Of Interest…

Someecards.com is a great resource when you need a break from the seriousness of your day or a good laugh.  Memes like “Nothing makes me appreciate a night out at a nice restaurant like my own cooking,” are easy to find.  One of their most recent articles though, I found very inspiring.

Two weeks ago I wrote about being stuck in a rut with meetings.  In that blog, I discussed how to make meetings more engaging, productive, and equitable. Today, I am discussing the importance of paying attention to the quiet people in meetings. Those quiet people often have the most to offer – they just wait for the right minute to offer it.

How would your team describe meetings in your organization?  Inspiring? Fun? Productive? But what would the honest answer often be?  Boring? Repetitive? Inefficient? 

Gen Z, ironically also known as zoomers, feel like they are missing out on career growth due to remote work.  Born between 1997 and 2012, it’s those in their early 20’s that are facing these drawbacks to remote work.

Employees are stressed out and need support from their managers.  They are tired of the pandemic, tired of zoom calls, and for some…tired of working from home. And with vaccinations increasing and a small light at the end of the tunnel, many may be experiencing anxiety over the possibility of returning to the office.

Can you believe it’s been nearly one year since the pandemic closed offices and forced remote work?  We’ve all had to make adjustments over the past year.  There have been varied levels of success with remote work, much of it dependent on how well the organization was able to adjust and embrace employees working from their homes.

Soft skills are often what separate good leaders from mediocre leaders. Of course, a leader must understand the business and possess any technical skills necessary for the job, but soft skills are what will help a leader excel.

2020 was a rough year.  We’ve all been working hard to stay motivated.  Research suggests that employees excel when they feel empowered, and I feel that is so important right now.  Creating a sense of empowerment in employees takes effort from leadership. Leaders must truly get to know and understand their employees.  Managers should understand what uniquely motivates and empowers each of their employees.

Well, we made it to 2021, but we shouldn’t expect anything other than more change.  We are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, experiencing political unrest, the economy is struggling, diversity and inclusion has been escalated in importance and accountability, and remote/hybrid work continues and is likely here to stay.  Our biggest challenge for 2021 is likely going to be becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. Change is the new norm.

With so much more communication via email today, I’ve noticed more and more grammar mistakes.  We have to dig back to the fourth grade to remember some of the most important grammar rules.  The review below will help you dust off the cobwebs of those elementary school lessons.

Fear.  It’s something we all experience.  Some fears are small, such as a fear of spiders – a fairly harmless fear.  But larger fears, such as a fear of losing or a fear of risk, can hold you back from what could be large successes in your life.

I recently read a fascinating article from BBC Worklife where they asked leading experts how they felt the world of work has changed as a result of COVID.  They looked at remote work and how it’s been normalized through this pandemic and what effects it’s expected to have long term.

As the COVID numbers are rising, I think it’s safe to say that remote work isn’t going anywhere soon.  We’ve talked a lot about remote work lately, but a recent article in Fast Company shines a different light on it.  It talks about making the most of your now virtual commute. We’ve saved all this time commuting to and from work, but how are we making the best out of that time?

I had the pleasure of seeing Barbara Corcoran speak at a conference about a year ago.  She is a very successful businesswoman and always has great advice.  I recently read an article where she gives five tips to help your team remain productive while working from home.  They are all great reminders as we enter month eight of working remote.

With everything going on right now – a pandemic, working from home, political unrest – we are all stressed out.  I recently read an article that listed some natural remedies that help dealing with stress, and I felt it was worth sharing with our readers.