Here’s what’s been on our minds lately … This is where we post occasional thoughts, observations, photos and ideas that we find relevant and connected to our work.
Wellness at Work – and Engagement
Leaders need to be in good condition in order to lead and help their teams feel supported in their work. Practicing and modeling self-care, as well as encouraging your teams to take care of themselves, are positive steps towards ensuring that you’re all in the best possible shape at work.
Because wellness connects to how leaders can be at their best, I’d like to introduce my friend and colleague, Stacy Fritz, as our guest blogger (note: see a picture of us from our fun trip to NY in December at the end, Stacy is the deer to the right). Stacy and I have known each other since high school. While we took different paths for a good part of our lives, we reconnected and found some synergy in the work we’re currently doing. Stacy leads FIT2Order, a company focused on the health, fitness, and wellness of our workforce – with an emphasis on addressing the needs and hazards of sedentary work. My brainchild, Capacity Group, seeks to facilitate the performance and growth of leaders and their teams.
Despite our differences, there’s a connection here! Namely – when we’re fit, healthy and well, we’re more likely to be engaged at work. “Engaged employees don’t just ‘do their jobs,’ but use their talents, drive innovation within the company, and help to build.”[1] This is a point my colleague, Marcella Bayer and I made in our recent, three-part blog series on employee engagement.[2]
Is your interest piqued? If so, please read on for some great suggestions from Stacy to create more wellness at work and see if you feel more engaged! [Read more…] about Wellness at Work – and Engagement
Exploring Employee Engagement: Part Three
In this third piece in our three-part series on employee engagement, we’ll consider ways leaders and organizations can evaluate engagement. We’ll also identify effective action steps to enhance employee engagement.
Evaluating Engagement
While formal surveys are still the preferred method for measuring employee engagement, organizations may require some innovation with respect to data collection. Surveys can take months to analyze, and the interim silence often sends a message to employees that management doesn’t care. [Read more…] about Exploring Employee Engagement: Part Three
Exploring Employee Engagement: Part Two
In this second piece in our three-part series on employee engagement, we’ll look at the topic of burnout at work, including contributing factors and actions leaders and organizations can take to positively address this issue.
Factors Contributing to Burnout at Work
Recent statistics indicate that two-thirds of full-time workers in the U.S. are experiencing burnout on the job. Additionally, multiple studies have found that low levels of employee engagement have a direct impact on company performance. There are many reasons employees may feel less engaged and even burned out at work, and they include the following:
Exploring Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is often a key measure of effectiveness for both organizations and leaders. Statistical evidence and data prove that high levels of engagement correlate to the increased overall performance of a company, which elevates the importance of this issue for leaders. If your firm is in the process of leading change right now, a focus on engagement will help drive success as it transforms to a new state.
Spaciousness
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Taking time to step away from the long list of tasks, demands, and meetings in order to breathe, and be present to yourself, is one of the most important acts of a leader. It’s both an act of self-care and an act for others. Leaders, by nature, have responsibility for others: their clients, associates, stakeholders, families and communities. Leaders must also care for themselves in order to be at their best. You may have read about this and know it cognitively, yet do you know it in your heart? In your body? In your soul?
March Madness – Delivering Top Performance
It’s that time of year, March Madness, where many of us watch the college teams battle it out in the NCAA basketball tournament. What I love about this season is seeing close games where talented athletes deliver incredible levels of performance, both individually and collectively. What’s almost as interesting is the breakdowns that happen and how coaches engage when teams don’t live up to their full capabilities.
[Read more…] about March Madness – Delivering Top Performance