Whew, we made it through the week. How was yours? Did you catch yourself thinking in binary terms?͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

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Compassionate Coding

Highs and Lows

Whew, we made it through the week. How was yours? Did you catch yourself thinking in binary terms?

My week was a bit of a rollercoaster… A sentiment I heard once that sometimes comforts me is that all we get in life are lessons and gifts. I got my fair share of both this week.

Some of the gifts were the kind responses to last week’s newsletter and all the merch orders coming in—thank you for your support! I’m experimenting with new items. If you have specific requests, feel free to send them over, and I’ll see what I can do. ✨

One update: I’m going to try switching this newsletter to every other week. I hope that’s ok with you!

Last week we talked about morality. This week, we’ll talk about morale—more specifically, the hidden costs of neglecting morale, and how we might infuse some joy and enthusiasm into our lives while avoiding so-called “toxic positivity.”

Also, here’s a new podcast interview I did recently.

Also, I’m launching an online course!

A heart I found in nature recently. This is one of the ways I practice “joyspotting,” which we’ll get to later in the newsletter.

Morale makes a difference, whether we can measure it or not

I was recently speaking with a manager at a company that was already fully remote before the pandemic. She shared that while people are still completing tasks, she’s noticing an increase in bugs and just a general lack of engagement.

She also shared that between COVID policy inertia and cost-cutting efforts, the senior leadership has not brought back the occasional in-person gatherings that used to help strengthen relationships on the team.

While it’s hard to “prove,” she sees a connection between the two, even as someone who loves remote work.

It’s hard to measure morale, and even harder to identify its causes and effects.

If you have a good level of empathy, you’ll understand what I mean when I say it’s possible to enter a physical room and feel the overall mood. Are people having lively conversations or sitting quietly alone? Smiling or scowling? Leaning toward each other or leaned back with arms crossed? Sitting up straight or slouching?

Yes, we’re often making guesses in these situations, but they can be surprisingly accurate and helpful.

It’s so much harder to gauge mood on Zoom. And I say this as someone who has been running virtual emotional intelligence workshops throughout the pandemic.

So, morale problems can go undetected for a long time.

You can send out company surveys to try to measure morale, and sure, there’s some benefit to that. But do employees trust the anonymity of those surveys? And if they’re truly feeling burnt out, will they even have the energy to complete the survey?

A recent report from Deloitte shows just how bad leadership is at gauging employee well-being:

Again, I’m not here to offer easy answers. But leaders, take note: what looks like a technical problem may actually be a morale problem, and it may be hard to prove that. So be careful about what “superfluous” benefits you cut.

And to everyone: how is morale on your team? And how do you really know?

Resilient Joy, not Toxic Positivity

How do we improve morale? Well, the full answer will have to wait for a future blog post.

There are of course policy changes leadership can make to improve morale, but here I want to focus on what individuals can do. Personally, I find that more empowering.

Human beings in general have a negativity bias, and developers in particular can be a pessimistic bunch.

One of the talks I gave multiple times during the pandemic focused on resilient joy, and how it differs from what people call “toxic positivity.”

The talk includes this quote from designer Ingrid Fetell Lee: “[L]ittle moments of joy can help our bodies recover from the physiological effects of stress, and they can help us find meaning and purpose in tragic events. Rather than being a distraction, when we allow ourselves a moment of joy, it creates a respite that makes us more resilient.”

We don’t have to deny problems, but we can choose to find moments for joy amidst the trials of life.

So, the very simple—yet sorely needed—tip I want to share today: actively look for simple joys in everyday life—that cute little toy on your desktop, the calming sound of rain on the window, the sun shining on your face as you take out the trash, the feeling of accomplishment when you finally fix that bug, the vibrant colors of the veggies as you prepare a home-cooked meal.

Fetell Lee calls this “joyspotting.”

Feel free to share some of your joyful moments by responding to this email!

🎙️ New Podcast Interview

I recently spoke with Michele Ong on the STEAM Powered Podcast. We talk about being a well-rounded developer and practicing assertive compassion.

📣 Online Course!

Over the years, many people have asked about taking a Compassionate Coding training, but they weren’t at a company that could bring one in. So… I’m finally opening up an online training for individuals!

The first course will focus on that very assertive compassion mentioned above. It’s a good fit for people who want to speak up and give feedback, but have trouble doing so without fear of damaging relationships.

More details coming soon, but if you’re an eager beaver, you can sign up for the waiting list!

Have fun joyspotting this week! And please tell me what you find!

💙 April

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up so you can get the next one.

 
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270 N El Camino Real, Suite F429
Encinitas, CA, 92024
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