Finds that employees in countries that take more vacation do have a strong desire to get a lot done as well as a tendency to move faster. So while our particular study did not find that having more vacation reduced stress, we do see evidence that it results in greater productivity at work all the same. In other words, it’s not that taking a break will refresh your brain and let you get more done; it’s that simply spending less time at your desk forces you to waste less time.
The first step in claiming our humanity is creating workplaces that optimize human engagement. Creating these workplaces starts with leading people differently. Here are four observations about managing engagement in the digital age.
Managing engagement requires new leadership skills.
Taxi services think inside a box. So did Blockbuster. So does Microsoft. But here’s the thing. Uber, Netflix, and Apple also think inside boxes. So do you. So do I. A box is a frame, a paradigm, a habit, a perspective, a silo, a self-imposed set of limits; a box is context and interpretation. We cannot think outside boxes. We can, though, choose our boxes. We can even switch from one box to another to another.
Great leaders move us—they inspire, motivate, and energize us. How? They do it through emotional intelligence. Dan Goleman woke us all up when he published his groundbreaking book on the topic (in 1995). Since then we’ve learned a lot about EI competencies, such as self-awareness and empathy, and about what people can do to develop them.
Here’s how you can gain a deeper understanding of your own emotional intelligence: First, respond to the statements below as honestly as possible, and we’ll show you how you rated yourself on five critical dimensions of EI. Reflecting on your strengths and where you can improve is important, but don’t stop there. Other people’s perspectives matter too. After reviewing your scores, ask one or two trusted friends to evaluate you using the same statements, to learn whether your own insights match what others see in you.
Article that considers the importance of “learning agility”: a set of qualities and attributes that allow an individual’s to stay flexible, grow from mistakes, and rise to a diverse array of challenges. It’s easy to assume that those qualities would be highly prized in any business environment. Flexibility, adaptability and resilience are qualities of leadership that any organization ought to value.
Briefing from NHS Employers that explores how organisations outside of the NHS have sought to develop and sustain staff engagement strategies, focusing on key sectors such as transport, finance, manufacturing and education.
It is beneficial for NHS organisations to be aware of staff engagement strategies formed in other sectors and learn from their experiences.
Like most people, I find the week before a vacation to be something of a nightmare, as I attempt to clear the decks before I go. One the face of it this seems like a good idea – get your work done (and ideally the work you would have done during the time you’ll be on vacation), and you can go off with your mind at rest. But I believe I’ve been thinking about this entirely backwards.
Far from freeing you to enjoy that time away, what’s really happening is that you are stealing the energy you’re exerting to clear the decks from the future, and as a result turning your relaxation time into recuperation time.