It is defined as "giving a sense of happy satisfaction" and "friendly and considerate; likable," and it might just be the most underrated word in corporate America. That word is pleasant.
As midyear review conversations happen across the corporate landscape this time of year, both bosses and employees dust off their annual goals to remember what the heck they signed themselves up for and scramble to come up with reasonable ways to state how they think things are going. Midyears are one of those things that fall into the bucket of "quite useful and practical but also annoying" and are seen by many as just another task to handle on top of the actual work. This year, I would encourage everyone to add "being more pleasant" to the conversation if it is not already an organic part of the mix within any company values. At the end of your career, it might be the only thing you actually care about, and between now and then, it can be a superpower.
In May, I was stuck in this awkward limbo as I actively worked on "responsibly firing myself." I could not talk to anyoneat work about it for several weeks except for my boss and HR business partner. With few exceptions, it made for a lonely and reflective time before the communication plan could be enacted. But this also meant sincere, quiet reflection on my performance over the past 20+ years, specifically focusing on my last 11.
One morning during that "we can't tell anyone yet phase," I stopped dead in my tracks, catching myself in my hallway mirror as I left for work. In a blink, I saw myself 11 years ago at 35 with a baby strapped to the front of me. At that moment, my immediate leading thought was, "My god, if nothing else, I hope I have been pleasant over the last 11 years." I feared I might have been seen as a torturous boss and a jerk too often at home. I know that was not the case, and the outpouring of kindness, gratitude, and thankfulness during this transition out of corporate America more than corroborated that, but perhaps you can understand why this was a concern of mine based on the following:
In 2013 I fired the entire 100 person department and started it from scratch just six weeks into my tenure (granted, it was 11 years ago and based on a business plan I inherited, but still, that was a very rough start)
Post Time Warner Cable / Charter / Bright House merger, my team became 270 FTEs overnight, and in a change management situation like that, you are constantly having to make decisions that a lot of people might strongly disagree with as "legacy" ways of doing business dies, and a single new world order emerges
In 2018, we had a horrific 15% reduction in headcount
Being a people leader through 2020 came with a lot of second-guessing and challenging conversations, and I was definitely not perfect through those challenges
The bizarre nature of having a "TikTok famous" boss or coworker at times felt highly awkward on my end and like a potential burden on those around me
What does that have to do with being pleasant, Timm?
Great question!
My constant effort to be pleasant might be the number one thing that put me where I am today.
I believe pleasant is also why the department created the TikTok I attached to this post as a parting gift for me. I could not have asked for a better send-off, and I am forever grateful to Karla Korson, who was first to put the idea on the table with leadership, and to anyone who participated in this in any way, shape, or form.
Yes, as I have stated, calm is also a superpower and has always helped me, too, but calm does not necessitate the positivity that comes with being pleasant.
Hard work is excellent, and I proved myself there every day, but being hardworking and pleasant can often be at odds.
But if you can be pleasant, you can do anything (IMHO).
How to add a bit more "being pleasant" to your world.
Always take the time to appreciate the effort behind anything you ask of others all day, every day (in both work and life overall)
Never forget how much your demeanor in any given email, text, casual interaction, or formal meeting impacts others
Look for ways to add smart, contextual fun to anything you do, and be curious enough to push those boundaries
Be careful of how much time you spend venting, complaining, or pointing out obstacles without any positive recommendations as to what can be done about it (we all need our safe space to vent, but it can quickly turn into negative wasted time if we are not aware of it)
And leaders must look at being pleasant as part of their everyday responsibilities.
As the July 4th week wraps up and week 28 of 2024 is here, shall we all look to be a bit more pleasant as part of whatever goals we may have this year? It will literally make your world a better place, and if you can be pleasant, you can do anything.