Jennifer Selby Long

clashes they just aren't they're just they just naturally get very interested in quickly assessing the situation figuring out how to get to the goal and i would imagine those people aren't even listening to this podcast they're not even interested in it and so there are some people who are just they're built in a way that they just have a natural buffer against it so sometimes someone might look very i don't know cold to you if you're bothered by the power struggles that are underway

clashes they just aren't they're just they just naturally get very interested in quickly assessing the situation figuring out how to get to the goal and i would imagine those people aren't even listening to this podcast they're not even interested in it and so there are some people who are just they're built in a way that they just have a natural buffer against it so sometimes someone might look very i don't know cold to you if you're bothered by the power struggles that are underway

because they're not particularly bothered by them, that stuff doesn't really trouble them too much. But they seem to do fine and not be troubled by that. In fact, I think I mentioned in our last conversation, Vince, about a client who came in, first time C-suite executive, walked into, and not the senior of C-suite, the next level down. So he walked in

because they're not particularly bothered by them, that stuff doesn't really trouble them too much. But they seem to do fine and not be troubled by that. In fact, I think I mentioned in our last conversation, Vince, about a client who came in, first time C-suite executive, walked into, and not the senior of C-suite, the next level down. So he walked in

to this brand new role in a different industry. And he found that he was in the middle of a colossal political battle that he had found with Thunderwood. It only annoyed or troubled him to the extent that it triggered him being a little judgmental. And so all we really worked on was keeping that judge at bay and bringing forward his best self so that he could just step back.

to this brand new role in a different industry. And he found that he was in the middle of a colossal political battle that he had found with Thunderwood. It only annoyed or troubled him to the extent that it triggered him being a little judgmental. And so all we really worked on was keeping that judge at bay and bringing forward his best self so that he could just step back.

empathize with all of the people involved and navigate to a solution that was a win and very much the win that his organization needed in terms of budget in particular for more headcount. His people were grossly overworked and he was able to do that.

empathize with all of the people involved and navigate to a solution that was a win and very much the win that his organization needed in terms of budget in particular for more headcount. His people were grossly overworked and he was able to do that.

And to this day, in that same organization, probably four out of five clients there will periodically sigh and complain to me, oh, wow, it is a densely political environment, but it doesn't faze him at all. He's just naturally built in a way that's not going to work too much. So I think in my tips that I just gave, to some extent, I've dissected the way those people do think and behave.

And to this day, in that same organization, probably four out of five clients there will periodically sigh and complain to me, oh, wow, it is a densely political environment, but it doesn't faze him at all. He's just naturally built in a way that's not going to work too much. So I think in my tips that I just gave, to some extent, I've dissected the way those people do think and behave.

Yeah, I think it's a great question because it is very much our current situation for many businesses. And I wish the answer were super simple. It's not quite as simple as I wish it were because it does depend a little bit on your situation. In the hybrid work model, are people going into the office to just work on their own work?

Yeah, I think it's a great question because it is very much our current situation for many businesses. And I wish the answer were super simple. It's not quite as simple as I wish it were because it does depend a little bit on your situation. In the hybrid work model, are people going into the office to just work on their own work?

If so, I'm not sure you're going to get huge benefit out of that in terms of lessening politics or political alliances because they're not really interacting that much. Nor do I think you're going to get much of the benefit of obviously of working on very complex problems together if you're not really there to work together.

If so, I'm not sure you're going to get huge benefit out of that in terms of lessening politics or political alliances because they're not really interacting that much. Nor do I think you're going to get much of the benefit of obviously of working on very complex problems together if you're not really there to work together.

The other particular challenge I'll play you with is most of the clients that we work with are distributed not throughout one metropolitan area, but across the globe. People who are lonely at work and don't feel connected. It's a big problem. It's a big problem in a lot of places. It causes a lot of additional problems.

The other particular challenge I'll play you with is most of the clients that we work with are distributed not throughout one metropolitan area, but across the globe. People who are lonely at work and don't feel connected. It's a big problem. It's a big problem in a lot of places. It causes a lot of additional problems.

And from my point of view, it feeds notions of politics because there are people who feel connected and people who don't feel connected. So I think that this is one we need to keep observing, assessing and experimenting with. across time. It's a super new way to work when you look at how very many years people work together in person.

And from my point of view, it feeds notions of politics because there are people who feel connected and people who don't feel connected. So I think that this is one we need to keep observing, assessing and experimenting with. across time. It's a super new way to work when you look at how very many years people work together in person.

And it's really only been the last few where the majority do not work together in person.

And it's really only been the last few where the majority do not work together in person.