Sugar Bowl CEO postpones game after truck attack; a look into the ‘coffee-badging’ trend

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the last week and see what we can learn from them.

1. Sugar Bowl CEO pushes back game after NOLA truck attack

In the aftermath of the tragic New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans, the leadership behind the Big Easy’s biggest college football event of the year decided to push the Sugar Bowl back one day.

According to ESPN:

“Public safety is paramount,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media briefing alongside federal, state and local officials, including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “All parties all agree that it’s in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game.”

Hundley said in a later statement that work was underway to “take care of the details to make the Sugar Bowl the first-class, fun, and safe event that it has been for over 90 years.”

“We are grateful to the leadership of the Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, the State of Louisiana and federal authorities as we work together to ensure we can provide a safe environment for everyone,” he said.

In moments of major tragedy, it’s critical to see leadership step up and do what’s best for both involved parties and the larger community. In the case of the Sugar Bowl, Hundley’s decision to push the game back serves as a reminder that the event he oversees is an integral part of New Orleans, a city going through an unimaginable tragedy during what should be a time of celebration. The choice to postpone and make clear communication pathways with state and local governments helps preserve the event’s legacy and its leaders’ reputations.

Hundley’s language is worth a look here. His words emphasize the need for public safety at the top, and quickly moves on to mention collaboration with the authorities. These words serve to help shore up any potential concerns there may have been about the safety of the game following such a harrowing event. Hundley reiterates this point as he thanks collaborative organizations for helping make the game safe. This emphasizes that strong leadership in a crisis doesn’t need to be solitary. The right words and actions can welcome in collaboration for a better solution.

2. Exploring the new workplace trend of ‘coffee-badging’

You’ve probably heard about quiet quitting and other new workplace “trends” with catchy names. This time, we’re talking about “coffee-badging”, in which employees swipe their badge into their office, grab a coffee and say hello, then head home to complete their day.

According to Benzinga, proponents of coffee badging find that it helps them meet in-office requirements while maintaining the positives of remote work. On the flip side, some employers might not look too kindly at employees finding ways around minimum in-office requirements.

This newest workplace trend is rooted in an employee want that isn’t going anywhere: the need for flexibility. During so many RTO processes that could erode employee trust if done incorrectly, internal communicators need to step up and confirm employee expectations while also keeping two-way communication lines open with leadership to help get a sense of the flexibility employees want and need. RTO for the sake of RTO isn’t ever going to work, and it might lead to “bending the rules” trends like coffee-badging. A transparent discussion about RTO, what it means and why it matters can help avoid these situations and make for happier, more informed employees. It can be a delicate balance between setting clear expectations and not making employees feel like children with an overabundance of rules, but it’s one communicators must grapple with to facilitate the overall needs of the organization.

 3. Study: A quarter of remote employees report less sharp social skills while working from home

Did you feel like your ability to hold a conversation slipped while you were working from home? If so, you aren’t alone.

According to a study by ResumeBuilder, one in four remote workers reported a decline in their social skills as they worked from home. Additionally, 63% of survey respondents claimed a decline in mental health due to a lack of social connection stemming from their jobs.

These numbers might seem bleak, but there are solutions. The first begins on the manager level. With managers serving as the closest connection that employees have to the larger organization, those supervising remote workers should take extra care to forge connections with colleagues. This can come through office hour sessions, virtual social gatherings and more.

Second, internal communicators need to stay on top of how their remote colleagues are reacting to their work situation. Whether it’s through pulse surveys, check-ins with managers or forums for employees to express concerns or struggles, giving employees an avenue to share their stumbling blocks and help provide them a path to rise above them isn’t just good for affected employees — it’s good for the entire organization’s culture.

4. How about some good news?

• A baby boom of seals is taking place in England.
• Ground was broken on the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant in Virginia.
• A summer camp for HIV-positive kids in Minnesota is for sale — because rates of the disease are low enough to make the camp not feasible.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Have a great weekend comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.