Swiftly Cultivating Culture: Lessons from T-Swizzle for People Ops

As a People Ops Sage, I'm always seeking wisdom from thought leaders to guide my practice. Recently, I found myself reflecting on the profound lyrics of Taylor Swift. Her journey of growth, empowerment and transformation deeply resonates with the work we do in cultivating authentic, psychologically-safe spaces for our people to thrive.

☕️ This morning, as I savored my ritual matcha latte, I had a breakthrough realization: the lessons embedded in Taylor's art are a untapped wellspring of insight for navigating the complexities of the modern workplace, especially with our millennial team members.

Here are a few Swift-inspired principles I'll be integrating into my People Ops philosophy:

🎶 "Shake It Off" In moments of interpersonal tension or challenging feedback conversations, I'll be channeling Taylor's resilient spirit. "Players gonna play...haters gonna hate" - but in the face of triggering moments, we can choose to shake off the negativity, reground in our truth, and keep dancing to the beat of our own drum.

🎶 "Fearless" Psychological safety means empowering our people to be fearless in embracing their full, messy, complex selves. In the wise words of Taylor, "I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress, fearless." I'm committed to co-creating containers where we can all show up, vulnerably and authentically, and brave the storms of growth together.

🎶 "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" Setting clear, firm boundaries is a prerequisite for healthy relationships - and that includes our relationship to work. As People Ops stewards, we must be willing to courageously speak our truth, even if it means saying "this is exhausting, you know?" By normalizing boundary-setting, we create cultures of sustainable wellbeing and resilience.

This journey of aligning our People Ops practices with the zeitgeist of modern culture is not for the faint of heart. It requires deep presence, active listening, and the courage to alchemize raw human emotion into grist for the mill of our collective growth.

But as I reflect on the faces of our people, aglow with purpose and self-actualization, I'm reminded that this noble work is so worth it. Together, we're weaving a more beautiful tapestry of mutuality, one brave conversation at a time.

Tell me: how are you integrating emergent wisdom into your own People practices? What artistry is inspiring your culture-crafting? I'd love to hear your experiences.

And remember: you're doing amazing, sweetie. Keep shining your light. 💫

#peopleops #culture #leadership #taylorswift #vulnerability