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| | ✅ Today's Checklist: Give (and receive) feedback without spiraling Protect your focus without canceling yourself It's never too late to realign your career
๐ค Riddle me this: What do you buy to eat but never consume?
(Find the answer on the bottom).
๐️ This Week: If tough convos make your stomach drop, this one's for you. Join "Courageous Conversations" with NextArrow—free on 6/19 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET. |
| | | | | | | | In some workplaces, feedback feels like a trap.
Say the wrong thing? You're labeled difficult.
Speak up with a new idea? It gets ignored—or worse, stolen.
That kind of tension doesn't just kill morale. It slows down progress, keeps problems hidden, and pushes your best people out the door.
But when teams trust each other, feedback becomes a superpower (not a threat). Research shows that psychologically safe teams are more creative, productive, and resilient.
It starts with how feedback shows up day to day.
๐ How to Give Feedback (Without Making It Weird)
Stick to the facts. "I noticed the report was submitted after the deadline" lands a lot better than "You're always behind." The goal is to reduce defensiveness, not trigger it.
Use "I" language. "I felt confused when the client feedback wasn't addressed" centers the impact, not the blame.
Be specific and forward-focused. Vague feedback = vague results. Instead, suggest next steps or ask what support would help.
Don't skip the good stuff. Recognition builds trust, which makes hard convos feel safer down the line.
๐ How to Receive Feedback (Without Spiraling)
Pause before reacting. It's okay to take a beat. Breathe. Respond > react.
Ask follow-ups. Questions like "Can you give me an example?" or "What does a win look like?" = growth mindset unlocked.
Say thank you (even if it stings). Appreciation keeps the convo open—even when it's tough to hear.
Remember: feedback is data, not a diagnosis. Take what's useful. Leave what's not. Don't wear it as your identity.
๐ฅ Culture = What Your Team Tolerates, Encourages, and Repeats.
If feedback feels like an attack, people avoid it.
If it's modeled with respect, consistency, and openness? People start leaning in.
Start small:
And if you're ready to level up your systems, check out the top feedback tools of 2025.
Over time, it adds up to a team culture where people feel safe, supported, and real with each other. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Why Your Hiring Process Feels Messy (And What to Do About It) |
| | | | | Great candidates won't wait while you dig through email threads and Google Sheets.
If your hiring process feels messy, slow, or inconsistent, it's probably not you—it's your system.
The fix? A smart ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
An ATS isn't just a digital filing cabinet for rรฉsumรฉs. It's your hiring HQ—keeping candidates organized, comms streamlined, and your team moving fast without sacrificing the human touch.
BambooHR is perfect for lean, growing teams who crave clarity without the chaos. Post jobs, track candidates, and loop in without the messy workarounds.
Bonus: It plugs straight into onboarding, so the new hires start strong.
For teams scaling quickly or hiring across multiple functions, Greenhouse is a heavy-hitter. It helps you run a repeatable, bias-resistant process with interview kits, candidate scorecards, and team-wide collaboration.
Spreadsheets could never:
✔️ Keep your teams aligned ✔️ Create a great candidate experience ✔️ Speed up hiring without cutting corners
✨ Whether it's your first hire or your fiftieth, a good ATS helps you move faster, stay organized, and make great impressions before day one. |
| | | | | | When "Getting It Done" Comes at Your Own Expense |
| A reader recently shared this biggest challenge with us:
"Focus…to meet goals on timelines that are sometimes unrealistic. I end up cheating myself on working out and eating healthy, which I feel like I also need to do to remain productive."
Been there? Same. The work piles up, deadlines feel made up, and the easiest thing to cancel is yourself.
But here's the truth: Cutting yourself out of your schedule doesn't create more capacity—it drains it.
Your ability to focus isn't just about willpower. It's about energy, boundaries, fuel, and rest. So let's reframe:
๐ Redefine "done": Unrealistic deadlines? Get clear on what actually needs to be delivered. This realistic planning framework helps you stop overcommitting—even in high-pressure environments.
๐ฅ Stop treating wellness like a luxury: You don't need 60-minute workouts or a perfect meal plan to stay sharp. Start small. Walks, quick lunches, 10-minute resets—they work. This Stanford study summary shows walking can boost creativity by 60%.
๐ฏ♀️ Build in accountability: Focus isn't always a solo act. Calendar blocks and check-ins can protect your time. In our private Slack community, TALA, we host virtual co-working sessions so members can show up for themselves (and their goals). Not on the list yet? Sign up here.
๐ง Use tools that reduce noise: Try time-blocking, batching, or external support (like Focusmate). And if your brain still insists on multitasking, this quick read will shift your mindset.
You don't need to earn rest, food, or movement. They are the tools that help you deliver your best work. Make space for them. Your focus (and future self) will thank you. |
| | | | Expense Management Doesn't Have to Be a Mess |
| Chasing receipts. Approving mystery charges. Manually entering line items for a $6 coffee.
If your current expense process feels more like babysitting than bookkeeping, you're not alone.
The trick? Don't rely on memory or spreadsheets. Modern expense management starts with smart systems that reduce friction, increase visibility, and give your team time back.
Start by setting clear policies: What counts as reimbursable? What's the approval flow? Who actually needs that subscription?
Then, use tools that automate the messy parts. For example, platforms like Rippling can tie expenses directly to employee roles and departments, making approval flows faster and more consistent. It's all integrated—so payroll, reimbursements, and finance stay in sync without the back-and-forth.
Need a tool that handles the nuts and bolts—scanning receipts, syncing cards, and flagging out-of-policy spend? Zoho Expense does just that. It's clean, intuitive, and perfect for growing teams that need robust features without enterprise-level pricing.
If you're focused on real-time control and spend visibility, look into Ramp. It goes beyond basic expense tracking, giving you instant alerts, automatic policy enforcement, and insights into where your money's actually going before it disappears into the void.
No matter what tool you choose, the goal is the same:
๐ก Automate what's tedious
๐ Keep your data clean and centralized ⏳ And stop wasting time on expense drama
Because when your systems work, your team can focus on the work that actually matters (and stop wondering who expensed that $83 "client lunch"). |
| | | It's Never Too Late to Realign Your Career |
| "As we grow wiser with age, our directions will change to align with those values. Realigning your career choices is possible at any age. I started a new career path at 50, including having to go back to school. And it has been wonderful!" — Brenda Parsons (Social Programs Coordinator)
⭐️ Share your best career advice here so we can share it in a future newsletter. |
| | | Stuff We're Loving This Week |
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