What Cultivates Gratitude? Or Better Yet, What Does Gratitude Cultivate?

I was tasked with writing a blog post on gratitude for this week- Thanksgiving week. I love it when my team gets together without me while I’m on sabbatical and sends me an email telling me what to write 🙂  It’s a given- a post with a theme of thankfulness- even though as a culture we’ve seemed to skip right to Christmas once Halloween ends.  I’ve written about counting your blessings and even counting your first-world problems and being thankful when tasked with the same thing before.  But what keeps jumping back into my mind this year as I think

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

6 Steps for Planning and Implementing Effective Extended Leave

Earlier in the week, our post was a reflection on why I will be taking a walkabout, or an extended amount of time away from work this fall.  Each person on our team will be taking four to six weeks off at some point within the next six months.   Whether it is taking time for intentional rest, reflection, and/or deep work or going out on maternity or extended sick leave, stepping away from anything at work requires preparation beforehand in order for the time away and the people providing support during the time away to be a success. Here is

Now’s the Time to Upskill

I attended a great workforce summit in my community this week. The keynote was with the Department of Commerce for our state and provided updates on the direction and focus of their department ending with a promise to rise to the challenge and encouraged attendees to do so also. Throughout the afternoon, I listened to educators and industry panelists who had a common goal of growing a strong, engaged workforce. As I reflected on the presentations provided and conversations I had throughout the day, I thought about how important lifelong learning is and how NOW is the time to upskill

The Volunteer Venn

Q: How many volunteers does it take to plan and host a statewide HR conference?  A: Whatever number you’re thinking, add 10 more!    Volunteers are absolutely critical to the success of all organizations, not-for-profit or otherwise, but they are often overlooked and undervalued. Knowing this to be true, why do we volunteer?  I am absolutely certain that I owe much of my professional (and personal) success to volunteerism. I have been equally – if not more – challenged, encouraged, and developed in volunteer roles in comparison with paid roles. Some of my most significant growth moments were from volunteer