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  • Preparing for environmental disaster at work, rupture and repair, and how to stop being chronically overcommitted.

Preparing for environmental disaster at work, rupture and repair, and how to stop being chronically overcommitted.

Plus: the latest shifts in DEI and our 2025 workshop series.

Author

Nicole Cardoza
January 09, 2025

News and insights to reimagine how we work and thrive

Happy Thursday and happy new year! I’m currently working from Japan, and enthralled by the difference in workplace cultures. My heart is with everyone in Los Angeles navigating the wildfires.

Today’s newsletter is workshop focused – I’ve spent time in deep listening with some of our clients who are navigating some real-deal tensions in their workplace, stemming from either internal changes or external, sociopolitical sentiment. That’s why I added a new workshop to the calendar next month that shares all the insights I've been learning while helping organizations navigate it. I hope you join us!

Also, check out the resources to find ways to prepare for how environmental disasters will disrupt your workplace, and how you can use communication techniques to bridge relationships across political divides.

If you've taken a workshop with us in the past, keep an eye out in your inbox for upcoming Office Hours, where we'll informally gather to discuss how the workshop tools are resonating in your workplaces.

Take care,

Nicole

Founder, Lead Facilitator

NEW! Rupture and Repair in the Workplace

Tuesday, February 11 | 3-5pm EST

This two-hour intensive session focuses on navigating moments of tension and conflict as they arise in professional settings. Participants will learn practical, real-time strategies for de-escalating situations, intervening effectively, and rebuilding trust after moments of rupture.

Through hands-on practice and scenario work, we’ll develop a personalized toolkit for addressing workplace tensions while maintaining cultural awareness and psychological safety.

Conflict Evolution

Tuesday, January 21 | 3-5pm EST
Go beyond conflict resolution and apply a culturally-responsive, inclusive framework to navigating challenging conversations, mediating tense scenarios, and fostering understanding with opposing viewpoints.
Enroll >

Effective Facilitation (LIVE!)

Starts January 27th at 3pm EST, continues for three weeks
This three-session workshop teaches practical techniques for leading inclusive workplace discussions and difficult conversations. Participants will learn and practice skills to create equitable environments through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies.
Enroll >

Effective Facilitation (self-paced)

Start today, learn anytime
This live, self-paced workshop teaches practical techniques for leading inclusive workplace discussions and difficult conversations. Participants will learn and practice skills to create equitable environments through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies.
Enroll >

Power + Privilege

Thursday, January 30 | 3-5p EST
Dissect power, privilege and their application in the workplace, and apply tangible tools and skills to promote allyship and foster a greater sense of belonging.
Enroll >

Five ways to support your workforce during environmental disasters. new on our blog, a tactical checklist for supporting your colleagues as a disaster unfolds. Learn by Reclamation Ventures >

Deadly LA wildfires cost over $50 billion in damages, becoming one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The damage is expected to far exceed the $16 billion in economic losses from Maui's wildfires two years ago. Weather now accounts for almost all of the $320 billion in annual natural catastrophe damages worldwide. Fortune >

The hidden costs of climate change on the workforce. As companies prepare for climate change, many overlook the critical impact on employee health from events like wildfires, extreme heat, and flooding. HBR >

A Ronald McDonald balloon floats during the Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 28, 2024. At the top of 2025, McDonald’s announced changes to inclusion strategy. Kena Betancur via Getty Images

McDonald’s cools on DEI, shifts to “global inclusion.” The company has changed the title of their work, sunsetted representation goals, retired its supply chain’s commitment to DEI, and is  “pausing external surveys.” HR Dive >

Gen Z is over ‘career catfishing’ — here’s how they’re responding. Tired of endless interview rounds of prospective employers to ultimately be ghosted, young prospective employees are responding accordingly. Notice how both sides’ actions only add more distance between companies and a promising workforce. Fortune >

Are you chronically overcommitted? If you often feel overwhelmed by your workload, and feel you’ve got more on your plate than you can manage, it could be because you’re overcommitting. Here are strategies you can use to break out of this cycle. Harvard Business Review >

Some disabled workers are making pennies per hour. Will that change under Trump? Conservative opinions on subminimum wage are mixed, but some advocates are optimistic that the new administration will continue working to phase it out. 19th News >

Among unmarried adults, women without children have as much wealth as single men. In 2022, single women without children had a median wealth of $87,200, while the typical single man had $82,100. The data indicates the importance of treating women as financial decision makers, despite long outdated practices. Pew Research >

Here’s how to communicate to win support across the political spectrum. Four narrative shifts proven to get people of all parties to support progressive goals without compromising anyone’s values. SSIR >

From Amazon to Starbucks, here’s how corporations used the system against workers and consumers this year. The team at More Perfect Union has been tracking corporate power — including how companies wield it, and how working people and key allies in the government are fighting back. More Perfect Union >