Why Encounter Groups Work

One year ago this month, Mary Ila published “4 Exercises to Enhance Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts” and featured the Encounter Group Model. This blurb stuck out to me the most:  “When we engage in these types of activities, we get to know people. We build relationships. And when we know people it makes it much harder to hate them, or people that are ‘like’ them.’” Since then, our team has partnered with a client to pilot Encounter Groups with about 50 people in an organization of thousands. And it’s working.  We define Encounter Groups as “a group of

Book Review of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

  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

The Point’s Top 5 Posts of 2021

2021 has been another interesting year. Despite the challenges experienced this year, we have strived to continue to provide insight on a wide variety of topics on The Point. We try to bring real-life scenarios and personal experiences into our writing. We’re always glad to help you on your quest for knowledge to better your career, your work environment, or your organization! Here is a look back at The Point’s Top 5 Posts of 2021: 5. Hiring Incentives in 2021 4. 6 Steps for Planning and Implementing Effective Extended Leave 3. World Mental Health Day- October 10th, 2021 2. To

Learning from K-12 Educators

“Naturally, everyone must find a way to earn a living wage, but the paycheck should not be the only motivation. Employees who are confident in their abilities and somewhat comfortable in their workplace can be highly productive. Please note that my sentence said ‘somewhat comfortable.’ We must become a bit uncomfortable to grow professionally.”  This is a quote from a K-12 Career Counselor in our latest Continuing Education Class for Facilitating Alabama Career Development: Assessments & Resumes. For the last couple of years, our team has been working with K-12 career developers throughout the state of Alabama, and one big

2021 Book of the Year

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