cf #74: some half-broken things can fully break you
You are reading contentfolks—a fortnightly blend of sticky notes, big content ideas, and small practical examples. Thank you for being here! ~fio
Hey there 👋
I’ve been putting up with a malfunctioning keyboard for about six months. It started when the E key dislodged itself—not enough to stop working, but enough that I’ve had to change how I press it. Next, the B key began to work intermittently: sometimes there’s no b, sometimes there are three in a row. A few months later, R and T followed the E trajectory. Then, the space bar and the shift key started getting stuck at random.
It’s not broken enough that it fully stopped working, but its half-broken state has been making me very reluctant to write anything—this newsletter, email replies, Slack threads, even WhatsApp messages to my friends.1
The consequences of a half-broken situation
There is a convenient metaphor somewhere in here about the consequences of putting up with a half-broken situation for too long. In your life as a content person, that might take a bunch of shapes:
Antiquated processes that are slowing your team down, but you have to follow them nonetheless so frustration keeps mounting
A marketing strategy that’s less of a strategy and more of a never-ending to-do list, so you are stuck in an aimless grind while enthusiasm is dropping
Someone in a leadership role who questions your work at every turn, and you feel too junior or shy (or both) to push back so you grow anxious while hoping things will eventually change on their own2
Ongoing lack of clarity about your role, which is disappointing but you don’t want to come across as annoying so you keep biting your tongue, and suddenly it’s six months later and everything is still exactly where it was
I’m super happy with my team at Float right now, but I’ve been in these situations and many variations thereof before—and while none of them is a dealbreaker, per se, it only takes a couple of quarters to start feeling their impact on your drive and motivation.
What to do when things are half-broken
My keyboard problem has a clear-cut solution. It’s called: fio, stop being ridiculous, get yourself down to an Apple store or go the DIY way with a YouTube tutorial, doesn’t matter how, just sort. this. sh*t. out.
But the work situations above? Not as easy to fix, and certainly not within the space of this one newsletter. Still, here are three bits of advice that feel relevant:
Take the largest step you’re comfortable with to start offering a solution, and instead of focusing on what happened state what you want to change in the future. Go from thinking “uggggh this meeting didn’t have an agenda or goals and it was a waste of our time, again” to declaring “next time, let’s share an agenda and some goals so we all know where we need to be.”
Resist the temptation to gossip, complain, or bitch about these issues in front of your team, especially with more junior teammates. Bring stuff up to your manager privately instead. Why? The more senior you are, the more your statements and actions have a big impact. And since negativity is contagious, you do not want to be the person who brings everybody else down.
…but also let’s be honest: to keep your sanity, every once in a while you do need to vent with someone who gets what you are going through. Find yourself a trusted content pal at a different company, then rant away with copious amounts of detail and an overabundance of :lolsob: emojis.3 You’ll feel better when you do, and you’ll make them feel better when it’s inevitably their turn.
Hopefully some of this will help; but if all of the above fails, please remember that putting up with things that are broken but not broken enough might end up breaking you instead—and there is no Apple store equivalent or 5-step YouTube tutorial to help you put the pieces back together in under an hour.4
Proceed accordingly.
…is this why I started a podcast? So I wouldn’t have to write anymore?! 🤔
I wouldn’t put it past my brain, honestly.
Ha! They won’t. Based on my experiences and that of many content folks I know, leaders who don’t get content marketing as a business function will not have a delayed epiphany and miraculously be convinced of your greatness on a random Tuesday afternoon. They will keep poking and prodding and micro-managing until a) you leave b) they leave or c) their priorities shift and they have more pressing concerns to pay attention to.
I know you know, but just to be on the safe side here: do not give away confidential and/or personally identifiable information. Rant responsibly!
My friend Rosanna Campbell gives the greatest advice:
If you’re in an environment where it’s not ok/safe to advocate for yourself, and where your own progress and development are not being taken seriously, then it’s probably best to accept that, and a) yes, start looking to go somewhere else where you can do your best work, but meanwhile b) focus on your immediate context and what you can do to make your day-to-day more comfortable and satisfying.
It can be hard to resist the call to try and fix the unfixable (this job/team/company would be so great if...) so instead, I’d be a little bit more “selfish”. Instead of trying to fix all the systems and processes, I’d look at what’s obstructing your work in the short-term. If it’s the micromanaging, you can ask your boss what they’d need to see from you so they wouldn’t feel the need for constant updates - and then write those goals down and get their sign off. If it’s the processes, maybe look at the one that irritates you daily and frame it as “I’m going to start doing it this new way unless you specifically tell me not to.”