If you asked your team members what saps their productivity, what would they say? They’d probably mention unnecessary meetings, interruptions or poor communications, right? What if — shockingly — you were listed as one of the reasons that your team couldn’t get their work done? Wait a minute, you say, I’m not a micromanager; I…
Giving Praise as a Way to Increase Your Happiness
Are you a praise giver or taker? How you respond may offer a clue into your level of happiness at work. Happiness researcher Shawn Achor has made a name for himself studying the many facets of happiness. His research has uncovered a startling connection between praise and happiness: the more praise you give, the happier…
Scavenger Hunts as an Easy and Cost-Effective Way to Build Teamwork
This post is brought to you by Strayboots, a company that provides customized mobile-enhanced scavenger hunts for corporate team-building events. See below for full disclosure. When you were a kid, did you ever participate in a scavenger hunt at a birthday party? There’s nothing like the thrill of the hunt, trying to find obscure items…
When Persistence is Just Plain Stupid
When my kids were babies, it was fascinating to watch them learn to walk. One of my kids was determined from a very early age—far before it was physically feasible—to stand upright in what my husband and I can only assume was an attempt to begin to walk. We have pictures of our seven-month old…
6 Unexpected Sources of Leadership Inspiration
Have you ever been to a leadership training program and realized the concepts taught would be as much use to you at home as at work? According to research by Development Dimensions International, leaders who apply their newly learned skills at work also put those skills to use at home. The same is true in…