✅ Today's Checklist: - Thania fixes your eco-guilt (one step at a time)
- Don't let your job get derailed by a boss who refuses to do theirs
- Falling ≠ failing
🤔 Riddle me this: This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down. (Find the answer on the bottom). | | | GREEN(ISH) GOALS I Suck at Being Green—Here's How to Suck Less I care about the environment. I believe climate change is real, I want a livable future for our kids, and I do feel guilty every time I throw something in the trash that probably didn't need to be there. But when it comes to actually living "sustainably"? I feel like I'm failing. I shop at Trader Joe's where half the produce is individually wrapped, my town doesn't offer recycling, and I've absolutely Googled "how to compost" without following through. So if you also feel behind or overwhelmed—here's how to suck a little less at being green, with real examples and the why behind them. 1. 🥦 Cut Down on Food Waste Why it matters: Wasted food ends up in landfills where it releases methane—a greenhouse gas 25x more potent than CO₂. What you can do: Start by actually eating what's in your fridge. Freeze leftovers. Store produce properly so it lasts longer (like wrapping herbs in a damp paper towel). And yes, those half-used bags of spinach count. 2. 🌱 Compost (Even a Little) Why it matters: Composting returns nutrients to the soil and keeps food scraps out of landfills. It also reduces methane emissions. What you can do: Use a small countertop bin for veggie scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells or a fancy one like this. Look for local compost drop-offs or check if your farmers' market collects. You don't need a backyard pile to make an impact. 3. 🚫 Buy Less Plastic Why it matters: Most plastic isn't recycled—it ends up in landfills or the ocean. It also takes hundreds of years to break down. What you can do: Skip plastic produce bags. Bring your own tote. Buy from bulk bins when possible (yes, even once in a while helps). Use shampoo bars or refillable hand soap to reduce bottles. 4. ♻️ Choose Reusables That Actually Save Waste Swap Ziplocs for Stasher bags. Replace paper towels with washable cloths. Use a refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. These aren't about aesthetics—they significantly reduce how much you throw away. 5. 🗳️ Vote With Your Dollar (and Your Ballot) Support brands with low-waste packaging or circular models (like Blueland or Everist). And vote for legislation that holds corporations accountable—not just individuals. You don't have to be perfect to be better. A few small, conscious choices add up. Start where you are—and give yourself credit for caring in the first place! 
Thania (TA Content Mgr)
| | | AI AT WORK Everyone's Talking AI—But Is Your Team Using It Responsibly? AI is here. It's in your tools, your workflows, maybe even your job description. But using it well? That's where things get tricky. Traliant's AI Ethics & Responsible Use training helps your team navigate the gray areas—like avoiding bias, protecting privacy, and using AI with integrity (not just speed). It takes just 30 minutes and covers the essentials: ✅ Real-world scenarios your team will actually recognize ✅ Practical tips on how to use AI ethically without slowing things down ✅ Guidance that supports your DEI values and builds trust Created by legal and compliance experts, this 30-minute course gives your team the real-world context, guardrails, and questions they actually need to use GenAI responsibly at work. Get the free course trial and equip them to use AI with clarity, confidence, and care. | | | BIGGEST CHALLENGE Don't Get Buried In Your Boss's Blind Spots "My biggest challenge is working with a boss that pushes most of her tasks on others because she doesn't wish to learn how to do things on her own, even though she has been shown how to do them." It's one thing to support your manager as part of a healthy workplace dynamic. But when "support" turns into repeatedly doing their work for them, a line has definitely been crossed. When a boss consistently hands off tasks—not because they're too busy or they're delegating responsibly, but because they "just don't get it" (or worse, don't want to)— they're choosing convenience over growth. Many employees find themselves in the frustrating position of taking on tasks their boss simply refuses to learn, or refuse to do, despite being amply trained. The result? Overloaded staff, mounting resentment, an uptick in turnover, and a toxic undercurrent that slowly eats away at morale. As an employee, you can easily feel trapped in this situation. 🗣️ If you speak up, you risk being labeled insubordinate or difficult. 🤐 If you stay quiet, you continue to carry a workload that isn't yours (most likely with no additional compensation or recognition). So, what can you do? - 📝 Document everything - Keep track of all the extra tasks being funneled your way and clarify any that you're certain your boss is trained and capable of completing. Also, specify if you've had to work any overtime to ensure that your own responsibilities are covered and deadlines are met.
- 🩹 Have the talk - You'll have to rip the band-aid off and bring your concerns to your boss's attention. Frame the conversation around capacity and efficiency rather than blame—"I want to be sure I can give everything the attention it deserves, but I'm at max bandwidth."
- 🪜 Escalate - If that doesn't work, it's time to get HR or a trusted higher-up involved. Share your concerns and documentation, including your attempts to address the situation yourself. Be sure to keep it factual and focused on workflow, not personality or emotions.
Ultimately, a boss who refuses to learn creates a ceiling—not just for themselves—but for their entire team. If the culture can't shift because of leadership, it may be time to ask if it's the right environment for you because carrying someone else's unwillingness isn't actually part of your job description. | | | HELP DESK Burnout Starts in the Inbox. Here's How to Stop It. Too many tickets. Not enough humans. Agents context-switching into oblivion. If your help desk is one "per my last email" away from collapse, you're not alone. The solution? Smart tools that actually do the work—not just log it. 👇 Here's how to fix your most common help desk headaches—and which tool can help: 💥 Buried in tickets? Zendesk is your triage hero. Its AI-powered routing prioritizes urgent issues and auto-suggests help articles, cutting resolution time in half. Bonus: one inbox for all channels (email, chat, socials). 🧠 Constantly tabbing between tools? Zoho shows full customer history in one view—no more digging through old threads. Set up SLAs, automate escalations, and build self-serve portals to deflect repeat questions. 🔧 Need more than customer chat? ManageEngine is built for technical teams. Think asset management, incident tracking, and change control—all in one. Ideal for ITIL-compliant orgs or hybrid setups. 🫶 Support team working in silos? Freshdesk turns collaboration into a superpower. Agents can "huddle" within tickets, assign tasks, and use canned responses to stay efficient (and sane). ⚡ Need fast wins on a small team? Tidio combines live chat and chatbot automation so small teams can look enterprise-level. Its no-code bot builder answers FAQs, tracks orders, and qualifies leads 24/7. ✅ Tip: Before choosing, map your support flows. What are your top 5 repetitive issues? What platforms do customers use to reach you? Your answers = your platform fit. | | | SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT Every Fall Adds Fuel "Fail, get up, and fail again. Failing means you are trying. Trying means you are winning."  Sara M. (Director of Administration) | | | STAFF PICKS
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