What if the biggest threat to your team’s creativity and performance isn’t the workload but outdated ideas of what “professionalism” should look like?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of performative professionalism: obsessing over sounding smart, dressing the part, and following invisible rules about how “real professionals” should behave. But all that effort often masks the very things that fuel creativity, innovation, and productivity.
Today’s guest is here to flip the script on professionalism and show you how to bring more fun into work without being labeled unprofessional.
Meet Bree Groff. Bree is the author of TODAY WAS FUN: A Book About Work (Seriously) and a transformation expert who’s advised leaders at Microsoft, Google, Pfizer, and more.
In this episode, Bree reveals the difference between functional and performative professionalism, shares simple rituals that create psychological safety, and explains why micro acts of fun at work (whether you’re on site or fully remote) are actually strategic for building team trust.
Plus, in the extended episode available exclusively to Podcast+ members, Bree shares practical tips on how to respond when someone calls you “unprofessional” and other small ways to infuse fun into the workday.
Join the conversation now!
Conversation Topics
- (00:00) Introduction
- (01:23) Understanding functional vs. performative professionalism
- (06:20) The problem with wearing “business masks”
- (10:17) How to balance client expectations
- (15:22) What real professionalism looks like in practice
- (21:07) How to talk about professionalism with your team
- (25:04) The impact of human-first leadership
- (27:35) A great manager Bree has worked for
- (29:30) Keep up with Bree
- (30:19) [Extended Episode Only] How to respond when someone says you’re unprofessional
- (35:32) [Extended Episode Only] Other ways to bring more joy and fun into the workplace
Additional Resources:
- Read the full transcript
here- Follow me on Instagram
here - Visit my website for more
here- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
here
Keep up with Bree Groff
- Grab a copy of her book,
Today Was Fun,
here- Subscribe to Bree’s Substack
here
FREE 1-A-Day Calendar
Bree is giving Podcast+ members a 1-A-Day Calendar for free. This playful calendar provides 30 days of prompts—a quote, a provocation, or a little something to try—to help you love your days.
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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.
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What is The Modern Manager?
Host Mamie Kanfer Stewart shares practical approaches to help you be a great manager. Learn more at: https://themodernmanager.com/
Solo episodes are like mini-courses, providing actionable tips based on experience and research. Guest episodes are engaging conversations that elicit insights and suggestions for how to apply the ideas.
Learn more about effective meeting practices, communication skills, managing conflict, team building, time management, group dynamics, goal setting and accountability, team competencies, productivity and collaboration technologies, organizational culture, and more.
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