Something different for my academic followers:
How many hours did you lose last week switching between academic work and entrepreneurial projects?
Not the actual work. The switching.
That's your chaos tax... costing 5-10 hours...
Here's how to stop:
👉 thespinout.substack.com/p/the-chaos-...
Week 2 recap: Crafting normalcy through communication.
Key insight: Stability isn't something that happens to you. You create it through consistent patterns.
Friday emails, stand-ups, consistent formats = predictability during chaos.
Next week: How to articulate your value beyond your job title.
The difference between people who create normalcy and those who don't isn't personality, it's discipline.
Anyone can maintain rituals when things are ok.
Anchors maintain the pattern whether there's nothing new to share, or when everything's falling apart.
Consistency during chaos creates trust.
A manager: "I stopped our weekly stand-up because we were too busy with changes."
Exactly backwards. That's when you need the ritual most.
When it's all chaotic, people need anchors. The ritual signals: "Even though we are uncertain, we still have structure."
Don't abandon rituals during crisis.
3 principles for crafting normalcy during chaos:
1. Consistency > perfection (predictability is the point)
2. Anchor to rhythm, not outcomes (process during uncertainty)
3. Communicate even when there's nothing new (cadence creates normalcy)
These keep teams functional during instability.
Most people wait for organizations to stabilize before they can function well.
Reality: Stability isn't a thing that happens TO you during change. It's something you CREATE through communication.
People who navigate disruption well don't wait for calm, they create patterns that provide structure.
A tiny ritual that can change teams:
Every Friday, 3pm: same email
→ This week's accomplishments
→ Next week's focus
→ Heads-up items
10 minutes to write. But huge impact.
That's crafting normalcy. Small, consistent acts that create predictability during challenging times.
The people who thrive through constant change don't just tolerate it.
They actively create stability for themselves and others.
That's called crafting normalcy—and it's a learnable skill.
👉 medium.com/@commcademy/...
Week 1 recap: Why expertise alone isn't enough.
The 5 comm skills that create career resilience:
- Crafting normalcy
- Identity anchors
- Networks
- Reframing
- Foregrounding action
Beyond soft skills, these determine who stays valuable when industry shifts.
Next week: Comm rituals for stability.
A colleague: "I'm great at solving problems. Terrible at explaining why it matters."
This gap gets mid-career professionals stuck.
You can be excellent at work and still struggle to articulate your impact, advocate for yourself, or explain your value across contexts.
Being good ≠ being visible.
Most mid-career professionals can tell you their job title.
Far fewer can articulate their value beyond it.
"I'm a Senior PM at TechCo" = fragile (disappears when role changes)
"I help teams make smart tradeoffs under constraint" = durable (transfers anywhere)
Identity anchors matter.
Your career security doesn't come from what you know.
It comes from who knows what you're capable of.
That's not networking. That's relationship intelligence.
They've maintained relationships across contexts—not just within their current company or team.
When disruption hits, they have:
→ People who know what they're capable of
→ Warm connections they can activate
→ A network that creates opportunities
Here's what I noticed about professionals who navigate layoffs, restructures, and constant org change successfully:
They don't have more job security. They have more options.
The difference?
"Just be great at your job" used to be career advice that worked.
Now? It's necessary but not sufficient.
Those who thrive don't have the most credentials or the deepest technical expertise.
They are pros who:
→ Maintain team stability
→ Build trust during uncertainty
→ Help others move forward
These aren't personality traits. They're learnable communication practices.
I'm breaking down all 5 over the next 6 weeks with strategies you can actually use.
Week 1: Why expertise alone isn't enough anymore.
Follow for more.
What separates professionals who thrive from those who stall:
→ They create stability via comms (rituals, rhythms, consistency)
→ They can explain their value w/o a job title
→ They maintain relationships before needed
→ They help stuck teams see new options
→ They move forward while others spiral
The gap between "I'm good at my job" and "I'm valuable during chaos" is widening.
Being technically excellent used to be enough. Now it's the baseline.
Hot take: Your expertise is less valuable now when everyone can access the same info.
AI democratizes knowledge. But can't democratize: judgment, relationships, and communication under pressure.
I'm breaking down 5 specific communication skills over the next 6 weeks:
👉 medium.com/@commcademy/...
For some of us, when we hear a problem, we want to help solve it.
But, we start to learn that not everyone wants a solution. They may just want to offload to someone else...
Save yourself time.
Ask for clarity: “Do you want advice or a sounding board?”
That way, you avoid unasked-for fixes.
Want a practice opportunity for building your effective listening skills?
> Mirror what you heard with a quick summary.
Colleague: Went over several updates with you including a top priority and a soft deadline.
You: “So the priority is X by Friday—correct?”
> Proof you truly listened.
Want an easy way to command attention at work?
It's counterintuitive...
When you're in conversation, try the 3-second pause before you reply. It turns “waiting to talk” into real listening. #listening
Common Belief: To switch industries you need a new degree (and a step down).
Real-world Reality: Skills-first hiring is rising; degree screens are dropping.
Your Opportunity: Share a 1-page skills-adjacency case + 60-day ramp to de-risk your pivot.
For me, it has been:
Actionable iteration.
Why?
• Once I have posted or shared something, I recognize that it probably wasn't perfect or earth-shattering.
• That recognition allows me to think of changes and improvements.
• Action + iteration > rumination.
So simple but so powerful.
What is the best small habit you’ve built this so far in 2025?
Instead, use this dead-simple 5 step framework:
1) Create routines before or after a career disruption
2) Draw on your core values and identities
3) Maintain and use your networks
4) Reframe the disruption or challenge
5) Focus on postive actions
Follow for more specifics on each step!
"What degree do I need to keep my career from stalling?
Because it seems like everyone has a Master's degree..."
Luckily career resilience is simple, if you know where to start.
And unlike going back to school, this won’t cost you $20K+
Career resilience doesn’t happen overnight.
But…
If you start practicing these 3 tiny habits on a daily basis, you’ll start to feel like it’s just around the corner:
1. Listening for opportunity.
2. Noting places or events where you can meet new people.
3. Auditing your communication practices.
• Send 2-sentence follow-up emails summarizing key decisions
• Practice explaining complex topics in 30 seconds or less
Strong communicators get promoted, retained, and recruited first.
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Master these 4 communication skills to future-proof your career:
• Record yourself in meetings - fix filler words and unclear explanations
• Ask "What questions do you have?" instead of "Any questions?"
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