Happy Thanksgiving
Just one more sleep and Thanksgiving Day will be upon us – we can smell those mouthwatering aromas and hear the laughter of family and friends already. Not to mention the football game in the background! Thanksgiving – that one day – 24 hours – 1440 minutes – 86,400 seconds – set aside for gratitude. So don’t forget to thank: Employees: Valued and appreciated employees stay engaged and are less apt to check out the “grass is greener” theory. Coworkers: It ensures a happier, more positive work culture – which benefits everyone. Clients: Clients who know you care, have a…
When Workplace Anger Leads to Violence
Some days, the world is just plain scary, and news reports seem to validate our fears. The local headlines spout anger-based crimes on a daily basis. CNN reports that violence and crime associated with anger episodes are on the rise in urban, USA. And the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports higher rates of anger-induced violence involving government employees. Anger-motivated crimes know no boundaries. Every area has become a potential area of violence. We try to use common sense and take standard safety precautions in our daily choices, but what about our workplaces? How can a company protect their employees?…
Should You Date a Coworker?
The workplace is a community where relationships are inevitable, but the question “Should you date a coworker” is one of those questions for which both “yes” and “no” would be appropriate answers. If your company’s policy strictly forbids dating or interoffice relationships, then, obviously, “no.” However, if there is no policy prohibiting interoffice romance, then feel free to date. Still, it is smart to stay away from dating your boss or someone who reports directly to you. After all, dating shouldn’t cause you to take leave of your senses. Make sure pursuing that love-interest won’t cost your job. Chances are…
What Does Gratitude Do for Us . . . Literally?
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness and, in some ways, encompasses all of these meanings. Do a little research on gratitude, and you find neuroscientific proof how this emotion benefits us. When you are sincerely grateful, and practice expressing that gratitude habitually, your life can change. Recent studies by Dr. John Gottman and others show gratitude is truly beneficial in both physical and psychosocial ways. On our relationships. On marriages. On children. On work. The truth is gratitude, mindfulness, and positivity create a lifestyle we should cultivate. For good reasons .…
Five Tips on Handling the Workplace Romance
Barriers tend to intensify romance. It’s called the “Romeo and Juliet” effect. I call it frustration attraction. ~ Helen Fisher There is a name for romantic attraction to another person. It is called limerence, and it includes both obsessive thoughts and fantasies, as well as a desire to form a relationship with the object of this feeling and to have these feelings reciprocated. Limerence is the stuff of stardust, poetry, film, and many a rapture-filled refrain. However, a true office romantic relationship in which “limerence” is at work at work often leads to the annoyance of peers and superiors because…