Well-Being and Wellness Archives

Bookmark This! Change Management Edition

July 21, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I’ve been hearing lots of conversation about change. Whether it’s organizations that need to change OR departments that want to be more agile so they can respond to change OR individuals who want to create a change in their lives. Change is hard. Even when we want it. Typically, change involves developing new habits and routines.

If change wasn’t hard enough, the speed in which we must adjust to change can be even more difficult.

So, I wanted to put together a list of articles and resources that you could bookmark (hence the title, bookmark this) and refer to it when you’re looking for information about change.

To me, being able to manage change is one of the key components in self-management. It’s a little different from change management, which I consider to be an organizational process. But it is change and we must learn how to deal with it.

Speaking of organizational processes, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. John Kotter on creating organizational change. Lots of good reminders here whenever we’re faced with implementing change in the workplace.

I ran across an email from this Spring that I wanted to share. At this year’s TAtech Congress, I heard Britt Andreatta speak about brain science. Great speaker! After the event, she sent us a link to her online training courses on Lynda.com (a LinkedIn company) including Organizational Learning & Development and Leading Change. Oh, and if you don’t have a Lynda.com account, Britt shared this link for you to access a 30-day free trial here: https://www.lynda.com/trial/Britt_Andreatta.

I like having processes or steps to help me walk-through a change. VUCA is an acronym that can help. It stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It was introduced by the U.S.Army in the 1990s but businesses are starting to adopt it.

If you find that speed and change are creating stress, I like the techniques that Srikumar Rao shared about reducing individual stress levels at work.

In addition, I found these strategies for handling burnout to be helpful. We all manage stress and burnout differently.

Change management on a personal and professional level can be stressful. Managing change within your organization can be difficult. The good news is there are tools to help us, whether it’s an article, online class, or finding a coach to discuss what’s happening. The important part is find the way that works for you.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the 2016 MBTI Users Conference in San Francisco, CA

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How to Develop Healthy Habits When You’re Busy All the Time

July 13, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

Ever since I saw the headline that “Sitting is the New Smoking”, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to add more activity into my daily routine. But I have to admit, developing healthy habits is hard. Especially when you work from home.

And you’re busy. I can’t speak for anyone else but exercise moves way down on my priority list when I’m stressed out about a deadline. I know it should be the exact opposite. Getting a little activity would help to reduce stress and stay focused. But we sometimes fall back into old (and unhealthy) habits.

I’m very happy that I’ve been able to add activities like walking at my treadmill desk and cycling on my Cubii. I’m trying to eat healthier, which is so much easier when I’m home. I can pre-make meals in the slow cooker. And I’m more focused on my posture. The challenge for me is having healthy habits when I travel, because so many things are not in my direct control.

Which is why I was excited to meet Walter Lewis at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference. Walter is a fitness coach and he was conducting exercise sessions bright and early each day of the event. I will confess I didn’t go to his sessions. My bad. But I did stop by Walter’s booth in the expo hall, picked up a stretch band, and talked with him about the challenges of staying healthy on the road.

Walter was very graciously to send me a copy of his book, “The 4 Healthy Habits of the Highly Effective Busy Professional”. I loved this book. First of all, the book is 85 pages. There is absolutely no excuse not to read this book. It was written with the busy professional in mind.

The second thing I liked about this book is it gave me some practical advice. For example, one of the chapters is titled, “Eat Healthy 85% of the Time”. Honestly, I can do that. Then the book goes on to tell me how to read a nutrition label. It reminds me of that old saying, “Give a man a fish..”. Tell me what to eat, I eat healthy for a few days or weeks. Teach me how to read a food label, I develop healthy habits.

Lastly, the book addresses metrics. As human resources professionals, we talk about measurement all the time – calculating cost per hire, turnover rates, employee engagement scores, etc. The book talks about tracking your activity, evaluating your results, and setting healthy goals. Concepts we’re very familiar with.

The big takeaway for me was I need to think about developing personal healthy habits very similar to the way I develop professional ones. Set a goal, plan my action steps, make it a priority, and celebrate my success. Walter’s book covers a lot more in those 85 pages, but that’s my ah-ha moment.

If you’re looking for wellness resources, consider picking up a copy of Walter’s book. We continue to hear about stress and burnout at work. Organizations want their employees to be healthy. Employees want to be healthy. While there’s no magic formula for developing healthy habits, sharing practical resources is always beneficial.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby on the streets of Miami, FL

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How to Reduce Individual Stress Levels at Work

May 14, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

During this year’s BetterWorks Goal Summit, closing keynote speaker Srikumar Rao, author of the book, “Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful – No Matter What”, shared with us his views on stress and goals. I must admit, it was a great way to wrap up our day.

I don’t know about anyone else…but I love going to conferences for the learning and ideas. At the same time, I also find myself creating massive “to-do” lists for myself – things I want to look up or read, projects I should start, and overall reminders of habits that I need to start doing again. Of course, this means I’m learning and adding to my own stress.

Stress continues to be is a major issue for employees and organizations. And there are many reasons for it. Rao shared several and I found they fell into three buckets: individual, work, and life.

The “me” issues.

I’m putting in this category financial stressors such as not having enough money or savings. Or if you’re a freelancer, not having customers pay on time.

Health issues like not feeling well and the stress associated with trying to resolve health insurance issues. Fighting with insurance companies can really take a toll.

We love our family and friends, but sometimes they get on our nerves. And we get on theirs. Dealing with misunderstandings, gatherings, and holidays can be stressful.

The workplace stuff.

Our careers don’t always move as fast as we would like. It can be frustrating. We think we’re ready for a promotion (and more money). Or we want to be on a special project that will get us noticed.

Too much work! We never seem to get a breather to get organized and focus on our goals. We no sooner get done with one project and another one is dropped on our desk.

And let’s face it…sometimes our boss, co-workers, and customers can be a PITA. I’m sure there are days they feel the same about us. It’s all part of work.

Life in general.

Regardless of your political affiliation, it’s hard to escape today’s political environment. It’s on our Facebook pages and everyone wants to share their point-of-view. Whether we want to engage or not…

Time is precious and we don’t always have as much as we would like. We’re thinking there’s no such thing as work-life balance, or work-life integration, etc.

As you can see, these examples aren’t mutually exclusive. Politics at work = stress. No work life balance = hard on relationships.

Now you might be saying to yourself, “Yep, I knew all of these things are stressors. I don’t need someone to tell me what I already knew. Tell me how to make the stress go away!” Well, that’s the interesting part. Rao says that the reason we have stress is because we have a rigid idea of what the universe should be like and the universe isn’t cooperating.

Stress is the result of control. And the key to reducing stress is realizing that we aren’t in control. And we never will be. But we can learn how to manage control better.

Stress – How to Manage our Need for Control

Rao outlined three activities we can do to manage our need for control.

Practice appreciation and gratitude. This could also be in the form of mindfulness. Rao pointed out that we tend to spend more time focused on the things that are wrong around us instead of focusing on the things that are right. He suggested that things are only bad if we say they are. It’s important for us to reframe change in the context of the things we appreciate versus the stuff we can’t stand.

Become aware of mental chatter. Speaking of focusing on positive messages, that also goes for the messages we send to ourselves. I refer to this as self-talk. It’s that little voice inside our head. Does it send us positive messages or negative ones? We should make sure our mental chatter doesn’t wear us out. It will take some time and activities like mindfulness could help.

Invest in the process, not the outcome. Rao shared his view that we are a goal obsessed society. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Goals are important because they set direction. What we need to change is the mindset that if I meet the goal, that’s great and if I don’t, that’s bad. The experience is equally as important as the outcome. Rao suggests, “The more detached you are from the goal; the higher the probably that you will achieve it.”

Think Like a Civil Engineer

Rao compared the steps for managing control to being an engineer. You have a road to build. How are you going to handle the obstacles (i.e. stress)? Because we know the project will have some speedbumps along the way (pun intended). But the road still has to be built. So, we need to learn ways to manage those obstacles.

Managing the stress in our personal and professional lives isn’t easy. But I can definitely see how trying to control everything adds to our stress. And learning how to manage control could be helpful.

Thanks to Author Andrea Beaty for sharing this image (and others!) with the March for Science organizers around the world.

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Employees Value Benefits Differently – Friday Distraction

May 12, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Organizations work very hard to provide consistency. They want customers to have a consistent experience. And I believe they want employees to have a consistent experience as well. That’s one of the reason companies develop benefit packages. They want to offer employees consistency in their workplace.

There’s one challenge with that though…employees place a different value on things. Today’s Time Well Spent from our friends at Kronos reminds us that employees even value schedules differently.

I realize that organizations can’t give every employee their own unique benefits and perks package. And, I’d suggest that you really don’t want to. Years ago, I worked for an employer and, because the company was small, employees could negotiate their own deals. It was a nightmare for HR. Everyone had something unique about their benefits. It was impossible to remember all the details. So anytime an employee asked a question, it was a major researching exercise, because you had to look up the employee’s special deal.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities for organizations to do a little customization and give employees control over the things they value.

For example, I know lots of companies that give employees the ability to select their own gifts in recognition or wellness programs. It might not sound like a lot but I’ve heard comment from many employees like, “I did INSERT ACTIVITY HERE and earned enough points to buy INSERT ITEM HERE.” Employees conveyed pride in being able to earn and select their own reward.

Other benefits like telework and unlimited vacation give employees flexibility, which allows the individual to make some decisions about value. There are organizations that offer employees time off to volunteer in the community. Again, an opportunity for employees to make decisions about value.

Maybe it’s time for organizations to figure out how to give employees a consistent experience…by giving them choices. The company wins because they can consistently explain the benefit. Employees win because they get to choose the things they value most.

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5 Deskercises to Keep You Active at Work

May 4, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

One of the things I love about my health insurance company is that they offer webinars and workshops to both members and the community. I’ve been able to get the latest info from a doctor about the Zika virus. They also hold nutrition workshops. Recently, I attended a Deskercise workshop (aka activities we can do at our desk).

Because I work from home, I’m very conscious of the need to get active. We’ve all heard that sitting is bad for us. Physical activity improves our focus, mood, and energy. It can benefit our blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels. So, what are a few activities that we can do? Well, here are five that were shared during the workshop.

Wooden Legs – This is an activity you can do while sitting at your desk. Sit upright in your chair and extend one leg out straight in front of you. Hold for two seconds. Then raise it up higher, hold for two more seconds. Repeat each leg 10 times. Great to do during webinars or long conference calls!

Calf Raises – Next time you’re waiting for the printer or copier, push up on your tippy toes, pause at the top, then lower back down. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.

Silent Glute Squeeze – Refrain from snickering on this one. You don’t have to announce to your co-workers when you’re doing it! Try isometric glute squeezes by simply squeezing the buttocks, holding for 5-10 seconds, and releasing. Do this while typing one complete email. Not only will it help you write concise messages but the results will be uplifting!

Shadow Boxing – This could be helpful during a frustrating day. Pretend you’re a boxer. With knees soft and core tight, throw out some punches in rapid succession. Continue for a minute or longer to blow off some steam and tone your arms, shoulders, and core.

Dance Party – When you feel like celebrating, break out your favorite active dance moves. If you don’t want anyone to see you, stay low and chair dance. Otherwise, stand up and let loose! Boogie for 30 seconds, rest, and repeat.

Doing these activities – even in short bursts – can have a benefit. Remember, before starting any type of exercise or activity program – even deskercise, be sure to talk with your physician. And, don’t make the assumption these activities are easy. Take things slowly and stretch before you get active. If you wear heels, consider removing them. And be sure to really focus on what you’re doing because form matters!

Oh, and one more thing. Get your co-workers involved! Maybe you can find a buddy to hold each other accountable.

Adding a few activities to our day takes a little commitment. But it can reap big results.

Oh, and P.S. I just discovered an app called Zova that allows you to do short exercises throughout the day with a prompt from your phone. The app offers video instruction so you can do the activity properly. It also lets you rate the activity so you do more of the things your like (and less of the ones you don’t). The idea being – turn these short bursts of activity into a habit.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby wandering around in South Florida

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The Business Benefits of Mindful Leadership

April 23, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

I’d like to think that everyone understands the importance of leadership. And good leadership benefits organizations. But there’s not one standardized type of leadership. It takes on many forms and, as individuals, we might be attracted to certain types and models more than others. Personally, I think that’s okay. The important piece is that individuals find a way to practice leadership that feels authentic to them. Because if they embrace it, they will do it. And that’s what benefits the business.

I’m really looking forward to attending this year’s WorkHuman Conference because one of the speakers, Pandit Dasa, a mindfulness expert and former monk, is speaking on mindful leadership. Pandit has spoken in several Fortune 500 companies and is the founder of Conscious Living, a consultancy focused on bringing mindfulness and wellness to the workplace. He’s also the author of the book, “Urban Monk”.

Regular readers of this blog know I’ve become fascinated with mindfulness and have written a few pieces about the practice. Pandit was generous to share his time with me and provide a sneak peek into mindful leadership.

Pandit, how do you define “mindful leadership”?

[Dasa] Many people today operate within a leadership capacity, not just the C-Suite. Everything a person does influences others. Those who are specifically in leadership roles need to understand if and when their actions are the result of their ego and personal needs. Mindful leaders are trained in managing their egos and not letting them get in the way of the company’s success.

When it comes to leadership, I take my inspiration from people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi. They were individuals who led by example and lived by the saying, “Be the change you want to see.” Leadership is about being willing to set the example.

Now, when we think of mindfulness, it’s about being aware and in the moment. Bring those two concepts together. Mindful leadership is about being aware of your motivation and the reasons you choose to lead. It’s about asking yourself: Why am I choosing to be a leader? Am I serving my needs or the needs of others? How am I treating others as I go about meeting the goals of the organization?

I saw in the program description for your WorkHuman session that you plan to discuss “putting people over project”. I think maintaining this balance is a challenge that leaders face daily – to the point where it creates stress and burnout.

[Dasa] When leaders are faced with multiple demands, here are three things they can do to alleviate personal stress and burnout.

Practice mindfulness/meditation. It’s amazing how taking a few moments to decompress and focus can have so much impact on our state of mind and energy. Make time for this daily. While research says that a 15-20 minute is an ideal session that could be challenging for someone who is new to meditation. I’d suggest starting with 5 minutes/daily for 30 days. Everyone has 5 minutes a day. Use the time to focus on clearing your mind, taking deep breaths, feeling grateful for the positive things happening in your life, and appreciating your colleague’s contributions. The time will fly by. After a month, just add a minute. Work up to a time that’s comfortable for you.

Focus on relationships. According to The American Institute of Stress, forty-six percent (46%) of our stress is related to workload, and 28 percent is people issues. When we get stressed, the most helpful thing is having positive relationships around us. Whether it’s in your personal or professional life, if you have a difficult relationship, try to resolve any conflict and tensions. Ignoring it isn’t going to help. Resolving conflicts generally means we need to be proactive because conflicts won’t resolve themselves. We will need to take a humble approach by being ready to acknowledge our contribution to the conflict.

Get a good night’s sleep. With advances in technology, we can find ourselves constantly planning. Our devices keep us connected, so we’re always thinking about the next thing we need to do, and frankly, we’re letting it interrupt our rest. Take time to truly disconnect. Put away the phone, so you’re not tempted to check your emails in the middle of the night. The work will still be there in the morning. You’ll be so much fresher in the morning and ready to deal with whatever is waiting for you.

When it comes to work, how can mindful leaders hold people accountable and still meet their business goals?

[Dasa] A mindful leader won’t simply blame others if the goals aren’t met. They will take an honest look at themselves and see if they did everything possible in their power to help their workforce succeed. Did they:

Set clear expectations and communicate them effectively?
Make sure expectations were reasonable and achievable?
Understand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the team before assigning tasks?
Provide sufficient empowerment and support so the team can achieve their agreed upon goals?
Monitor the situation and address any emergencies before they get out of control?

Mindful leaders don’t just hold others accountable, but they do the same with themselves.

Speaking of communication, I’ve been told that positive messages are easy to share and not-so-positive messages…well, are more difficult. What can mindful leaders do when they need to communicate the difficult message. For example, like when project needs aren’t met?

[Dasa] It is important to regularly appreciate the contributions of your workforce. This creates a positive emotion balance in the relationship. When there has been a sufficient expression of appreciation, it becomes easier for the recipient to hear the not-so-positive messages.

The monks that I lived with for 15 years taught me that the ideal communication covers four criteria:

It is truthful.
It is beneficial.
It doesn’t disturb the other’s mind.
It is pleasing.

While it may not always be possible to meet all four criteria, we can try and be more thoughtful and compassionate in not only what we communicate, but also how we communicate. Ultimately, the goal of our communication should be to inspire the individual to do and give more. An uninspired worker is not going to be very productive.

If an organization encourages mindful leadership, how can they measure the results of their efforts?

[Dasa] Mindful leadership is a transformation in the way we think and behave. It requires commitment, training, and work. Individuals need to evaluate their emotions and become more self-aware. Think of it like running a marathon. You don’t become a marathon runner overnight. It takes time to train. You take small steps every day. Then, once you get into your routine, it progresses quickly.

The organization will know that mindful leadership is working through greater retention. Because leaders are thinking of others. Individuals are happier at work. They’re being recognized for their efforts.

There’s a good read in Harvard Business Review titled, “Proof that Positive Work Cultures are More Productive”. I’d add happy to that title. When employees are happy, they’re productive. And when they’re productive, they will stay. People spend a lot of time at work. Positive interactions matter.

Mindful leaders don’t just hold others accountable. They do so with themselves.Click To Tweet

My thanks to Pandit for sharing his expertise with us. If you want to learn more about mindful leadership, check out this article on the Society for Human Management (SHRM) website about the business benefits of mindful leadership.

And consider joining us in Phoenix on May 30 – June 1 for WorkHuman 2017. Our friends at Globoforce have put together a fabulous line of speakers. Besides Pandit, the agenda includes Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of the award-winning HBO series “Veep”. If you’d like to join us (and I hope you will), HR Bartender readers have been extended a discount. Just use the promo code WH17INF-MFA to receive the special rate of $995 (a savings of $500).

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7 Reasons HR Needs to Learn About Unretirement

April 2, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 5 Comments

Years ago, people just retired. They announced to their boss that they were going to retire. The company threw them a party, gave them a gold watch, and wished them well. Then, they spent their time traveling, working on their hobbies, etc. I don’t know that those days exist anymore. And if they do, it’s only for a small handful of people.

There’s an emerging conversation about unretirement. It’s the idea that you don’t have to retire. You can work on the things you want and do more of the things you enjoy. And it’s not necessarily age-based. Professionals of all ages are planning for it. Human resources needs to take note of this trend. It’s one that could benefit HR and organizations in many ways.

Recruiting: Having a contingent workforce is a must. Unretirement provides organizations will access to labor. These are individuals who don’t want to work full-time but do find occasional work a nice option. They are also someone the organization knows. So, you understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Employee Referrals: Freelancers and contractors can be a source of employee (and customer) referrals. It wouldn’t take much to revise the employee referral program to include non-employees. Referrals are still the best quality and lowest cost per hire.

Employee Engagement: While people do work to support themselves, they also work for the sense of fulfillment. In fact, many workers are staying in the workplace longer because they simply like working.

Knowledge Management: Retaining workers, even in a part-time or contingent status, allows the organization to retain knowledge. Organizational history, information about processes, and background about key clients is essential to the business.

Learning and Development: Speaking of knowledge management, organizations might find it beneficial to create short peer based training programs as a way to pass along skills and knowledge. If an employee announces their “retirement”, see if they’re willing to stop by once a month to be a lunch and learn speaker.

Performance Management: Another way that “retiring” employees can help the organization is by being a mentor or coach. Again, doesn’t need to be full-time work. Maybe they stop by once or twice a month. They have BOTH knowledge of the organization and they’re an outsider. Just be sure to give them the training to be an excellent coach and mentor.

Replacement and Succession Planning: Pew Research says that 10,000 people each day turn retirement age. For organizations concerned about a large number of employees leaving the workforce, allowing employees to openly discuss an exit strategy could be advantageous.

It’s time for organizations to have a discussion about retirement – what it is and isn’t. And how unretirement fits into the picture. I’m so convinced that unretirement is a trend that will be taking off in the near future that I’ve started another blog dedicated to the topic. It’s called “The Unretirement Project”. Mr. Bartender and I will be sharing our perspective and journey toward unretirement. I hope you’ll check it out and subscribe.

Unretirement has the ability to help organizations find and retain great talent. It has the potential to keep workers engaged and excited about their contributions. Unretirement can help organizations and individuals prosper.

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