From Donna’s Desk
Re: Human Thermostat Malfunction
Claire proposed I wait until I got home. This is why she’s my best friend and not our VP of Strategy.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the great Menopause Helpdesk Experiment:
- Troubleshooting a hot flash is not a sprint; it’s a series of polite negotiations. Layers on, layers off. Window open, window closed. Ice water in, composure out, leadership hat back on.
- When you say “My system overheated,” people will either fetch a fan or a PowerPoint template. Choose your audience carefully.
- On the bright side, I now have a personal “cool-down protocol” that would impress the FAA: step away, breathe, cold glass to the wrist, small walk, return when my face no longer looks like a warning label.
If you manage people (or manage to interact with them), a reminder: bodies do what they do: hot flashes, migraines, blood sugar dips, flare-ups, you name it. The goal is not to make them invisible; the goal is to make them manageable. A little grace and flexibility is welcome.
Action items, because I’m still me:
- We’re stocking conference rooms with mini hand fans and chilled washcloths in the tiny fridge labeled “Meeting Snacks (for faces).”
- Facilities will test a “Thermostat Amnesty Window” from 2 - 4 p.m., where one responsible adult may nudge the temp without triggering a governance summit.
Tell me:
- Best public “reboot” you’ve pulled off without losing dignity?
We’ll get through this together with humor, with fans that respect the grid, and with friends who gently suggest we reboot in the privacy of our own homes.
-Donna
#MenopauseAtWork #MiddleManagementMagic #BringIce #RebootResponsibly
