Workplace Issues

Resources to Counteract Mean and Nasty in the Workplace

November 27, 2017

In November, people observe World Kindness Day, which was started in 1998 by an international coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that wanted to shine a spotlight on the positive power of being kind. There are many corners of the world right now that are just plain mean and nasty. Incivility has always been part of […]

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What Does it Mean to Work Human? Join Me in Austin, Texas to Find Out

October 30, 2017

Would you like to bring a bit more humanity into your workplace? Who wouldn’t? Sometimes our work lives make us feel like numbers on a spreadsheet. As an antidote to the daily grind of the workplace, I attend the WorkHuman conference to hear the best and brightest talk about the science behind human motivation, happiness […]

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Our Egos are a Problem at Work. But Not in the Way You Think.

September 25, 2017

The word “ego” carries a lot of baggage, with connotations like: Blowhard. Difficult to get along with. Egomaniac. Middle man to the Id and Superego. Rarely have three letters evoked so much emotional drama. In fact, perhaps you experienced a bit of inner turmoil prior to clicking the link to this blog post. Because, of […]

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A Very Human Julia Louis-Dreyfus

June 27, 2017

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing actor and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus speak at the WorkHuman conference in Phoenix. She was interviewed by Michelle Gielan, a former news journalist turned positive psychology researcher. As Louis-Dreyfus settled in for the interview, her trademark wit surfaced: “Huh. Happiness researcher. I just can’t get enough […]

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Michelle Obama’s Mindset for Coping with Change

June 12, 2017

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has a tried-and-tried formula for coping with change: don’t make a big deal out of it. That’s the workplace take-away that most impressed me when I heard Mrs. Obama speak at WorkHuman 2017 conference. It’s advice borrowed from parenting her two girls. Mrs. Obama said that she and President Obama’s […]

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WorkHuman: Still on My A-List for Conferences

June 5, 2017

WorkHuman 2017 is now a memory. I’ve traveled home from Phoenix and had a few days to digest the benefits of this conference. I’m happy to report all of the observations from my first WorkHuman still apply. Now in its third year, the WorkHuman conference continues to help HR and business leaders can bring humanity […]

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Getting Ready for #WorkHuman 2017

May 27, 2017

In less than 48 hours, I’ll board a plane headed to Phoenix for the WorkHuman 2017 event. This three-day business conference, which is produced by recognition software experts Globoforce, is unlike any I’ve ever attended. Globoforce is leading the charge to make our workplaces more “human.” To that end, the speakers at this conference talk […]

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The Career Development Gap – Why Employees Think There’s No Growth Opportunity

March 30, 2017

When it comes to advancing their careers, employees aren’t feeling the love. That’s a key finding from a recent white paper produced by TINYPulse, a firm that specializes in gathering data on employee engagement and satisfaction. Only 26% of employees surveyed felt they had adequate opportunities for career growth. The managers of these same employees […]

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Trends in Professional Development – Self-Serve Learning

February 7, 2017

Humans are naturally curious creatures. When my kids were little it was such fun to watch them learn about their world. Give them a cardboard box, plastic spoons and nesting measuring cups and they would experiment endlessly. Somewhere along the line, many of us got our curiosity drilled out of us – probably due to […]

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Research that Supports Being “Good with People”

February 2, 2017

For years, I’ve written about how to “master the people equation” to make a positive impact in your work life. It seems obvious (to me, at least) that people who “get along” with others are more effective at getting stuff done. People aren’t real fond of Negative Nellies and Neds. They don’t like to work […]

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