Episode 97: What’s Next with Melissa Isaza — People & Culture Professional, Whirring Brain, Aspiring AND Inspiring Leader

We know that many people have made the big decision to change jobs over the past few years. And while making the decision to resign is often talked about as the hardest part of the process, we think that the experience of starting a new role can be just as hard. So, today we are digging into both scenarios with…Melissa Isaza!!

Mel is the Director of People & Culture at Plenty of Fish. She is also a leader who is driven to create spaces where people can be themselves and be celebrated for being themselves. After six years at her former role, she made the decision to leave and try something new. Mel is still fresh in her new role, and, so far, so great!

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t get too caught up on the job title! Titles reflect different levels of accountability and scope at different organizations. Taking a title “drop” doesn’t always mean that you have taken a step back in your career.

• While it may sound simple, when you are considering a new opportunity, do a balance sheet! Does the excitement outweigh the fear? Not that there shouldn’t be any fear… :)

• Being uncomfortable and having some anxiety in your new role is totally okay! There is no way you should or could know everything you need to know. Be curious and learn about your new place of work – this is a chance to build new relationships, and build trust with and reliance on your new teammates.

Episode 89: What’s That Now? The Great Regret??

So just when many of us have accepted and gotten used to the phrase, The Great Resignation, another one has emerged, and that is, The Great Regret.

What we are hearing is that a lot of people who participated in The Great Resignation are now experiencing feelings of regret – that new position they went to is a bit of a let down and not nearly as awesome as they thought it would be. Bummer.

Intriguing? Confusing? Unexpected? We get into it!

Key Takeaways:

• Wait. Wait. Wait. Are these really “great regrets”? Or are they doubts? It is pretty common to have doubts!

• If you are feeling doubts, gather your support people – your boosters! Remember what motivated you to make such a big decision in the first place.

• And slow down. If you are going to make any sort of “great” decision in life, it’s probably worth putting in the time to really think about it!

Episode 85: Write On

In this episode, Sarah shares a couple of her own “what’s next” moments. The first came after losing her job in the first year of becoming a new mom. The second came when she had a conversation with someone about her writing, and was challenged to make a choice between identifying as a writer and committing to it...or not.

Key Takeaways:

• A shitty situation or experience can help us get clear on who we are and what we want.

• How you see yourself shapes how you talk about yourself, and can push you forward or hold you back.

• Sometimes one question can shift our perspectives. Be curious! Thank you, Paul Heywood.

Episode 64: Arrested Development

*We had some connectivity issues at the start of this episode that affected the sound quality. Thanks for bearing with us! Clears up after the first several minutes.*

Are you feeling stuck? Many of us have taken the eye off our own learning and development in place of coping and just surviving in such uncertain times. Some of us may be feeling this more than ever due to COVID while others may have been feeling this way their whole working lives. How do we start (or restart) those conversations with our employers about investing in developing ourselves and our teams?

Key Takeaways:

• YOU (as an employee) are the main person responsible for driving your own learning and development.

• For both employees and employers...be aware of capacity! What can people realistically take on these days?

• Learning and development doesn’t just come from classes and training programs. Podcasts, books, discussions! Be curious! (Our favourite suggestion.) :)

Episode 40: Pay Your Dues, Or You Lose

Is the practice of paying your dues long OVERDUE for a change?? A common belief that we all grew up with was that to get ahead, you’d have to pay your dues. That generally meant working long hours, enduring crappy jobs, and generally saying yes to everything. In this episode, we talk about today’s work environments and how this expression may be outdated, even if the essence of it still has value.

Key Takeaways:

• It sounds outdated and implies that you owe something to your employer in an already power imbalanced relationship.

• Let’s reframe the meaning of the expression -- paying your dues is about showing people, not telling people what you are capable of.

• Before grumbling about how lame it is to pay your dues, think about what your goal is and whether this work is going to help you achieve it...WITHOUT compromising your ethics!