What a CEO learned by avoiding email conversations | Simple tips for staying productive and involved at work | Speak nicely of peers to build better relationships
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What a CEO learned by avoiding email conversations After noticing that successful people tend to be "phone-prone," TrackMaven CEO Allen Gannett conducted an experiment where he initiated phone calls with every person who emailed him. The strategy leads to more fulfilling conversations, but can be inefficient, Gannett writes. Fast Company online (8/1)Simple tips for staying productive and involved at work Hold meetings in back-to-back time slots at the same location to stay productive, writes Jeffrey Hayzlett. Also stay involved in areas of the company that interest you, even if you eventually get promoted into a new part of the firm. Entrepreneur online (8/1)
Do-it-yourself vs. Doing it right A highly-engaged workforce drives results and employee engagement programs are key to success. But most companies still lack on-the-ground programs for employee engagement and alignment. Learn how to leverage time and resources with a social recognition program in the whitepaper "Do-it-yourself vs. Doing it right".
Help colleagues perform better by regularly communicating the value that they each bring to the company, write Jane Dutton and Julia Lee. The strategy is particularly effective with colleagues who have recently been undermined or put down in a social setting. Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model) (8/1)
The Landscape
Report links vacation time to employee performance Data from 125,000 employees showed high performers took about 19 days of paid time off each year, five more than average workers, according to a report from HR tech company Namely. Trifacta's Above + Beyond program encourages employees to take vacation by allowing workers to nominate high-performing colleagues for a $1,000 prize to spend toward travel. Employee Benefit Adviser (7/31)
Your Next Challenge
Be aware of filter bubbles in your life, and learn to step out of them Filter bubbles refer to the algorithms that control what we see in our news feeds online and are designed to support our existing opinions to make sure we like what we read, writes Shane Parrish. These echo chambers we encounter online, in our social groups and at work distort our world view and make it difficult for us to see other perspectives. Farnam Street (7/31)
Balancing Yourself
Get to sleep quickly with this breathing technique To fall asleep more quickly, breathe in through your nose for about four seconds, hold your breath for another seven seconds, and slowly exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeating this exercise can help you let go of whatever your mind is focusing on, especially if you can relax every individual limb of your body, writes Alyse Kalish. The Muse (8/1)
