January 4, 2021
Good morning! Go away, COVIDs!
I’m not one to dis on 2020 because I think there was still much good to come from it, among those things were my much-enjoyed and appreciated interactions with you.
New Year Resolutions
- Do you make resolutions? If you do, be sure to keep them simple, make them measurable, and find a way to hold yourself accountable.
- “You’re never too old to become a beginner.” (Vanderbilt, WSJ)
- As seen
in The New Yorker: “Alexa, play As Time Goes By.” (i.e., Rick to Sam in Casablanca)
- Definition of warp speed (Webster): The fastest possible speed; i.e., the speed of light, or faster than the speed of light when in the Star Trek world.
- What do you think of this?
- According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1961 — 60 years ago — the average U.S. African American male made fifty-one cents ($.51) compared to his caucasian counterpart.
- Sixty years later, at the start of 2021, the average U.S. African American male makes fifty-one cents ($.51) compared to his caucasian counterpart.
- Do you work crossword puzzles?
- I enjoy the little mini crossword provided daily by The New York Times.
- It’s pretty easy, simple, somewhat elementary, but fun and it doesn’t take much time.
- Sometimes I’ll get stumped, really stumped, but it seems like there is always a solution if you keep working at it, getting just one more letter makes a big difference.
- Solving the big picture occasionally requires me to change an assumption made earlier.
- No one solves a crossword puzzle without taking it one clue at a time, one clue at a time… it’s the cumulative effect — and suddenly you’re done.
- Wisdom from Dave: “… culture will eat strategy for breakfast every single time.” (So true!)
- A group of neighborhood women down at our local park is nursing an injured goose back to health. The goose enjoys the amenities of an attractive and functional cardboard box filled with straw. From what I’ve observed, the women feed the goose, provide encouragement, check on it regularly, and prognosticate on its chances for recovery. The women seem to have formed a delightful little club focused on a cause greater than any of its members.
Creating a Happier, Healthier Workplace in 2021
- Back to something perhaps a bit more substantive for some.
- There is a macro phenomenon I don’t believe is going away anytime soon.
- Of course, I could be wrong, but it has to do with the last two words in my company’s mission statement: … healthier and happier.
- Considerable research exists to support the intuitive assumption that healthier, happier workplaces are also more productive and more profitable.
- More and more, prospective employees will make important choices about where to work and how hard to work based on the perception — and reality — of how healthy and happy the workplace environment is.
- This is not to discount the traditional factors of pay and benefits, but it’s just that healthier and happier are relatively new to the party.
- If you’re interested, do a deeper dive into this topic as I’m providing it for you below. To summarize, the healthier and happier workplace must have:
- Diverse, inclusive leadership;
- Meritocracy and initiatives to increase fairness in performance evaluations;
- Proactive, sponsored opportunities for professional/ vocational development;
- Substantive access to senior leaders.
- Click on this link for the full report: A Happier Healthier Work Place
