Stop Covering Your Ass at Work: From Self-Protection to Connection

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Workplace burnout has so many of us in survival mode as the norm in our careers. "CYA" is a workplace acronym that stands for "Cover Your Ass”, and it encourages you to take actions or document things to protect yourself from potential blame, liability, or negative consequences. It prioritizes the importance of self-preservation and avoiding any potential repercussions or misunderstandings in the workplace. That CYA energy has seeped outside of the workplace showing up in key societal influences, i.e. the rise of fear, bullying and division on social media and in politics. CYA energy leads to disconnection, mistrust, and a lack of genuine connection.

In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into this concept of "CYA" by:

shedding light on its meaning and implications on the job,
demystifying how it affects our relationships with coworkers, our sense of self and overall workplace culture,
discussing practical strategies for both individuals and teams to navigate CYA culture and foster a more authentic and connected work environment, and
sharing insights on building trust, fostering open communication, and reclaiming your sense of humanity in the workplace.

TOPICS

[2:45] introduction
[4:00] striving for “normalcy”
[9:45] CYA in the workplace
[12:50] common self-help messaging
[15:00] clocking the CYA energy within us
[21:45] creating an environment without CYA energy
[28:45] get coaching on overcoming CYA

RELEVANT LINKS

Article: How Parts Work Helps Us Get to Know Ourselves
Article: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

QUOTES

“Without really creating that process of metabolizing an experience and finding your equilibrium back, our bodies are still reacting in that fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode, that survival mechanism, that very primal way that we operate as human beings.”
“So much of our upbringing, especially if you're based in America, is not around slowing down and paying attention to the moment. It's about paying attention to the past and covering your ass for that, or making sure that you're ready for the future.”
“This cover your ass energy comes from this place of fear, this place of scarcity, believing that failure is the absolute worst thing that could ever happen, and you are destined to fail, whether it's your failure or somebody else is going to pull you into theirs and blame it on you.”
“Give yourself permission to think about the world a different way, see yourself a different way. Stumble. Fall.”

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