The more business-appropriate definition of noneya is “none of your business”. If you Google it, you will find a more…expressive definition. I like getting to know everyone I work with but always try to let them lead, deciding what they are comfortable sharing about their personal lives. Some share a lot and some are hesitant to let you know their favorite food. It’s a range and one I try to respect by not pushing if someone prefers more privacy – and with Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms, we are quite often literally in people’s homes. So, there’s that.
I’ve been pondering what impacts how we show up to do our work – energized or lethargic, optimistic or bummed out. For me, the most impactful factors are not anywhere on our company’s list of responsibilities to team members: I need to have slept well, be hydrated and well-nourished. I need to feel heard by my friends and family, spend time in nature and volunteer, etc. Regardless of how souped up my laptop is, or how nice the boss is, if I’m out of balance in these other areas, I’m not going to be at my best in my work.
So, how would you respond if your company asked how many hours you slept last night or to rank your level of comfort in your relationships, and then followed up with some unsolicited suggestions? I’m guessing you’d respectfully decline to answer or, appropriately, give the company the boot!
My job it to create and defend our corporate culture, which is to make it fun and easy for people to be their best. Over the years, as I’ve pondered this responsibility, I’ve realized that many of the things that impact a person’s happiness, their ease and joy in their work is out of my hands; it’s noneya. What I can do is model and share what impacts me positively and encourage people to spend time outside of work doing things that bring them joy and peace, sharing what they want and keeping private anything they do not.
– Becky Sharpe, President & CEO
