đ¤ Meta Nixes Politics, Books, Music While Working
The authority on mixternal comms
đ EOY already?!?! This is the last regular dispatch for the year. Next Friday Iâll share some insights on Mister Editorial, the year that was and the year that will be.
Meta Says Enough
Metaâs executives are apparently tired of political talk, whether itâs at work or in the public square.
Abortion, gun control, pending legislation, and other hot-button issues should not be discussed at Meta, according to Fortune, which got access to an internal memo.
Lori Goler, head of HR at Meta, signed the memo, which went to all employees.
âWeâre increasing the number of topics that can no longer be discussed at work based on what weâve seen to be very disruptive in the past,â Goler wrote.
đ¤ Not sure where I stand on this issue. I get it, but I think there can be room for civil debate in the workplace. Thing isâŚ
Employees are OK with talking less about politics at work. The Integral Employee Activation Index, a survey of 2,000+ employees across the U.S., shows that health and wellness issues are the top concern for 59% of employees, followed by job creation (32%) and data privacy (23%).
(And this is before the layoffs started.)
Meta is also limiting the issues theyâll comment publicly on. Goler:
âWe are often asked to sign on to advocacy letters on topics that are important, but not directly connected to our work. This can distract us from focusing on issues that are not central to our mission. So going forward, as a company we will only make public statements on issues that are core to our business, meaning they are required in order to provide our service.â
On this issue Meta made the right move. Most CEOs are over talking about politics at work, and they have been for some time.
My recommendation? To avoid feeling like a comment needs to be made about every socio-political ill, double down and lean on your corporate values. Help redraw the line in the sand by letting employees know that the company will only make major statements on affairs that directly affect the organizationâs mission. For example:
PepsiCo might narrow its focus to food and hunger issues
JPMorgan Chase could zero in on financial (in)security
Kimberly-Clark might lean into deforestation or climate change
Johnson & Johnson could pay attention to access to healthcare
Mister Editorialâs paid members have access to a framework that helps determine:
a) which topic du jour requires a response (or none at all) and
b) who should sign the comms
Quick Hits
đ 34 influential employee experience (EX) ideators, practitioners, and future-thinkers worked together to define EX for modern businesses. The outcome of this work is the EX Manifesto; the definitions, the values, and the principles of EX and EX Design.
đ Planning for 2023? Gather your key stakeholders and try a Stop, Start, Continue exercise: align on what work isnât driving impact and should be stopped, what new tasks they should start to address unmet needs, and what is driving results and should be continued. âŹď¸ (Section 4)
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The story here isnât what happened or didnât happen. Itâs kind of like internal communications porn. Itâs titillating to watch the sausage being made.
âScott Galloway on Twitterâs decision to block the Hunter Biden laptop story
Two of my favorite comms thinkers came together to discuss several issues in internal comms, including how to push the IC agenda forward among stakeholders. Click the pic to hear a thoughtful conversation between Silke Kramprich and Aniisu Verghese.
Interesting Opportunities
ABB - Manager, Global Internal Comms (TBD, flexible location)
ABB is headquartered in Zurich
BlackRock - VP, Internal Comms (NYC)
I have some insights and connections here, so reach out only if youâre genuinely qualified and interested
Save the Children - Global Head of Internal Comms (London or any countrywide office worldwide)
Stanley Black & Decker - Senior Manager, Corporate Comms (hybrid; locations in NC, MD, OH, CT, TX)
Visa - Sr. Dir., Corporate Functions Comms (Austin; hybrid)
Browse the Mister Editorial Bookshop for that perfect comms/work gift. Discover:
11 books for writing and editing
51 titles on leadership and management
24 suggestions for getting the most out of work
41 escapes into workplace fiction
Purchasing from Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores.
Listening While Writing
Music is critical to my work (and well-being). Music plays throughout my entire workday and changes whether Iâm writing, thinking, or doing busy work. The data doesnât lie. In order, Spotifyâs year-end recap tells me my time is spent:
Writing and editing (non-avant-garde jazz; spot #1)
Thinking and researching (minimalist or contemplative classical; 2, 5)
Busywork (indie; music with words and beats; 3, 4)
What do you listen to while working? Leave your suggestions in the comments section đ.
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Disclaimer: Besides running Mister Editorial, I am the editor-in-chief of Digital Publications at Lam Research. The views in this newsletter are my own.
Lots of musicals are on my playlists! And some baroque music + some eclectic recommendations from my college roommate.