Last month I gave a presentation for the 11th Annual Washington State Government Lean Transformation Conference. I have attended and/or spoken at all of the conferences, and they are always a highlight of my professional development journey.
The team of conference organizers did a remarkable job getting 30+ presenters prepared for the event to run smoothly. They did this in spite of people like me, who was well prepared and still missed hitting the "show your screen" on...
Make gratitude the new normal in your life.
As we welcome fall, we begin the season leading up to the big day of gratitude – Thanksgiving – when we celebrate all of our blessings with friends and relatives.
I love fall for this very reason. Gratitude comes into the spotlight! Then, after Thanksgiving, comes the season of giving (Christmas/Hanukkah) and more gratitude and goodwill. Win-Win.
Then, sometime in January, we go back to the “real world” of uncertainty,...
It may sound overly simple but adding purposeful appreciation towards others can be one of the most powerful communication tools you can hone. People want and need to feel appreciated.
The Power of Appreciation
The data around adding appreciation supports this:
Workers who receive regular appreciation at work = 5x more engagement and productivity
According to a 2020 UW study, on an average day:
- People at work receive positive vs negative feedback 1:10
- In long-term successful...
grat·i·tude:
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his gratitude to everyone on the staff.
An attitude of gratitude comes from showing appreciation and gratitude for others. It is one of the most powerful communication tools you can have.
When you show appreciation on a regular basis, it will open doors to a better conversation, a more positive exchange, and ultimately a better relationship. And the more you practice, the sooner it...
u shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you really mean it. Then you should say it a lot. People forget that. ~ Jessica, Age 8
Studies have found that practicing appreciation can improve relationships and motivate employees. It can also increase wellness and lessen stress. In short, regular appreciation will not only boost performance and engagement but also improve an employee’s health and well-being.
There are certainly many ways to show appreciation....
Our mindset matters. This year, I was uniquely reminded of that as we experienced what I refer to as the year of the “busted Christmas”. Our family celebration with our children and grandchildren was cancelled – first due weather, and then illness. We took down a rather sad looking tree that still had presents wrapped and waiting for our grandkids to (eventually) enjoy.
But really our Christmas wasn’t...
Holiday Appreciation. It’s something we do regularly this time of year.
The period from Thanksgiving through New Year’s is the time of year when most of us demonstrate extra appreciation and gratitude for family and friends. And, maybe even for the mailman and the store clerk.
Wouldn’t it be nice to experience that kind of holiday appreciation every day of the year?
It’s really not hard to do, and the payoff in building strong relationships is enormous....
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