Marla Gottschalk

Leading vs. Inspiring

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Leading often implies that we are in the position to do so. A formalized place from which we direct others toward a goal. That position might last a week or a month or possibly years.

Yet inspiring — doesn’t require that form of permission.

We are all free to inspire others. This might occur during a conversation, an act of kindness or a moment of shared understanding about something we’ve experienced that might benefit someone else.

We shouldn’t count ourselves out of the inspiring realm.

That would be unfortunate.

Inspiring others is for all of us.

Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychologist & writer, who explores the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program, she helps others build stronger foundations. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life & The World Economic Forum. She’s currently working on her first novel — sharing her experiences growing up with a parent suffering from mental illness.

Big Ideas, Evolution of Work

Let’s Face It: Gen Y Has (Had) It Right

September 6, 2025September 6, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Thought it was time to repost the 2009 post (I believe my first), which I shared as a guest contributor at another site.
Let me know what you think.

Sorry, if you beg to differ. I think Gen Y has got it right.

The qualities they seek in the workplace — such as feeling valued and finding meaning in their work — are really healthier for all of us. So, let’s stop debating common sense and admit that we’ve been tolerating workplace issues that should have changed decades ago (i.e., inadequate feedback models, yearly performance reviews).

To be perfectly honest, some of these stubborn problems might finally budge at least in part, because Generation Y has displayed the conviction and the guts to persevere and ask for more.

I understand that some organizations have experienced what I’d like to call, “generational shock”. I have heard the stories, younger employees appearing overly confident, posturing as if they are entitled to a meeting with the CEO. But, could it be possible that Generation Y is suffering more of a public relations problem, than an across the board ego issue?

More feedback they ask? Flexible hours? Supervisors as mentors? How dare they!

Let’s be sure that we aren’t labeling an entire generation as difficult and tedious, because we are a bit envious of their “nerve” to ask for an improved work life? To tell the absolute truth, when I read how Gen Y envisions their work lives, I find myself thinking, “I’d like that, too.” (On some level, shouldn’t we all?) If the world of work is entering some sort of an “existential crisis” — where central issues such as the meaning of work are being questioned — Gen Y probably isn’t going to rest until that crisis is resolved.

My bet is on them to continue to mature — and help us meet these workplace challenges.

Let’s remember that Gen Y didn’t reach this juncture on their own. There are a number of evolutionary workplace events (traumas, actually) that have come together. This may have begun with the “collective unconscious” of their parent’s work lives; imprinted worries of layoffs, a recession, pay cuts and organizations generally behaving badly. These have likely been carried with them to the world of work. When we layer in the burgeoning trend of transparency and add social platforms to the equation, things were bound to shift — and they certainly are.

Good.

I’m glad. Let’s see what happens.

What we’ll might see:

Engagement will continue to matter. Gen Y would rather be unemployed than hack away for a lifetime at a job they hate. Employees deserve to love what they do — as engagement looks much like the concept of “self actualization”, but applied to work settings. (It appears that Maslow was right all along.)
Improved performance feedback. Gen Y won’t settle for a yearly performance appraisal (neither should you). They prefer a more consistent flow of information, and this makes perfect sense. (The timing of feedback and its specificity are agreed upon beforehand.) No one should work in a vacuum.
Supervisors as mentors. Research has shown that job satisfaction is positively correlated with a great boss. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as supervisors should help their employees seek challenge and develop at work.
Continued transparency. From recruitment policies to organizational direction — Gen Y aspires to be part of an open and shared movement. None of us want to feel we are sequestered within a massive hierarchy.
More communication channels. Gen Y will continue to lead us through the technology arena, with a steady increase in workplace tech that will help us all connect and become more effective.

Personally, I am going to try to embrace and support the changes that Gen Y is seeking — wherever possible and within reason.

I need these work life attributes, just as much as Gen Y.

What do you think — does Gen Y have it right?

Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychologist & blogger, who explores the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program, she helps teams & organizations build stronger foundations. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

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One Conversation

September 5, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

All it took was a single conversation with Stan Smith, the storied tennis champion — to hammer out a deal for him to become the figurehead of a now iconic Adidas sneaker. It’s a bit reminiscent of tales about an ad man, sketching out a tag line on a bar napkin in between gimlets or martinis.

Yet this time it was in 1972, in a late night meeting at a Paris night club, where a contract was discussed that was only meant to last five years. (We know that those 5 years, became decades).

Of course — other conversations also played a role.

Before that moment, the son of Adidas founder, Horst Dassler, had the idea (and likely a conversation) to create an all leather sneaker. Then there was likely another conversation to replace the brand’s three stripes, with three rows of perforations.

You get the idea.

Great ideas often get their start during a single conversation.

Whether it’s an idea or a new perspective or a novel solution — they all could be that something that becomes invaluable. We simply must have the good sense to be listening.

As it turns out, one moment can mean an awful lot, when we keep our hearts and minds open to consider the potential that might live there.

Is there a conversation that changed your work life (or world)? Who was listening?

Big Ideas, Organizational Culture

No Matter Your Industry: Voices Still Matter (All of Them)

July 30, 2025July 30, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

It’s funny how we forget the fundamentals of our businesses. The originals. The G.O.A T.

We lose sight of them somehow. We become distracted. Our attention becomes infinitely divided among new formulas, strategies and theories. It seems that the original of a product (that customers love) becomes difficult to find — and ends up on the bottom shelf in the grocery store. A classic text seems all but forgotten and goes out of print, just as it is rediscovered by a younger generation. There are so many other choices to put in front of potential customers. To distract them. To capture them.

But something vital is being lost here: Voice.

But not just the voices of those that stay and choose another, less satisfying option. These choices might fill the void for them temporarily, yet obscure the messages that we are missing. Because, when we stop listening fully — loyalty erodes — and those who once happily engaged with our businesses — disengage and exit.

With them their voices also exit.

Yet, we can change. We can become smarter — without actually becoming smarter. Because we know how to stay focused and rebuild awareness. We know how to listen fully. We’ve simply lost our stamina.

A few things to consider:

Your valued outcomes. If sales/satisfaction metrics are headed in the wrong direction and you’ve thrown everything else at the issue — you may have lost the lede in your own story. Clients that fail to commit to us, likely have a reason. (And some will leave.) The reasons may be buried, but they are there. You just aren’t asking the right questions.
Net Promoter Scores are fooling you. Remember that you are no longer hearing the voices of clients & customers that have already jumped ship. Which means the formula for NPS will not be painting an accurate picture. Be mindful of lost voices on the lower end of the spectrum.
Your business becomes a lazy listener when things are good. Taking success for granted, will lead you to a disadvantageous position. When is the last time you talked to a set of your clients? Have you taken the pulse of their mood and current/changing needs? Take the time to do so. You’ll likely learn something that you did not expect to hear. Voices are like that. They often need to be awakened.
Your business is less agile and more stubborn. How we deliver our products and services works well — until it doesn’t. If we could read minds, we would, but we cannot. Agility cannot be accomplished without a steady stream of information from the external environment.

Start listening. Voices matter.

Even the voices that have moved on.

Share your thoughts in comments.

Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychologist who explores core stability and the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program, she speaks to teams & organizations on how to build stronger foundations through the practice of core stability. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

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What Struck Me About Emily in Paris, Wasn’t Paris: It Was All the Work Life Stuff

July 25, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Photo Credits: Stéphanie Branchu/Netflix

I’m in the midst of watching Emily in a Paris for the second time (balancing the show with the Season 3 release of The Gilded Age.) It’s uncanny, how a second watch can help you attend to different story lines and overall themes. There is little doubt that the series lives in some sort of cheerful alternative universe and that likely plays a big role in the attraction. But, as a work life strategist, the things that struck me about Emily’s foray into life in Paris the second time around — were not the colorful clothes or her apartment’s perfect view. It was her Cinderella themed work life. In fact, there were a few highly valuable lessons to be learned from all of it, addressing situations that we could all experience in our own lives. All in all, the foundation for a happy work life was quickly damaged, and continued to take on water, day after day after day. Yet, Emily forged on with a plucky type of grace and fortitude, which is more than most of us might muster.

Most salient to me, of course, was the office dynamic that hit Emily squarely in the face, as she optimistically approached her new life in Paris. How she was treated as a newcomer and how her relationship progressed with her core work group, were particularly interesting. And yes — they made a plethora of mistakes that we should never make outside of a television series. Yes, Emily was a last minute replacement for someone who did supposedly speak French. But what happened to Emily, went much further than that. Her experiences were much like Andy’s in The Devil Wears Prada (who was referred to as “Emily” for a good part of the movie); disrespectful, painful and sometimes hard to watch.

Here are my quick thoughts:

How We Treat Newcomers. It’s amazing how quickly the hopes & dreams of newcomers can be dashed within organizations (the research bears this out). The first weeks are a particularly important time, and need to be grounded in core topics such as respect for expertise, personal goals and yes, making them feel welcome. Building the right foundation is imperative. This group just didn’t give a damn. Her boss was comically awful, doing so while oozing French sophistication.
Office Mores. Emily pacing in the front of the office for hours, because she had absolutely no idea what time the office actually opened, was clearly a cultural reference about work — but does illustrate how vulnerable we are at the start of any new work experience. Getting to know the pace, tenor and even the specific vernacular of a work group are a huge part of the on-boarding journey. Should she have asked about the start time? Yes. Should they have already told her? Double yes.
The New Idea Allergy. As far as I know, a social media strategist (even if they fail to speak French), remains an important role, even in the luxury product space. Somehow deemed ridiculous by her colleagues, an American viewpoint was what she was there to deliver, and they were committed to remain closed-mind. How often have we dismissed a viewpoint because we just would not make a space in our brain, that might challenge what we feel we already know, from a perspective that is solely our own?
Yes, Relationships Do Take Time. It was heartwarming how the team began to see the strengths that Emily brought in a broader sense. But, of course, it was entirely self-serving. They reached that point, while kicking and screaming, all the way through the bad behavior department. Heartwarming in a sense. Traumatizing in a sense. But of course, this is the nature of fantasy. Things can miraculously resolve — without any long term fallout.

I would have quit — after sharing a few choice words. In French.

How about you?

Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychology Practitioner who explores core stability and the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program, she speaks to teams & organizations on how to build stronger foundations through the practice of core stability. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

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The Joy Deficit

June 30, 2025July 16, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

I would consider myself to be a happy person. Possibly a bit too optimistic about people & situations, which can pose an occasional problem. But, I’m also largely driven by simple things, which might work in my favor. Yet, I will openly admit that I could be happier and possibly feel more satisfied with my life. Most of us have room for improvement, so to speak — and finding more joy would be beneficial. I’m not certain of the severity of my own joy deficit, but it is likely present. Addressing that deficit seems vital. For all of us.

So what should be the focus if we set out to increase the amount of joy in our lives?

Research on life satisfaction appears to hinge on three major constructs, achievement (recognition & a sense of accomplishment), meaningfulness (a sense of purpose regarding our actions) and joy. While the two former constructs feel easier to define and capture — the latter feels much more esoteric and quite personal.

When considering the notion of joy, I cannot help but turn to the poets and philosophers for clues. They not only seem to contemplate and understand what brings joy, they have graced us with the added bonus of writing about it. Love and nature seem to be enduring topics, but I suppose this is highly specific to an individual. Personally, I find laughter to be the most accessible “joyful” activity, as life can come with more than a decent amount of stress and emotional burden.

I think we pass over some “joy rich” activities as either frivolous or unimportant (I love rearranging the furniture) — but they are not.

Everyone should reflect on the elements that supply them with joy, as we spend too far little time paying attention to this.

I’ll start with 5 of my joy-inducing elements. You’re next. Leave your list in comments.

Walking through a summer garden.
Laughing with one of my children, over something silly.
Standing on a beach, appreciating the vastness of Lake Michigan.
Seeing one my my paintings happily installed in a collector’s home.
Rearranging the vignette on my black marble coffee table.

What brings you joy?

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Practitioner who focuses on bringing core stability to our work lives. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program. Her thoughts on work & life have appeared in various outlets including the Harvard Business Review, The World Economic Forum & the BBC.

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Quit Already II

June 21, 2025June 21, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

Grit in our work lives can be a good thing.

Sticking to things can offer us the time and space to solve an issue or adjust our attitude. In some cases, we find a resolution that really works. Then having grit really pays off.

I’m sure you can think of more than a few situations in your life or your work life, that were far from ideal. But you persevered — hoping for an acceptable outcome. Hoping to achieve the goal you set out to achieve.

Yet grit has it limitations.

If you look back on those times, what were the associated costs? Did we feel minimized in some way, or trapped or drained? There is often suffering in that mix. While you hover over the work life wound that could have been emerging, what was happening to the state of your psychological resources?

When you finally found your way out of that situation, were you less confident as you approached your next role? Less resilient? Less hopeful?

I think we have to be aware of the spent energy associated with grit.

Grit is important. But so is your heart.

These are the costs that are often ignored.

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The Ugly Truth About Goals, The Gap & Lowering Expectations

May 14, 2025May 14, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

It can suck to be a beginner at just about anything. It’s not only that you are not yet great at this thing that you value. There is the recognition of the gap — the presence of mind to know what is good — and that you are clearly not there. This can force an entire “judgment cascade”, concerning not only your current status, but how far you have to go and how quickly you should improve.

Most of us are not great at being beginners, and it seems we lose that gift over time. When we attend college, none of us holds the expectation that after our first semester as a freshman, we will be ready to fully function in our field of choice (if we’ve managed to identify that field). We are patient in that sense, and willing to put in the endless hours of sitting in class, reading textbooks and listening to professors share their expertise. Moreover, we are not unhappy about making that investment. Because we patently accept that all of this takes time. Our goals are aligned with the process.

But we lose this patience as time goes on. We barely tolerate the time it takes to become better at something we value. This, in part, could be explained by the situations we are in at work; where a deadline might be pressing against the time it’s taking for us to master something. Yet, the problem can still lie with our own expectations. And, yes we might be expecting too much, and too soon. There are risks if we don’t come to terms with all of this — we could face burnout or even, sadness.

My dilemma, while writing this, is not only that we need to offer room for our skill sets to flourish — yet we must also manage when we bring them to the table. If we declare ourselves as competent too soon, we risk outcomes that could have been avoided if we had just given things more time. If we had just lowered our expectations about progress just a bit — if we chose our goals more prudently — maybe learning something can seem more natural once again.

Just my thoughts on the topic.

Share your experiences.

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Influence Yourself

February 5, 2024December 7, 2024by Marla Gottschalk2 Comments

With the advent of social media came a new communication reckoning. A more fluid path to share ideas, opinions, experiences & observations. We wrote, we read, we liked, we shared, we commented. We opened ourselves to being influenced in ways we had never imagined. Yet, one area still seems largely impervious to change; remaining petrified and impervious.

We still fail to recognize that changing how we view ourselves is vital.

We crowdsource that opinion from every point in the social media universe.

And fail to acknowledge that we are the expert.

Ultimately, we still fail to influence ourselves (about ourselves).

It’s an old mistake; but one wholly amplified by the new zeitgeist. Over time, we have become so accustomed (possibly committed) to being noticed by others, recognized by others, made relevant by others — that we fail to shift our own perspectives of us. This limits our potential in so many aspects of our lives. Everything seems to land at our doorsteps; all of the bits if knowledge & advice. Yet we don’t seem to budge. Even when we are actually the experts on us.

I’ve often thought that therapy is one of the only methods to address this fact. There is something vital about someone skilled to navigate our moments and misconceptions alongside us. Yet, even with that exercise, we are often left standing at the proverbial bus stop waiting for a change in opinion that never fully manifests.

We struggle (famously so) to actually apply what has been brought to our attention.

It seems that changing our self-perception is almost a microscopically slow process of growth & evolution. It behaves in a similar manner to concepts such as confidence or falling in love. You shift slowly, until one day the entire universe of awareness suddenly washes over you. Yet, until that very moment that shift is silent, but all the while dividing, growing.

The way we stumble on that shift is somewhat of a mystery. We are often mired in a dated assessment of ourselves, long after that summary is invalid. Yet, I cannot think of a better investment of focus.

What holds us back is a lack of commitment. A lack of vision. Maybe even a lack of hope.

So. I dare you.

Influence yourself.

Have a thought on this topic? Share in comments.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist who focuses on bringing core stability to our work lives. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program. Her thoughts on work & life have appeared in various outlets including the Harvard Business Review, The Muse, Brit & Co, Talent Zoo, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

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A Selection of Readings From the Core Masterclass

January 3, 2024June 15, 2025by Marla GottschalkLeave a Comment

One thing is evident. We cannot expect to draw against a core that has been woefully neglected.

Following this thread, I thought it might be appropriate to share a few articles from the The Core Masterclass reading list — which is designed to build awareness about this very topic. If you read my work, you are likely familiar with my stance on the internal stability of a team or organization. This is simply more of that.

While the elements that contribute to organizational core stability (clarity of mission, etc.) and individual core stability (psychological safety, etc.) are somewhat different — they work together to build healthy, productive work environments.

Happy reading. Let me know in comments what resonates with you or your team.

Management is (Still) Not Leadership. John Kotter. HBR.
What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team, Charles Duhigg, The New York Times.
If You Want Engaged Employees, Offer Them Stability. Marla Gottschalk, HBR.
A Blinding Flash of the Obvious, Tom Peters, Insights by Stanford Business.
How the Growth Outliers Do It, Rita Gunther McGrath, HBR.
How Winning Organizations Last 100 Years, Alex Hill, Liz Mellon, Jules Goddard, HBR.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist who focuses on bringing core stability to people and organizations. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program. Her thoughts on work life have appeared in various outlets including the Harvard Business Review, Talent Zoo, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.