Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Beyond Work

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative outside, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work.

  • Show Compassion, Save Your Empathy

    Show Compassion, Save Your Empathy

    “What the world needs more than empathy is compassion. Empathy is feeling the pain and suffering of others. Compassion is acting to relieve the pain and suffering of others.” – Adam Grant

    A couple of weeks ago I was listening to Adam Grant’s podcast while driving and the topic was mental health and how organizations can make an impact. At Horizon Point we’ve been having candid conversations about our own mental health in the last few months. As Mary Ila mentioned in her blog post Taking a Walkabout we have all been dealing with health issues as a result of our own stress and anxieties over the past year or so. For us, it all came to a halt during our first quarterly meeting of 2021. And as a result, we have each agreed to take a sabbatical to focus on ourselves. But at the same time, it has led us to conversations on how we can do the next right thing for our clients as well and help them focus on the mental health of their employees. 

    The podcast with Adam really hit a chord with me. I am an empath, and this is where I really struggle with my mental health. As Adam explains it, having empathy means that you feel the pain and suffering of others. And I agree with him, empathy is exhausting. 

    As Adam mentions in his podcast, when employees are struggling with their mental health, it has a significant impact on their performance. So how can employers show that they care about the mental health of their employees without exhausting themselves in the process? According to Adam, it’s through compassion, not empathy. 

    I had never really thought about empathy and compassion together before. I think we often use the terms interchangeably, I know I did. But now I understand they are very different. 

    Empathy is aimed at an individual and allows for a lot of bias. You will have more empathy for an individual you like than one you don’t. You may have more empathy for that star employee than you do for the one who struggles to meet deadlines. You have more empathy for the employee that reminds you of yourself. 

    Compassion isn’t about how much you feel someone’s pain, it’s about how well you respond to help alleviate that pain. You can have all of the empathy in the world, feel someone else’s pain immensely, but not do anything to help them relieve that pain and suffering. Compassion is all about helping them move through that pain to the other side. 

    So how can organizations create a compassionate culture? 

    • Allow sick days to be utilized for mental health- As Adam puts it allow “sad days.”
    • Make sure your health plan covers mental health, or offer an EAP. 
    • Take two minutes to ask employees how they are. If you notice an employee seems to be having a rough day, show them you care, don’t just try to avoid them. 
    • Ask employees if they need help, don’t wait for them to come to you. 
    • As Brene’ Brown would say, you have to be vulnerable. Be willing to put yourself out there too. At Horizon Point we have all been very vulnerable with each other, both before and now during our rejuvenation period. 

    Creating a culture of compassion helps to keep your employees from the exhaustion of empathy, can increase productivity, improve employees’ mental health which can decrease your healthcare costs, and so much more.

    How can you help your organization create a culture of compassion?  

  • Personal Wellness Strategies

    Personal Wellness Strategies

    Personal wellness is something that is often considered a luxury. However, the older I get, the more I realize it is a necessity. Earlier this year, I had a scare with my blood pressure that sent me to the emergency room. After multiple tests and a follow-up with a cardiologist, I was diagnosed with stress and anxiety. On a side note, my elevated blood pressure is something inherited that will most likely result in medication for the rest of my life. 

    Stress which often leads to anxiety can cause a host of issues if not addressed. When my episode happened, I had several heart attack symptoms (chest/neck/arm pain, elevated blood pressure, racing heart, etc.). It was scary, especially since I’ve always been in good health. It forced me to stop, slow down and make health and personal wellness a priority.

    There are so many ways we can combat stress and anxiety without medication. With that being said, I personally believe medication can help and is often needed in conjunction with personal wellness. Here are a few strategies to consider for personal wellness:

    1. Exercise – Don’t get me wrong, I will never be a marathon runner or someone who visits the gym daily. I do, however, love a brisk walk at the park and do my best to get there at least 4 times a week. I have also been trying yoga, PiYo, HIIT, and other workouts; I typically aim for 20-30 minutes of one of these two or three times per week. Check out this article from Mayo Clinic about the benefits of exercise to reduce stress: Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress.
    2. Meditation – This is different for everyone. I actually have meditation playlists that I listen to when I need to relax a bit; I even do it in my car sometimes. It has a calming effect for me. Personally, I also incorporate prayer and devotion often.
    3. Listening to Podcasts – I do this while walking. Most everything I listen to has some type of personal development component. Some of my current favorites are: The Next Right Thing, Cultivate with Kelly Minter, and Money Tip Monday. These are all available on Spotify.
    4. Massage – This one is another former “luxury” that I now consider a necessity. I do my best to schedule a massage once a month. It helps with so many things! Read about the benefits of massage here: How Massage Can Help Treat & Eliminate Anxiety.
    5. Talk to someone (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) – Seeing a counselor is a great way to reduce anxiety. I have not tried this yet, but my cardiologist and others have recommended this as a tool to reduce stress/anxiety. It allows you to talk to a neutral party, about anything. Check out 8 Benefits of Cognitive Behavior Therapy According to Science.

     

    As a write the blog, I am counting down the days to my sabbatical. It begins in about 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to some downtime to focus on personal wellness. Read more about our team’s plans for sabbaticals here: Taking a Walkabout.

  • SAC Preview: Workforce Challenges and Solutions

    SAC Preview: Workforce Challenges and Solutions

    This morning I read about 3 economists who’ve been awarded the Nobel Prize for their research and impact on critical workforce issues including minimum wage, immigration, and education. Their research on minimum wage in the 1990s found that raising the minimum wage had no effect on the number of employees, showing that companies could effectively raise the minimum wage, retain top talent, and increase the number of applicants in the labor pool. That was 30 years ago. 

    We’ve come a long way, but as we find ourselves in 2021, employers struggle to find and retain talent – particularly in retail and hospitality. So, we’re changing things up. Hourly wages are increasing in our local area and throughout the US. Read these highlights from writer Gene Marks in The Guardian this week: 

    “According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly earnings of all employees in the US working for private companies rose to $30.85 in September, following large increases in the prior five months…The National Association of Manufacturers says that its members plan to increase wages 3.5% over the next year…Those businesses that accept this reality will adapt and continue to profit. They will hire good people and succeed. Those business owners that refuse to understand this simple concept simply won’t.”

    Bank of America, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, and more are raising wages for the lowest-paid workers. By raising wages, big business and small business alike are seeing benefits such as higher employee engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and better public perception. 

    As one restaurant owner said, “We put the focus on ‘staff comes first and everything else comes second’…I can’t succeed without a staff.” 

    We can make a shift together. As employers, as community leaders, we can move the needle forward and create workplaces that put People First. 

    My team’s wonderful leader, Mary Ila Ward, is speaking in-depth about Workforce Challenges and Solutions at the Southern Automotive Conference this week. I hope you’ll join us to hear her insight on the future of work.

    Learn more about SAC2021 and other upcoming events at linktr.ee/horizonpointconsulting. 

  • World Mental Health Day- October 10th, 2021

    World Mental Health Day- October 10th, 2021

    As World Mental Health Day approaches, let’s help end the stigma around mental health in the workplace. 

    Did you know? 

    • Pre-Covid, 19% of adults in the US experienced a mental illness, and that number has increased 1.5 million since the start of the pandemic. (MHA)
    • 24% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. This number has not declined since 2011. (MHA)
    • 10.8% of Americans with a mental illness are uninsured. (MHA)
    • 1 in 5 Americans experiences mental illness. (NAMI)
    • Only 45% of American adults with mental illness seek treatment. (NAMI)

    Mental Health America ranks states based on the prevalence of mental illness and access to care. Alabama ranks #40, meaning there is a higher rate of mental illness and fewer resources available to those in need. Where does your state rank? And what can employers do to help not only your employees but also their families? 

    1. Educate yourself. Understand what mental illness is and what it is not. The World Health Organization (WHO) is helping to bring mental health to the forefront on World Mental Health Day by providing a series of workshops that includes topics like Mental Healthcare for All and Mental Health in the Workplace. There are other great resources out there to help educate on mental illness as well, including those available from NAMI.org and MHA.
    2. Provide resources. Make sure your organization provides resources to employees such as mental health benefits within your healthcare plan, an EAP, mental health days (or as Adam Grant refers to them, “sad days”), or wellness programs. But also make sure your employees know these benefits are available to them. Highlight a mental health benefit in your quarterly newsletter, provide comprehensive open enrollment informational sessions that highlight what each plan offers, work with your EAP or wellness program providers to come onsite to do trainings, and make sure you have information posted in the break area on these benefits. 
    3. Know the warning signs. Just because someone says they’re “fine” doesn’t mean they are. Know what to look for such as sudden changes in mood or behavior (keep in mind that these changes can be manic or depressive in nature), difficulty concentrating or meeting deadlines, sudden significant changes in weight or appearance, or complete withdraw. 
    4. Be vulnerable. First, be willing to listen, really listen. If an employee comes to you, be an active listener, let them know you have the time for them. Set everything else aside. Sometimes just having someone listen can make all the difference. And be willing to share, to let down your guard a little, and be honest. As Mary Ila mentioned in her post Taking a Walkabout, we all came to a point where our stress overwork, family, and other things got the best of us and during our recent quarterly planning meeting we all just stopped, took a deep breath, and allowed ourselves to be vulnerable. We all had a snippet of information about things that were going on in each other’s lives, but up until that moment, we didn’t know the true extent of those stressors and the impact they were having on us as individuals, and as a team. 
    5. Take action. This is one I hope you never have to use, but know that if you have reason to believe that there is an immediate threat that an employee may harm themselves or others as a result of their mental health, there are resources available for you to contact to get them the help they need quickly. The local police department will always do a wellness check if requested. 

    How can your organization help end the stigma around mental health in the workplace? 

     

  • Three Steps to Effective Business Writing

    Three Steps to Effective Business Writing

    How many emails do you get each day? How many pieces of paper pass through your hands in a week? 

    Written communication is the #1 form of communication used in the workplace. Whether it’s communicating with supervisors, co-workers, clients, or vendors, we are constantly sending written communication back and forth. 

    The top issue I hear from clients is a lack of effective communication in their organizations. And usually, that includes inadequate written communication. Effective business writing can have a huge impact on an organization’s ability to grow. Look at any job description and you’re likely to find the requirement of “excellent communication skills, both written and oral”. But while it’s extremely important and in most cases required, there are few resources on how to be effective in business writing. 

    Industry in the US is becoming more remote and more global, which means that effective writing is even more critical now. So how can you be a more effective writer and how can you train your employees to draft effective written communication?

    There are three key steps to effective business writing: 

    1. Prewriting: Before you put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard, think about why you’re writing, who your audience is, and what you need to convey. This is best done by creating an outline and there are three common outline formats. Just remember, there is no right or wrong way to create an outline. Use the method that works best for you. (I’m a classic outliner, cluster outlines stress me out!)
      1. Classic outline: uses roman numerals to outline sections and sub-sections (headings & sub-headings)
      2. Full-Sentence outline: Uses full sentences to outline each paragraph/topic (estimate total paragraphs/sections)
      3. Cluster outline: Similar to brainstorming, jot down ideas and cluster similar ideas together to create main topics and sub-topics. 
    2. Drafting: Once you’ve created an outline, now you’re ready to put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard. Keep in mind, a first draft is a rough draft, it’s not meant to be perfect. A few rules to keep in mind as you sit down to write:
      1. Know yourself. Where do you do your best writing, what helps you to concentrate? Are you in the right mind to write or do you need to come back to it at a later time when you’re in a better mental state? 
      2. Once you start, don’t stop. Let your thoughts flow without hesitation. Don’t stop in the middle and take a break, you might break your train of thought or lose your stamina. And don’t try to edit as you go, just write. 
      3. Once you stop, walk away. Don’t immediately start editing your first draft. Take a break, whether that’s 15 minutes or two days. Give your mind time to settle back down and absorb what you put on paper. 
    3. Editing: Now that you gave yourself that break, come back to it. Read it and start analyzing it. Did you get your points across, is it in a logical order, does it speak to your audience? Once you think you’re done, have someone else take a peek. Ask them to read it both for understanding and for grammar. Here at Horizon Point, we always have someone proofread what we write, from blog posts to proposals, to reports for clients (and yes, sometimes even emails before we hit send). 

    Once you have the three keys to business writing down, start to consider how you can measure the effectiveness of your writing. This will vary depending on the type of communication and what your goal was. You may find that you need to measure quality, quantity, or both. 

    Could your organization benefit from more effective business writing?