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Yvonne Thevenot: From FOMO to FOGO to….

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Yvonne Thevenot MBA(FS) Class of 1999

Fear of Missing Out… A newish acronym associated with social media, but truly has been around as long as kids have been picking sides for baseball, or one group got to go hunting while the other stayed home to help. Of course, it doesn’t just apply to children – every day it sparks motivation in adults to join Club(houses), to gather Apples, and to take on 10-day picture posting challenges.

Fear of Going Out… Ok, I admit it. When I see someone without a mask, I just can’t help the “Hey You” reaction in my brain, heart and stomach. And when I see the CUTE little baby next door, I catch my breath and abruptly take 2 steps back instead of doing what every fibre of my soul wants to do but lean in and smell that baby smile.

Fear is powerful motivator. Fear of action, fear of inaction. And eventually that fear takes its toll. People get tired, worn to a place that sleep doesn’t solve, and even the acts of renewal – nature, reading, song and dance – don’t scrub the fear away… unless… we reframe, we relearn, we reinvent. Add to that some amazing support networks to make happen…to listen, to encourage, to champion, to check in.

So here’s my hope…. from FOMO to FOGO…to YOLO… just for YOU….

Yvonne Thevenot: Leaders – Feedback Might Last a Lifetime

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Yvonne Thevenot MBA(FS) Class of 1999

You laugh too loud. You smile too much. You need to wear makeup.

This is real feedback I received at different times in my career. Each was genuine, framed in behavioural change, and carried business rationale. As a career oriented young adult, I adapted.

You laugh too loud – it was “startling” and impacted customers. I was offered professional help. I conceded that now being aware, I would keep it in check – thank you for telling me.

You smile too much – apparently my smile made me appear flighty and insincere. This woman-to-woman feedback was offered …anonymously… via 360 feedback exercise. As I debriefed the feedback I learned the source and thus how I knew it was another woman – thank you for telling me.

You need to wear makeup. This led to a corporate paid professional coach who also guided me to “act like a woman, think like a man, work like a dog”. I was truly appreciative of the investment and feedback especially if this was going to hold me back from a corporate career – thank you for telling me.

Maybe, the world is starting to change? For reflection: leaders – feedback might last a lifetime; young people – feedback, regardless how hurtful and inappropriate it might be, can still have grains of value.

Yvonne Thevenot

Change Management | Mentoring | Strategy Development & Implementation

#saturdaymorningmusings #feedback #leadershiplesson

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