Productivity has always been one of our five operating values at Horizon Point. We tie it intimately to our value of passion, which looks something like this: Get stuff done. Get stuff done that is important and that we care about. We are adamant about protecting the fact that productivity doesn’t dictate how and where and when work’s done, but that it gets done and meets the need. This mindset hasn’t changed, but throughout 2024 our idea of what it means to be productive has grown and it is captured in our 2024 Book of the Year: Slow Productivity by

As we wrap up our series on Artificial Intelligence, we’ve learned that AI isn’t as scary as some people make it out to be and that we can use it in a variety of ways- but with some caution- in order to impact our workplaces in a positive manner.  We’ve tried to emphasize that AI is best to leverage when: You do the task a lot, It is a manual process, It is prone to human error, therefore:It’s time consuming. So if you have the data sources you need and the technology to do it,Let AI help. And go do something more value added with

“Gratitude became my door to grace.”  Alexsys Thompson The Power of a Graceful Leader This year at Horizon Point, we launched a training curriculum called Illuminate, seeking to further our mission to innovate the workplace through people practices and bring light to all that we do.   The training idea came about from our work seeking to help organizations adapt in a rapidly changing workplace environment and from our personal experiences of trying to do the same.  What seemed to resonate the most in all the concepts taught was the practice of gratitude. Each participant was given personalized thank you notes

We’re fortunate to work with hundreds of different people across industries and state lines, and we learn something new with each project and grow personally from every relationship. We also hear many, many stories about bad managers and toxic coworkers. Back in 2019, Lorrie addressed the question, Are Your Top Employees Also Your Most Toxic?.  When I’m facilitating leadership or communication training, I often get the feedback, “I think I can try these strategies and behaviors with most of my coworkers, but what do I do with someone who is just a jerk?”. If we have the opportunity for more

As summer turns to fall, and the busyness of the last quarter of the year approaches, habits have been on my mind. I recently had a routine doctor’s appointment where my blood pressure was slightly high, and my weight had increased more than I’d like. Following a conversation with my doctor, I reflected on a book I’d read recently about “atomic” habits.  The book is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Clear said it best in this quote: “The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.” Atomic Habits is a practical guide with

  A book about perfect timing – Where have you been all my life? During my month-long sabbatical, I read several books. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink was my favorite.  Could the time of day that we make decisions be significant? Could the time of day affect how well we learn or work? According to Dan Pink, it actually does. Pink takes a look at how our body functions naturally. Actionable items & tips are offered throughout the book. To get started, you need to map your biological clock. Pink shares 3 categories based

It might seem odd that a company with a core value of “productivity” would choose a book of the year titled Do Nothing. But in a year of seeing people’s mental and physical health deteriorate due not just to issues a global pandemic continues to cause, but also because of the phenomenon of overworking and under living, we found the book captured the essence of putting productivity, and work, in perspective.    As the author, Celeste Headlee states, “The question is not about whether you are productive but what you are producing.” And we would go on to say that the

My sabbatical was great for many reasons, personal and professional. One of the big ones: I could read books! I love to read, and my schedule had gotten so full that there was no time for it. So, the first book I read on sabbatical? Happy Brain by Dean Burnett. 10/10 would recommend.  Leading into my extended leave from work, I experienced my first personal mental health crisis. For several months, I felt wrong. Not like myself. My moods and emotions became erratic and unpredictable. It’s very strange, that feeling that you’ve lost yourself. So I did something about it. 

The right people + The right places = Opportunities. – The Proximity Principle The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman is a great book for job seekers or anyone not content in their current role. The theme of the book is getting “in proximity” to what you want – career-wise. Coleman shares his own personal experience with finding his dream job. Coleman notes: Everyone wants to do work that matters. The Proximity Principle is a guidebook to get you there! Amazon Overview: Right now, 70 percent of Americans aren’t passionate about their work and are desperately longing for meaning and purpose.

2020. What a year it has been.  We’ve all experienced what it truly means to live in a VUCA- volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous- world.  From a global pandemic to social and political unrest there have been literal and figurative storms everywhere.  They haven’t seemed to end.  Will they end?  And in all this, what does a leader do? Our 2020 book of the year suggests that true leaders go Upstream.  Whether in a crisis or not, the quest to solve problems before they happen- as the subtitle of the book indicates- is a noble calling, especially during times where

Ideas. They move the world forward. They make businesses and communities succeed through growth and innovation in an everchanging marketplace. But more importantly, ideas are important for what they do and create for the individual. Ideas illuminate us and those around us. In our 2019 Book of the Year, What Do You Do With an Idea?, we can see how ideas impact the individual that then impact the world. Creating is one of the most special and meaningful things we can do as humans. And in order for us to create and generate ideas, we have to create homes, workplaces,

“Being original doesn’t mean being first. It just means being different and better.” Adam Grant, Originals   Most of us strive to be better.  Few of us strive to be different.  But what if being different is a requirement for being better? For being an original? Turns out that to take better beyond just ourselves, we have to be both.  We have to be non-conformists in order to move the world, according to Adam Grant, author of Originals. And because our goal at Horizon Point is to build a better workplace through innovative people practices, we’ve chosen Originals, our 2017 Book of the

At Horizon Point, we’ve been in the habit of providing end of the year book recommendations and reviews. You can check some previous ones out here: The Best Books of 2015 10 Books Leaders Need to Be Reading The Best Book to Give Every Person on Your Christmas Gift List Book Review 2013 We like books so much, we even provide book favorites off schedule like this Top 10 List of Leadership Books. But this year one book was so good that our 2016 recommendation is simply one: When Breath Becomes Air For us, a reoccurring theme seemed to emerge in

Reading is key to writing, or so I believe, so 2013 started with a personal goal to read 30 books. I’ve got a few weeks left until the end of the year, and I’m on number 28. I’d like to make a habit of creating a year-end book review to point others in the direction of what reading I found most insightful and meaningful. The 2013 list: Topic: Personal Leadership Choice: First Things First Blog posts from this year that include excerpts or ideas from this choice: A Lesson in Personal Leadership 1: Define and Focus on What’s Important Personal