Why leaders should immerse themselves in their business | Act quickly and plan ahead when an employee departs | Productivity comes from understanding employees
Well-known CEOs such as Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Virgin Group's Richard Branson practice "immersive leadership," writes Andy MacMillan, CEO of User Testing, by finding ways to stay connected with employees, either in person, through email or working various jobs in the business. "A CEO who practices immersive leadership can set a tone that excites employees, connect dots that help them realize why their work matters, and help remove organizational obstacles getting in the way of their happiness," MacMillan writes. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (1/12)
When an employee departs your company, share the news with their team promptly, focus on the positive aspects they brought to the job (and if they broke a rule, be clear about what it was to quell the rumor mill) and outline plans moving forward, writes Jason Evanish, CEO of Get Lighthouse, Inc. "How you treat employees when they leave makes a strong statement to the rest of your team," Evanish notes. Full Story: Lighthouse (1/12)
Making the Connection
Productivity comes from understanding employees Make all your employees excel by getting to know them and what makes them more productive, writes Daniel Todd, founder and CEO of Influence Mobile. "How we treat one person sends a message to everyone about the value in which they are held, particularly in smaller companies where close bonds are prevalent," Todd writes. Full Story: Entrepreneur (1/15)
The Landscape
Gen Z creating new expectations for workplaces Gen Z workers, who could make up 27% of the workforce by 2025, are changing employee expectations with more personalized recommendations and year-round benefits. MetLife's Jamie Madden recommends year-round communication on benefits and continuous education, which results in increased employee well-being. Full Story: Human Resources Director (1/17)
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Resilience isn't an ability to avoid hardship; it's the ability to work through it, according to mental toughness coach LaRae Quy. That means you come out the other side as a different person than you went in by going "beneath the surface ... so [you] can grow," Quy writes, offering three ways to improve your resiliency. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (1/17)
Balancing Yourself
Tips on adding more healthful whole foods to your diet To add more healthful whole foods to your diet, take small steps starting with how you buy and prepare your food, says UK-based registered nutritionist Rob Hobson, who offers three whole foods recipes and healthful eating tips. Batch cooking at home is one way to incorporate more whole foods into your dietary pattern, Hobson says, and suggests "everyone has a time of day when they're more likely to reach for a [ultra processed food], so use that as your initial focus area." Full Story: Cosmopolitan (1/15)
The Water Cooler
What's in a wag of the tail? Tail-wagging is different in dogs than in other tailed animals and probably started in ancient dogs as a means of communication, but as humans selected dogs for docile traits, tail-wagging became a common trait, according to a review published in Biology Letters. Dogs may wag their tail on one side of the body or the other depending on whether it wants to approach or withdraw from something, and the beats per minute and tail carriage can signal that a dog is happy or ready to attack, researchers say. Full Story: Science (tiered subscription model) (1/16)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake inspired which famous literary work?
