Are Your Employees SAD? How to Help Employees Who Struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder

It’s that time of year. The weather is changing, the leaves are falling, and you’re SAD. But you’re not alone. Nearly 10 million Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. While SAD is most prevalent in those ages 18 to 30, it can affect anyone, and the effects are different for everyone.  Symptoms of SAD include:  Fatigue Loss of concentration  Insomnia/Inability to wake up Mild to severe depression Weight loss/gain Employers may see these symptoms in the form of attendance issues, decreased productivity, mistakes in work completed, or a lack of concentration in meetings. Your initial reaction may be to consider

Tails and Tales of Remote Work

“I’m sorry, I’m working from home and my dog is barking.” How many times have you said or heard this lately? I have a mini schnauzer with a not-so-mini personality, so I’m an experienced “I’m sorry my dog is barking” professional. So is the HR leader who said that exact sentence on our call this morning.  By now, many of us have been working remotely for months. Some for years. We’ve adopted new methods, like wearing pajama shorts under that sharp shirt and blazer because no one really ever sees below our shoulders. We’ve found a new rhythm. We work

How to Do Virtual Training Well

At Horizon Point, we have always offered virtual training in some form or fashion. While navigating a pandemic, more and more companies are reaching out to us about facilitating training virtually. We are fortunate that this is not new to us & with SO MANY tools, i.e. Zoom, virtual sessions can be just as fun and effective as live, in-person training! I facilitate an online career development course for Horizon Point. Typically, we offer a new course every month and have people from all over the US and occasionally other countries participate. Here are my top tips for successful facilitation

The Misconceptions of Business Continuity Planning

Last week I had the privilege of leading a workshop in partnership with the Huntsville-Madison Chamber of Commerce to discuss Business Continuity Planning with leaders in our area. The Covid-19 Pandemic caught many organizations unprepared and they have struggled through how to keep their business going during this time.  One reason for the lack of preparedness is misconceptions organizations have regarding Business Continuity Planning.  Misconception #1: My organization doesn’t have the time to create a Business Continuity Plan. And besides, we’ll never need it.  Yes, Business Continuity Planning takes time. It’s not something you can create overnight. And it takes

Do Only the Really Smart (or Stupid) Fly Without PowerPoint?

When I get ready for a training or a speech, the first thing I do is outline content in PowerPoint slides.  It helps me frame my thoughts and gauge for flow of material.  Then I go back and provide content for a supporting document like a handout.  And I’m lucky, I hand it off to someone else to make it all look pretty, cohesive, and professional before it ever goes live.  I’m working on a pitch now for some seed funding, and my first thought is how do I organize the pitch through PowerPoint slides.  The information on guidelines for