got it!

As for the thing that you related to, it's certainly something that we (or at least I) forget while annual planning: plans change and we can't "future proof" our plans. Glad that line stuck with you. 

[Patrícia Fortunato Montenegro]

Yes, @Christine P. Dela Rosa I can relate for sure. And it helped me to remind more people lives in this context, and when we share and minimize all the bureaucratic parts! I'm glad too! Thanks a lot!

[Carlos Garcia Navarro]

Hi @Christine P. Dela Rosa

Thanks so much for hosting these podcasts and for sharing here. I was already a fan of your posts and I'm impressed by how well you're managing the debates and presenting the podcasts. Well done! I've listened to a couple and these are my comments on one of them:

Should we get your team in sync, async?

I love the subject, specially after most meetings became remote or virtual. Although I agree with Dominique that meetings help build trust and foster innovation, I believe that many meetings can be replaced by asynchronous communication and be more effective that way. Tools like Slack that are rich on emojis help bring back some of the non-verbal communication and integration with other tools like Zoom allow to have a quick connect when needed. With async communication busy people can find the time to respond when they become available. And, as it was described in the recording, async communication may empower all people to participate rather than senior or more extrovert people. 

[Carlos Garcia Navarro]

I have moved many of my meetings to Slack channels, and sometimes I schedule meetings for brainstorming sessions, retrospectives or team activities where we work on building something together. It seems like a good balance so far.

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Ultimately debates on ways of working are never one extreme or the other. We debate them to open up the perspective we're normally practicing, but it's always a mix.

To your point, @Carlos Garcia Navarro, some meetings are better live while others are better async. Though, I do think most people default to communicating live and scheduling meetings before thinking through if the meetings absolutely need to happen. 

Thanks for your notes btw! Helpful feedback :)

[Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_]

Hello 👋

I'm not a podcast fan (I can't focus on listening) so I'm so glad transcription is available! I have listened to (or rather read) all of them. However, the following topic touches me the most:

Should you really wear pajamas to a Zoom meeting?

I must admit that the pandemic and working from home have changed my approach to clothes a lot. First of all, in the last two years, I have bought the fewest clothes in my life. Which I am very proud of, both financially and ecologically. I started to choose clothes more consciously. Moreover, there is more sport in my life, so I mainly have leggings from my new clothes. They are convenient, so they are perfect for working in front of the computer. Designers began to create home clothes collections that are beautiful! So why shouldn't I wear them when I work from home? Pajamas, which usually consist of a T-shirt and trousers, increasingly resemble everyday clothes - cotton or linen, in which the body breathes. That's why I completely understand the people who spend all day in them.

On the other hand, Dominique aptly said, "The lines between work and life are getting blurry. We're working from bedrooms, from closets, and it's really hard to make that separation." Therefore, I'm a fan of home clothes, not pajamas. Pajamas and going to the bedroom should be a sign for the body to "rest, go to sleep". Walking all day in pajamas and spending the whole day in the bedroom contributes to sleeping problems, insomnia, and chronic fatigue.

Also, I didn't know what a gray waffle-weave loose-fit Henley shirt is 😉 But it's a great example of how pajamas and home clothes can be similar to each other.

However, if someone likes to spend an hour in the morning doing makeup, wearing a suit, or even putting on high heels while working from home, I don't see anything wrong with that. Let us work in what we feel comfortable in, in which we feel good. Especially when it's a job in an industry where clothing doesn't really matter. A doctor or lab technician without an apron, as Regan mentioned, are specific professions where clothing can really matter.

When I meet someone, no matter if it's a zoom meeting or a meeting in a cafe, I focus on the person, what he/she says, how I feel with him/her. His/Her clothes are relegated to the background.

But I totally understand the need to wear red lipstick! It really gives me strength and confidence 😊

I was very interested in the attached article on stereotypes. Before that, I didn't think about the importance of clothes and cultural differences in this topic at all. I think this is a very important part of your podcast: adding additional resources to broaden our horizons. I also found a short article about the power of red lipstick 😀 https://www.psychologies.co.uk/the-power-of-red-lipstick/.

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Yes @Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_ - it's interesting to see how our environment changes the way we show up, perhaps most illustrated by the last two years changing our routines, including our environments.

And thank you for that additional resource! I think of red lipstick outside the workplace but definitely see its power within the workplace, too, now.

[Linda Paulson]

Hi @Christine P. Dela Rosa 

Thanks for the post about these Work check podcasts. I thoroughly enjoyed: 

Should you send that message in a DM or a group channel?

This is a daily struggle for me and I can relate to the "continuous partial attention", "email apnea" and the stress of crafting a message for a open channel with a large audience. I have spent too much time crafting a message and overthinking how it will be perceived. While I am partial to DMs for getting direct and quick answers, I do agree with Kelvin that open channels, when done right, can be a game changer for transparency and open communication. I think though we have to spend time up front to build that trust within the channel though and model the communication. Just creating a channel doesn't make it so!  I also think it can make you feel more connected to coworkers like Eli mentioned. We desperately need this in this remote environment. 

I'm choosing to double down more on open channel communication after listening to this debate and not being easily discouraged.!

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Among the teams I've worked with, the default has been to direct message (DM). But especially as I work at Atlassian, I definitely find that sharing in group channels should be the default to foster "transparency and open communication" as you mention, @Linda Paulson. 

It would be interesting to see how teams feel if they went from one method to the other, in either direction, and see if there was a connectivity impact between teammates.