Morning Brew - 🥊Fight night

Time-saving tools and products we’re really into rn.

Sure, that ringing in your ears after you leave a concert usually means you had a good time, but it could also signal hearing loss. Loop Earplugs are specially designed to filter out noise rather than just block it out, so you can still enjoy the music.

Looking for a stripped-down app to organize your life? Someday does away with all the bells and whistles and offers just three to-do lists for “today,” “tomorrow,” and “someday.”

If you clam up during small talk, read this Bustle article for tips to keep the conversation ball rolling in social situations (like when you meet your coworkers for the first time IRL).

A head start on your hustle.

If everyone does their job well, there’s bound to be conflict in the office—but this isn’t a bad thing! Disagreements will and should happen at work. In fact, good managers allow and even (gasp!) encourage differences of opinion because having professional clashes can produce more innovative solutions than having a team that just rolls along for the sake of harmony.

Here are three ways even the most conflict-avoidant personality can embrace the power of disagreement at work.

1. Make sure conflicts stay at the level of the task. Don’t let disagreements escalate to the level of the role (i.e., “You aren’t good at your job and so…”) and never let them get personal (i.e., “It’s because you have no idea what you are doing…”). Task-level conflict will reveal different ways of approaching a project and help everyone identify the objectives so the team can choose the best way forward together.
2. Create ground rules in advance so that teams know exactly how conflict will be handled. There shouldn’t be any raised voices or disrespectful comments. And just as importantly, make sure to let the team know how conflicts should be resolved. Are you aiming for a consensus or a majority vote? Or will a designated leader make the final call?
3. Become a conflict cheerleader. Encourage it, and lean on the research that proves healthy debate at work produces better work outcomes, helps people grow and develop, improves their working relationships, and increases overall satisfaction. So let your team know that while it may be uncomfortable at first, conflict will make the team stronger in the end.

Embracing and managing conflict takes time, but with practice, it can become a management superpower.—Karen Hebert-Maccaro, Morning Brew’s Queen of the Eduverse

Tech tips and tricks.

That mini heart attack when you open the shared doc and part of your changes were missing? Take a deep breath. Now follow along to learn how to restore previous versions of your Google Doc in a snap. When you open your file, go to File > Version history > See version history (or click on the Last edit was… status notification in the top toolbar) to see all the minute-by-minute changes going back to when the file was created and who made each move. If you want to restore some past text, just click on the version you want to restore and behold! Crisis averted.—SS

Burning questions of our time.

Waking up with a nasty cough and headache used to mean you’d call in sick to the office. You needed time to get better, and you didn’t want to be the office Typhoid Mary. Now though, in the era of remote work, it’s not uncommon to log on to a Zoom call and have your coworker greet you while clutching a box of Kleenex and sneezing nonstop.

Somewhere between the office to home office transition, employees stopped taking sick days, even though most—if not all—companies offer them. New York state, for example, requires large companies to offer up to 56 hours of paid sick leave annually. So what happened to us? If you’re WFH, do you feel guilty logging off to…stay at home?

Should you be expected or willing to work if you’re sick while working remotely? Or should you use your sick time just like if you worked in the office? Let us know your thoughts by hitting Reply!—MW

And now, your thoughts on mental health on a schedule:

“Mental health days should be treated the same as sick days. Myself, loved ones, and colleagues have used sick days and vacation days for when we just feel overwhelmed with work or even when we are burnt out. When work takes 50+ hours of your week (not including prep and travel), you can easily…lose track of yourself and your identity [outside of the office]. In a period of being the most productive we’ve ever been in history, American companies can take a page from the book of European labor leaders.”—Seth

”Health is health, and mental health days should be taken as such. There is no way you could know you would wake up with food poisoning or the flu, so how could you know you were going to have a massive panic attack? [It’s our] responsibility to look after ourselves and do what’s best to keep us healthy (mentally and physically), and employers have a responsibility to give us the space to do that.”—Fiona

Your punch list for when you punch out.

Read: What is “legitimate” work? When Arielle Egozi listed “sex work” on their LinkedIn profile, the responses were very mixed.

Play: Find out how dark your friends and family can really get with a game of Pick Your Poison (because “Would you rather?” is a little too PG for us big adults).

Follow: You know all that history people complain is never taught in school? Well, @historycoolkids has it. After you read through this page, you’ll be on your way to Jeopardy…or at least trivia night at the local bar.

Shop: If you’re looking for a wealth-building best friend, you’ve come to the right place. Shop the 2022 Money with Katie Wealth Planner for your one-stop shop on all things personal finance.

Fuel your flow state: Magic Mind’s unique blend of ingredients—like matcha, turmeric, and ashwagandha—enhances all-day focus and boosts energy. All in a 2-ounce shot. Save up to 45% when you subscribe.*

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