OG Tuesday Issue #215

✨ You got the promotion. Yay! Yay? What to do if post-promotion burnout sets in.

👥 A former chief people officer doles out expert guidance on workplace culture.

💪 Building confidence can be a 6-phase process.

💼 Few organizations feel prepared to meet rising demand for pay transparency.

Resolving to stay calm under pressure, unfortunately, doesn’t accomplish that much. We can mentally model how we’ll breathe or count to ten, but the terrifying truth is that stress actually changes the way we think. It might make us forget all the stress-management techniques we’ve been working on.

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin says stress releases cortisol, which shuts down many of our systems and clouds our rational thinking processes. He advises people to stop worrying about the stressful event and instead think about what they can do before it happens.

He calls this practicing prospective hindsight.

Before a stressful situation or event, figure out strategies to put to action in case you don’t stay calm. Accept that in some circumstances, “staying calm” might be beyond your control. For example, if you’re speaking at an event, bring a heavy binder or book to hold in case your hands start shaking and your breathing techniques aren’t helping.

💡 Some additional tips:

• Expose yourself to more high-pressure situations. While no one gets excited by the idea of exposing themselves to stress on purpose, more experience with working under pressure may minimize how much pressure affects you.
• Develop a ritual that helps you feel calm and confident. Repeat it before high-stress situations. For example, you might say a mantra, listen to a favorite song, and then eat an apple.
• Remember to direct your attention to what’s happening externally instead of overthinking what you’re doing. If you’re speaking in public, for example, focus on making a connection with someone in the audience instead of how you’re pronouncing every word.

With this 30-minute, interactive course (built by top employment lawyers), your hiring team will learn to:

• 💬 Conduct behavioral-based interviews that bring out each candidate’s best.
• 🚫 Avoid risky questions or phrasing that could lead to discrimination claims.
• 📋 Document the process effectively to make sure you’ve selected the best candidates for the role.

One TA Subscriber wants the promotion they’ve earned: The biggest challenge that I am currently facing is that my boss is having me do the job for the promotion that I want BEFORE he decides if I should have the promotion. It’s causing me so much anxiety that I find myself making more mistakes than usual!

We do not know the specific details of your situation, but we have a feeling you’re ready for this promotion—that you possess all the skills and knowledge essential for handling the new job and doing it well.

We’re sorry the stress and pressure of ‘auditioning’ for the promotion is getting to your head and hope some of these mantras and tips help you keep your composure and confidence.

The ‘laugh-in-the-face-of-imposter-syndrome’ mantra

I acknowledge my anxiety and self-doubt, but I will not let it stop me from doing my best work.

The inspiration: This operations director who landed three promotions in three years.

“Instead of trying to combat my inner dialogue, which regularly told me that I wasn’t good enough and wasn’t ready for my big ambitions, I accepted it,” they told Ladders.

“I acknowledged it was there, I felt insecure a lot of the time and acted despite it. And that gave me an edge.”

The ‘why-I-REALLY-want-this-promotion’ mantra

I want this promotion because it will empower me to ______________________.

The inspiration: Career Strategist Sonal Bahl’s golden rule for manifesting career growth: “Be crystal clear on what you want.”

It might be tempting, when you want a job fast, to cast a wide net, but Bahl says a willingness to do anything and everything may make you seem lost and confused. Instead, you should be focused on your destination and stick to your path. Bahl says it’s a lot like driving. (If you want to end up at Target, meandering down a bunch of side streets instead of sticking to the most direct route will only add time to your journey.)

The ‘play-chess-not-checkers’ mantra

I will keep all the work I’ve already done to earn this promotion top of mind (and make sure my supervisor does the same).

The inspiration: These words of wisdom from “Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into A Career You’ll Love” author.

“[ . . . ] Put yourself in the position to do the kind of work you love,” she told WBUR, Boston’s NPR.

“This is the ‘play chess, not checkers’ approach to work. Schedule time with your supervisor to highlight how you have performed and what you are working toward. Don’t be afraid to correct the narrative if you think they have an incomplete idea of who you are and what you can do.”

P.S. If and when you get that promotion…don’t forget to protect yourself from post-promotion burnout.

If by any chance you don’t get it…rest and recoup, but don’t give up! Some further reading:

• Why You Didn’t Get Promoted & What To Do About It | TA #ThirstyThursday (May 1, 2024)
• Getting Along: My New Manager Didn’t Give Me the Promotion I Was Promised | NPR

Tired of feeling like your to-do list has it out for you? Let’s talk tools. Whether you’re keeping track of deadlines, managing a team, or just trying to stay on top of everything, these productivity platforms can be your new BFFs.

We’re big fans of the classics like monday.com and Smartsheet. They’re pros at keeping everything in one place with monday.com’s easy visual boards and Smartsheet’s automation tools that help get the grunt work done.

But there are more gems worth knowing. Here’s a quick rundown:

1. Wrike: For the deadline-driven pros. Wrike’s Gantt charts and workload management help you tackle big projects without a stress spike.
2. Zoho: Budget-friendly and integration-packed, Zoho has all the basics without a steep learning curve.
3. Quickbase: The ultimate custom project manager, letting you build workflows that adapt to your team’s exact needs—no coding required.
4. Toggl: Master your time management. With Toggl’s tracking, you can see exactly where your hours are going (and make sure it’s on the right things).
5. Miro: A digital workspace for everything from brainstorming to planning. It’s all your sticky notes, mind maps, and ideas, organized.

Find your go-to tool and let it work with you—productivity doesn’t have to be a solo mission.

“The best advice I’ve gotten in my career is to invest in yourself and what that means is to continue to grow and learn with your career path.

It doesn’t stop once you obtain your bachelor’s or master’s—continue to place yourself in rooms where progressive conversations are happening, apply for workshops and gain other certifications so you are actively part of those groundbreaking conversations.”

— Cathiana O. (Software Developer)

⭐️ Share your best career advice here so we can share it in a future newsletter.

📖 If you love thrillers with twists and turns, this gripping read is for you.

🧂 Spice up your kitchen routine with this electric salt & pepper grinder set (the upgrade you didn’t know you needed!).

📋 GoCo simplifies HR with tools for onboarding, benefits, and payroll, all in one place

💳 Square simplifies payment processing with tools that let you accept payments from anywhere—whether you’re in-store, online, or on the go.