Monday, But Make It Werk

Let’s be real—easing back into the office after a long hiatus (hello, pandemic life!!) isn’t exactly a walk in the park. The adjustment is real and although we KNEW this day was coming-the early alarms, packed commutes, and the “Wait… where’s the mute button?” moments in real-life meetings is gonna be hard easing back into. But instead of letting the Manic Monday blues run the show, let’s shift the energy. This is our moment to extend a little patience, sprinkle in some kindness, and create a workspace that feels a little lighter, a little brighter. A new week is here, and guess what? You have the power to set the tone. So, let’s shake off the gloom, embrace the werk, and walk into Monday like we own it.

LOL!! I am chuckling because Office Space (circa 1999) is a sattire of the work office and if you're of my generation, I'm sure there's ways you can relate. The diversity in my resume gives me the advantage of seeing the workplace objectively. I've learned early on in my career to remove feelings and do the work. Over the course of the years, I've been blessed to have encountered elders who taught me "how to play the game" and this is a term I'm sure you are familiar with as well. I am no where near retirement, but I've been in different work cultures and it's made me well rounded and also resilient to handle anything.

I've juggled a full time and part time...actually I've done that twice over. While working DC Gubment, I've had a PT being the "Head Cashier Assistant to the Manager" (lol, self-titled) that I went to AFTER 8 hrs in the office and I've sacrificed sleep on the weekends doing PT at the (formely) FedEX Stadium for football games and concerts (I'll NEVER forget watching Aerosmith perform and I was IN the mix up close-for free). Imagine working a late Sunday game which didn't allow you to hit the pillow until 0600a only to re-open your eyes an hour later so you could be IN the office on a Monday by 0830a after fighting traffic to get to the metro n not just to get on (I have PTSD when I hear DOORS CLOSING) but hopefully, not fall asleep to miss your stop.

How about working shift work (essential employees) where you do 12-14-16 hours days at times and during inclement weather or scrambling to find a sitter when the one you had in mind falls through (this is also why Team No Coddle was born). Yall don't even know the half, lol. Even with this quick jump back down memory lane, those just entail the job itself. It doesn't even include the bshyt that comes along WITH the job to include dealing with people (specifically difficult ones) or the politics of the office (also known as the culture) and mental health that didn't exist when I was coming up (going postal-now I understand).

During my tenure's in different positions; I have gained confidence in honing soft skills because I've built up so much grit in the game by my experiences, I can turn gripes into grapes. Why? I don't care how much of a perfect employee your resume is to showcase your technical skills you've been hired for-If you get labeled with the ugly stamp of being unpleasant to work with or the D word-DIFFICULT. It's only a matter of time you'll be back into the competitive world of looking for a job. Learn to turn lemons into lemonade. How? Work on them soft skills. It's an underrated power nobody thinks to prioritize and I'm here to tell you; it'll be one of the biggest roles to success in your career.

I say all that to say...all these encounters throughout my working lifetime have afforded me with a lot of luxuries and freedoms that brought many smiles to my face and others. Along with the good, you gotta also take the bad becuz in life-no you can't have it all. There's sacrifices that come with what you want and who determines how far your willing to go is up to you. Me? I am flexible becuz of what I've shared above. I can adapt or as the new buzzword goes, pivot because I'm observant in the workplace, I engage with others (hello, communication effectively) and proactive vs reactive. It's all apart of playing the game ;)

Listen, Monday is gonna Monday—but you? You’re in control of how you show up. So, shake off the sighs, fix that blazer, and strut into the week with confidence. The office will have to find its rhythm, but that doesn’t mean your energy has to be offbeat. Lead with patience n kindness. Allow your presence to remind us, our werkdays can have flair.

Now, go ahead and make this Monday your runway. 💼✨