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2025-08-06 08:00:00| Fast Company

Bree Groff is a company culture, engagement, and leadership consultant, and serves as a senior adviser to the global consultancy SYPartners. She has guided executives at companies including Calvin Klein, Google, Hilton, Microsoft, and NBCUniversal. Whats the big idea? Bree remembers sitting in the waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with her mom, hoping desperately that her moms oncologist could give her every last day possibleand then talking to a friend from work, telling her she couldnt wait for the week to be over. The different attitudes toward the value of our days were striking. It became very clear: when we wish away the workweek, we wish away our lives. What would it take for us to look forward to Monday? Below, Bree shares five key insights from her new book, Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously). Listen to the audio versionread by Bree herselfbelow, or in the Next Big Idea App. [Photo: Next Big Idea Club] 1. Most work, most days, should be fun. So much about the working world is patently ridiculous. Its not normal to be too busy to eat. Its not normal to look at email before you look at the partner lying beside you every morning. Its not normal to choose being high performing over happy. And its definitely not normal to enjoy 2/7ths of our lives each week. So no, I dont believe work needs to be drudgery. I also dont believe it needs to be our religion or identity or the sum of our fulfillment. That end of the spectrum, while sometimes invigorating, is an easy recipe for burnout. Work can, instead, simply be fun! A nice way to spend our time on the planet. Because work, at its simplest, is fundamentally enjoyable! We dont get paid because work is painful. We get paid because we create value. The pain is entirely optional. Its fun to create something others appreciate. To show off our skills, learn, experiment, and build next to people we like. Sure, not every day will be fun, but when we falsely equate struggle with greatness, weve guaranteed were either happy or successful but never both. Consider Kati Kariko, the famed mRNA researcher whose work led to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. As she would dash off to the lab, her husband would tell her, You are not going to workyou are going to have fun. Or take Milton Glaser, the renowned designer of I <3 NY fame, who, when asked why he kept working at age 87, replied, I do it because its so pleasurable for me. I derive this deep, deep satisfaction that nothing else, including sex, has ever given me. Thats a strong endorsement for fun at work. 2. Your brain works whether youre wearing a suit or stretchy pants. We need to lose the notion that we must be super profesh. Somewhere along the way, we decided to equate being professional with being well-dressed and well-groomed, rather than doing high-quality work, on time, with respect. Weve confused being professional with looking professional. Work is, in many ways, performative. No one really knows what theyre doing, and yet our ability to get things done rests on other people believing that we do. So, weve created symbols of professionalism that we use to telegraph our competency. We wear tailored suits to look like what society tells us businesspeople look like. Or we use buzzwords and jargon to obscure our lack of clear thinking. Its silly. Can we all decide that the new professionalism means being respectful and doing good work, whether or not were wearing a zipper? Weve confused being professional with looking professional. Also, its really no fun. Who wants to be (literally) buttoned up and proper all day long? Why should work be a costume party? When we get dressed for work in the morning, the last thing most people want to put on is a business mask: that way of being that allows us to be seen as palatable, presentable, and acceptable within the dominant business culture. An employee I interviewed at one client said, The feedback was focused on delivery, not content. Weve gotten better but have work to do around embracing people, their styles. And another said, There shouldnt be one template of what a successful leader is. You might think, Sure, some tech startup or creative agency can be casual and spunky and fun, but serious business demands proper professionalism. But consider perhaps the most serious of all workplaces: the operating room. Dr. Peter Attia, author of Outlive and former Johns Hopkins surgeon, recounts, Surgeons are often listening to music in the OR, but we only listened to that CD [of Napoleon Dynamite clips]. For an entire month we never stopped laughing at this thing. People always ask when I tell this story, Did it compromise the outcomes? And I will say that there was a period of three days when we did 13 kidney transplants: every one of those patients had a remarkable achievement outcome. If surgeons are having fun while peoples lives are on the line, you can have fun in your next budget meeting. 3. Shoveling shit is fun if you like your co-shovelers. Loads of research shows that friendship at work drives business outcomes. Im far more interested in the argument that friendship at work drives Im enjoying my life outcomes. Because what good is a strong bottom line if everyones miserable? If we know relationships are the secret to long-term human happiness, why do we pretend its different at work? You should like the people you spend your days with. Plain and simple. What good is a strong bottom line if everyones miserable? In the show The Office, the imaginary organization Dunder Mifflin is a paper sales companya brilliant choice for its extreme dullness. The point of the show was not to showcase purpose at work, or passion, or that work sucks. It was to show that, even without purpose and passion, work doesnt suck because of the people. The office workers at Dunder Mifflin all kind of hated each other (except for a few notable romances), but they made their own fun, nonetheless. From the dullest of scenesHR presentations and fire safety protoolscame all kinds of hilarity. Im very aware that some of the jokes didnt age well. But I think the sentiment remains: Work is fun if we, together, make it that way. 4. Make brilliant workdont let busyness and conformity sabotage you. We should do brilliant work because it drives business. Because it creates value. But even cooler than either of those reasons is that doing brilliant work makes us feel alive! Its a cool part of being a human that we get to play around on the planet and try to make stuff that makes others happy. Were all just big kids shouting, Hey, watch this! Look what I can do! Its simply fun. And yet, two things get in the way: busyness and conformity. Busyness can be a strategy problem. You arent prioritizing what drives your business and are making yourself busy with too many side quests. It can be a power problemthat managers need to constantly coordinate and are therefore making workers attend 17 status meetings a week. Or it can be a psychology problem: It feels good to be busy because busy means Im in demand, Im needed. It can also be an escape from the rest of life. Brilliance requires spaciousness. Busyness is fight or flight, while brilliance is sitting in the meadow, dreaming about your innovative new shelter. What does it take for us to simply sit and think once in a while? Busyness is fight or flight, while brilliance is sitting in the meadow, dreaming about your innovative new shelter. Conformity is equally dominating and alluring. Making our work look like everyone elses work is a form of safety. Its Im just doing it how weve always done it. Dont blame me! But what happens when we honor our own instincts first and lead with creative confidence? Take the acclaimed and non-conforming screenwriter Stanley Kubrick. Someone once asked him if it was usual for a director to spend so much time lighting each shot. He said, I dont know. Ive never seen anyone else light a film. He trusted in himself. You may not want a whole organization filled with Stanley Kubricks who are definitely not getting their expense reports done on time. But truly anyoneanyone!can learn to be brilliant in at least some aspect of their work: whether theyre a barista making latte art, an HR manager creating trainings, or a CEO setting a strategy, there is always some opportunity for human expression. And thats the fun stuff. 5. Get good at life, not just work. The trouble with work is that it can be greedy. Sometimes you may work too much because thats what the job requires. Other times it might be because you find it fun and even addicting. But either way, theres a cost, and it cant be avoided. When you overwork, you underlive. And thats no fun. Our time is finite, and if more is spent working, less is spent on date nights, crossword puzzles, your health, or many other parts of your life that are important to you. Under no circumstances should you take your laptop on your date night in a quest to have it all. You are more important than you think to those who love you. You are less important than you think to those who employ you. Even leaders of nations are replaceable! But it can be hard to keep overworking tamped down if we dont see how much there is to gain. We were at the beach one day when my husband, Brad, said to a friend of ours, It was so nice to have a day to do nothing. Our friend responded, Nothing?! When was the last time you had lobster for lunch and swam so vigorously in the sea? You did everything! Of course, Brad was referring to having done no workthe measure of how productive we are for business or society. When I think of a day I did everything, I used to think of a day when I ran around hyper-efficiently getting things done. But thats not the kind of everything-life I want now. I want the kind of everything-life where I have time to sing the ridiculous wake-up song to my daughter in the morning. Where I belly laugh with colleagues instead of getting right down to business. Maybe some everything-days are grand and filled with lobster and the sea, while some are small and sweet and filled with time to read and walk and cook with my family and totally mess up the recipe, but it doesnt really matter. I want that kind of everything-life. Perhaps you do too? The kind of life where I curl up at night and think: Today was fun. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.


Category: E-Commerce

 

LATEST NEWS

2025-08-06 06:00:00| Fast Company

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way companies workeven at the top. C-suite executives now rank AI literacy as the No. 1 skill needed to navigate business change, according to a recent LinkedIn report. In fact, 88% of leaders surveyed in this report said speeding up their businesses adoption of the technology is a priority this year. Although business leaders across many sectors agree AI is important, some acknowledge it can be difficult to know how and when to implement it, especially since it is constantly changing. Its still an early technology, in terms of its capabilities, says Heather Redman, cofounder of the venture firm Flying Fish Partners and board member at several companies. Were all watching with both anticipation and trepidation as to how good it gets. With AIs momentum showing no signs of slowing, here are the key things board members and the people who advise them are keeping in mind when it comes to integrating AI into businesses. Focusing on where is AI actually usefuland where its just hype Before adding AI to the business, whether internally or externally, those who advise board members on new technology say the most important thing is not to get caught up in the hype surrounding AI. Instead, they tell board members to think about how the technology could truly benefit the businessfor example, finding new uses for AI that set a company apart from competitors. You dont want to neglect your core business because youre shifting everything towards AI, says Christoph Wollersheim, AI consultant at the leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder. To cut through the noise, many board members are focusing their conversations about AI around four main questions: where does AI fit into the companys strategy? What regulations govern the new technology? How can the company use it responsibly? And how will it change the workforce? Communicate plans with the rest of the company With so many questions to consider with AI, its easy for boards to get bogged down. However, Redman urges companies to take time to really nail down their AI strategy so they dont hold employees back from innovating. People tend to fixate on the technology, and I think we need to also be thinking about the human side as well as the strategy in the business side, Redman says. Were seeing a lot of surveys now where employees are incredibly nervous but also incredibly eager to use the technology, and the senior levels of the company are sometimes holding them back. To overcome this indecision and learn to communicate more effectively about AI, some leaders are looking at how peers in their businesss competitive landscape are using the technology and trying to imagine similar uses in their own work. In my past six months of conversation with board members, many of them have become AI savvy, says Beena Ammaneth, executive director of the Deloitte Global AI Institute. But they also want to learn more about what others in the industry are doing. They’re looking for those best practices. Some best practices, Ammaneth says, are thinking of how to use AI to set your company apart, empowering managers to innovate quickly, staying ahead of emerging risks and regulatory changes that will impact AI, and creating a structure of governance around AI initiatives. Balance the risks and opportunities AI brings Once boards decide that bringing AI into the company is worthwhile, there are still lots of risks and opportunities to consider. Especially since the technology is both new and always changing, many of its risks are still unknown. When it comes to any new technology or innovation, I think the immediate reaction among board membersand its for good reasonis . . . trying to understand what potential risks it introduces, says Dylan Sandlin, program manager of digital and cybersecurity content at the National Association of Corporate Directors. With new technologies, it always offers a potential to impact your strategy in a way you didnt anticipate. So far, inside the boardroom, Redman estimates only 1% to 2% of boards are actively using AI. However, she says it can be a great way to get some non-human bias in the room, eliminating some biases in human decision making. For example, board members may be swayed by recency bias, or a bias toward trying solutions that worked in the recent past instead of exploring other options. An AI tool trained on a variety of solutions may pick one that was used less recently but may be better suited for the current situation. Still, Redman warns against AI being used in a way that could expose sensitive data or information that is not meant to be public. Outside the boardroom, there are similar risks. AI programswhether internal or client-facingcan hallucinate and generate misleading or harmful information. As the technology continues to change, leadership teams will need to be prepared to change with them. The boards going to need to maintain an appropriate oversight that matches the scale of the impact of this technology, Sandlin adds. Start small with implementation Since there are risks associated with AI programsand it is time-consuming and costly to implement themsome boards are inclined to take it slow when it comes to introducing AI to the workplace. The biggest issue isnt so much bringing AI into the boardroom, Redman says. Its to get your whole board to feel comfortable [with AI]. To help bridge the gap in comfort and get projects moving, some board advisors suggest bringing an AI expert onto the board or starting with an AI workshop to help leadership teams understand the technology and its uses. Others suggest starting by implementing smaller AI projectssuch an internal AI program with a relatively narrow scope, such as one automating marketing or finance processesto build confidence and support across the business before moving onto larger and more impactful uses for AI. Not using AI is not an option, Ammanath says. You have to use AI no matter what business or what domain you are inand thats not just true from a business perspective, but also from a job perspective. Continuous education Above all, board members looking to implement AI in their companies are working to educate themselves about the technology as much as possible. With constant education, they hope to be prepared for the next questions that the tool brings to their governance. AI shouldnt be a topic that one expert knows everything about, Wollersheim says. Its a core strategic topic that everyone should know something about.


Category: E-Commerce

 

2025-08-05 23:30:00| Fast Company

Discomfort is common in leadership training, but its especially palpable when you walk into a room of police commanders and ask them to say Yes, and… Thats the scene I step into regularly as part of my work with the Policing Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago Crime Lab. These sessions bring together leaders from some of the most high-risk, high-pressure precincts in the country. At first, theres skepticism. Arms crossed. Blank faces. Theres a quiet but unmistakable undercurrent: What is this? Why are we here? Then, something shifts. Within 30 minutes, theyre not just participating; theyre connecting. Theyre not just answering; theyre listening. And whether they realize it or not, theyre building the skills of an improviser: agility, curiosity, presence, and trust. The challenge facing law enforcement leadership Police leadership today demands far more than operational expertise. Commanders are expected to be strategic communicators, culture builders, and community connectors, all while navigating constant scrutiny, high-stakes decision making, and immense public pressure. Yet many of these leaders rise through the ranks without ever receiving formal training in communication or emotional agility. Their development often emphasizes tactics, not trust. And that leaves a gap between what their roles require and what theyve been prepared to do. This isnt a critique of individuals. Its a systemic truth. And it mirrors challenges in other industries: elevated expectations without the human-centered training to meet them. Why improv is the unexpected solution Improvisation is often misunderstood as spontaneous silliness. But at its core, improv is structured practice in navigating the unknown with others. Its the skillset of presence. Of curiosity. Of listening before reacting. At Second City Works, we use applied improvisation to help professionals build real-world capabilities, ones that align perfectly with the demands of modern leadership. Skills like: Yes, and: A mindset that builds momentum rather than shutting it down. It trains leaders to acknowledge others ideas while adding their own, creating space for collaboration, not control. Intentional listening: Listening not to respond, but to understand. Its a discipline that reduces conflict and strengthens relationships. Agility in complexity: The ability to make clear, grounded decisions without a script. Something every leader (especially in law enforcement) needs daily. As my colleague Kelly Leonard often says, Improv is yoga for your social skills. It stretches our empathy, it strengthens our communication skills, and it builds the kind of flexible resilience that todays workplaces demand. What happens when police leaders learn to improvise These skills arent just interesting, theyre effective. A 2023 study published in Science Direct found that participants in improv-based training improved their adaptability, confidence, and clarity under stress. In high-pressure environments, those outcomes arent optional. Theyre essential. At the Policing Leadership Academy, Ive seen those outcomes firsthand. In nearly every session, theres a moment when one participant turns to the group and names what everyone is feeling: that this work matters. That shift in energy is immediate. The room leans in. And more often than not, the person making that statement is later chosen by their peers to deliver the graduation speech. In every case, theyve referenced our session as a turning point. And the data backs this up. A 2024 review in the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology found that leadership programs emphasizing communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution led to increased officer safety, fewer misconduct reports, and stronger public perception. Similarly, a two-year study involving 101 first-line supervisors in the ILEA School of Police Supervision program found that service-oriented leadership rose from 63% to 77% after training. Among those who reported communication gains, that number jumped from 35% to 93%. The lesson is clear: When we train for communication, trust, and presence, whether through improv or other human-centered methods, we dont just make better leaders. We make safer, more connected communities. What every industry can learn from this The conditions that challenge law enforcement (uncertainty, complexity, rapid change) arent exclusive to policing. Theyre everywhere. Across sectors, leaders are being asked to connect across differences, navigate conflict with empathy, and make quick decisions that carry real consequences. Theyre also leading teams that are more dispersed, more diverse, and more stressed than ever before. And yet, many industries still treat communication and relational skills as secondary, if theyre addressed at all. Thats a mistake. According to Gallup, business units with higher employee engagement (which is closely linked to better communication and leadership) see up to 23% increases in profitability and 18% higher sales. And in that same Science Direct study, individuals who participated in improv training saw meaningful increases in creative self-efficacy and self-esteem. These two qualities are essential for innovation and confident leadership. The message is simple: The workplace doesn’t need more perfect scripts. It needs more people who can lead without one. Why now We are living in a time of disruption. New technologies, new expectations, and new ways of working are reshaping the workplace faster than most organizations can adapt. But some truths remain constant: People want to feel heard. They want to feel understood. They want to follow leaders who can communicate clearly, respond flexibly, and model confidence under pressure. Improv doesnt just help you react; it helps you relate. And whether youre commanding a precinct or running a board meeting, those are the skills that make leadership work. Tyler Dean Kempf is creative director of Second City Works.


Category: E-Commerce

 

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