Corporate Strategy

Two managers trade stories and tactics for managing up—how to spot when it works, when it backfires, and how to propose solutions that win you visibility without fueling Friday fire drills. Along the way, we get honest about ego, boundaries, and using small wins to open bigger doors.

• secret pod hidden on Discord and community update
• abacus mental math and why process beats memorization
• the case for managing u...

We tackle the controversial claim that "if career growth matters, 100% remote is a trap," exploring whether physical presence in an office truly impacts your ability to advance professionally. Through personal experiences and practical advice, we dissect when remote work might limit opportunities and when it's irrelevant to career progression.

• Remote work may create a ceiling specifically for executive-lev...

Bruce and Clark explore the growing expectation for workers to carry more weight, delving into the pressures of increased workloads and the impossibility of meeting ever-growing demands. They discuss how businesses expect employees to take on responsibilities outside their expertise while maintaining existing workloads.

• Bruce shares a frustrating experience with video recording where technical issues wasted hours of his ...

The jobs report confirms what many already suspected: employment opportunities are scarce, forcing many professionals to remain in positions they might otherwise leave. We explore practical strategies for surviving and finding happiness when changing jobs isn't an option.

• Understanding the physical and emotional symptoms of burnout
• Setting boundaries by blocking calendar time and using "do not disturb&quo...

We discuss how to prepare for rejection and failure in your professional life, exploring the concept of grit and resilience as essential components of long-term success. Through historical examples like ancient Rome's ability to absorb losses and personal anecdotes about career setbacks, we uncover strategies for turning adversity into growth opportunities.

• The power of building resilience through repeated exposure ...

Navigating workplace pay transparency reveals deeper issues with corporate compensation structures that value years of experience over actual performance and results.

• Pay transparency can create uncomfortable situations when high performers discover they're paid similarly to underperforming team members
• Experience-based pay scales often fail to reward actual contribution and value
• Out-of-band pay adjustm...

Bruce and Clark explore the concept of "inshittification" – how quality decreases while prices increase across products, services, and experiences – before concluding their appreciation language series with crucial insights about workplace recognition.

• Nostalgic reflection on past experiences (like 1990s Taco Bell) compared to current declining quality and increasing prices
• Examination of the five appreci...

We explore physical touch as the final appreciation language and discuss its unique challenges in professional settings.

• Physical touch in the workplace requires careful navigation of boundaries and consent
• Unlike other appreciation languages, touch may function more as an enhancement to other forms of appreciation
• Cultural differences and personal backgrounds significantly influence comfort with workplace ph...

We explore "Tangible Gifts" as an appreciation language in the workplace, discussing why it ranks as the least chosen language despite companies spending billions on reward programs centered around physical items.

• Most employees prefer words of affirmation, quality time, or acts of service over physical gifts
• Food ranks as the most appreciated tangible gift in workplace settings
• Gift cards place sec...

Bruce and Clark continue their workplace appreciation series by exploring Acts of Service, the highest-ranked appreciation language in their poll. They discuss how providing meaningful help to colleagues can be a powerful form of workplace appreciation when done correctly.

• Acts of Service involves doing something to help someone else with their tasks or responsibilities
• The CAT framework: Constraints (ensure your w...

We dive into quality time as a workplace appreciation language, exploring how it manifests differently from personal relationships and impacts team dynamics.

• Survey results from our Discord show Acts of Service (7 votes) and Words of Affirmation (2 votes) leading workplace appreciation languages
• Quality Time breaks down into five distinct "dialects": focused attention, quality conversation, shared experie...

Understanding how people feel appreciated varies significantly between individuals, with five distinct appreciation languages determining what makes team members feel truly valued.

• Words of affirmation can be delivered through praise for accomplishments, character affirmations, or personality trait recognition
• Recognition delivery matters significantly – some prefer public praise while others find it mortifying

We introduce our new miniseries on the five languages of appreciation in the workplace, exploring how concepts similar to love languages can be adapted to professional settings to help people feel valued.

• The five languages of appreciation: words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, tangible gifts, and appropriate physical touch
• Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White's book translates love languages to ...

Bruce and Clark explore the psychological toll of work invading our dreams, sharing personal experiences with night terrors about professional stress and the death spiral that follows when we can't escape thoughts of work.

• Work-related nightmares indicate dangerous blurring of work-life boundaries
• The "death spiral" where work stress impacts sleep, preventing proper restoration
• AI anxiety creat...

We tackle the workplace dilemma of being asked to do work outside your job description and why saying "not my job" can damage your career.

• Three key reasons behind "not my job" situations: resource gaps, skill mismatches, and prioritization issues
• Why successful professionals avoid saying "not my job" even when tasks fall outside their responsibilities
• Strategies for addressing w...

Bruce and Clark explore the delicate challenge of addressing personal issues like hygiene and verbal habits in professional settings while maintaining respect and professional boundaries.

• A Reddit post about a manager telling an intern they smell bad while simultaneously offering them a permanent position
• How managers can deliver difficult personal feedback constructively and with appropriate timing
• The impor...

Bruce and Clark explore career development and the physical toll of work while dealing with their own injuries—Bruce recovering from toenail surgery and Clark nursing a broken toe.

• Career advice for a 22-year-old uncertain about pursuing entrepreneurship or college
• Testing business ideas through small, time-boxed experiments instead of all-or-nothing approaches
• Whether career passion is achievable for everyon...

Corporate training events seldom hit the mark, but through our collective experiences, we've identified what separates valuable learning from time-wasting theater. We explore the critical elements necessary to create impactful professional development experiences that respect participants' time and intelligence.

• Different perspectives from outside your organization enhance learning even when covering familiar m...

Understanding your workplace priorities through the CACC framework helps you evaluate potential employers and find the right fit for your career goals.

• Culture assessment requires asking direct questions like "What kind of culture can I expect on your team?"
• Follow up by asking if that culture is unique to the team or reflects the broader organization
• Honest answers about organizational challenges o...