Welcome to Work Smarter, Fast Company‘s newsletter on career, leadership, and productivity advice. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here. Following a steep spike in pandemic-related layoffs, LinkedIn released its now-ubiquitous “Open To Work” badge in 2020. If you’re on the platform regularly, you’ve probably seen your fair share of connections with the green … Read more
A lot of things about work that we long took for granted have changed for good, as we settle into our remote and hybrid reality. While many of us are happy for the reduction in long commutes, sad desk lunches, and uncomfortable “business casual” clothes, there are some things we’ll miss. For years, we’ve covered … Read more
When I was a kid, $100,000 sounded like an impossibly large sum of money. Even when I started working at my first professional job with an entry-level salary of $32,000, I thought that making $100,000 would allow one to be comfortably upper-middle class. I’m sure I’m not alone; a “six-figure salary” was, for a long … Read more
There’s something about industry shorthand that might make someone listening in feel like they’re eavesdropping on a foreign language. We in media, for example, often toss around ideas for ledes, deks, and posters without a second thought. (IYKYK) Some parlance is more pervasive and crosses over into corporate jargon. Think: a seat at the table, … Read more
Have you ever worked with a bully and watched as they rose through the ranks, getting promotion after promotion? In an excerpt in Fast Company, Teresa A. Daniel addresses why it feels like these individuals so often seem to win. “Organizations with a culture focused on results at any cost create a situation where individuals … Read more
Much has been made about the impressive salaries that AI experts can command these days. In a recent article for Fast Company, writer Kim Rittenberg cites a recent study by Heidrick & Struggles, which suggests that an AI officer can make upwards of $1 million annually. But there are plenty of unexpected jobs that don’t … Read more
Is there a day on the calendar that isn’t significant for some sort of recognition? From pizza to hotdogs, pets to cousins, the “International Day of fill-in-the-blank” populates each square of the 365 that mark the year. And so it was for happiness. March 20, in case you missed it, marked that highly sought quality … Read more
How much of your childhood do you remember? I think of myself as having a pretty good memory, but the many years of my childhood exist in my mind as a handful of moments. Having kids has made me think a lot more about the memories we make and keep and how we often have … Read more
1. Trust your employees The number-one complaint that employees have about their bosses is micromanaging and that stems from a lack of trust. Good bosses, on the other hand, trust that their employees are smart, capable adults. They focus on results instead of wasting time worrying that things are done exactly how they would do … Read more
Earlier this week, I spoke with someone close to me about their experiences hiring a new director. The job description went up on LinkedIn and carried two additional requirements that applicants had to meet in order to move further. As this is not a job that can be done remotely, the first requirement was that … Read more
