Laurie Ruettimann

Category: Life

  • This Week on Punk Rock HR: Risk, Reward and Priorities

    I came into the first recession unequipped to run a business. As a newly departed HR leader, I was comfortable telling you what you’re doing wrong but not entirely proficient at applying those same principles to my professional life.

    Not much has changed since then, but I know this: we’re in the early stages of an economic crisis, and nobody knows anything right now. 

    There are one or two people who have a clear head in a time of crisis (and it’s not Elon Musk). The rest of us? We’re fools. That’s because tomorrow is always uncertain. Even hearty businesses and their storied leaders are fighting hard to preserve their financial reserves. When Harvard asks for a handout, desperate to protect their future, what hope is there for you and me?

    But maybe there’s another way to look at this recession. Perhaps this uncertainty will force us to reconnect to our long-forgotten priorities and mobilize us to take immediate action. Forget about the quarantine, flattening the curve, and delayed unemployment checks for a second.

    • • Did you want to be a middle-aged lady who settled for mediocre TV and wine on the sofa after a day of meetings on Zoom, or did you dream of a different life? 
    • • When you were slogging your way through part-time jobs in college, did you do it to take on all that consumer debt? 
    • • Were you the first person in your family to go to college so you could work hard, get married to someone who doesn’t show up for you, and continuously fight with your kids? 

    Life takes unexpected turns, and adulthood is beset with tough choices. The only thing I did right during the last recession? I began the hard work of restructuring my life to align with my values. It’s a never-ending journey. Even when I get it wrong, which is often, I’m still moving forward. Looking at my core values led me out of a job (and life) that I hated and into a more honest position where I sleep better at night.

    The current recession demonstrates how we are all victims of hucksters, hawkers and bureaucrats with broken moral compasses who prioritized their physical and financial wellbeing over the health and safety of others. But we’re not sacrificial lambs. If politicians and businesses can put themselves first, so can we.

    It’s not a privilege to prioritize your emotional and financial health. It’s an imperative. Companies know it. Leaders know it. They don’t want you to know it, though. Later this week, I’ll share a simple exercise to help us identify what matters in our lives and how to put ourselves first in a healthy, non-toxic way. 

    I’m also talking about these topics in my weekly newsletter, where I’m also telling you one video to help you think about your week ahead. You can sign up here, or share this blog post with a friend who might need some help. We’re all in this together, except for the people who got us into this situation in the first place. But if we do the hard work of reconnecting to our values, those people won’t be in positions of power for much longer.

  • The Ultimate Coronavirus Panic Buy

    By Devon McGrath

    This week our (home) office got two new coworkers. They’re easily distracted and prone to bickering. I often catch them sleeping on the job and when they’re awake, they think it’s fun to interrupt my video calls. I can’t hold it against them though. They’re young, siblings, and growing up is hard work! They don’t get to do much around here yet, but the whole office takes regular breaks for walks outside and a chance to meet some new people along the way. We can’t do much outside of our homes right now, but these two make life fun and interesting.

    Now is not the time to do a lot of things. You can’t go to the movies, spend the weekend at an amusement park, let your kids play on the playground or have friends over for a drink. But you know what you can do? Adopt a puppy.

     

    Honestly, when was there a better time to welcome a furry companion into your life? Amongst all the chaos during this pandemic, mama doggos are still having adorable little puppies that are eagerly waiting for a forever home and a family to love. Right now the world is pretty stressful, but having a little floofer to snuggle with you is a pretty great way to get through this pandemic. Sure, there will be some tough moments along the way. Potty training, chewed furniture, learning to share toys… But now is the best time to get through those tough moments with a puppy. If you’re working from home, you can be there to let them out frequently, you can be present to pull your shoes out of their mouths, and there to cuddle them then they need some lovin’. If your family is home, you can even take shifts, and share the puppy training load. 

    Plus, there are some great up-sides. You can schedule a puppy break every-other-hour as a stress reliever. Or when you’re frustrated you can just pet your puppy and feel your worries wash away. Staying at home is important, but it can also leave us feeling isolated and sad. Having a little snuggle buddy has been a great way for our family to stay positive and keep the dopamine flowing. Additionally, 8/10 experts say puppy breath is the best aromatherapy for stress relief (not a real study, but I’m sure I’m right). And don’t get me started on the great physical exercise. Letting your puppy chase you and play is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air while putting an enormous grin on your face. 

    If you or your family has been considering adding a new four-legged companion (canine, feline, reptile, or whatever), I encourage you to do so! Now is the time to love up a pet, give them a couple of extra snacks, and treat them like the beloved family members they are. You’ll be giving a sweet animal a home, and giving yourself someone to look forward to every day!

    The world is pretty crazy right now, but it’s hard to be sad or worried when there’s a puppy in your lap. Or in our case, puppies. 🙂

    Meet my new rambunctious coworkers, Fiona, and Cash.

    Interested in adopting your own forever pet?

    I encourage you to check out your local rescue and shelter pets in need. Fiona and Cash are rescues that we found on https://www.adoptapet.com/. You can also check out this directory for more rescue organizations in your area. http://www.animalrescuedirectory.net/. But also please remember, all pets are forever pets. Pets are a huge, amazing, fun, responsibility. Only adopt if you’re in it for the long haul.

     

    Devon McGrath is an academic researcher turned podcast producer, content creator, and Director of Operations for Punk Rock HR. When she’s not working, you can find her roaming State Parks, hunting for a new great album to listen to, or sitting on the patio at a local brewery.

  • This Week on Punk Rock HR: April 5, 2020

    Hey everybody!

    I’m excited about this week on Punk Rock HR.

    We launched a weekly newsletter about the world of work. Sick of talking about work? Me too. That’s why I’m delivering one video each week that might provoke you. That’s right, I want to make you mad and challenge your beliefs while you’re stuck in quarantine. If you’re not thinking, you’re not growing. Plus your feedback makes me a better writer.

    This week’s video is about introversion and extroversion and why that’s a lie. Sign up and tell me why I’m wrong.

    Punk Rock HR Podcast

    Some of you don’t know that I rebranded my podcast. It’s now called Punk Rock HR, like my old blog. Why the change? Well, sometimes we need to go back to our roots for inspiration. Also, let’s be honest, it’s a much better name than “Let’s Fix Work.”

    This week’s guest is Michael Bungay Stanier. You know him as the author of The Coaching Habit, a phenomenal book. He’s got a new book coming out called The Advice Trap. Check out his TEDx Talk and catch him on the podcast on Monday, April 6th.

    The Book

    The book is happening! The book is happening! Yes, there’s an upcoming election in the age of a global pandemic. What better time to launch a new business venture?

    “Betting On You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career” is the book I’ve been trying to write for a better part of a decade. It’s not an HR book — it’s a fun book to help you rethink your approach to work, life, and relationships.

    Here are the top three questions from my friends and colleagues.

    Q: Is it any good?
    A: Heck yeah it’s good. Just kidding. I think it’s good, but who knows.

    Q: Is it a real book?
    A: Yes, it’s published by Henry Holt & Company. That’s a division of MacMillan, one of the top five publishers in the world.

    Q: Am I in it?
    A: Are you joking, you fucking narcissist? Actually, yes, you’re in it.

    If you sign up for the newsletter (above), you’ll hear about the book. That’s how this works. Here’s how the title page of the book is going to look!

    Have a great week!

  • College Students Are Having a Rough Time

    18.2 million students are going through something we’ve never experienced. Let’s cut them some slack.

    At this time, two years ago, my ass was firmly planted at the New Bar on campus at University College Cork. Seated with two close friends, we had our 4 pm happy hour before going to one of our most tedious modules. Sipping on pints, we discussed our dissertation topics, our advisors’ unrealistic expectations, and whether or not Kanye committed social suicide by suggesting slavery was a choice.

    As I spend this quarantine with my family, I find myself reflecting on my college experience quite a bit. Those were simpler times. I was surrounded by friends and learning nearly every day. When I was home alone, I was usually procrastinating by bingeing Homeland or building highly curated Spotify playlists. Maybe if I had time to get to it, I’d work on my dissertation. There was chaos roiling under the surface, of course, but things were predictable. School, deadlines, and my friends weren’t going anywhere. 

    Three weeks ago, my sister came home from college for her spring break. In the 21 days since then, her social life, education, future plans, and concept of personal space have all been turned inside out. Instead of chugging Red Bull at 2 am and cramming for a paper, she’s got me asking her every hour, “Hey, how’s that paper coming?” Instead of partying Thursday night through Sunday’s darty, she’s watching Tiger King and taking pictures of our pets. And classes? Forget chatting with your professor after class, partnering up with that cute classmate, or starting a study group. She’s on her own, and she’ll be lucky to learn half as much in a virtual classroom as she would have in a physical one. 

     

     

    Students are lost on what comes next. And their professors are too.

    https://twitter.com/keeg_u_9/status/1238992643801169923

     

    No matter your age, you probably know one of these nice Gen Z kids who are recently displaced college students. They’ve been forced out of their dorms, moved onto online learning platforms, sent home to their parents (if they have any to stay with), stripped of their friendship circles, and asked to assimilate to their family dynamic with no warning or prep time. So when you see these young adults on their phones chatting with a friend, aimlessly walking the neighborhood for a change of scenery, or snarking off to their parents, remember this. They just had the rug pulled out from under them, and they’re just as lost and confused as the rest of us. Cut them some slack. Send them a funny meme. Tell them it’s okay to feel upset. And help them find a new normal. 

     

     

    Devon and her sister in Austria before the world was turned upside down.

    Devon McGrath is an academic researcher turned podcast producer, content creator, and Director of Operations for Punk Rock HR. When she’s not working, you can find her roaming State Parks, hunting for a new great album to listen to, or sitting on the patio at a local brewery.

  • Quarantines and Boredom

    Standing on a street corner waiting for no one is power. – Gregory Corso

    During my final year in college, I was a contract recruiter at Monsanto in St. Louis. I helped hire engineers, chemists, and drafters for agricultural and manufacturing facilities around America.

    Please don’t blackout from the boredom.

    It was a temporary job paid through a staffing agency. I hoped it would become a more permanent job upon graduation. But there were no promises. So, I walked the stage and accepted my diploma in May and waited about two months for my life to go back to normal.

    Sixty days is a long time to wait. My boyfriend had a job at the library and went to work every day, so it was Lucy and me—my rescued Maine Coon cat—with nothing to do. How did we kill time? We watched a lot of cable news, ate snacks, and mostly laid around without a purpose.

    I even went through a phase where I didn’t get dressed and walked around the apartment naked. My boyfriend came home from work early and found me on the floor staring at the ceiling. He asked, “Are you gonna put on some clothes?”

    I was like, “Maybe.”

    When I finally got the news that it was time to return to work, I was elated. But once the allure of the paycheck wore off, I missed my old life. There was something so calming and comforting about being home, spending time with my cat, and having no obligations except to myself (and my easygoing boyfriend).

    It wasn’t long before I harkened back to the good old days of eating Ritz Crackers for breakfast and naked-watching Bernard Shaw and Judy Woodruff on CNN. I missed flipping through the channels and watching C-SPAN and The Weather Channel, too.

    That break imprinted an early, valuable lesson on me: Happiness and contentment don’t come from external sources. They come from creating habits aligned with our values. When I finally left my career in corporate America, I created a life surrounded by cozy furniture and animals—and with plenty of downtime on my terms to consume cable news.

    If you are at home and sluggish, awaiting news of when life goes back to normal, I’m here to tell you that life never goes back. It only goes forward. Harness the course of your life right now before someone imposes a new direction on you.

    And if you’re listless and feel purposeless, wondering when you can be something more than a personal valet and homeschooler to your ungrateful kids, know this: Boredom is a luxury. It’s a sneaky sign of power. Breakthroughs come from having a break.

    (Although I know it doesn’t feel like a break to do laundry and cook for a family shoved together in close quarters.)

    This quarantine gives all of us a chance to rethink our adult lives. Why would we go through all of this only to emerge the same? If you’re lucky, you’ll come out the other side with an understanding of who you are and what makes you happy.

    And maybe you’ll finally get to spend part of the day naked, lying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. There’s real power in that.

  • Working From Home in an Age of Coronavirus

    Be careful out there.

     

    If you go online, you can’t avoid read articles about “working from home” from people with laptops who once connected to the wifi at Starbucks in 2017 and read their emails from a Lenovo laptop and an Outlook inbox.

    It’s amateur hour for career advice. You’ve been warned.

    The truth about working from home is that nobody knows how to do it properly. You need about 60 days to get over the feel of working in self-isolation—and doing it while feigning collaboration—to arrive at the place where you’re comfortable.

    Because, for most people, it’s initially disastrous.

    What seems easy and straightforward is much more involved. Beyond the complexities of children and animals who want our constant attention, we have new environments and routines that invite us to live and work in a manner that’s counterintuitive to the way we’ve been programmed to operate.

    Suddenly find yourself working from home?

    Here are three reasons why you’ll struggle.

    1. Old attitudes die hard. You have habits and patterns of behavior that are mapped on your subconscious like the memories of childhood holiday celebrations. You only know one way of working, and everything about working from home requires you to examine your understanding of physical space and personal communication.
    2. The value of time and money changes. Even if you’re a salaried employee who never counts hours, you sort of count hours and gauge your effort on a 40-hour workweek. That’s 2,080 hours each year of standard work. If you make $100,000/year, that’s close to $50/hr. How do we calculate pay when the old model, which we deny is still a thing but is very much a thing, is disrupted?
    3. Technology is terrible, and the brain is worse. My friend and mentor, Nick Morgan, wrote a book that every work-from-home-pundit and telecommuter should read. It’s called, “Can You Hear Me?: How to Connect with People in a Virtual World.” He’s the foremost expert on virtual communications, and his book teaches us that the brain doesn’t process Zoom and Skype very well. There are things you can do to create more connection and trust. But, short of following his recommendations, those video conference calls are mostly ineffective.

     

    HOW TO MAKE WORK-FROM-HOME BETTER

    The way to fix anything is to adjust attitudes and expectations, whether you’re a worker or a leader—or both. Here are three ways to improve the work-from-home experience.

    1. Priority mapping matters. Isolation and disconnection are real. To overcome it, schedule regular “alignment discussions.” Ask and answer—What’s important today, this week, and this quarter? What’s essential for daily operations, how do we maintain business continuity, and what commitments are critical for our workforce? What are we fighting for this month and this year?
    2. Trust but don’t verify. It’s easy to surveil workers at home by monitoring time on apps, having them check in at random times with photos or videos, or simply asking them to participate in virtual meetings that don’t need to happen. That’s not work—it’s an extension of the prison-like state of the modern workforce. The way you verify if someone is working? It’s to review the workproduct and to assess their attitude and character along the way, just like “best practices” in the office in 2020.
    3. Cut people some slack. When you find yourself irritated or annoyed with a coworker, ask yourself—Why do I feel this way? What’s genuinely bothering me? When else have I felt this way in the past? The things that upset you are a reflection of individual challenges, difficulties, and complicated emotions and often have little to do with the dude who is bothering you.

    If you suddenly find yourself working from home and don’t know how to do it, remember how the first 60 days felt at your new job.

    • You missed vital meetings because people didn’t know to invite you yet.

    • People neglected to include you in emails, and the world didn’t explode.

    • And in those early days at the new job, your brain felt taxed even though it was great. You were learning a lot but wanted to go home and take a nap at the end of the day.

    It might seem like the biggest challenge of working-from-home is avoiding constant trips to the refrigerator for snacks, the biggest challenge will be managing your expectations and being kind to yourself and others.

    It seems like working-from-home is a lot like normal work, after all.

     

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    I was going to make another video about coronavirus and HR, but, instead, I really wanna say something about working from home: 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. ⁣ ⁣ Nobody’s gonna do it right at first. Kids are going to walk in and demand snacks, animals are going to hop up during an important meeting, and neighbors are going to cut their lawns in the middle of the day. ⁣ ⁣ Working from home or not, change is hard. Go slow. Cut people some slack. Don’t judge people based on time logged on chats and channels.⁣ ⁣ If you’re lucky, you might get to see a uniquely human moment that makes the day a little lighter. ⁣ ⁣ #punkrockhr #roxygirl #workfromhome #workworkwork #hrlady #shrm #covid19 #coronavirus

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  • Make a Donation So My Sister Quits Smoking

    I have all kinds of goals in 2020, but my biggest goal is to bully my sister into quitting smoking.

    Bullying works, right?

    Shoot, it doesn’t.

    The only thing that works is to offer low-cost smoking cessation programs and prevent other people from smoking in the first place.

    That’s why I hustle up a skyscraper every year to support the Respiratory Health Association. Whether it’s reducing the dangers we face from air pollution, preventing tobacco use or improving access to health care, Respiratory Health Association is committed to advancing policies to protect lung health and help people living with disease today and in future generations.

    RHA cares about inner-city kids with asthma. They are at the forefront of combatting the health effects of air pollution and climate change. And they were early to Tobacco 21.

    I’d love your support in battling lung disease. Please make an end-of-year donation here and help others breathe easier.

    We don’t have to bully my sister — except in blog posts. We can make it easier for her to quit when she’s ready.

    Thanks for your support!

  • The Importance of Slowing Down and Taking a Break

    Sunset with low country marsh

    Physical and mental burnout can take a toll on leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees. In fact, a Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found that 23% of employees reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. 

    In addition, they found that burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job. And even if they stay, they typically have 13% lower confidence in their performance and are half as likely to discuss how to approach performance goals with their manager.

    If we do the math, giving your 110% isn’t really 110% if you are burnt out. In fact, when you are pushing that hard, 110% slowly becomes 80% and then 60%. You get the picture. 

    What is one to do when they are feeling overwhelmed or lack of focus? Well, when my BFF, Jennifer McClure was faced with loss of focus following a horse-riding accident, she realized she had to do a better job at prioritizing her schedule. She also knew she had to get help. 

    Therefore, the first step in the process is to recognize when you do need help and actually ask for it. Jennifer ended up putting into practice some time management strategies to help her feel less stressed and overwhelmed. She even hired a project manager who has helped her take control of her business. 

    Another strategy you can employ, if you are feeling pushed to your limits, is to take a break. 

    Take some time off and step away from work. I’ll say it time and again, we fix work by fixing ourselves. Paying attention to our own wellness is of the utmost importance.

    Time off is vital to productivity for each and every entrepreneur. Doing so allows you to step away from your business so that you can come back and love your business. It allows you to be excited about your business. It allows you to be re-energized by the prospect of working again too.  

    Recently my BFF, Jennifer McClure, stopped by my podcast to talk about the importance of slowing down, as well as her outlook for 2020. If you want to hear our BFF conversation then head over here to listen. 

  • 2019 Regrets

    I always end the year by writing about my accomplishments, failure, regrets, and resolutions. I love this time of year because the calendar naturally moves me to reflect and take action. This post is all about 2019 regrets.

    My biggest regret in 2019?

    I still hold grudges.

    If I were to make a list of character defects that upset me in other people, the act of “holding grudges” would be high on that agenda. Animosity is toxic, and people who hold grudges are mostly assholes who can’t get out of their own way. Yet here I am with a list of Festivus-like injuries that are carried around all year long. 

    Some of these grudges are small, some of them are large, and most are valid. I do not imagine grievances over here. There are people in my life who have acted up and haven’t atoned. Or they apologize, say they’re doing their best, and then do the same damn things over and over again.

    Forgiveness is complicated. Forgetting it out of the question. But carrying around a list of grievances is exhausting, and it’s not like I’m perfect. I want forgiveness for my mistakes, too.

    I regret holding grudges because it’s time spent looking backward instead of forward. Maybe, at one point, these grudges were a defense mechanism. You know, part of a combined post-mortem and pre-mortem strategy to stop making the same mistakes over and over again. But defense mechanisms are exhausting, and I’d rather play offense with my life. It’s much more exciting and rewarding.

    So, here you have it: my biggest regret of 2019 is holding grudges. Maybe I’ll learn some new coping mechanisms in 2020. Perhaps life will sort itself out without my hypervigilance. Or possibly my life will restructure itself, and I won’t have to deal with assholes, anymore. 

    But one thing is for sure — I’d like to use my time and attention differently in 2020. These grudges have got to go.

  • 2019 Accomplishments

    I always end the year by writing about my accomplishments, failure, regrets, and resolutions. I love this time of year because the calendar naturally moves me to reflect and take action. This post is all about 2019 accomplishments.

    Some years my accomplishments are practical. Other years, it’s all about personal growth. This year, it’s a mix of both.

    Travel was slightly more manageable in 2019.

    This year, I had 37 trips to 50 cities and four countries that spanned 99,312 miles. My stats are just shy of Executive Platinum on American Airlines, which means my status will downgrade a smidge in 2020 unless I write them a check or go on a last-minute mileage run. No thanks.

    For all your airline points nerds, I’m a million-miler and Platinum Pro. I’ll be fine. It’s an accomplishment to be home more often and focused on my wellbeing. Not a bad way to end the year.

    I finished the first draft of my book.

    I’m deep into my first round of edits from my editor who reminds me of Dory from Finding Nemo. She tells me, “Just keep writing.”

    That advice is harder than it sounds. Thomas Merton once used an aphorism from the Book of Proverbs to describe revising and editing his work: “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”

    But I’m still writing and revising, so that’s an accomplishment.

    We fostered two cats.

    Do you know what fostering entails?

    It’s when you agree to help find an animal a home, but also love and nurture the little creatures like your own. It’s an exercise in attachment. You must love them enough to spend your emotional time and energy on their wellbeing, but also love them enough to realize that they’re not yours forever.

    A lot of people tell me they could never be foster parents. They would never give them up. I think they’re right. Both Scrubby and Emma were “foster fails.” Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye to animals, so you don’t. But we said goodbye to June and JuJu and they are thriving.

    I kicked Xanax to the curb.

    I took a small but daily dose of Xanax for nearly seven years, which is a very long time to be on a benzodiazepine. Unfortunately, I cannot take SSRIs for my anxiety. The side effects are too real. But the Xanax made me super stupid, and, in an act of divine intervention, I forgot to bring a bottle while on a business trip.

    The withdrawal was real but worth it. I’m now using other tools in my toolkit — avoidance, meditation, mindfulness, neurofeedback, cardiovascular exercise, Pilates, talk therapy — to manage how I feel.

    I don’t recommend anybody follow my advice on how to manage their lives, let alone mindset. But even on my worst days when I’m feeling terrible, I feel more in touch with myself than when I was on Xanax.

    I met George Clooney.

    Honestly, this is my biggest accomplishment.

    I met George Clooney at a conference in Nashville called WorkHuman Live where I was paid to help share smart ideas about the future of work.

    Once, I was a smalltime HR lady. But for the past five years, I worked with a team to help build a community. Plus, I got to meet my Hollywood crush. That’s how I know that I fixed work for myself.

    Have you reflected on 2019? What are your most significant accomplishments? What are you most proud of? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

     

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