By the time we’ve been in the workforce a couple years, most of us begin to get solicited and unsolicited feedback on our personal behavior. Sometimes it’s painful, but sometimes it’s wonderful. Recently, I chuckled over the fact that when one Gen-Yer left a firm to go to another, he heard some marvelous words: he was being referred to as the “golden boy.” That was great for his ego, especially since he was unaware of how many of his colleagues from his last firm saw him.

That experience, however, illustrates a very important point. Very few of us have a rich understanding of self-awareness. Instead, it’s a chimera: a fantasy, built on delusion or just plain ignorance. Yet, self-awareness colors all the messages we send, profoundly affecting the conversations and the way we communicate with others.

The obvious implication of this is that the more self-awareness, the better we’re able to send effective messages and engage in successful conversations. In short, our needs, which are the bricks and mortar of self-awareness, are inevitably front and center in our awareness. So it’s safe to say that a growing ...

Recognize This! – Building and strengthening a culture of recognition requires consistent, daily effort and action.

Over cake with colleagues at a recent company celebration, I had an epiphany. Well, perhaps not an epiphany as this is a truth I’ve long known, but definitely an analogy worth sharing.

As we enjoyed cake and petits fours (they’re smaller, so fewer calories, right?), my colleagues shared their plans to “get into shape for swimsuit season,” as they called it. New Year’s resolutions for losing weight and getting fit were long passed, so now it was time to focus on the latest quick weight loss scheme – the newest pill, the craziest fad diet.

As we all joked together, I realized – this is what many companies do with employee recognition, motivation and engagement. They try the “quick fixes” – Pizza Party Wednesdays, Bagel Fridays, Employee of the Month, and my personal favorite: some form of peer nomination with a “winner” drawn from a hat.

Like the infamous grapefruit diet, these are all quick fixes. Just as no one can eat grapefruit every day for months on end, no strong company culture ...

This is the first in a new series on my blog called “Zen of Jen”, in which I’ll share ideas for helping you maintain a sense of calm in your crazy work world. Hat tip to Dan McCarthy of the Great Leadership blog – whose comment in an email sparked this idea. Thanks, Dan!

The other day, I found myself awake an hour earlier than usual, my mind swirling with all the things I want to accomplish. My mental landscape was a jumbled mess: two parts ambition, one part anxiousness and a dash of hope.

Can you relate?

We all lead busy lives, but there are some days when the energy of the world seems to gang up on us, creating overwhelm.

When I wake up with my mind already on overdrive, it’s a signal to me that it’s time to redirect all that swirling energy into something more focused and productive.

Here’s what I do to reclaim a sense of calm:

1. Close my eyes.
2. Breathe deeply.
3. Repeat several times: “I have all the time I need.”

Now, you are probably thinking, “Um, Jen? I don’t really have all the time I need. That’s the reason I’m stressed.”

...

While flipping through the latest HR Magazine, an infographic caught my eye. It related to a conversation I was having only yesterday on rising health insurance costs and the decline in the number of organizations offering employer sponsored insurance (known in the industry as ESI).

According to a recently released report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and prepared by researchers from the University of Minnesota's State Health Access Data Assistance Center, health insurance costs, organizations' offerings, and employee participation have dramatically changed over the past 10 or so years.

In an interview about the report, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D.--CEO; and President of the RWJF--noted that, "Employers continue to shoulder about the same percentage of costs for employees' health insurance as they did 10 years ago, but everyone's costs have increased dramatically. Higher costs naturally translate into fewer employers offering insurance coverage, and fewer employees accepting it, even when it is offered."

 

Specifically, the report notes interesting information collected between 1999/2000 and ...

Recognize This! – More and more companies are realizing the power of strategic employee recognition to reinforce and drive desired behaviors in the daily work of employees.

WorldatWork just released its 2013 Trends in Employee Recognition report. The timing is ideal, as earlier this week I blogged about the importance of behavior-based recognition and WorldatWork’s press release about the new report proclaims: “For the first time in the survey’s 11-year history, programs to motivate specific behavior jumped to a top-tier goal, cited by 41% of organizations in 2013 vs. 25% in 2008.”

Indeed, four of the top five recognition goals for organizations across industries are the focus of strategic, social employee recognition programs. The outlier (and still most popular program) is recognizing years of service. I believe this old standby remains at the top of the list because, even when companies find themselves in the toughest financial straits, leadership believes they must honor the loyalty of employees shown for years of service.

I, too, believe this to be ...