An interesting info graphic highlighting some of the top employee incentives and perks…what perks would help you stay inspired in your workplace? What incentives would help you remain loyal to your company?
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Research shows that when people in a conflict situation laugh and find the humor in a situation, they are likely to shift from convergent thinking (believing there is only one possible solution) to divergent thinking (seeing other possibilities and ideas that might solve the conflict). Here are a few tips on how to use humor in a conflict situation to defuse the tension:
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Single-focus meetings can be an effective way to dive deeper into an issue. When you have one central purpose, theme or goal tied to a meeting, chances are you’ll have a more effective meeting and achieve better results. Too often teams try to cram too many issues into their meetings, yet different topics often require different forums and different types of conversations to address them successfully. Here are a few different types of meetings you might want to try on for size in your workplace:
– Daily Team Huddles: A great way to improve communication and strengthen your culture. No chairs, short and sweet. For more details visit Huddle Up!
– Oops Meetings: Centiro Solutions, a Swedish software company, has a “failure club” that holds humorous meetings where people share their mistakes and what they learned in the process. By making the meetings very fun, they create an environment where people feel comfortable admitting their blunders so everyone can learn from them.
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A few weeks ago in my weekly e-zine Inspiring Workplaces I raised the issue of employees not speaking up in their workplaces. I was flooded with responses from subscribers adding to the list of reasons employees don’t feel comfortable speaking up to their senior managers. Some told stories of how they were fired for speaking up too often at work, while others had been demoted or reprimanded for speaking up. And one person shared how she was let go for not speaking up enough at work!
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Do your employees understand the importance of expressing empathy to your customers when required?
My wife and I just returned from a speaking trip in another country. The trip turned into an epic adventure involving delayed flights, missed connections, missing baggage, and yes, more delayed flights. Some of it was weather related, some issues were mechanical, sometimes we were waiting for the “paperwork”. At one point we had a pilot but no plane, then later on we had a plane without a pilot.
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We recently celebrated Family Day in my home province of Alberta. The holiday is intended as a day for people to spend time with their family, which reminded me of the role families play in businesses. Inspiring workplaces recognize that families matter and that the families of employees are part of their support team.
Consider the impact work has on your life. Chances are, it is the biggest use of your waking hours – in fact, many people spend more time with their colleagues than they do with their family. Work affects your mental and physical health, your attitude and energy level you carry home with you, and your personal development and growth. Work can’t help but have an enormous impact on your marriage and on your children’s lives.
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