Three Things: WFH Ending Sooner Than Many Believe - Life Is Too Short To Do Shitty Things - Jordan Peterson's Listening Rule

1. Companies want staff back in the office more than they're letting on- and plans are in place to bring them back. They're just afraid to say it…for now. News like the Pac-12 going "permanent wfh" isnt' going to change much. Staff, for the most part, don't want to come back. No surprise. Gas prices, a commute, childcare, a side hustle and moving away from the office during the pandemic are the most common reasons given. But there are cracks in the informal "great resignation" union as many are seeing employees willing to return with the incentive of career advancement (or decentive of lowered pay when moving). Companies are staring to look overseas more as it's much cheaper than an out-of-office local. And they're finding really qualified, well-educated professionals willing to take much less pay. Unpopular opinion: normal is coming sooner than most believe. One company we talked to this week cut workforce by 38% and only brought back 14% - all of which will be back in the office end of summer- they just don't know it yet. It's coming. But first….one last summer of fun. Personal opinion: Pac-12 will be back in an office by 2025 - just nowhere near one as opulent as what Larry Scott wasted money on. 2. Life is too short to do sh-tty things. Even if it does help you "get ahead." The "Yuppie Nuremberg" defense, so well described in 2006's hit "Thank You For Smoking" (a must watch) doesn't sit well when looking back on one's legacy. An influential CRO shared a "simple tip" for getting a "green light" to start "selling hard" against competitors and "pointing out weaknesses." Yes, you can do this. Yes, it might work (and it absolutely could backfire). But is this the life we want? I tried the whole "bashing" competitors thing twice and I remember both like they were yesterday (they were 10+ years ago). Once was with a team. I got a call from the NBA after, disappointed in me that I'd behaved this way. I apologized. To them and the team. They were right. The second time was in a pitch meeting for a bank in NYC. I felt awful when I left. This wasn't the person I wanted to be in the world. We only get one trip around the carousel. Let's build, not tear down. Besides, as pointed out in Matthew 4 - the devil tempted Jesus with "all the spoils of the world" b/c "they are mine to give." We sure we want "success" at that cost? No thanks. 3. "You can be pretty smart if you just shut up." From Peterson's "12 rules for life," the chapter on listening is mind-blowing. Very highly recommend the entire chapter and not the online summaries. The author brings to light a lot of bias by redefining what listening really is and why we all need to think and talk to make order of our lives. "Listen to others as if they know something you don’t" sounded so simple. I suppose most groundbreaking truths usually do.