I was literally writing my book chapter on the unwritten rule of being assertive but not “too aggressive” at work when my phone exploded with the billionaire tantrum. Literally anything else would’ve been “more professional.” #elonmusk #trump #realhousewivesofdc

once again I must tap my own sign

We told one generation to abandon manual skills for knowledge work. Now we're surprised when they lack empathy for those whose knowledge work is being automated. This isn't just about jobs—it's about the broken promises of social advancement. #bluecollar #whitecollar #ai #americandream

Seeking recommendations for second language apps! I used to use Duolingo, but I've heard no good things since they've replaced people with AI. I will be traveling in parts of Europe, Africa, and possibly Asia in the fall. I want to do my best to navigate in a culturally respectful way.

So much career advice starts with “work hard” and ends with “network.” But what about the rules no one tells you? I recently joined Dr. Natalie Luke on the UnCeiling You podcast to break down the unwritten rules that shape who gets ahead—and who gets left out.

100 men vs. 1 gorilla? How about the working class against the oligarchy? The upward redistribution of wealth over the past 50 years has shifted $80 trillion from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%. This is the real fight we need to be talking about.

Unpopular opinion: I’d rather work in a regular #hierarchy than a “flat” one. Deets in the video. Which do you prefer? #workculture #leadership

People from #workingclass backgrounds often struggle with self-promotion - an unwritten rule of work. I'm gonna start planting my partner in the audience every time so he can ask “DO YOU HAVE A BOOK?!” #selfpromotion #unwrittenrules #unspokenrules #manager #earlycareer

Toxic Individualism: The Unwritten Rule Behind Stack Ranking's Comeback Stack ranking isn't just performance management—it's toxic individualism disguised as meritocracy (yes, even at companies with "teamwork" plastered on their values page 🙄)

It’s not nobody pulling on their bootstraps. It’s wage theft.

"Flat" hierarchies are often BS. I said what I said. Here's why: When organizations eliminate formal power structures, they don't eliminate power—they just force it into the shadows.

Unpopular opinion: Most people aren't happy at work. I think this is *part of* the resistance to #dei. Workplace norms were designed by those in power - wealthy, white, male, neurotypical.

Workplace 'professionalism' is the greatest magic trick: convincing the majority to accept norms that don't serve them. Clear communication and universal design aren't special accommodations—they're better solutions for everyone. #universaldesign #professionalism #workingclass #neurodivergent

The workplace mantra "take the emotion out of it" isn't the wisdom we thought it was. As an I/O psychologist researching unwritten workplace rules, this is one rule I was raised on - especially spending my teenage years with a single dad and four younger brothers.

Is an elite education really the best predictor of leadership ability? 📚 The book "Power to the Middle" (2023) reveals public school grads often outperform Ivy League counterparts in people leadership.

Ever felt like a fraud while networking? That pit-in-stomach "I'm being so fake right now" feeling? New research by Park, Bailey & Kuwabara (2024) gives us a fascinating framework: networking authenticity depends on your mindset.

The greatest threat to social mobility isn't technology—it's our inability to extend empathy across class lines when disruption comes for someone else's livelihood. #ai #technology #bluecollar #whitecollar #americandream

The issues here aren't necessarily the written rules, they are the unwritten rules of American culture and an astounding LACK of rules protecting working parents. $5k or a "motherhood medal" won't change that. #workingparents #unwrittenrules #culture #gender #socialclass

The biggest workplace lie: 'That's just normal professionalism.' The truth: it's a set of cultural practices that gatekeep who belongs. If you want to know why you're struggling to recruit and keep top talent, you must dive into the #unwrittenrules of work. #hiring #recruit #professionalism

The resentment between blue and white-collar workers reveals our greatest failure: creating a social mobility ladder that pitted Americans against each other instead of building an economy that valued all contributions. #ai #bluecollar #whitecollar #socialclass

Knowing a professional culture exists doesn't mean you know how to navigate it. Like a Floridian figuring out which snow is safe to walk on, class mobility requires learning cultural codes that insiders take for granted. #corporateamerica #socialclass

The most dangerous gap in our workforce isn't between humans and technology—it's between different classes of workers who can't see their struggles stem from the same roots. #socialclass #laborrights #bluecollar #whitecollar

#professionalism isn't universal—it's a cultural construct that doesn't fit most people's backgrounds across #class, #race, #gender, and #neurodivergence. I think this is part of the resentment towards #dei (not excluding bigotry). When nobody is happy, we're not empathetic to others.

I’ve been saying for nearly six months now that I’ve been criticizing Elon Musk since before it was cool. It shouldn’t be “political” to criticize toxic leadership. But don’t listen to me, listen to @adamgrant.bSky.social in the @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/o...

When we define 'professionalism' by dominant cultural norms, we're not measuring competence—we're measuring cultural assimilation. Keep this in mind as you discuss "merit-based" practices. #merit #hiring #performance

The irony of #hierarchy: those in the middle often enforce rules most strictly. Middle managers aren't inherently resistant to innovation—they're navigating a system where they have too much to lose and not enough security to risk it.

White-collar environments often gaslight people by labeling cultural norms as 'just professionalism' when they're actually class-based barriers that exclude the majority. #socialclass #professionalism

I have yet to see any news stations cover the impact mandatory #rto in the #federalgovernment is having on the #pinkcollar workers, specifically custodians. While agencies are not permitted to hire more or contract out, this bare bones staff that have been maintaining bathrooms, kitchens, offices.

We know the phrase “everything is a conspiracy theory when you don’t know how anything works.” Today, it feels like “everything is ‘wasteful’ or ‘redundant’ when you don’t know how anything works.” #hhs #federal

SURPRISE, I’m a panelist at #siop2025. I’m looking forward to joining some of my former Deloitte crew to discuss emerging #technology and #culture in the #federal government! Who else will I be seeing in #denver?

Working-class communication is more direct, and it's not because these groups are "uncouth." These groups foster direct communication out of necessity—it's a safety issue when outcomes are tangible and concrete. Learning "why" is investing in learning about someone. Assuming is stereotyping.

Friend: “everything is so shit right now, and I realize even so I have a lot of privilege. I’m white, I’m employed…” Me: “…in the legislative branch.” Friend: “exactly.” Conversations in #dc. A new privileged identity added to the #intersectionality wheel.

The myth of #meritocracy promises that hard work erases class differences, but research reveals the opposite: workplace success often depends on mastering unspoken cultural codes that have nothing to do with competence and everything to do with class signaling.

Cross-class interactions create profound discomfort because they expose the lie at the heart of #meritocracy. When someone from a working-class background excels, it challenges the privileged to question whether their success was truly earned or simply inherited along with their social capital.

The hidden #emotionallabor of cross-class encounters goes unacknowledged in our workplaces.

The cruel paradox of upward mobility: conforming to elite norms helps individuals survive and advance, but does nothing to dismantle the classist stereotypes that created those barriers.

In professional settings, people from working-class backgrounds are often stereotyped as less competent, morally inferior, and even dangerous.

The #workplace #communication problem isn't about direct vs. indirect styles—it's our false assumption that indirect equals polite and direct equals rude. Truth is, you can be respectfully direct and painfully passive-aggressive. One preserves clarity, the other creates confusion.

This has always been the wealthy’s move. I wrote ago it the history of this last year: drkallschmidt.com/is-inequalit...

I have a new term: “Botlicker” - someone who relies solely on algorithms and #articicialintelligence, who does not seek primary sources of information or even search engines.

My bet is the plan is for DC to become the “Silicon Swamp."

So how long do we think #osha will be around? This WILL impact #bluecollar work. apnews.com/article/musk... #elonmusk #tesla

*Me, trying to behave normally* Accountant: “May I have your IRS pin?” Me: “Interesting, Elon didn’t have to ask me that a couple weeks ago.” Accountant:

There is so much scarcity mindset rights now. “If they have worker rights, then I won’t!” This is rarely the case. Fighting against anyone else’s labor rights only takes away yours too.

BUT REALLY

The purpose of segregation is classist. It is to keep the working-class from realizing who the abuser is. To blame the Black and Brown communities for the working-class whites and keep these groups fighting each other instead of them. This is a major warning sign of #laborrights rollbacks

Business leaders do this all the time (peak the #dei rollouts and rollbacks). Maybe before the internet you could fool some people, but now you just look like a flip flop (and not the cute kind). Being open to new ideas is great. Standing for nothing is not.

Since the Elizabeth Holmes scandal, people have been saying that she couldn’t drop out of college like Zuckerberg, Gates, or Jobs because medical work requires knowledge, while software doesn’t have the same negative implications. I disagree.

The best compliment I’ve received is, “This audience loved you, and this is not the audience who I thought would care about this stuff.” I received this after a keynote on #workculture and how #professionalism uphold a very narrow definition of people, discriminating against others.