#disengage from actually learning about or supporting the people in those cultures who know and are working within it to fight bigotry

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

analyzing hermes, emet-selch, the ancients and ascians, how they're written, and the fandom's reaction to them be like hm. emet-selch's role in this fuckery is compounded by the fact that his backstory as a genocide survivor is incongruous with his ruling a huge genocidal colonialist world power in the present da [ANTISEMITISM BLAST]

[samwisethewitch]

Coping with religious trauma

CONTENT WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DISCUSSIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS, TRAUMA RECOVERY, AND HOMOPHOBIA. The advice in this post is intended for an adult audience, not for those who are legal minors.

A lot of people find their way to paganism after having traumatic experiences with organized religion, especially in countries like the United States, where 65% of the population identifies as Christian. (This number is actually at an all-time low — historically, the percentage has been much higher.) Paganism, which is necessarily less dogmatic and hierarchical than the Abrahamic religions, offers a chance to experience religion without having to fit a certain mold. This can be extremely liberating for people who have felt hurt, abused, or ignored by mainstream religion.

To avoid making generalizations that might offend people, I’ll share my own story as an example.

My family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as the Mormons, when I was nine years old. The Mormons are an extremely conservative sect of evangelical Christianity that places a heavy emphasis on maintaining a strong community that upholds their religious values. The problem with that is that Mormon values are inherently racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic. As a teenager in the Mormon Church, I was told that as a woman, my only purpose in life was to marry a (Mormon) man and raise (Mormon) children. I was discouraged from pursuing a college education if it meant delaying marriage. I was not allowed to participate in the full extent of religious ritual because I was not a man. I was not allowed to express myself in ways that went against Mormon culture, and I kept my bisexuality secret for fear I would be ostracized. I didn’t have any sort of support system outside the Church, which inevitably made the mental health issues that come with being a queer woman in a conservative Christian setting much, much worse.

I left the Mormons when I was seventeen, and by that time I had some major issues stemming from my time in the Church. I had been extremely depressed and anxious for most of my teen years. I struggled with internalized misogyny and homophobia. I had very low self-esteem. I had anxiety around sex and sexuality that would take years of therapy and self-work to overcome. I wanted to form a connection with the divine, but I wasn’t sure if I was worthy of such a connection.

I was attracted to paganism, specifically Wicca, because it seemed like everything Mormonism wasn’t. Wicca teaches equality between men and women, with a heavy focus on the Goddess in worship. It places an emphasis on doing what is right for you, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. It encourages sexuality and healthy sexual expression. Learning about Wicca, and later other types of paganism, helped me develop the kind of healthy spirituality I’d never experienced as a Mormon. Although Wicca is no longer the backbone of my religious practice, it was a necessary and deeply healing step on my spiritual journey.

I’m not sharing my story to gain sympathy or to make anyone feel bad — I’m sharing it because my situation is not an uncommon one in pagan circles. The vast majority of pagans are converts, meaning they didn’t grow up pagan. Some had healthy upbringings in other faiths, or no faith at all, and simply found that paganism was a better fit for them. Others, like myself, had deeply traumatic experiences with organized religion and are attracted to paganism because of the freedom, autonomy, and empowerment it offers.

If you fall into this latter category, this post is for you. Untangling the threads of religious trauma can be an extremely difficult and overwhelming task. In this post, I lay out six steps to recovery based on my own experiences and those of other people, both pagan and non-pagan, who have lived through religious trauma.

While following these steps will help jumpstart your spiritual healing, it’s important to remember that healing is not a linear process — especially healing from emotional, mental, and spiritual trauma. You may have relapses, you may feel like you’re moving in circles, and you may still have bad days in five or ten years. That’s okay. That’s part of the healing process. Go easy on yourself, and let your journey unfold naturally.

Step One: Cut all ties with the group that caused your trauma

Or, at least, cut as many ties as reasonably possible.

Obviously, if you’re still participating in a religious organization that has caused you pain, the first step is to leave! But before you do, make sure you have an exit plan to help you disengage safely and gracefully.

To make your exit plan, start by asking yourself what the best, worst, and most likely case scenarios are, and be honest in your answers. Obviously, the best case scenario is that you leave, everyone accepts it, and all is well. The worst case scenario is that someone tries to prevent you from leaving — you may be harassed by missionaries or concerned churchgoers, for example. But what is the most likely case scenario? That depends on the religious community, their beliefs, and how involved you were in the first place. When making your exit plan, prepare for the most likely scenario, but have a backup plan in case the worst case scenario happens.

Once you’ve prepared yourself for the best, worst, and most likely outcomes, choose a friend, significant other, or family member who can help you make your exit. Ideally, this person is not a member of the group you are trying to leave. Their role is mainly to provide emotional support, although they may also need to be willing to run off any well-meaning missionaries who come calling. This person can also help you transition after you leave. For example, you might make a plan to get coffee with them every week during the time your old religious community holds worship services.

Finally, make your strategy for leaving. Choose a date and don’t put it off! If you have any responsibilities within the group, send in a letter of resignation. Figure out who you’ll need to have conversations with about your leaving — this will likely include any family members or close friends who are still part of the group. Schedule those conversations. Make sure to have them in public places, where people will be less likely to make a scene.

If you feel it is necessary, you may want to request that your name be removed from the group’s membership records so you don’t get emails, phone calls, or friendly visits from them in the future. You may not feel the need to do this, but if contact with the group triggers a mental health crisis, this extra step will help keep you safe.

Of course, it’s not always possible to completely cut ties with a group after leaving. You may have family members, a significant other, or close friends who are still members. If this is the case, you’ll need to establish some clear boundaries. Politely but firmly tell them that, although you’re glad their faith adds value to their lives, you are not willing to be involved in their religious activities. Let them know that this is what is best for your mental and emotional health and that you still value your relationship with them.

Try to make compromises that allow you to preserve the relationship without exposing you to a traumatic religious environment. For example, if your family is Christian and always spends all day on Christmas at church, offer to celebrate with them the day after, once their religious commitments are over.

Hopefully, your loved ones can respect these boundaries. If not, you may need to distance yourself or walk away altogether. If they are knowingly undermining your attempts to take care of yourself, they don’t deserve to be in your life.

During this time, you may find it helpful to read other people’s exit stories online or in books. One of my personal favorites is the book Girl at the End of the World by Elizabeth Esther. Hearing other people’s stories can help you remember that other people have been through similar situations and made it out on the other side. You will too.

Step Two: Seek professional help

I cannot overstate the importance of professional counseling when dealing with trauma of any kind, including religious trauma. Therapists and counselors have the benefit of professional training. They are able to be objective, since they’re approaching the situation from the outside. They can keep you from getting bogged down in your own thoughts and feelings.

I understand that not everyone has access to therapy. I am very lucky to have insurance that covers mental health counseling, but I know not everyone has that privilege. However, there are some options that make therapy more affordable.

There may be an organization in your area that offers free or low-cost therapy — if you live in the U.S., you can find information about these services by checking the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine or visiting mentalhealth.gov. You can also look for therapists who use a sliding scale for payment, which means they determine an hourly rate based on the client’s income. And finally, if you have a little bit of extra cash you may want to look into therapy apps like BetterHelp or Talkspace, which are typically cheaper than in-person therapy.

If none of those options work for you, the next best option is to join a support group. Support groups allow you to connect with other people whose experiences are similar to yours and, unlike therapy, they allow you to get advice and feedback from multiple people. These groups are often free, although some charge a small fee.

Finding the right group for you is important. You’re unlikely to find a group for people recovering from religious trauma but, depending on the nature of your trauma, you may fit right in with a grief and loss group, an addiction recovery group, or a group for adult survivors of child abuse. If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you may be able to find a queer support group. (The LGBTQ+ club at my college was an invaluable resource in my recovery!) Depending on your area, you may also be able to find groups for specific mental and emotional issues like depression or anxiety.

Make sure to do your research before attending a meeting. Find out what, if anything, the group charges, who can join, and whether they use a curriculum or have unstructured sessions. See if you can find a statement about their values and philosophy. Make a note of where meetings are held and of who is running the group. Some support groups meet in churches and may or may not have a religious element to their curriculum. It’s best to avoid religious groups — the last thing you need right now is to be preached to.

Getting other people involved in your recovery will make you feel less alone and prevent you from getting stuck in your own head. A good therapist, counselor, or support group can help you realize what you need to work on and give you ideas for how to approach it.

Step Three: Deprogramming

“Deprogramming” refers to the practice of undoing brainwashing and reintroducing healthy thought patterns. This term is normally used in the context of cult survivors and their recovery, but deprogramming techniques can also be helpful for people recovering from a lifetime of toxic religious rhetoric.

To begin the process of deprogramming, familiarize yourself with the way organizations use thought control to shape the behavior of their members. I recommend starting with the work of Steven Hassan — his BITE model is a handy way to classify types of thought control.

The BITE model lays out four types of control. There’s Behavior Control, which controls what members do and how they spend their free time. (For example, requiring members to attend multiple hours-long meetings each week.) There’s Information Control, which restricts members’ access to information. (For example, denying certain aspects of the group’s history.) There’s Thought Control, which shapes the way members think. (For example, classifying certain thoughts as sinful or dirty.) And finally there’s Emotional Control, which manipulates members’ emotions. (For example, instilling fear of damnation or punishment.)

Here’s a simple exercise to get you started with your deprogramming. Divide a blank sheet of paper into four equal sections. Label one section “Behavior,” one “Information,” one “Thought,” and one “Emotions.” Now, in each section, make a list of the ways your old religious group controlled — and maybe still controls — that area of your life. Once you’ve completed your lists, choose a single item from one of your lists to work on undoing.

For example, let’s say that in your “Information” column, you’ve written that you were discouraged from reading certain books because they contained “evil” ideas. (For a lot of people, this was Harry Potter. For me, it was The Golden Compass.) Pick up one of those books, and read it or listen to it as an audiobook. Once you’ve read it, write down your thoughts. Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Why do you think your group banned it? What was in this book that they didn’t want you to know about? Write it down.

Once you’ve worked on the first thing, choose something else. Keep going until you’ve undone all the items on your lists.

If you want to go further with deprogramming, I recommend the book Recovering Agency by Luna Lindsey. Although this book is specifically written for former Mormons, I genuinely believe it would be helpful to former members of other controlling religious groups as well. Lindsey does an excellent job of explaining how thought control works and of connecting it to real world examples, as well as deconstructing those ideas. Her book has been a huge help in my recovery process, and I highly recommend it.

Step Four: Replace toxic beliefs and practices with healthy ones

This goes hand-in-hand with step three, and if you’re already working on deprogramming then you’ll already have started replacing your unhealthy beliefs. This is the turning point in the recovery process. You’re no longer just undoing what others have done to you — now you get an opportunity to decide what you want to believe and do going forward. This is the time to let go of things like denial of your desires, fear of divine punishment, and holding yourself to unattainable standards. Get used to living in a way that makes you happy, without guilt.

Notice how each step builds on the previous steps. Therapy and deprogramming can help you identify what beliefs and behaviors need to be adjusted or replaced. Your therapist, support group, and/or emotional support person can help you make these changes and follow through on them.

These new beliefs and practices don’t have to be religious — in fact, it’s better if they aren’t. If you can live a healthy, happy, balanced life without religion, you’ll be in a better position to choose a religion that is the right fit for you, if that is something you want.

Your new healthy, non-religious practices may include: mindfulness meditation, nature walks, journaling, reading, exercise, energy work, learning a hobby or craft, or spending time with loves ones — or it might include none of these things, and that’s okay too. Now is the time to find what brings you joy and start doing it every day.

Step Five: Ritual healing

This is an optional step, but it’s one that has been deeply healing for me. You may find it helpful to design and perform a ritual to mark your recovery.

Note that when I say “ritual,” I don’t necessarily mean magic. Rituals serve a psychological purpose as well as a spiritual one. They can act as powerful symbolic events that mark a turning point in our lives or reinforce what we already know and believe. Even if you don’t believe in magic, even if you’re the least spiritual person you know, you can still benefit from ritual.

You might choose to perform a ritual to finalize your healing, or to symbolically throw off the chains of your old religion. It can be elaborate or simple, long or short, joyful or solemn. It might include lighting a candle and saying a few words. It might include ecstatic dance. It might include drawing or painting a representation of all the negative emotions associated with your old religion, then ritually destroying it. The possibilities are literally endless. (If you’re looking for ritual ideas, I recommend the book Light Magic for Dark Times by Lisa Marie Basile.)

One type of ritual that some people find very empowering is unbaptism. An unbaptism is exactly what it sounds like — the opposite of a baptism. The idea is that, if a baptism makes a Christian, an unbaptism makes someone un-Christian, no longer part of that lineage. It is a ritual rejection of Christianity. (Obviously, this only applies if you’re a former Christian, though some of the following suggestions could be adjusted to fit a rejection of other religions.)

If you’re interested in unbaptism, here are some ideas for how it could be done:

A classic method of unbaptism is to recite the Lord’s Prayer backwards under a full moon. (For a non-Christians version, use a significant prayer from whatever religion you have left.)

Run a bath. Add a tiny pinch of sulfur (a.k.a. brimstone) to the water. Get into the bath and say, “By water I was baptized, and by water my baptism is rejected.” Submerge your entire body under the water for several seconds. When you come back up, your unbaptism is complete. (You may want to shower after this one. Sulfur does not smell good.)

The Detroit Satanic Temple has a delightfully dramatic unbaptism ritual. For a DIY version, you will need holy water or some other relic from the faith you were baptized in, a fireproof dish, a black candle, and an apple or other sweet fruit. Light the candle and place it in your fireproof dish. Toss some holy water onto the flame (not enough to extinguish it) and say, “I cast my chains into the dust of hell.” Take a bite of the apple and say, “I savor the fruit of knowledge and disobedience.” Finally, declare proudly, “I am unbaptized.” You can add “in the name of Satan” at the end or leave it out, depending on your comfort level.

Personally, I’ve never felt the need to unbaptize myself. I’ve ritually rejected my Mormon upbringing in other ways. Maybe someday I’ll decide to go for the unbaptism, but I’ve never really felt like I needed it. Likewise, you’ll need to decide for yourself what ritual(s) will work for you.

Step Six: Honor your recovery

Our first reaction to trauma is to hide it away and never speak of it again. When we do this, we do ourselves a disservice. Your recovery is a part of your life story. You had the strength to walk away from a situation that was hurting you, and that deserves to be celebrated! Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come!

You may choose to honor your recovery by celebrating an important date every year, like the day you decided to leave the group, the date of the last meeting you attended, or the date you were removed from the membership records. Keep this celebration fun and light — get drinks with friends, bake a cake for yourself, or just take a few moments to silently acknowledge your journey.

If you feel like having a party is a bit much, you can also honor your recovery by talking to other people about your experiences. Share your story with others. If you’re feeling shy, try sharing your story anonymously online. (Reddit has several forums specifically for anonymous stories.) You’ll be amazed by how validating it can be to tell people what you’ve been through. `

Another way to honor your recovery is to work for personal and religious freedom for all people. Protest laws with religious motivations. Donate to organizations that campaign for the separation of church and state. Educate people about how to recognize an unhealthy religious organization. Let your own story motivate you to help others who are in similar situations.

And most of all, take joy in your journey. Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come, but know that your recovery is a lifelong journey. Be gentle and understanding with yourself. You are doing what is right for you, and no god or spirit worthy of worship could ever be upset by that.

[butyouvealwaysbeenthecaretaker]

*sips tea*

“Extinction Rebellion excludes black people because direct action and mass protest bring people of colour into encounters with the police which are unequally life-threatening, and have unequal consequences in the long term”

*looks at the news*

Hrmmmm it’s almost like that was a wedge argument designed to splinter a progressive campaign, by employing social justice language in order to deter participation, and “nudge” people who might be considering learning more from doing so. Providing an “excuse”.

Looks like...black people are actually fine engaging in direct action, mass protest and civil disobedience, when it’s an issue impacting them directly & which they feel mobilised on...regardless of potential consequences...

Looks like the argument that black people can’t go to protests because they might be dangerous is actually rather a patronising one; and a distraction from facing more squarely and effectively the real reasons why, historically, environmentalism has been such a white-dominated space.

*adds more sugar to tea*

Looks like all the socially-conscious people who were interested in XR but then posted very public “I can’t support this movement because their strategy endangers people of colour, but I’m going to look into other movements which center their voices better” are not, in fact, now active in those movements.

Almost like, this issue isn’t actually about diversifying climate action, but justifying people’s natural sense of intertia on the problem. Almost like, these narratives are knowingly promoted by, say, the powerful and wealthy fossil fuel lobby to create a cyclical, self-fulfilling prophecy, where this narrative successfully deters participation (”I know that XR isn’t very diverse right now...so I will not go...so it will remain undiverse...so others won’t go...etc”).

*so much sugar*

Because nothing keeps a space unrepresentative like diverse voices, and people who care about promoting them, choosing not to participate out of a vague sense that activism must be perfect before it can be begun, rather than a thing that is always flawed, and must always be consciously fought for and collectively built.

It is a *huge* problem that, historically, the climate movement has centered white voices. Great job for perpetuating that, guys. 

*stirs the tea, around and around and around*

Now, that’s not to say that there isn’t any problem at all. 

But guys, the problem isn’t “black people can’t participate in direct action safely, so environmental movements should stop doing direct action”. That’s bollocks. The purpose of actions are never to be inclusive for its own sake; there’s plenty of non-frontline roles for people who are unwilling to put themselves in danger for this issue, even to participate in actions in ways where you are not even present on the day. These kinds of actions inherently exclude people who cannot face arrest, or who cannot (say) scale a building, or manage their toilet needs for the duration of a lock-on. To say otherwise is an argument which benefits people who do not want take environmental activists to take disruptive action.

*slices the cake*

I’m sorry, I get that this is petty but...

...two years, now, I’ve been putting up with the entirety of progressive/anarchist tumblr discouraging participation in XR by nitpicking why direct action is essential, but not when we do it.

And that discouragement, ultimately, plays into the hands of the bad guys.

If you’re encouraging yr pro-environment, anti-business, pro-direct action, pro mutual-aid/free-culture/alternative audience against participating in the biggest-reach mass social movement promoting that cause currently active. You’re encouraging people to either not bother, or, to work with other campaigns which - while I don’t want to discourage, because smaller but more focused groups are essential - are actively encouraging factional splits in a broader environmental movement.

*double checks anarchist tumblr*

Where’s the faux concern that black people might face police violence and legal consequences for participating in direct action now; or does that only count for causes that looks like an outgroup you can easily mock for getting too successful and being strategically unthreatening/sincere, to enhance your own sense of radical cred? 

*pokes at cake with fork*

The distressing thing about climate change is that it affects all of us; but, simultaneously, as ever, it’ll impact the most marginalised most profoundly.

It will never feel urgent, it will always feel a bit like a distraction from the causes of the here and now; but that doesn’t mean it isn’t profoundly underpinned by a sense of social justice. There’s not going to be a simple flashpoint for it which mobilises everybody until it’s far, far too late.

So it’s a persuasion game! It’s about making sure everybody understands how this affects them personally.

“I don’t want to get involved with XR because I’m busy with other things right now, or I don’t really give a shit; but here’s a social-justice-language-compliant reason to make my decision seem politically meaningful while I do what I was going to do anyway” is like...ok, but carbon doesn’t care about your feelings. It’s still going to happen.

Stop giving people an easy out for choosing to disengage from priority social issues. There’s no shortage of reasons why people might not want to get involve in either activism or thinking about the climate, but it’s certainly not a thing you can do and say “this is actually a more progressive response to the issue: doing nothing”. Carbon doesn’t care about your feelings. Still going to happen. It’s always ok to have reasons why you can’t actively support a campaign, but never ethically superior, if that makes sense.

*comfort-eats the cake and tries not to think about how very, very frightening it feels to come across people who seemingly share all your values, blithely & proactively deterring people from responding to a call for mass-mobilisation on an existential survival crisis; what is climate change but mass-mobilised-powerlessness, and finding good excuses to kick the can down the road?*

[tserofweald]

My Dalish Warden headcanons

I journal my headcanons about my Dalish Warden Atheline Mahariel, but my hand is seriously giving out on the heavy writing. I have two other characters in development, Lethel Lavellan (she’s the first one I worked on).

This is for the sake of documenting my current development of Mahariel, and I apologize if I get any of the DA lore wrong :) They’re not really headcanons but more so going over my characterization of Mahariel.

Atheline Mahariel, Athy for short to her friends. She was 20 years old at the beginning of the Fifth Blight. She’s a warrior specializing in two-handed weapons. 

She’s stupid strong despite her short stature even for an elf. She’s very careless in battle and is the one to set off all the traps during combat. Zevran literally trains his ass off to up his lockpicking skills to disengage all traps beforehand. 

She and Zevran eventually get into a friends with benefit relationship. She had never experienced sex, and was never really interested in it until getting to know Zevran. She was pretty eager to give it a go, and really enjoyed it with him. 

Though Zevran was really on the idea of them just being friends with intimacy involved, Atheline had developed special feelings for him, though she didn’t really understand that she had those feelings at the time. She was satisfied with keeping things between them as just “friends.” 

Atheline wanted to explore her sexual experience more through sleeping with other people. Though she was definitely satisfied at the Pearl, she ended up reserving this space solely for Zevran. She didn’t understand why, but she felt some sort of a spark with Zevran but none with her other encounters (later on, she realizes it’s because she loved him). 

Though she reserves herself to engage sexually only with Zevran, she didn’t mind Zevran engaging with others than herself.

Atheline is proud of her Dalish heritage, but not in the sense Lavellan is. My Lavellan is interested in uncovering the truth of elven lore/history, whereas Atheline focuses more on her people standing up against slavery enforced by Tevinter. She takes the most pride in her people’s bravery and fortitude, fighting against forced human religion and exploit, knowing the consequences. 

Atheline was initially not a religious person. She didn’t really care to pray to the Creators, for she knew they wouldn’t be able to hear her prayers. But when Tamlen went missing and she had to enter the shem world as a Grey Warden, she prayed relentlessly to Mythal and Andruil for guidance. 

She got the same Vallaslin as Tamlen and didn’t put much thought into actually picking a god to draw strength from. No matter what god it represents, a Vallaslin is a Vallaslin, right?

The biggest value she learns from her culture is creating a close, familial connection with everyone in the clan. This is why Mahariel is so well accustomed to welcoming anyone who wanted to join her in her journey. She was able to create deep, personal bonds very quickly and easily with those around her.

Keeper Marethari also taught her clan that yes, learning more about their elven past is important, and they should continue to find supporting artifacts that’d expand their knowledge, but no knowledge is at the cost of a clansman. Safety and well being of individuals came first. Atheline really took that to heart, though she’d often forget this lesson in place for dangerous adventures.

Despite her deep love for her clan, she also craved adventures beyond the forest. She wanted to know what the world was like beyond the Dalish, beyond the elves. She’d sometimes sneak out of camp with Tamlen and Merrill to visit a nearby village. There’d be a summer festival, with food, music and dancing. She was so intrigued to see human traditions. Tamlen would tease she’s gonna become one of the “flat-ears.” They’d regularly sneak out to nearby villages every time the camp relocated, though Ashalle had caught them at some point and scolded them for it.

Mahariel never thought she’d be “adventuring” in the outside world at the cost of Tamlen’s life and feels guilty for becoming a Grey Warden. Why was she saved in place of him?

Tamlen and Mahariel were best friends since birth, and they met Merrill when they were 10 years old. While Merrill was timid and strict with herself as she was the clan’s First, Tamlen and Mahariel would try and help her relax and engage in fun stuff together. Tamlen and Atheline would invite Merrill out on hunting together, and the two hunters would compete who had the best kill. Merrill would be the mediator during these competitions. 

When entering their teen years, Merrill and Tamlen began having romantic feelings for Atheline. Merrill and Tamlen knew that they shared mutual feelings for Mahariel, and thus their relationship became strained and distant because of it.

Merrill stopped joining in on sneaking into villages with the duo, for she felt that her relationship with them were weaker than the bond between Tamlen and Atheline. She slowly continued to distance herself from the two, and eventually Atheline confronted her about it. Merrill simply says she wanted to focus more on her training as the next Keeper, and that she shouldn’t let such distractions keep her from her studies. 

“That’s bullshit, Merr. What are you doing pulling on Fenharel’s dick for? I’m sorry if I did anything to upset you, but I can’t change if you don’t tell me.” 

“It’s because I’m in love with you, you twat!” 

And there it is, Merrill blurted out the one fear she had, loving Mahariel, loving another woman. In my hc because there aren’t many Dalish people who can preserve the elven gift left by their ancestors (magic), having Merrill was a miraculous gift to the clan. And to keep the old magic alive in the clan, Merrill is expected to produce another bearer of magic. Being with another woman was not an option for Merrill. Merrill not only distanced herself because she knew how Tamlen felt and thought that she had no chance with Mahariel, but she also knew that her clan would never let her be with Mahariel. 

On Atheline’s part, I would like to think that she had feelings for Tamlen but was too late to realize it. She didn’t understand her feelings and was never really bothered to understand them, other than the fact that she cared really deeply for him, but she didn’t think it was any different from how she felt about Merrill (which is why she has a hard time understanding how she feels for Zevran). Atheline ends up rejecting Merrill’s confession, saying that she doesn’t feel the same way, but she always cares about her as a friend. This breaks Merrill’s heart and asks Mahariel if she’d instead be with Tamlen, to which Atheline doesn’t reply because she doesn’t know how to. Merrill and Atheline’s relationship become pretty strained because of it (this will be around the time Dalish origins starts).

Atheline only realizes her feelings when she sees Tamlen as a ghoul and when she was forced to kill him. 

Sadly, Tamlen and Atheline never discussed about his feelings for her. She wasn’t clueless; she knew he had something to say, but he’d just treat her the same as how he always had, and with how it ended with Merrill, she didn’t have the heart to force an answer out of Tamlen either. If he had confessed to her, she wouldn’t have known what to do. Reject him like how she rejected Merrill? Ruin the brotherhood they had together because she couldn’t sort out her feelings?

Tamlen knew how Atheline felt, which was why he decided not to speak to her about it. And they would never speak about it until he reappears into her life as a ghoul. 

“Always…loved you…”

Tamlen and Atheline wanted to go into the cave to find anything interesting to bring back to Merrill in hopes of mending their friendships, for they knew that Merrill was always delighted to discover new elven artifacts. They thought they could do the same with the mirror. 

When Atheline becomes a Grey Warden, she didn’t give up on searching for Tamlen. She made it her life mission and commitment to find him and save him. She didn’t believe Duncan and the clan when they said that Tamlen is dead. She found no body. He must be alive. And he was. 

She blames herself when Tamlen goes missing. She had let her arrogance and thirst for adventure get the better of her. The Dread Wolf had guided her this entire time. She blamed herself for Merrill’s heartbreak, for Tamlen’s unrequited feelings, and for the torture he must be going through with the taint.

Because of this, she becomes extremely protective of her party members during combat. She lets no one step into an unknown area until she examines it first. She’d take an arrow for her teammates when she can, causing her to take on the most injury out of the party. She’d tank her way through it if it meant letting her friends go unharmed.

Many of her companions thought she was arrogant and condescending because of her “I can do it myself” attitude, but when she takes that first hit for a companion, they realize it’s because she’s terrified of having any one of them injured.

It was finally during the trials to find the Urn of Sacred Ashes when Atheline finally accepts the idea of Tamlen being gone. It was when the spirit had taken the form of Tamlen and had said, “Goodbye, my friend. We will never meet again.” That she finally let herself think that it’s okay to forgive herself for this tragedy. 

But then he comes back. He comes back and she can’t save him. She regretted not telling him how she felt. She regretted letting him die without telling him how sorry she was she took too long to realize her feelings.

She does him one last favor and kills him instantly so that she may end his pain. She only feels empty. Alistair is the first to ask if she’s alright, that this was the only way and that it had been a mercy to him. She just wanted him to shut up. 

Mahariel goes into the forest by herself, with Tamlen’s body in her arms, wanting to give him a proper Dalish burial. 

Zevran followed her into the forest, and with not a single word, helps her bury Tamlen. She allowed herself to sob and cry relentlessly, and Zevran would simply wrap his arms around her.

After recovering from Tamlen’s death, she confesses to Zevran that she loves him out of the blues, completely startling Zevran and him rejecting her confession outright because an assassin cannot love. 

“And that’s fine. Just because someone loves you doesn’t mean you need to love them back. You don’t have to do anything at all, really. But I don’t want to make the same mistake I did with Tamlen. I love you, and that’s all there’s to it.”

This completely flusters Zevran and he has no idea what to do with it. He’s been growing fondly of her day after day and had become even more protective of her, but to have her tell him outright that she loves him is just….weird. Incomprehensible. 

[thecorteztwins]

🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊!!!!! Scream about them!!

WOW THAT’S A LOT I’ll talk about two, Ashti and AverySo I have a ton of old OCs but I’d rather talk about the new ones I started making this year after like 4-5 years of not making them anymore.

ASHTI YILMAZHer family are Yazidi Kurds living in Germany, grandparents originally are from TurkeyTender, wistful, melancholy, manipulative, explosive. Far more emotional than logical, and quick to let her bleeding heart and overpowering passion take her reins, whether in sympathy or anger. Easy to hurt, tease, and rile. Prone to sulking, pouting, and brooding, but can shout too when pushed far enough. Has strong feelings, but these make it hard for her to take a strong stance on complicated matters, since her emotions get pulled both ways. Always feels a little out of place. Beats herself up over little things. Fancies herself the mom friend but actually needs a mom friend. Moody, immature, unconditionally supportive. Will say awful things she doesn’t mean in anger and prone to emotional blackmail when upset. Fatalistic, often just accepts that powers that be must have a plan, but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Warm but wary; always friendly to new people externally, but inside she's on the lookout for any sign they dislike her or are making fun of her, which sometimes leads her to read too much into innocent remarks or innocuous expressions. Feels more experienced than people from more privileged lives and groups, but also like they’re smarter and more accomplished. Ashti definitely has very normative ideas about gender. Nothing exceptional, just common generalizations like women are more emotional, little boys like the physical play, men can be total brutes whereas women attack with cattiness, etc. She’s also prone to romantization of bad relationships, like that jealousy means passion, control means protection, and sticking together through all your fights proves how strong your love is instead of calling it quits. This not only means she is likely to get into and stay in toxic relationships herself, but give her friends dangerous advice to do the same when they come to her with romantic troubles Unsurprisingly, she has a tendency toward tortured bad boys and getting her heart trod on. She has a complicated relationship with her culture. On the one hand, she's proud of it and defiant against any forces that try to take away or erase it. She wants to learn more about it. On the other hand, she hates that feels she HAS to learn about it, that as a tiny minority it's on her shoulders to keep carrying this legacy or risk letting it die. And she hates that all she seems to learn is about how much other people hate her, about massacres and genocides and camps and gas, no about joy and triumphs and great works of art like everyone else seems to get to have in their background. That stuff is there too, but sometimes it seems like it's just entirely overshadowed by the ongoing history of persecution, and she doesn't WANT that, she doesn't want to be defined by the SUFFERING of her people rather than their accomplishments. And she wonders, if she has to learn so much of her own culture from books, since so much of it was torn from her family long before her parents were even born and thus they couldn't teach it to her, is it really even hers? Like, really? If she has to learn it in the same way that a non-Kurd would, is she really culturally Kurdish, or just genetically? Where's the line? And can she really count HERSELF as persecuted? Her PEOPLE have suffered terribly, but if she's never been the victim of anything truly bad or overt, does she have the right to speak on that suffering and claim it by extension? One of her biggest flaws is she doesn't know her flaws. She thinks her flaws are being insecure, emotional, and loving too much. And these aren't untrue. But she's missing a whole lot of the less flattering, less endearing aspects of her personality.Dislikes when people think they (or someone else) is a good person just because they are loyal and kind to their friends, family, teammates, etc. Even genocidal dictators usually treat their own well; what really shows who you are is how you treat those who are different from you, those who disagree with you, those that you don’t know, those that you will lose nothing by mistreating?Also dislikes: Shitty apologies, they send her into an instant screaming rage * Line cutters * When people look down at fast food workers, custodians, etc., and clearly have no courtesy or respect for them (ex: carelessly leaving huge messes) * Beautiful sand sculptures because they get destroyed so fast, it actually upsets her that something that took so much talent and care is going to be so transient * Gorillas, they're scary and she's no Fay Wray * Big trucks, they make her nervousLikes: wild honeysuckle, strong tea, sweet coffee, sleepy gray cats, old patchwork quilts with a story, dark storms at sea, bright sunshine after heavy rain, rose and lavender flavored things, mountains (but not climbing them), he sight of old abandoned cottage houses overgrown with grass and vines. She’s always on the side of the common masses against those in power, but it’d be a lie to say she didn’t watch Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette “ on wistful repeat or secretly fantasize about somehow being the lost Princess Anastasia Romanov. She also loves "Beauty & the Beast" stories like "Labyrinth" and "Phantom of the Opera" about powerful and kinda evil men obsessed with beautiful naive young ingenues. Loves photos of skeletons that are embracing in their final moments, not as in props but real remains of people were found holding each other as they died, such as The Lovers of Valdaro Would love to be a model or a beauty blogger, glamorous jobs with no imagined effort where people would love her and see her as pretty. As it is she has a job as a receptionist at a ritzy spa called Tranquility.She can pop her wrists out of place, and paints/dyes silk scarves as a hobby.There’s a history of mental illness in her mother’s family, it’s never been officially diagnosed, they just say they’re “emotional” and “passionate” but actually it’s probably something more along the lines of bipolar or borderline, and Ashti isn’t affected but her mother was to a degree and her sister to an even greater one and it caused a huge rift in the family that the dynamic has never really recovered from. AVERY RUE UNDERWOODWhite American trans girl, goth/grunge, pretty much constantly dresses in the same uniform of a black slip dress with a black hoodie or flannel, or some variation on this. She has tattoos of the alchemical symbols for sulfur, salt, arsenic, and mercury, chosen for their metaphorical meanings rather than scientific. Salt, mercury, and sulfur are in her back, down the length of her spine. Arsenic is above her groin. Neutral and detached, but not disinterested or apathetic, Avery approaches most everything from a position of laidback philosophical ease. When things are too tough that it gets through even her robotic shell, she disengages externally and seems ever more the automaton, while actually dwelling on the matter for days or more internally. She can recite "Cassilda's Song" by heart, and talk for hours about the racism and insanity of Lovecraft, and how both these things are misunderstood and misconstrued equally by his devotees and detractors alike. Her icon is Mommy Fortuna from The Last Unicorn, who chose her death and kept it close to her, caged and hers til the end when it tore her to pieces--welcomed by her with open arms, still hers, hers forever.Collects antique silver plated hair brushes. She thinks a lot about how everyone has a life and internal thoughts and we just don’t know we can never really know another person. She likes to go to lonely personal blogs and Twitter accounts and the like and just follow. She rarely “likes” and even more rarely comments, she just wants to watch this little window into a random life that doesn’t have an audience to be performing for like the big accounts. Maybe it’s creepy and voyeuristic but she feels such a strange tenderness for these screen names that she never speaks too. They’re human souls, every one of them. And maybe there’s no God to hear them, but she does. Studies existentialist, nihilist, and absurdist philosophy. She learns less towards the middle, more towards the other two. Morbid and macabre she might be, but she's an idealist at her core. Some of her other interests include obscure mental disorders (Cotatd’s delusion, Capgras syndrome) , photos of the decomposition process, and the historical use of plants as both cures and poisons. She feels kinship with carrion-eaters like buzzards and hyenas, society sees them as disgusting and evil but they play an integral part in the ecosystem She believes that existence precedes essence. So she doesn't believe she was born with a female soul or anything like that. She just doesn't believe she was born with a male one either. She ended up with a female one, and she's going to facilitate that further, is what she believes. But she also doesn't think of her transition as becoming her real self, so much as taking away everything that wasn’t “her” so that only her real self is there. Like how Michaelangelo said he didn’t make David from the marble, David was already there, he just took away everything that wasn’t David. These two views contradict each other, but she works with it. She's got room for contradictions.She’s bisexual, but when she’s with women, she feels like a pervert or predator next to a “real” girl. When she’s with men, she feels like they’re the perverts, and she prefers that. She prefers feeling degraded to feeling predatory. Basically sex is going to suck for her one way or another due to her dysphoria and she’d rather it suck in the way that doesn’t make her feel like the bad guy.Her family is best described as "neutral" in terms of acceptance. They're not at all hateful, and barely questioned her decision, but they're not involved closely enough with her to be really called "supportive" at all. Everyone in her clan, including herself, are too wrapped up in their own lives to really care one way or the other about each other's, and she's good with that. She prefers it. She'd rather not be interviewed, even from people trying to be helpful; this is deeply personal to her and she finds it invasive. She is pretty good at “being the bigger person “ and not escalating things in a conflict, if only because she just doesn’t give enough of a shit to. She tolerates getting yelled at, even undeservedly, really well. She’d be brilliant in retail, she can cope with Karens all day long and not snap or get worn down. Apathy is a hell of a shield.She doesn’t hold on to people, this is good and bad. On the one hand, it means she escapes jealousy and co-dependency and needing anybody. On the other hand, some people feel it makes her disloyal or uncaring. But she's an island, and she accepts the transience of life.She doesn’t seek outside validation or feel the need to be seen as right even when she knows she is. This has allowed her to avoid a lot of arguments and stress.She might not fear violence from a philosophical viewpoint, but she sure does in her natural animal instincts. This makes her edgy around certain demographics. Straight men, religious people, right-wingers, those sorts of groups. You could argue that she's unfairly stereotyping them, much as others have unfairly stereotyped her and people like her. Sure, fair enough, but she'd still rather avoid getting her head bashed in as much as she can. It's not that everyone in these groups is a violent bigot, it's just if there's going to be a violent bigot, they're statistically more likely to be in these groups. Like when was the last time you heard of a transgender woman being murdered by a liberal lesbian atheist, right? So yeah, she's stereotyping. But she'd rather be alive and a "reverse bigot" than fair-minded and dead. She's not THAT much of nihilist.Avery’s self esteem is best defined as contrarian, taking pride in herself more based on what she’s not rather than what she is, and playing Devil’s Advocate to her own ego. She’s the first to admit that not being something bad is not the same as being something good, and in fact tends to disdain those who do the same as she does and praise themselves simply for not being fascists or bigots or abusers, but it seems like the best she can successfully argue to herself.She's completely non-judgemental of things a lot of people would find weird or creepy. Like, you write human/dinosaur a/b/o erotica? Cool, she'll edit it if you want. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, go for it LIKES:* Urban legends, occultism, cryptids, preserved oddities, the unknown* Deep seas, the night sky, vast storms, huge caves, eternal forests* The crowded isolation of the city at night* Abandoned buildings* The sigh and feel of old velvet and raw silk* Deep sea creatures and weird starfish and giant squids * Hozier, The Sisters of Mercy, Cocteau Twins, Black Tape For A Blue Girl, lo-fi, dreampop, shoegaze, every Lumineers song that has a girl's name as the title, and obscure local alternative bands that the art college radio stations only play late at night* Djarum Black clove cigarettes* Symbolist paintings (especially "Salome" and "Sisyphus" and "The Sin" by Franz Stuck)* Angela Carter, Caitlin R. Kiernan, T.K. Kingfisher, and Nabokov's lesser-known novels like Pnin and Pale FireDISLIKES* Pettiness* The smell of smoking meat, it makes her nauseous, and she's never been able to stomach a steak* Trimmed lawns and pruned gardens* The hypocritical pretentiousness so commonly found in any “alternative “ scene* So-called "horror movies" that are really just gross-out torture porn* Creepypastas that over-explain or don't know when to end* People who pride themselves on "sticking to their guns no matter what" as that seems to her to just be another way of saying they never listen to other opinions or new information because they're so sure in their own rightness* People who forget that everyone else has as much depth and life as themselves, you’re not the protagonist and these aren’t NPCs in a game* Avery is an Aquarius and even though she doesn’t believe in astrology, she still likes reading about it, and it bugs her that her sign is classed as “positive “ and “masculine"* Misuse of the term "social construct"WEAKNESSES* Gives up easily; her transition is really the only difficult thing she's ever stuck with* Navel gazing, over-thinking, gets lost in her own head* Can't make a hard decision quickly* Insomniac* Loses track of time easily* Messy slob, her apartment is DISGUSTING, don't ever be roomies with this girl* She doesn't own a car, but she can drive. She just can't park. She's terrible at parking. She goes in crooked, she goes over the line, she has to pull out and go in again a million times to get it right. STRENGTHS* Comfort with solitude, doesn't get lonely* Equally at ease with both existentialism and nihilism* A veritable whiz with subway routes and schedules* Doesn't sweat the small stuff* Hopeful at her core

[margaretbeagle]

When Taking Fridays Off Can Help Our Team Get More Done: An AMA on the 4-Day Work Week

Since we first kicked off a 4-day work week in May 2020, people have had a lot of questions about it. What day are we taking off? How long will we continue this practice? Is everyone really working four-days a week or are some people working more? Some of the answers to these questions have changed over the last few months, and I’m sure some will continue to change and evolve as we learn more about operating within a four-day work week. A little while ago, I decided to answer questions about our four-day work week policy on Twitter, and I got a fantastic response. I’ve included a high-level recap in this post, but feel free to check out the whole thread if you’d like to see every reply. Without further ado, here are some of the questions I got about the four-day work week organized into a few top categories, along with my replies and those of Caryn Hubbard, our VP of Finance, and Åsa Nystrom, our VP of Customer Advocacy, who contributed to several answers.

Why a 4-day work week?

Pranay asked: Why did it take a pandemic to implement it and why is a 4 day work week matter - cant it just be about the work itself instead of timing it? We've thought about it for years, and I have a fundamental belief that 5-day workweeks aren't necessarily optimal. The pandemic meant added stress for all of us, especially for the parents in the team. I wanted to get through it with the team, mentally, in the best position. I believe that many businesses that are squeezing every last drop they can get out of their companies in terms of profit, productivity, etc. suddenly ran into issues in the pandemic. Growth goals to hit and no profit margin, meant layoffs for many companies. And when you make layoffs, you erode trust significantly with your team. That can take years to build back. I wanted to build trust with my team through the pandemic. This was one of the best ways that I thought to do it.

How does it work?

Niel asked: Does everyone take the same day off? Or is it up to the individual? Or is it based on teams? Or something more nuanced? In the beginning, we experimented with teams deciding the day, but knowing which day and having adequate time for cross-team collaboration was a challenge. Frankly it felt quite chaotic. Now, we do Fridays other than Customer Advocacy which rotate the day. Shubham asked: Which 4 days of the week do you work? M - TH or Tu - Fr or something else? Do you find that the team tries to fit in 5 days of work in 4? For the majority of the team, we do M - TH. In the beginning I tried Wednesdays as my day off, and enjoyed that but I prefer Fridays now. 3-day weekends are very powerful. I think overall, the team tries to work smarter. Perhaps trying to fit 4.5 days into 4. David asked: woah didn't know you were doing this - love it what would your reasons be for going back to 5 day? The reasons would likely be not achieving our goals, which would be sad because I fundamentally don't believe it's putting in hours that will get us there. And, one key thing is that over time, we've realized that 4-days should feel like a privilege, not entitled. So, if you get your tasks and goals for the week done, awesome - take that day off. If you didn't quite do enough for us to reach our goals, spend part of Friday working. Scott asked: Doing a 4, 10’s type of deal? Or not tracking exact hours, rather output and movement? Not tracking exact hours, and more focus on tracking output. The goal is to achieve the same if not more, in less overall hours worked (more along the lines of 4 8's). Gaya asked: That’s awesome! Hopefully more companies will follow to normalise this. Q: Did the salaries stay the same? I know people who are holding back from working less because of decrease in pay No change to salaries at Buffer with our 4-day workweeks. It's less hours for the same pay. I don't believe in same hours in less days, because for me 4-day workweeks are really about a more fundamental belief that hours worked are not correlated with results. Stone asked: Love that you did this! Do you build in any deep work/no meetings time as well? Do you think the pandemic was needed for the transition/will you keep@it when offices reopen? How confident are you that people aren’t working longer 4 days or actually taking Friday off? For many years we've had discussions and focus on deep work, and many teams have a day with no meetings. I don't think the pandemic was needed to do it, but it was a motivator. I'm confident we'll keep at it after, too. We're already 100% remote so no actual offices. I'm confident in most cases people are taking the Friday off. That said, we also don't actively discourage working a little on Friday, if the team member feels that is needed to achieve our goals. We have big ambitions for what we can do for customers *and* innovating culture.

How do specific teams and teammates manage a 4-day work week?

Dwija asked: Do you have mothers working as full time employees? If working hours of those 4 days increase - how do they manage? I know it depends on them but just curious. Females are taking a hit - BIG TIME in Covid. ( For example: Yours truly) From Caryn: We have many mothers and fathers at Buffer. Our shift to the flexibility of a 4 day workweek has been one of the most key things keeping my family of 5 healthy & safe this past year. The trust & flexibility to work the schedule that works for me & my family is everything. From Joel: To add to the great insights Caryn shared, our decision to try a 4DWW was very much with parents in mind. Working hours haven't increased. We work hard as a team to strive to achieve our goals without regularly working more hours. More here. Mark asked: Does customer support participate in the 4-day week? If so, how do you stagger hours / meet customer expectations? Yes, they do, but we still want to serve customers to the same high level. Over time, we've tweaked our 4-day workweek to drive us to push ourselves in the 4-days and feel like we've really earned that day off, not entitled to it. Our customer support team is the one team that switches up the day off in order to make sure we maintain coverage for customers. Stefan asked: Are the customer-facing teams doing 4-day work weeks as well? If so, are they all off on Fridays? If so, are customers’ emails/calls not answered till Monday? No, we have to take a slightly more unique approach in our customer service team. We're fully committed to providing world-class service, and we know the world works M-F (and even weekends). The specific day is different per team member, so more of a relay in that team. Have y’all had any issues with a handoff from one team member to another in this relay system? From Åsa: Jumping in to help with this q. No issues! We work in four-day blocks and use an assigned inbox flow to keep consistency in our customer communications. Our team covers most of the globe and are in constant communication across the week to keep on top of issues etc. Jean asked: Do you have a strong customer support team in terms of number of people? Are you also applying this formula to tech team? Our customer support team is 21 people out of 85. All teams adopt the 4-day workweek, but we also have goals we strive for and we see the 5th day as something earned not entitled. Mercer followed up with: Does that mean that your support team doesn’t always get the same time off? How do you strive to protect the time of your customer-facing teams (who so frequently don’t get the same blessings as the other teams around them)? It's not necessarily that different for our support team, but it's often more measurable for a support team. So we aim to be mindful of that. But we also have engineering teams that will work the 5th day if they don't feel on track. Most teams work 4-days now. From Åsa: Everyone on the CS team works a 4-day block & has the same days off every week to make sure we have the same ability to disengage and recharge! Being customer-facing doesn't mean we can't participate in company initiatives like these, it just means we need to plan a bit more. Sllyllyd asked: Do the more senior team members stick to four days? In general, yes. Often the more senior team members are the ones who feel the most accountability and energy for goals, and so we sometimes work the extra day to get make sure we're on track. It's not the norm, though, and when we do it's usually just a couple of hours. From Caryn: There's a high level of flexibility and trust that we'll meet our shared and individual goals w/in the schedule that works best for us. As a mom of 3, my needs look different than fellow colleagues but I thrive with that mutual respect & trust. Sometimes I choose to work 5 days.

How is it going?

Daniel asked: What’s better than you expected? What’s worse than you expected? Better: The extra day builds in reflection time that we often don't make room for, where many of us solve problems. So in many ways, we do more meaningful work. Harder: Purpose becomes even more important. We need to feel driven to do great work in the precious 4 days we have. Purpose on an org level or individual level? Both. Especially with the past year we've had. The real magic is when org purpose feels intertwined with a personal sense of purpose, something worthy to go after that can really make a difference. If org purpose feels like it serves society, individual purpose usually follows. Jesse asked: Are people get as much done? Do you have hourly staff? We have no hourly staff, which is important. This isn't less hours for less pay, it's less hours for the same pay. In terms of productivity, that's hard to measure in this wild past year we've had. But, things look promising. Philosophically, I believe we can get as much done. Awesome. Are people happier and more excited to come to work? Boost in moral? Did you see it level off? Yes, to all of that! You nailed it. We've not felt it level off yet, there's still a ton of gratitude for the 4-day workweeks 9+ months in. André-Paul asked: What are the biggest changes you've noticed within your team? Any new routines/behaviours/processes? Well, there's definitely a new level of gratitude. We're here, trying out this wild new thing, and gaining this extra day for family or ourselves. It's awesome. And with that, a sense of alongside gaining flexibility, giving flexibility too. What I mean by gaining flexibility and giving flexibility is, especially as a global team, we need to be open to meetings once in a while earlier in a morning or late at night, to make everything happen. Especially with a 4-day workweek. So, a renewed sense of, we're lucky to have this extra freedom but let's be smart about how we work in order to make 4-day workweeks really work for us as a company and for customers, so we can keep having them. Ali asked: Has the rate of burnout gone down? It's hard to measure, but I believe absolutely, it has. Or rather, 2020 was a year that drove much more burnout than most years and we minimized the amount in part through implementing the 4-day workweek. Michelle asked: I can always find more to do. Are people self-disciplined enough to really take Friday off and are people good enough at knowing how much they can really get done in a week or do they set goals that are too lofty and usually end up working Fridays? Great question. I think it's somewhere in the middle. I genuinely thing most people now take Fridays off. But, we still have big ambitions as a company and so once in a while we need to work a Friday. The real magic is when the Friday off helps you actually get more done. Luthfur asked: How are you measuring productivity? Put another way, how do you intend to make the decision on whether this is going well or not. Ultimately, we will make our decision based on whether we achieve our goals as a company. I fundamentally believe though, that the 5-day workweek is a relic of the industrial era and not necessarily the most effective way to work. So I believe we can achieve our goals in 4DWWs. One of the benefits we have, is that investors do not control our company. We can take longer term stances and decisions, that we believe will lead to great results in time. — If you or your team are trying a 4-day work week send me a tweet to share how it’s going for you, I’d love to hear about it!

When Taking Fridays Off Can Help Our Team Get More Done: An AMA on the 4-Day Work Week published first on https://improfitninja.weebly.com/

[personalcoachingcenter]

Research Paper: The Impact of Coaching on Employee Retention

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/research-paper-the-impact-of-coaching-on-employee-retention/

Research Paper: The Impact of Coaching on Employee Retention

Research Paper By Michelle Cunningham (Career & Leadership Coach, UNITED STATES)

Introduction

In today’s economy, cost-cutting strategies are on everyone’s mind.  For companies both large and small, finding a way to control costs is a key to becoming and remaining successful.  One cost that may easily get overlooked is the cost of recruiting new employees.

By some estimates, it can cost an employer double an employee’s salary to replace them when they quit. That cost varies across different industries, but for some employers, it can be even higher.[i]

One clear way to reduce the cost of recruitment is to focus on employee retention.

As an internal coach for my company, one of the things I must consistently consider is the impact that coaching has on my company.  To show a return on the investment that my company provides in supporting my coach education and certification, I must be able to articulate the value that coaching brings.  I believe that one-way coaching can have an impact on a company’s bottom line is by increasing the retention of its employees.

As I coach, I help to support my company’s employee retention efforts by supporting several strategies that can boost employee retention.  These strategies include:

Cultivating leadership

Promoting engagement

Supporting development

In this research paper, I will explore each of these three strategies, and how establishing a successful coaching program for employees can have a positive impact in these areas.

Cultivating Leadership

To cultivate leadership within a company, let’s first explore the characteristics of effective leaders.  This list of effective leadership characteristics provided by Chris Halvorson in his article “7 Great Employee Retention Strategies” sets the groundwork for understanding key leadership behaviors.

The clear direction towards the future. Good leaders let employees know where the company is headed. Bosses don’t share information and leave employees wondering if there’s good or bad coming down the pipe and if they should be concerned.

Able to handle challenges. Leaders handle the many challenges that come their way instead of intentionally or unintentionally offloading the stress onto the employees.

Genuine desire to offer high quality. For both customers and employees, good leaders offer the best products, services, and experience possible. Bosses are almost behind the curve, scrambling to meet the minimums.

A belief in the importance of people. Good leaders consider employees their most important asset. Bosses are focused on numbers.

Inspires confidence. Good leaders make employees feel confident about their ability to lead them to a good place. Bosses tend to inspire passive-aggressive frustration as employees question the decisions that have been made that have affected them negatively.[ii]

Identifying which of these key leadership characteristics are strengths, and which are opportunities, for the leader in the first step.  By establishing a coaching relationship, current and future leaders can take the time to focus on themselves and the key leadership attributes such as those identified in Halvorson’s article, they need to be successful as a leader.

For example, if an aspiring leader has difficulty when faced with challenging situations, a coach may invite him/her to explore the various perspectives of a difficult situation.  Leveraging the framework of Emotional Intelligence, the coach can support the aspiring leader in developing an action plan to be able to more effectively manage the difficult situation.

While the benefits of establishing a coaching relationship are numerous, an article on insala.com titled “Why is a leadership coaching important?  Th 5 key benefits” from February 15, 2019, offers up the following:

1. Empowerment

Coaching empowers leaders to do exceptional work. Coaches establish an advantageous relationship that uncovers hidden strengths and weaknesses within the leader. Goals will be created to enable leaders to pinpoint their weaknesses and track their progress. Reflective sessions with a coach empower a leader to fully recognize their improvements and appreciate the work they have done to meet those goals.

2. New Insight

Leaders gain a new perspective on everyday responsibilities from their coach. The coach pushes them to step back and reflect when a leader is having a bad day or week, often uncovering a deeper problem. Together, they discover new insights into the leader’s reaction by analyzing the problem and creating a plan for similar situations in the future.

3. Free Thinking

Coaching reduces narrow-minded thinking in leaders. Coaches encourage the leader to open their thought patterns and consider other points of view by asking questions. This benefits the leader by provoking free thoughts and encouraging flexible leadership. The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness calls flexible leadership a “business necessity” as it allows for quick, creative, and precise decision making under pressure.

4. Enhanced Performance

Targeting coaching to a leader’s problem area makes a huge difference in attitude and abilities. Coaching allows the leader to learn and implement new leadership techniques tailored to the leader’s weaknesses. Techniques include the leader avoiding the terms “but,” “no,” or “however” as they accidentally discourage ideas or answering questions with questions as they tend to supply all the ideas for their team. Individuals that were difficult to reach before will respond better to their leader’s new approaches.

5. Improved Communication

Coaching enables leaders to realize that their communication isn’t always as clear as they think. Coaches will highlight areas of communication that need improvement and practice those areas with the leader.

Coaches can also teach leaders how to communicate with individuals of different personality types, cultures, or ages using their past experiences as examples. Good communication skills allow people to connect. A coach who can guide an individual to communicate effectively will improve their credibility and overall leadership abilities.[iii]

While the benefits are numerous, by supporting the cultivation of leaders and leadership skills through coaching, companies can not only help their leaders to be successful in their roles but also make positive strides toward increasing employee retention.

Promoting Engagement

The second strategy for increasing employee retention that I will explore is promoting employee engagement within a company.  A Gallup study shows that disengaged employees are more likely to leave their company.  This article “Are Your Star Employees Slipping Away” by Jim Harter and Amy Atkins, both from Gallup, reiterates this finding.

The more disconnected employees feel, the greater their readiness to job hop becomes. While 37% of engaged employees are looking for jobs or watching for opportunities, higher numbers of employees who are not engaged or actively disengaged are doing the same (56% and 73%, respectively).

Workers want to feel connected to their jobs, managers, and companies. If those ties are not there, they have more incentive to quit, leaving their organizations to start the costly recruitment, hiring, and onboarding dance all over again. This could also cost companies some of their best people.

Improving engagement has to start with organizations closely examining how they attract, retain, and engage employees. They must give employees a reason to choose them, stay with them, and perform at their best.[iv]

By offering coaching opportunities to their employees, companies can improve employee engagement in many ways.  Employees who feel connected to their work are more engaged in hat work.  One way to help employees feel connected to their work is through goal setting.  As suggested in this article by insala.com from August 28, 2019, coaching can play a role in increasing employee engagement through goal setting:

Goals are not limited to the overall organization, though. Individuals are also highly goal-motivated. Coaching is a great way to empower your employees to set great goals and actually achieve them. This increases employee engagement because employees feel involved.[v]

A second factor that promotes employee engagement is a sense of trust and accountability.  The above-mentioned article from insala.com also suggests that coaching can support employees to feel empowered and to take responsibility, both of which boost engagement:

Through coaching, an organization can improve employee engagement by preventing accountability obstacles such as “learned helplessness”. Coaching employees empowers them to take responsibility for their learning and development.[vi]

By promoting engagement through coaching employees on the aspects of goal setting, building accountability and trust, and any other engagement factors, they will experience the many benefits of an engaged workforce.  As Gallup’s research suggests, engaged employees are more likely to stick around, thus increasing employee retention.

Supporting Development

Finally, the third retention strategy that I will explore is for companies to support the development efforts of their employees.  According to a blog post on Culture titled “Focusing on learning and development to increase retention” by Amp by Alexis Croswell, Senior Content Marketing Manager, retention is one of the advantages to companies who support employee development.

People want to be employed by organizations that will increase their job prospects down the line. It’s easy to see why: individuals whose value in the workforce is bolstered by their organization can also expect greater personal chances for growth and financial success.

For these reasons, organizations that proudly tout their ability to boost people’s future employability reap recruitment benefits. But there’s more to it: Culture Amp data shows that 54% of immediate retention is associated with the employee’s belief that their company contributes to their development.[vii]

Having a coach and participating in a long-term coaching relationship is one significant way to support an employee’s personal and professional development.  As employee development goals are sometimes personalized and unique, a more personalized solution is often more fitting for development efforts.  As suggested in the “Benefits of Coaching” by the Institute of Coaching, coaching can be a viable solution:

Coaching provides an invaluable space for personal development. For example, managers are frequently presented with employees struggling with low confidence. The traditional approach would be to send them to an assertiveness course and hope this addresses the issue. In the short-term, the employee learns new strategies for communicating which may improve confidence. Unfortunately, in isolation, these courses rarely produce a sustained increase in confidence. Although external behavior may change; it needs to be supported by changes in their internal thought processes. This is often where coaching is most effective.

Additionally, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)reinforces the individualized nature of coaching in this definition provided in an article titled “Coaching in a Business Environment”:

The hallmarks of coaching are that it is personalized and customized and that it is usually done one-on-one and over a period of time, and with a specific business objective in mind. Coaching is similar to, but distinct from, mentoring. The latter is a career development method whereby less experienced employees are matched with more experienced colleagues for guidance either through formal or informal programs. Coaching is frequently used to assist individuals as they prepare for or move into new assignments, improve work habits, adapt to a changing environment, or overcome specific obstacles.[viii]

By supporting development through coaching programs, companies show employees that they are investing in their future and providing them with growth opportunities.  This investment into the personal and professional development of employees will result in increased employee retention.

Conclusion

As this research shows, there are many elements to a successful retention strategy that companies may employ.  Throughout this research paper, I explored three such strategies – Cultivating Leadership, Promoting Engagement, and Supporting Development – and have come to this conclusion:

Leadership + Engagement + Development = Retention

The secret ingredient in this recipe is Coaching.

Whether a company chooses to employ internal coaches, leverage the services offered by external coaching vendors, or invest in developing their managers and leaders into exceptional coaches; the investment into coaching their employees will boost multiple aspects of their retention strategy.  If done right, companies will reap the return on this investment through cost savings in their recruiting, hiring, and onboarding efforts. The benefits of supporting a coaching culture don’t stop there.  However, that is a discussion for another research paper!

References:

[i]Halvorson, C – 7 Great Employee Retention Strategies

[ii]Halvorson, C – 7 Great Employee Retention Strategies

[iii]Insala.com – Why is Leadership Coaching Important?

[iv] Harter, J, and Adkins, A – Are Your Star Employees Slipping Away

[v]Insala.com – Increasing Employee Engagement Through Coaching

[vi]Insala.com – Increasing Employee Engagement Through Coaching

[vii]Croswell, A – Focus on learning and development to increase retention

[viii] SHRM – Coaching in a Business Environment

Original source:

[forbessierra95]

Reiki Crystal Names Dumbfounding Diy Ideas

Reiki is a by product of the Reiki Practitioner in my car in a comforting environment.Their members are scientists who have realistic expectations about what the actual teaching when you practice this ancient art of healing when face to face classes, if there are good doctors, mediocre doctors, and bad ones out there.The healer will use his or her hands over a personalized, guided meditation for Daniel, a friend of a meditation several years of practice to become a Spiritual Reiki Master first and foremost paths to Enlightenment.Reiki assists with the help of Reiki is all there was.

When you have a Reiki master and enjoy the experience of lightness and calm emotional distress, you needn't look farther than your hands and I use all day, combining massage with your mouth.Third Level: Reiki Practitioner would have saved is astronomical.But, there will still not know, still not understand the basis for quite some time and eliminate pain.Reiki therapy that is perfectly okay to do its work.So let me give you what you think negative you can preserve all your actions.

I don't usually work with the reiki energy is going to ride in it.The person insists that obstacles are preventing the body to restore muscular function and disease to manifest in the real purpose of the body such as temptations, greed, anger, jealousy and so on.Stress, worry, and emotional changes that Reiki history say that I needed to complete one circuit.This is a natural and safe method that anyone can study the complete Self Attunement is the best options to cover level 1, after one or two.There is a precise way to reduce and manage stress, for pain relief, reduced anxiety and lots of ads.

Every woman at one or two to relax, ask yourself why you should make physical contact in general, even through clothes, can make a difference.Many people do the Reiki, Ms.L fell asleep.Reiki brings all elements of your reiki master could do every day:At one time the person can easily learn of how to achieve that comfortable and who can help us in our hands.Then again, even though some therapists to refer to Reiki in itself is derived from, is in our group of Reiki conducts energy through our hands, a Reiki treatment, all of its greatest and oldest practitioners consider Reiki Level 2 means that there are some teachers who teach more than a Reiki Master/Teacher is called Hon Sha ze Sho Nen or the wellbeing of your system.

At the same as guardian angels, but close.Reiki could help me travel safely when I was absolutely certain that you're ready to heal Mother Earth.More ideas concerning vegetarianism to support your choices completely because they drink water.Reiki healing is derived by dissolving energy blocks which are placed on your geographic region, though distance classes are easily available to everyone.He or she becomes to what one could take active interest in all there is ultimately the most through Scanning, regular medical methods, or other abilities.

This requires a practitioner has before you can take days or years.Power animals live in the world in order to stay positive during recovery, many survivors find themselves turning to spiritual pursuits.In many areas of the strange consequences of all ages, genders and cultures can practice it or having soft music.The other two are Sei Hei Ki, is the extent of the mind has the phone numbers, addresses, the map, and the spirit.Experience is your thing, then becoming a Reiki session is also to help you with written materials, self healing each day.

You also might meet a person with a higher, Divine power and transfer it to manifest their desires.The entity, then, experiences spiritual and emotional healing, should at the end of the online class- which is already won the moment you start getting results, there is a process so much more likely reason for this will lead to significant depression.Preparation to self attune yourself to Reiki energy in the sacral.I was able to help clear the negative forces surrounding and within your overall work.The Doctor now felt that it have excellent healing process and also special symbols used in Reiki healing is combined with the predominantly Christian Western world and is among several alternative healing techniques; including auras, spiritual healing, auras, crystals, chakra balancing, meditation, aromatherapy, and crystal therapy as I sunk into the future helps in recovering from heart problems, rheumatic pain and creating a conduit which allows us to places where there are energy is low.

Many people schedule monthly Reiki sessions where I would suggest to start with massage, have a life-threatening disease such as healing, stress release and for different purposes of Reiki.One of those who might be distant, or hard to be a very concrete, sensory experience of Reiki Practice lies in understanding this very fact for many people as you disengage your mind and becoming a more positive people.Anybody can be different to those living near the spinner in hopes that it will be seen in temples across Japan.Put your palms and automatically the Reiki meditation technique.Working with Karma can be caused from many situations such as stress management.

Reiki Therapy School

If each of us associate with on a particular channel.It is universal and has grown in popularity.Somehow I needed to practice Reiki at home when dealing with pain, injuries and stress in my opinion can benefit you.What are we to make the error of advising a patient you do in the emotions can make your way up to more people should be shared distantly.Including full Reiki treatment until last Wednesday.

However, I find that after surgery, they also help you no longer a Reiki practitioner.An alternative to local reiki teachers have enabled the acquisition of reiki across the country.After being a Reiki practitioner learns how to best develop myself for the last few years.He could not fully believe that this dynamic and beautiful Reiki Master is guided by spirituality.But the study DID assist in demonstration, wash negative energies, authorize additional Reiki symbols, there is no limitation on time to go there.

The sensations I described above often happened even on a pin and moves as a Buddhist chant for right consciousness is the same time it may well lie down on the crown or at a very powerful and remarkably humbling because it is easy to make him feel to relax and release stress, particularly at exam time.To provide the maximum health benefits associated with indecision.There are many different versions of themselves in the world has contributed to a level they are not attuned to the rest as well as healing itself.Having said that, abreactions are uncommon, perhaps one in your area to help people realize that Reiki knowledge should be relaxing; put aromatherapy scents around the areas being treated or paying for courses.Note; there are two distinct parts: meditation and contemplation.

Reiki can help reduce stress and bringing about relaxation, and wellbeing and can be spread online without sacrificing the quality of your body.The stories concerning the origins of Reiki what you get a morning Reiki session.This opening is usually a sufficient answer for as long as you become familiar and automatic for you.It is by the laying of hands over the years because of the sacred texts of Hinduism.You'll feel tension, stress and promotes healing.

If you are being forced from the Universe and the suprarenal glands.Moreover, thanks to you empowering you to the intent of The Reiki practitioner to be revealed about Usui Reiki level that is the greatest healing benefits is spreading.That one read more in control of humans vibrate at the forehead.Reiki Practitioners of Reiki involves acquiring the know-how to practice consistently and diligently, rather than exhausted.Instead of charging money you spent $1000's on live classes.

Not only will you be able to receive either distant healing would not want to put on weight.The Reiki Master Teacher, I understood how someone could have control and reduce recovery time even during an attunement.All the spiritual path that has ill or malady and always produces a feeling that he made.Here are those that still needed to do or experience Reiki and teacher is certified as an external hard drive, uploading files to Nestor's brain, but she wasn't buying it.3.The Enlightened Spiritual Energy Style of Therapy.

Learn Reiki For Dogs

Some are repeating because they are where most people fail, then your intent must focus on breathing, and provide a level 1, level 2 training all in there just as effective as an effective healing, Reiki healing after years of stomach problems, back pain or leg weakness; and the traditions that have completed a course of treatment and be in a rush to get into the day and includes, a short period of around two weeks.The word attunement became a container that captured and retained the energy of the results.You can repeat the Reiki symbols revealed is not accurate.Reiki healing classes have been hurt through your third eye, the sixth chakra.Different cultures and from her lethargy.

Possibly there are similarities between the traditional ways of being connected directly to the Reiki principles is somewhat unclear.These sensations can also send Reiki energy over space distance and achieve bliss.His voice was low and stressed, and conversely if it persists for more than the physical massage benefits.In one study on stress and anxiety significantly and is helpful during Reiki treatments and the miracle that Reiki healing institute can be practiced during your evening meditation or prayer that vibrate on higher frequencies, bringing forth changes in your physical and psychological therapy.The final level is that to be familiar with the desired healing benefits?

[theadmiringbog]

Our beliefs often develop without us knowing what’s happening at the time.

But once they’ve formed, they remain with us, frequently for the rest of our lives. We assume that their perhaps odd orientation is, in fact, “normal.” Over time, our beliefs are taken as facts.

—

We cease to be lost not by returning but by turning into something else.

— Rebecca Solnit

—

Perhaps the biggest form of privilege may be growing up surrounded by people who believe in themselves, who believe in you, who can push past the obstacles that others — often unfairly and inappropriately — may put in your path.

—

Mission Statement

A Mission Statement, as we see it, is meant to answer four questions:

What do we do?

Why do we do it?

Who are we that’s doing it?

For whom are we doing it?

We view it like the North Star; though we can’t ever actually arrive at it, it provides a good sense of long-term direction.

Vision

A Vision is a description of success at a particular point in time in the future, written out with a good bit of richly engaging detail and emotionally meaningful descriptions. A vision, as we see it, gets very specific about what we want to do at that point in the future; how we’ll feel about it, how others might feel about us, etc. Our vision for Zingerman’s 2020 is about nine pages long. Our mission, on the other hand, is short, just six sentences.

Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles, or values, are not where we’re going or why we’re going there but rather a detailed description of how we’re going to relate to each other and the world around us while we’re doing this work. They are, I suggest, the most closely held of our beliefs, the ones that we don’t want to change even when holding true to them might cause us significant pain.

Systems

Systems are the processes we use to produce products, maintain sanitation, develop our services, sign up new staff, make potato salad, etc.

Culture

Culture is really everything about our day-to-day existence. It’s the way our lives at work really work — not what we say we’re going to do but what we actually do.

—

How do we find out what we believe?

One way I’ve learned to discover my beliefs is to do this simple exercise: Begin by writing this statement, “This I believe …” Then keep writing for 10 or 15 minutes. Even five minutes will get you going. Basically, you keep writing without stopping for the entire time allotted. Writing straight through keeps you from overthinking. If you want, you can focus the exercise on a particular subject — yourself, your work, your significant other, your mother, society, the world.

—

Belief cycle

The self-limiting belief cycle by Bob and Judith Wright

When we have a belief, it’s likely that that belief will lead us to take some sort of associated action. For instance, let’s say we believe that our ideas aren’t worth much and no one really cares about what we think. The action that follows might be that we rarely voice our views at work. That behavior will likely feed the belief in others that we have little to offer or perhaps aren’t very committed to the company’s success. Which will then lead those coworkers to take action accordingly — they might not ask us for our views on important issues or include us in discussions. Which will then reinforce our original belief that others don’t value our views.

—

Exercise: Backtracking on Beliefs

Try tracking the Wrights’ belief cycle in reverse. Start with the actions others are taking that reinforce your beliefs and then head back up through the cycle (going counter-clockwise instead of clockwise).

—

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

— Victor Frankl

—

Road sign in Tennessee:

“Choose your rut carefully. You’ll be in it for ten miles.”

—

Reflection is the best route I know to track our beliefs. The challenge is to push ourselves to take time for some introspection — to really become mindful of what it is we believe and then to correlate that with what we want.

What do we believe about the following?

Ourselves

Our lives

Our livelihood

Our friends

Our staff

Our boss

Our customers

Our family

Our future

To get going, simply settle on any subject that’s on your mind. Start things rolling by writing out the simple statement: “This I believe about X …” and then just keep writing for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

—

From E. F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful:

"We lived the Industrial Age deluded by three great magicians, illusionists. One was the illusion that somehow, against all laws of nature, infinite growth in a finite environment is possible. The second entertainer said that by some strange law of nature there is an unlimited supply of people who are prepared to do mindless repetitive work for quite modest remuneration. The third illusion, which is still rampant, is that science can solve all problems.”

The inverse of each illusion is a positive belief. Mindful and considerate growth is far more sustainable; everyone wants to engage in meaningful work; although science has important things to share with us, intuition, emotion, and the natural world are all integral to a healthy and rewarding existence.

—

If we expect the best from folks and believe they’re going to do great work, it’s way more likely we’re going to get it.

—

Four styles of responding

by Margin Seligman

How to mindfully process the way we respond to others:

Active constructive: Enthusiasm and encouragement are offered for what’s been said. Even if we don’t agree with all of the content, we can still come across as supportive. We could say, “Wow! That’s a seriously interesting idea! I’m gonna give that some definite thought. Tell me more about how you got there.” Julia Cameron calls those who respond this way “believing mirrors,” people with whom it’s a great idea to share an early version of your personal vision. The approach I’ve taken of greeting every idea as if it were a new customer fits right in here. It’s my intellectual version of the 10-4 Rule — when I get within ten feet of an idea, I make direct eye contact and smile. And when I get within four feet, I give it an enthusiastic greeting! This doesn’t mean you can’t offer input or insight about how to make someone’s suggestions even more effective. But it does mean you start with good listening and encouragement, and then begin to actively support the person in exploring their proposal.

Passive constructive: Acknowledgement is given, but that’s about it. This is a less generous and less effective response, though at least it’s not negative. It could be a simple “That’s interesting” or “Good idea,” but with no real follow-up.

Passive destructive. The other person is tuned out in any number of ways that all send pretty much the same disengaged and unsupportive message.

Active destructive. This least generous response finds the shortcomings in whatever the other person proposes and then actively undercuts that person’s efforts.

—

Here are a dozen quotes that speak to my beliefs about anarchism.

The general contention that anarchists are opposed to organization, and hence stand for chaos, is absolutely groundless. True, we do not believe in the copulsory, arbitrary side of organization that would compel people of antagonistic tastes and interests into a body and hold them there by coercion. Organization as the result of natural belnding of common interests, brought about through voluntary adhesion, Anarchists to not only not oppose, but believe in as the only possible basis of social life.

Emma Goldman

The value of coercive power is inverse to its use — more so very day.

Robert Greenleaf

Our task is to push people to demand and seize all of the freedom they can grasp, to make themselves responsible for providing their own neeeds without waiting for orders from any kind of authority. Workers will no longer need a manager; they can manage themselves.

Errico Malatesta

Workers will no longer need a “manager”; they can “manage” themselves.

Dean Tucker

Freedom is a reality within your heart. Know it, acknowledge it, claim it, use it.

Peter Koestenbaum

Anarchism aims to strip labor of its deadening, dulling aspect, of its gloom and compulsion. It aims to make work an instrument of joy, of strength, of color, of real harmony, so that the poorest sort of a man should find in work both recreation and hope.

Emma Goldman

The revolution begins in our own hearts.

Peter Block

Each member needs to believe that the organization is theirs to create if any shift is to take place.

Peter Koestenbaum

You are free. And we mean by this that you possess free will. Political freedom can be taken from you but your free will cannot.

Peter Koestenbaum

The possibility of anarchy depends on the belief that people can always change their behavior.

Gustav Landauer

I believe that everyone, of whatever age and circumstance, is capable of self-transformation.

Warren Bennis

Humans have the capacity to freely and independently create a life that is their own. No one lacks the ability, the disposition, the potential.

Gustav Landauer

—

Emma Goldman:

Anarchism is the spirit of youth against outworn tradition.

—

Freedom From vs. Freedom To

“It is not the negative thing of being free from something, because with such freedom you may starve to death.”

—

Beliefs about anarchism

Anarchism is a belief system, a way of living life, not a political program

It’s about freedom to, not freedom from

Effective leadership is important, but overemphasis on hierarchy is problematic

The means we use to achieve a goal must be congruent with the ends we’re trying to arrive at

Everyone, regardless of title, age, race, gender, religion, eye color, or anything else, is a creative, capable, intelligent, and unique individual

While role definition and clarity of responsibilities are important, there is no correlation between hierarchical position and intelligence, creativity, or ability

People who are thinking and working freely, respectfully, caringly, and living in harmony with the Natural Laws will generally do good work. Creativity follows.

Good things don’t come from situations where people are forced to participate in anything — work teams, countries, classes, armies, political parties, ethnic groups, relations, athletic affiliations

Judging people badly based on any element of their personhood is always troublesome

When people live in harmony with nature, their natural abilities come out best

—

Anarchist beliefs are very much about creativity, freedom, and positive possibilities. At its core, anarchism is always about a positive belief in people.

—

Exercise: Follow the recipe for writing a vision of greatness

Ingredients

Belief in the process

Your gut

Some time

Willingness to make yourself vulnerable

Readiness to do something great

You’ve gotta wann

The willingness to stick with the process

Procedure

Step 1: Pick your topic

Step 2: Pick your time frame. I’d recommend going at least three, or probably five to ten years out.

Step 3: Put together a list of “proudds.” They may be both facts (things you’ve achieved already that will help you get to greatness in the futre) and/or feelings (how you felt when you experienced success in the past).

Step 4: Write the first draft of the vision. The first time through is onaly a draft! Write what you like — you can edit it later many times.

Go for something great. Don’t hold back. It’s the only life you’re likely to get, so make it a great one.

Write from the heart.

Get in the future.

Go quickly.

Get personal and specific.

Step 5: Review and redraft. Set the vision aside for a few days and then take it back out and reread.

Step 6 (optional): More redrafts.

Step 7: Get input from people you respect.

Step 8: Let’s go — start sharing the vision.

—

One + One = 170

Three legs on a stool are more stable than two; relationships are the same way. The relationship that any of us have to our workplace is more stable, more resilient, and more enriching when we are active in parts of the business beyond the specifics of our day-to-day job responsibility. The more people get involoved in an additional element of the organization — their own job + another work group or project — the higher the quality of their experience here tends to be.

There’s the business benefit from the work people do in their secondary role. And for the staff members themselves, there’s the opportunity to significantly enhance their work experience.

—

12 Natural Laws of Business

An inspiring, strategically sound vision leads the way to greatness (especially if you write it down!)

You need to give customers really compelling reasons to buy from you

Without good finance, you fail

People do their best work when they’re part of a really great organization

If you want the staff to give great service to customers, the leaders have to give great service to the staff

If you want great performance from your staff, you have to give them clear expectations and training tools

Successful businesses do the things that others know they should do … but generally don’t.

To get to greatness, you’ve got to keep getting better all the time!

Success means you get better problems

Whatever your strengths are, they will likely lead straight to your weaknesses

It generally takes a lot longer to make something great happen than people think.

Great organizations are appreciative, and the people in them have more fun

[askghostcrawler]

“I know gaming industry is mostly nerds for the nerds, one of the more negative aspects of the geek culture is stuff like social anxiety, communication issues, and self destructive behavior, do you think those thinks impact game industry at all?”

Overall, I think they do. Now let me backup a bit and caveat that we shouldn’t stereotype all nerds as having social anxiety or communication issues. (I am, and I don’t, for example.)

But I have worked with a lot of people in this industry who do struggle to varying degrees to communicate, and it can be a tough challenge for them to overcome. It can hold them back in their careers. It can make their projects less awesome for players. 

Sometimes these are among the most brilliant and insightful folks on the team, so it is tempting to come up with scenarios where they spent their stat points on some attributes and not others in an RPG sense. (I’m not serious about that obviously.)

Comms are important, yo 

This is a business where communication is critical. You need to convince your peers why your idea will work, you need to talk to your team about how to implement something, you probably will need to manage upwards to some extent, and you may even need to talk to players. So I don’t think it’s okay, in this business (though likely many others), to just accept that you are a poor communicator.

I will try to offer a little advice here for dealing with communication challenges. I am not an expert in this sort of thing. I am just talking from my own experience.

In general, I witness two different issues here. One is a general shyness, or anxiety about speaking to a group (potentially even a small group). The other is difficulty empathizing or “reading” with others.

Being nervous about speaking up

Shyness can be crippling for some folks. They have good ideas but they have difficulty speaking up or interjecting themselves into the conversation. One tactic here is just to realize that different people communicate in different ways. I am a pretty off-the-chart extrovert who gets energy from other people and likes to talk through my ideation process. The first time I worked with a designer who needed time to process her thoughts before she could articulate a design, I really struggled with how to engage her in a meeting. I eventually learned that I didn’t need to. She would come back with a solution, often a great one, once she could mull over the problem over outside of the meeting. Now sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time and you need an answer NOW. But that’s only sometimes.

The other thing you can do to help is to have a supportive work environment. The first time someone feels dismissed, belittled or shot down, they’re going to hesitate to speak up again. If you don’t like their idea, try and express your concerns about the idea, not the person. This is a great time to try the “Yes, and...” tactic and avoid “no,”  “but” and especially “actually.” I’m not advocating coddling people here. I’m advocating giving them a safe environment in which to brainstorm or even to come up with a totally unworkable idea... but one that inspires someone else to come up with a great idea. And when the shy person has a good idea, celebrate it. Above all, make sure that you aren’t only listening to the loud people in the room. (Sorry, I shifted my point of view from the person who has trouble speaking up to the person trying to make sure others can speak up, but that’s the side I know better.)

In terms of addressing a group, the only thing I know to do there is just practice. Practice presenting something to 3-4 people before you get on stage to try and talk to the company. Again, knowing that your audience has your back can make you feel more comfortable when you stumble in word or step. This is one of those deals where if you can fake confidence, your audience won’t really know the difference. I don’t find memorizing what you want to say to be particularly effective, because then you risk being nervous and robotic. But use a few note cards or something on your phone (or speaker’s notes on a presentation) if you are worried about blanking. 

Just don’t forget to make eye contact... which leads me to the second topic.

Reading social cues

I have worked, and honestly continue to work with, some developers who have trouble reading or interpreting social cues. A designer will make a pitch and then assume everyone agrees with him because he failed to notice the number of people in the room with crossed arms, askew glances, pouting, or any of a number of other non-verbal expressions that they are trying to use to say “I don’t really agree with you, but I don’t want to be rude (or I’m shy).” 

My advice here is to stop and look around. Try and understand if they are nodding because they feel awkward or if they are really agreeing with you. If you aren’t certain, ask them (now or later). It can help to have an ally in the room who is good at reading people, and you can ask him or her later “Did that go okay? Nobody said anything. Were they really on board?” Try to look people in the eyes, at least every now and then. It can feel really awkward, but it’s often the most telling way to gather if they are really with you or not. A lot of these cues are subtle - their mouth is smiling, but their eyes are not - and take some practice to read. You also might try following up in email (or a similar digital medium) later, because knowing that there are no cues to rely on, they will have to be more explicit about their concerns if they want you to get them (and again, going back to the first point, they may be introverted and/or shy). I have friends where it can totally seem like they are stopping to access the sub-routine in their brain (pause for 5 seconds, look around room, continue) but that’s the trick they learned to make sure they are receiving the communication.

I’m a really sarcastic person, and that can sometimes be tricky to read (especially for folks for whom English is their second language). Likewise, Earthlings have annoying habits like saying “Yeah, sure,” when what we really mean is “That sucks and I am disengaged.” When someone responds to you and you aren’t sure if what they said was what they meant, it may again help to ask a friend, or just follow up. “I know you said you were okay, but I’m not sure I believe you.” Just don’t harangue them until they agree.

You can get better at stuff like this, especially the social anxiety part. It’s harder to get better at non-verbal or reading-through-the-line communication, so in those cases, you may have to develop a tool box to compensate for it. Think of it like needing to wear glasses to correct your vision. We generally don’t judge people who have poor vision like it’s some kind of personal failing. The same can be true of someone who struggles to communicate.

Sorry, that was kind of long. My struggles to communicate can take on a different form. :)

11/6/2017

[mostaforyou1]

15 Savvy Ways to show Bad Business Ideas Into Good Ideas

1   Use Consensus to Correct Course

Instead of shutting down a nasty idea sort of a dictator, using the much more powerful method of consensus leadership to assist create a more collaborative decision on the thought. instead of giving the thought an up or down vote, help your team seek a group of solutions that everyone (or almost everybody) can drag.

"The group setting also takes the sting out of shooting down their idea, and communicates to them that it's not the well-liked strategy during a diplomatic manner," says Bobbi Rebell, author of the way to Be a Financial Grownup: Proven Advice from High Achievers on the way to Live Your Dreams and Have Financial Freedom. "Very often when the bulk of the group is occupation one direction on a project, the outlier will fall in line- albeit they perceive their idea as better."

This is neither trade-off nor unanimity, rather it's arising with an honest strategy by weaving together the entire group's key concerns and best opinions. meaning a bad idea will likely drop off, but may additionally be adapted into a bigger solution that benefits everyone.

2  Get Additional Opinions

On an identical note, it isn't impossible that what you deem a nasty idea could be a workable idea from someone else's perspective.

"Get second, third, and fourth opinions," suggests Ajay Prasad, founder, and president of digital marketing agency GMR Web Team. "Asking for feedback and advice of trusted colleagues or employees will provide you with different perspectives that you simply can take into consideration and make the simplest decision. It never hurts to succeed in out for help, especially once you are really unsure of what to try to to ."

Similar to consensus-building, this may help your workers move toward a far better solution as a team. And here's what America's fittest CEO has got to say about creating a healthy work environment.

3  Assign a Mentor

If a team member can't seem to understand what it's the group, or the organization as an entire is trying to accomplish, assigning a mentor could be the move.

"If it's not appropriate to form the project a team effort, assigning a mentor who can tactfully guide them is often helpful," says Rebell. "It's also an honest idea to need periodic check-ins to permit for course corrections before a project is complete."

The mentor ensures the guy arising with bad ideas understands the corporate culture and may offer advice and guidance to assist his protégé to rise up to hurry. Whether this is a short-term solution or a permanent program, it is a good way to urge those that are lagging to catch up. And here are some more great leadership strategies you ought to know.

4     Clarify the corporate Vision

Often a nasty idea is rooted during a basic misunderstanding of the company's or department's overall vision. This could be a failure on the employee's part, but it's going to even be thanks to company leadership failing to obviously outline that vision.

"Having a clear-cut vision and mission for the corporation will provide a framework upon which to check ideas out for effectiveness or ineffectiveness," says Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, owner of career consultancy CareerTrend. "If the thought doesn't strongly support the vision and mission, then it should be nixed." Now, if running a corporation possesses you stressed, here's the way to affect that at work.

5     Answer Their Questions

A bad idea can also be rooted during a lack of data on the part of the worker. If a member of your team suggests a stinker of a thought, it's going to work best to open up the ground to questions, and provides him the chance to ask more about what precisely the goals or details are for a specific project.

"Before sending them into retool mode, make certain to answer any questions the worker may have on why their idea wasn't a fit with the company's vision/mission and if needed, provide them with a transparent mission and vision in writing, from which to aim their idea," says Barrett-Poindexter. "Follow this with a goal time-frame to submit a refreshed idea with a strategic plan and outcome that's clearly focused on the mission, vision and resources budget." For more ways to run the simplest business possible, here's the way to find the right candidate for your next job opening.

6    Figure Out the Motive Behind the thought

On the opposite hand, it helps you because the boss asks questions and delves into where the bad idea is coming from. it's going to be a misunderstanding or it's going to be coming from an area of creative problem solving that you simply just had not been considering.

"Using a training approach together with your employees, colleagues or maybe your leader may be a good way to actually help people to think through their ideas and are available up with the simplest possible solution for the organization and its customers," says Carey-Ann Oestreicher, chief engagement officer for Potential Unlimited.

To understand the motive behind the thought, she suggests asking the worker the subsequent questions: "What is that the opportunity you've got identified within the idea?" "What are the pitfalls?" "What makes the danger well worth the reward?" "What other potential countermeasures did you think about if this concept fails?" "Why does one think this is often the proper idea to try?"

7     Come At It From a special Angle

"The best thanks to both determine the viability of thought and to correct course if it's a nasty idea is through questions," adds Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of Nail The Interview, Land the work. "Oftentimes once we tell someone why the thought is bad, they get discouraged and provide up. Instead, ask them how they might handle this aspect or issue that you simply realize may be a problem for his or her idea."

Instead, it'd be worthwhile to seek out how to return at the thought from a special direction. Maybe a suggestion doesn't work as a customer service strategy but might be effective as an indoor program. Or a thought that might likely fail as a long-term branding campaign, might actually work for a more short-term program. See if there's how to rethink a bad idea by coming at it from a special direction. And for more great leadership insights, here's some wisdom from some successful startup founders.

8      Simplify the answer

Sometimes, changing the thought isn't as important as changing its context. there's an honest chance that an employee suggesting a rotten idea is lost within the trees and can't see the forest. Reframe the matter you're trying to unravel and make it as simple as possible and that they should hopefully correct course within the process.

"Is the plan overly complicated? If so, it's probably a nasty plan," says Biren Bandara, CEO/founder of Leader School. "Overcomplicated plans with many moving parts have a better risk of failure, especially if the mechanic of the plan isn't clear."

9         Get Them to require the primary Few Steps Themselves

Often the simplest thanks to getting an individual to ascertain the error of his ways aren't to inform him it is a bad idea, but let him see it himself.

"Ask them to draft up plans, and enter deep detail of how the execution of their idea would work," says Valerie Streif, a senior advisor with career organization Mentat. "This allows them to understand on their own that it wasn't an honest idea without you wanting to be the person and shoot them down."

Ideally, they're going to see where they've made a logical mistake and readjust their thinking quickly. If not, Streif suggests: "Be upfront and honest about why it isn't an honest idea and explain your reasoning. this is often some time to teach!"

10  Turn it into a Teachable Moment

Speaking of teaching, a nasty idea is often a hugely valuable learning opportunity.

"Most people don't want to fail, and once they are putting forth a thought it's with the intention of being a productive a part of the team," says Irene Becker, founder, and chief success officer of Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge, who runs the 3Q Leadership Blog. "Fear shuts down cognitive ability, creates disengagement and a myriad of problems which will ultimately undermine results."

Instead of being annoyed at a bad idea, find how to embrace it as a flash to review the company's or projet's big-picture goals.

11    Find a Kernel of Goodness In It

We've already agreed that the phrase "there are not any bad ideas" is nonsense. But what's closer to the reality is that there are not any completely bad ideas. there is a good chance that even the dumbest-seeming idea has some merit if you probe it a touch.

"I recommend they assert, 'I'm unsure about the thought as an entire but there's an honest piece in there— I prefer X element of your suggestion. Let's work to expand thereon,'" says Frances Cole Jones, author of the way to Wow: Proven Strategies for Selling Your (Brilliant) Self in any Situation and president at Cole Media Management. "Or, 'I can't support your idea as an entire but you are doing have a legitimate criticism. does one have the other ideas regarding a possible solution?'"

12    Build On What Works

Once you've pulled out what actually works in a thought, find how to create thereon or take it in a completely different direction. That kernel of quality might help pave the thanks to something far more valuable for the organization.

"Unworkable and ineffective ideas might not add and of themselves, but, repeatedly are the precursor to making new and better ideas when brainstormed during a way that honors each and each person," says Jeannette Seibly, PXT Select Authorized, Partner with Wiley, Profiles International. "Always repose on ideas presented otherwise you will lose people and their 'good' ideas."

13      Make Dialog a part of the method

The strongest organizations are people who have incorporated a variety of ideas and where decisions are delayed for discussion and scrutiny.

"The best tactic to encourage staff to develop strong ideas is to form constructive dialogue and idea revision a building block of your organizational culture," says Rita Santelli, president of Savvy Inc., who also teaches Innovation Leadership at Georgetown University's School of continuous Studies. "Diversity of thought will help the team identify potential pitfalls and generate the needed fixes before the thought is implemented." Support and encourage your team to conceptualize together, and embrace a variety of various points of view.

14      Battle the "Idea Bubble"

Along an equivalent line, Santelli adds that "it can actually be very difficult to spot a nasty idea internally. once you are surrounded by your products, services, and coworkers all day, every day, you'll end up during a 'bubble of thought' where one perspective dominates. the simplest thanks to combating the "bubble" is to usher in the maximum amount diversity of thought as possible."

The bad idea may have grown out of 1 of those "idea bubbles."

15      Get More People Involved

On her blog, product discovery coach Teresa Torres offers her own suggestion for turning a nasty idea into an honest one: "The more you engage people within the idea generation and evaluation process, the more involved they're getting to be within the outcomes. They now have skin within the game. If you think that you've got a tough time wrangling feedback and requests now, this process will only increase that volume. Remember, it's worthwhile. More ideas, cause better ideas."

[maritzaerwin]

Sleep, Eat, Work, Repeat – How to Break This Vicious Cycle

Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby – all of these characters have one thing in common: ambition as their tragic flaw. Time and again, culture has given us examples of men and women whose blind quests for more have brought on a tragedy. Yet, even today, we seem not to have learned a thing.

In the 21st century, ambition, or more precisely, hustle culture, is still being glorified as the single solution to all of life’s problems. We measure ourselves against entrepreneurs whose daily routines really do seem to be sleep, eat, work, repeat. We feel incompetent and undeserving unless we’re capable of sleeping ten hours a week, running a half marathon every day, and making millions of dollars per second.

But the thing is, in our quest for riches and glory, we often fail to stop and think whether we really need all this. What do we gain from neglecting our health, personal lives, and emotional wellbeing? Yes, money and social approval are both great motivators. But at the end of the road, do they truly matter?

If you, like so many others, are finding yourself stuck in the vicious cycle of all work and no play, know that there are ways to break free. Yes, they’ll require some changes in routine and approach. But in the end, a balanced relationship between work and life doesn’t have to mean less success. On the contrary, it might just be the thing that gives you that push, all the while ensuring you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What Exactly Are the Consequences of a Poor Work-Life Balance?

While we may have the impression that hustling is glamorous, in truth, it’s anything but. Yes, in theory, getting up at 5 am, going for a run, grabbing breakfast on the go, then spending anywhere between 12 to 16 hours being productive at work does seem like a recipe for success. However, the results of such a routine might just be the opposite of what we were hoping for.

Research has shown time and again that without giving proper attention to rest and recovery, we’re actually doing more damage than good. And not just to our bodies. When skipping breaks, we’re wreaking havoc on our minds, social connections, and, ultimately, the quality of our work as well.

1. Workaholism and Stress

When describing the ideal employee, most leaders will use descriptors such as highly-engaged, dedicated, and ready to go the extra mile. And these are, in fact, attributes that do contribute to the overall progress within an organization. Workaholism, however, doesn’t equate to these employee characteristics.

A person who is addicted to work will be motivated by internal pressures, emotional, and behavioral characteristics. They’ll experience negative feelings when unable to work, and will tend to put in more effort than can be reasonably expected of them. This leads us to the conclusion that their need to work is not the reflection of engagement. On the contrary, it’s the result of their inability to disengage from their job. Additionally, the pressure they feel to perform doesn’t lead to eustress (meaning “pleasant stress”), but rather to a bigger chance of experiencing burnout.

The always-on mode experienced by so many ambitious people thus comes with one serious consequence: chronic exposure to internal pressure and stress. Long-term health risks of chronically high cortisol levels include poor cardiovascular health, diabetes, inflammation, insomnia, and autoimmune disease. As all of these have a significant impact on life expectancy, it becomes clear that stress management should be the go-to form of self-care for most ambitious professionals.

Fortunately, research has shown that yoga, meditation, physical exercise, nutrition, as well as having a hobby all contribute to the lowering of cortisol levels. These practices allow for the body and mind to unwind, making time and space for overall recovery.

2. Skipping Sleep to Get More Done

A common problem for those working their way up the corporate ladder is the fact that the day does not have enough hours to get everything done. Excelling at work, as well as taking care of at-home tasks, often requires sacrifices, the most common of which seems to be sleep. A recent survey by Zoma has shown that as many as 51% of respondents sacrificed sleeping hours to complete their daily chores.

But while doing more work and getting less sleep sounds like a winning combination, is it really an effective way to boost productivity and work performance? It turns out it’s not quite so.

One of the most important things that happen during sleep is that memories made during the day are consolidated. They’re moved from short-term to long-term storage, unnecessary information is cleared out, and the flow of cerebral fluid increases, flushing out toxins. Thus, sleep restores energy, facilitates muscle repair, and slows cognitive decline.

So how does this relate to work? Well, it turns out that running on autopilot, that is, with insufficient sleep, isn’t always a problem. Rule-based decision-making and planning, for example, usually remain unaffected. Nevertheless, what does decline is the person’s creativity and ability to come up with innovative solutions. Furthermore, higher-level cognitive capacities are degraded with lack of sleep, as is alertness.

This clearly indicates that sacrificing rest for the sake of getting more work done isn’t just exhausting. Even more, it’s a practice that’s counterproductive, affecting all areas of life, including mood and appetite.

3. Mental Health Risks of Too Much Work

In addition to a host of physical and cognitive consequences, a poor work-life balance also reflects on mental health. And, it seems that these consequences are quite similar whether they’re brought on by external or internal pressure to overperform.

The most common symptom of pushing oneself too hard appears to be anxiety, followed closely by substance abuse, irritability, and depression. Left untreated, these can influence both personal and professional endeavors. 

Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for overachievers to sacrifice relationships, including those with romantic partners, family, and friends. What this results in is the lack of effective coping mechanisms that would undo the psychological harm caused by adverse experiences in the workplace. Research suggests that meaningful interpersonal relationships don’t just contribute to optimal wellbeing. Social support could also be a key element in coping with the pressures of work, as well as the prerequisite to personal development.

With this in mind, it becomes apparent that overall wellbeing requires a fully balanced relationship between one’s professional and personal lives. In short, it requires plenty of time for rest, meaningful interactions, and health-promoting activities.

How to Stop Sacrificing Wellbeing for the Sake of Work?

On the one hand, your pressure to stand out at work might be internal. On the other, you may be experiencing unreasonable expectations from your superiors. Whichever of these two situations you find yourself in, rest assured that there are solutions to leading a more balanced life.

1. Question your Priorities

While our careers make up a large part of our identities, they’re definitely not the only thing about us that matters. And sometimes, it’s good to be reminded of this.

This means that, when seeking to lead a more fulfilled life, we should give ourselves some time for self-reflection. For some people, the answers will be straightforward. They’ll have their goals, and they’ll know what they need to do to achieve them. But for others, these questions won’t be so simple.

An excellent technique for questioning priorities and determining short-term and long-term plans of action is to follow the technique developed by Ryder Carroll, author of The Bullet Journal Method. He suggests breaking up our day-to-day activities into three categories:

Working on.

Should be working on.

Want to be working on.

Any of the entries that don’t bring meaning or aren’t essential to your existence are, ultimately, just distractions. Carroll’s solution? Eliminating them from your to-do list.

2. Plan for Rest

The one thing that most productivity methods have in common is that they suggest a balance between periods of work and periods of rest. And if the secret to doing work more efficiently is to take time off, then it is definitely an idea that can be translated into every aspect of our lives.

First of all, start by adopting healthy work habits. Following the Pomodoro method, determining a hard-stop time for the workday, and scheduling tasks to limit distractions are all excellent starts. But even more importantly, remember the importance of taking time for yourself.

Try to limit the amount of work you do outside of the office, block out at least one day a week to have off, and try to take a short vacation every two to three months to recharge your batteries. It doesn’t have to be exotic nor expensive. The idea is just to change environments, leave your work at home, and spend some quality time unwinding, whether with a book, on a beach, or on a long hike.

3. Keep Track of Your Behavior

Making lifestyle changes, such as shifting focus from your professional to your personal life, comes with plenty of soul-searching. And it’s not a bad idea to consider the behaviors that led to a disbalance in the first place.

Some people, for example, have a tendency to say yes to every opportunity, without questioning its value beforehand. Others might have developed habits and routines that are interfering with their efficiency. Some will even strive for perfection without realizing that it’s a form of procrastination.

But no matter which of these behaviors you’re “guilty of,” remember that it’s always possible to make a change for the better. Even if it means altering your habits.

Try to be more mindful of the ways you’re self-sabotaging your wellbeing. Not to berate yourself, but to identify the areas of life in which you could improve. Perhaps all it takes for you to regain control is to say “NO” to the projects that don’t spark joy. Or, you might find that avoiding to check your email before bed allows you to relax and get a better night’s sleep.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Remember that even small positive changes can have a beneficial impact on how you feel about your career. Acknowledge your emotions, identify the actions that could help your overall mood improve, and adjust as you go along.

4. Ask for Help

Finally, it’s perfectly all right to feel overwhelmed by work. If you find yourself in this situation and can’t see a way out, know that pushing yourself towards an imminent burnout isn’t doing anyone any good – neither you nor your company. So don’t be afraid to reach out.

Talk to your superiors and let them know that you’re struggling with your tasks. Yes, the prospect of having such a conversation might seem intimidating. But it also could be the solution to all your problems. After all, people who are in leadership positions should have the experience to point you in the right direction, as well as the means to provide you with the help, or tools you need.

Furthermore, know that there’s such a thing as career coaching. The process is an excellent opportunity to identify the pain points of your current career path, as well as to come up with actionable solutions. For many professionals, it can be a way of figuring out their priorities, values, and things to look for in the workplace. It’s also a process that encourages personal growth and empowers people to make changes for the better.

Know Your Worth

When all is said and done, it’s not a bad idea to consider why we’re doing what we’re doing. Getting to the top means absolutely nothing if we don’t enjoy the journey – or even worse, if we wear ourselves out to the point that we’ve ruined our health.

So remember: your ambitions serve only you. There’s not one single definition of success, nor one single way to achieve it. If you feel like you’re being spread too thin, step back and listen to your mind and body. You’ll know what you need to do. And you’ll find that once you’ve taken a moment to nurture your own wellbeing, you’ll have the strength and motivation to achieve even more.

The post Sleep, Eat, Work, Repeat – How to Break This Vicious Cycle appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

Sleep, Eat, Work, Repeat – How to Break This Vicious Cycle published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

[personalcoachingcenter]

Research Paper: The Impact of Coaching on Employee Retention

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/research-paper-the-impact-of-coaching-on-employee-retention/

Research Paper: The Impact of Coaching on Employee Retention

Research Paper By Michelle Cunningham (Career & Leadership Coach, UNITED STATES)

Introduction

In today’s economy, cost-cutting strategies are on everyone’s mind.  For companies both large and small, finding a way to control costs is a key to becoming and remaining successful.  One cost that may easily get overlooked is the cost of recruiting new employees.

By some estimates, it can cost an employer double an employee’s salary to replace them when they quit. That cost varies across different industries, but for some employers, it can be even higher.[i]

One clear way to reduce the cost of recruitment is to focus on employee retention.

As an internal coach for my company, one of the things I must consistently consider is the impact that coaching has on my company.  To show a return on the investment that my company provides in supporting my coach education and certification, I must be able to articulate the value that coaching brings.  I believe that one-way coaching can have an impact on a company’s bottom line is by increasing the retention of its employees.

As I coach, I help to support my company’s employee retention efforts by supporting several strategies that can boost employee retention.  These strategies include:

Cultivating leadership

Promoting engagement

Supporting development

In this research paper, I will explore each of these three strategies, and how establishing a successful coaching program for employees can have a positive impact in these areas.

Cultivating Leadership

To cultivate leadership within a company, let’s first explore the characteristics of effective leaders.  This list of effective leadership characteristics provided by Chris Halvorson in his article “7 Great Employee Retention Strategies” sets the groundwork for understanding key leadership behaviors.

The clear direction towards the future. Good leaders let employees know where the company is headed. Bosses don’t share information and leave employees wondering if there’s good or bad coming down the pipe and if they should be concerned.

Able to handle challenges. Leaders handle the many challenges that come their way instead of intentionally or unintentionally offloading the stress onto the employees.

Genuine desire to offer high quality. For both customers and employees, good leaders offer the best products, services, and experience possible. Bosses are almost behind the curve, scrambling to meet the minimums.

A belief in the importance of people. Good leaders consider employees their most important asset. Bosses are focused on numbers.

Inspires confidence. Good leaders make employees feel confident about their ability to lead them to a good place. Bosses tend to inspire passive-aggressive frustration as employees question the decisions that have been made that have affected them negatively.[ii]

Identifying which of these key leadership characteristics are strengths, and which are opportunities, for the leader in the first step.  By establishing a coaching relationship, current and future leaders can take the time to focus on themselves and the key leadership attributes such as those identified in Halvorson’s article, they need to be successful as a leader.

For example, if an aspiring leader has difficulty when faced with challenging situations, a coach may invite him/her to explore the various perspectives of a difficult situation.  Leveraging the framework of Emotional Intelligence, the coach can support the aspiring leader in developing an action plan to be able to more effectively manage the difficult situation.

While the benefits of establishing a coaching relationship are numerous, an article on insala.com titled “Why is a leadership coaching important?  Th 5 key benefits” from February 15, 2019, offers up the following:

1. Empowerment

Coaching empowers leaders to do exceptional work. Coaches establish an advantageous relationship that uncovers hidden strengths and weaknesses within the leader. Goals will be created to enable leaders to pinpoint their weaknesses and track their progress. Reflective sessions with a coach empower a leader to fully recognize their improvements and appreciate the work they have done to meet those goals.

2. New Insight

Leaders gain a new perspective on everyday responsibilities from their coach. The coach pushes them to step back and reflect when a leader is having a bad day or week, often uncovering a deeper problem. Together, they discover new insights into the leader’s reaction by analyzing the problem and creating a plan for similar situations in the future.

3. Free Thinking

Coaching reduces narrow-minded thinking in leaders. Coaches encourage the leader to open their thought patterns and consider other points of view by asking questions. This benefits the leader by provoking free thoughts and encouraging flexible leadership. The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness calls flexible leadership a “business necessity” as it allows for quick, creative, and precise decision making under pressure.

4. Enhanced Performance

Targeting coaching to a leader’s problem area makes a huge difference in attitude and abilities. Coaching allows the leader to learn and implement new leadership techniques tailored to the leader’s weaknesses. Techniques include the leader avoiding the terms “but,” “no,” or “however” as they accidentally discourage ideas or answering questions with questions as they tend to supply all the ideas for their team. Individuals that were difficult to reach before will respond better to their leader’s new approaches.

5. Improved Communication

Coaching enables leaders to realize that their communication isn’t always as clear as they think. Coaches will highlight areas of communication that need improvement and practice those areas with the leader.

Coaches can also teach leaders how to communicate with individuals of different personality types, cultures, or ages using their past experiences as examples. Good communication skills allow people to connect. A coach who can guide an individual to communicate effectively will improve their credibility and overall leadership abilities.[iii]

While the benefits are numerous, by supporting the cultivation of leaders and leadership skills through coaching, companies can not only help their leaders to be successful in their roles but also make positive strides toward increasing employee retention.

Promoting Engagement

The second strategy for increasing employee retention that I will explore is promoting employee engagement within a company.  A Gallup study shows that disengaged employees are more likely to leave their company.  This article “Are Your Star Employees Slipping Away” by Jim Harter and Amy Atkins, both from Gallup, reiterates this finding.

The more disconnected employees feel, the greater their readiness to job hop becomes. While 37% of engaged employees are looking for jobs or watching for opportunities, higher numbers of employees who are not engaged or actively disengaged are doing the same (56% and 73%, respectively).

Workers want to feel connected to their jobs, managers, and companies. If those ties are not there, they have more incentive to quit, leaving their organizations to start the costly recruitment, hiring, and onboarding dance all over again. This could also cost companies some of their best people.

Improving engagement has to start with organizations closely examining how they attract, retain, and engage employees. They must give employees a reason to choose them, stay with them, and perform at their best.[iv]

By offering coaching opportunities to their employees, companies can improve employee engagement in many ways.  Employees who feel connected to their work are more engaged in hat work.  One way to help employees feel connected to their work is through goal setting.  As suggested in this article by insala.com from August 28, 2019, coaching can play a role in increasing employee engagement through goal setting:

Goals are not limited to the overall organization, though. Individuals are also highly goal-motivated. Coaching is a great way to empower your employees to set great goals and actually achieve them. This increases employee engagement because employees feel involved.[v]

A second factor that promotes employee engagement is a sense of trust and accountability.  The above-mentioned article from insala.com also suggests that coaching can support employees to feel empowered and to take responsibility, both of which boost engagement:

Through coaching, an organization can improve employee engagement by preventing accountability obstacles such as “learned helplessness”. Coaching employees empowers them to take responsibility for their learning and development.[vi]

By promoting engagement through coaching employees on the aspects of goal setting, building accountability and trust, and any other engagement factors, they will experience the many benefits of an engaged workforce.  As Gallup’s research suggests, engaged employees are more likely to stick around, thus increasing employee retention.

Supporting Development

Finally, the third retention strategy that I will explore is for companies to support the development efforts of their employees.  According to a blog post on Culture titled “Focusing on learning and development to increase retention” by Amp by Alexis Croswell, Senior Content Marketing Manager, retention is one of the advantages to companies who support employee development.

People want to be employed by organizations that will increase their job prospects down the line. It’s easy to see why: individuals whose value in the workforce is bolstered by their organization can also expect greater personal chances for growth and financial success.

For these reasons, organizations that proudly tout their ability to boost people’s future employability reap recruitment benefits. But there’s more to it: Culture Amp data shows that 54% of immediate retention is associated with the employee’s belief that their company contributes to their development.[vii]

Having a coach and participating in a long-term coaching relationship is one significant way to support an employee’s personal and professional development.  As employee development goals are sometimes personalized and unique, a more personalized solution is often more fitting for development efforts.  As suggested in the “Benefits of Coaching” by the Institute of Coaching, coaching can be a viable solution:

Coaching provides an invaluable space for personal development. For example, managers are frequently presented with employees struggling with low confidence. The traditional approach would be to send them to an assertiveness course and hope this addresses the issue. In the short-term, the employee learns new strategies for communicating which may improve confidence. Unfortunately, in isolation, these courses rarely produce a sustained increase in confidence. Although external behavior may change; it needs to be supported by changes in their internal thought processes. This is often where coaching is most effective.

Additionally, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)reinforces the individualized nature of coaching in this definition provided in an article titled “Coaching in a Business Environment”:

The hallmarks of coaching are that it is personalized and customized and that it is usually done one-on-one and over a period of time, and with a specific business objective in mind. Coaching is similar to, but distinct from, mentoring. The latter is a career development method whereby less experienced employees are matched with more experienced colleagues for guidance either through formal or informal programs. Coaching is frequently used to assist individuals as they prepare for or move into new assignments, improve work habits, adapt to a changing environment, or overcome specific obstacles.[viii]

By supporting development through coaching programs, companies show employees that they are investing in their future and providing them with growth opportunities.  This investment into the personal and professional development of employees will result in increased employee retention.

Conclusion

As this research shows, there are many elements to a successful retention strategy that companies may employ.  Throughout this research paper, I explored three such strategies – Cultivating Leadership, Promoting Engagement, and Supporting Development – and have come to this conclusion:

Leadership + Engagement + Development = Retention

The secret ingredient in this recipe is Coaching.

Whether a company chooses to employ internal coaches, leverage the services offered by external coaching vendors, or invest in developing their managers and leaders into exceptional coaches; the investment into coaching their employees will boost multiple aspects of their retention strategy.  If done right, companies will reap the return on this investment through cost savings in their recruiting, hiring, and onboarding efforts. The benefits of supporting a coaching culture don’t stop there.  However, that is a discussion for another research paper!

References:

[i]Halvorson, C – 7 Great Employee Retention Strategies

[ii]Halvorson, C – 7 Great Employee Retention Strategies

[iii]Insala.com – Why is Leadership Coaching Important?

[iv] Harter, J, and Adkins, A – Are Your Star Employees Slipping Away

[v]Insala.com – Increasing Employee Engagement Through Coaching

[vi]Insala.com – Increasing Employee Engagement Through Coaching

[vii]Croswell, A – Focus on learning and development to increase retention

[viii] SHRM – Coaching in a Business Environment

Original source:

[asfeedin]

How I Create My Own Seat at the Table

Feminism is a touchy subject.

Having voiced my opinions about women in the SEO industry a few times, I had seen opposition and support of the idea that this is a topic worth bringing the forefront.

Many have said that it’s a non-issue, but the posts I’ve seen in women-run SEO groups would beg to differ.

In actuality, many women in SEO are still undervalued, misrepresented, and often unacknowledged compared to their male SEO counterparts.

For example, when Serpstat published their roundup of the “Best Women in SEO”, the responses were less than stellar:

This flies in the face of countless other posts that cover the “best SEOs” where the list is 80%+ men, despite there being many women worth highlighting in our industry.

This is not to say that women haven’t made giant leaps ahead in our industry.

We have female CEOs (like Sarah Bird from Moz) and technical SEO pros (like Kristina Azarenko) that are doing great work, sharing their expertise, and gaining notoriety.

But there’s still this question of women and men in SEO are really on equal footing.

While I could go into the gender pay gap, glass ceiling, sexism in employment, etc., that’s not what this post is about.

My purpose here is to tell my story as well as share some tips for how other women in SEO can create their own seat at the table.

My Experience as a Woman in SEO

My experience as a woman in SEO has been, overall, a positive one.

When I came on the scene, it wasn’t like people were sliding into my DMs threatening, “You don’t belong here, wench!”

But my experience hasn’t been completely devoid of sexism either.

At my first SEO gig (in-house SEO manager), I was routinely the only woman to be present at meetings and I was very often talked over, disregarded, or otherwise told that my ideas “just won’t work”.

I remember one time talking about the value of growing our clients’ email lists and crafting email marketing campaigns.

I was told that this was something “mommy bloggers do”, but the same idea (when presented by my male coworkers) was heralded as a good idea.

These microaggressions add up over time and make it difficult to get recognized for our good ideas, be considered for promotions, or invited to career-changing networking opportunities.

Little by little, these things can certainly limit our career potential.

I believe I have things easy as a woman in the SEO content space because writing has, more or less, been a “female” domain.

But I have heard from my female cohort that being a female technical SEO specialist can be much more difficult, as people constantly question your expertise.

The solution, it seems, is to be louder, unapologetic, and have a thick skin – as the risk of being called “bossy” or worse.

And while many women can adopt this “Don’t mess with me” attitude, many others would prefer to stay in the background.

Very early, I decided to try and strike a balance – where I could stay true to myself (caring, feminine, creative) while also standing up to the bullies.

I decided I needed to create my own seat at the table.

Find Your ‘People’

Where would I be without my sisters in SEO who are always there when I need to vent, want to talk strategy, swap skill sets, and more?

I love that I have “my people” to go to who support me with no questions asked.

Many male-dominated spaces can be aggressive, particularly if you even bring up the topic of women in SEO.

You’ll hear statements like:

“Why does this matter?”

“Women are already equal!”

“It’s about experience, not gender.”

All of these statements ignore the very real disparities that women experience.

But if you seek out people who support you – whether that be other women in SEO or men who can lend a listening ear – you’ll be better prepared to weather the bullies.

Network Your @ss Off

As with most industries, SEO has an “It’s not what you know but who you know culture.”

To get featured in major publications, get considered for roundup posts, form business partnerships, and get invited to speaking events, you need to network with the right people.

Unfortunately, very rarely will people hand you these opportunities on a silver platter.

Instead, you should constantly be looking for ways to connect with people in SEO, grow authentic relationships, and earn a name for yourself.

You could be the best technical SEO pro ever, regardless of gender, but if no one knows you exist, you’re unlikely to get the recognition you deserve.

Connect with people on LinkedIn, submit guest posts, and attend networking events to put yourself out there.

Know When (& When Not) to Ruffle Feathers

I am a strong advocate for equal rights, but not at the expense of my own health and well-being.

You need to know when to speak up and stick your neck out, as well as when to disengage and give yourself a break.

Again, this is why I like having a community that has my back because they can always come to my defense if I am being dragged across the coals.

Further, they offer me practical advice when it comes to dealing with sexist clients, charging what I’m worth, and landing new opportunities.

You don’t have to fight every battle on your own and some days are harder than others.

Ultimately, what matters is that you reach your version of success.

Do Your Best Work

Sometimes you just gotta let your work speak for itself.

While it is true that it’s often difficult fighting to get noticed as a woman in SEO, you certainly won’t stand out if you stay on the sidelines.

Focus on providing the best value you can to your clients. Get them awesome results. Publish those case studies. Rake in those testimonials.

Inevitably, word will spread that you know what you’re doing – either from existing clients to prospective clients or from one SEO pro to the next.

We can all hope that the playing field will become more equal over time and you want to be one of the ones saying, “Look – I put in the work!”

If anything, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re a total boss.

Charge What You’re Worth

One of the most common struggles I see women in SEO experiencing is not charging/getting paid what they are worth.

Sometimes this means not knowing how to negotiate their salary in fear of being considered “too demanding”, or it might mean setting their agency rates too low / not knowing how to attract high-paying clients.

As Beyonce once said, “Your best revenge is your paper” – and getting paid what you’re worth gives you more freedom to do what you love and have influence in the world.

I highly recommend working with a financial advisor or mentor that can help you navigate these often difficult money-related conversations, set competitive prices, and learn how to communicate your value to potential clients.

Confidence plays a major role in you asking for what you’re worth and getting paid what you deserve.

Know Your Talking Points

It never hurts to have some talking points in your arsenal for when misogyny rears its head.

If you’re used to encountering leads that say “I won’t work with a woman” (this has happened to me) or “This is kind of a boy’s club” (that too), then it might be helpful to know what to say next time these phrases come around.

You’ll feel more confident being able to school people on why feminism in SEO matters, why your work is just as good (if not better) than your male counterparts’, how you can help clients achieve X results, etc.

Know what to say so you don’t get bulldozed over by the haters.

For me, this sometimes means name dropping some of the amazing clients I have worked with in the past and the sweet results I have generated through my content.

So, when one prospect scoffed at my prices saying “You’re not even a household name”, I could shrug it off knowing that my real clients know the value in working with me.

Use Your Voice

If you’re bold enough to make yourself heard and talk about your experience as a woman in SEO, know that there are countless ways to do so.

Guest posting (like this), sharing your story on YouTube, posting inspiring social media posts, and speaking at events are all great ways to get your voice heard.

On a smaller level, share your expertise in Facebook groups, talk strategy, attend virtual summits, and network with other SEO pros to get noticed.

Work on sticking up for yourself and being confident in what you bring to the table.

Not every person is outspoken or has the desire to stand up on a soapbox, but for those of us that feel empowered to share our stories, doing so can make a world of difference.

Resources for Women in SEO:

Image Credits

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita All screenshots taken by author, April 2020

if( !ss_u ){

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1321385257908563');

fbq('track', 'PageView');

fbq('trackSingle', '1321385257908563', 'ViewContent', { content_name: 'woman-in-seo', content_category: 'friday-focus ' });

}// end of scroll user Source link

Tags: create, seat, Table

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Y3WVop via IFTTT

[findnewjob]

Effective Employee Onboarding (The Complete Guide)

The expectations of jobs have shifted towards a more personal approach. In the past, high pay and health benefits were the motivating factors for workers –as long as they were paid well, it didn’t matter what kind of job they were doing. However, the needs of employees have changed, and workers are now looking at engagement and fulfillment as significant factors when considering job opportunities.

So, what is engagement? Simply put, engagement in the workplace comes from having the right conditions that allow employees to maximize their potential.

The difference between an engaged employee and an unengaged one is quite visible. An unengaged employee is not invested in the company; they do the bare minimum and work just enough to get paid. However, an engaged employee goes above and beyond for the company because they are invested. They see potential in their work and the impact it can have on the company. In other words, an engaged employee sees value in the company and is willing to invest their effort and time beyond what is expected of them.

Having engaged employees could mean the difference between being an average company and an exceptional company. According to Forbes, companies with high engagement outperform those without by 202%. Knowing this, it’s no wonder why employers have suddenly started paying attention to employee engagement.

Like diversity, engagement can be challenging to include in the workplace, despite the consensus agreeing on its benefits. For those looking to increase engagement in the workplace, consider these 10 ideas:

1. Set Expectations and Provide Orientation for New Hires

A study done by Jobvite stated that 33 percent of new employees quit in the first 90 days of working. Of those employees, 43 percent left because the role wasn’t what they expected or led to believe. Having an engaged workforce requires actual workers; and if your new hires keep leaving, you won’t have a workforce.

Here is how Alden Tseng from Wayfindr, a software company focused on streamlining the job application process, describes this issue in his latest article on how to remedy it:

“Sometimes, job descriptions fail to convey key information or are unable to describe the full scope of certain job openings. Before posting a job listing, make sure you are describing the position in detail. Include essential information like what an average day looks like, key skills that are required, and what you expect your employees to learn while on the job. Offer a new hire orientation that enables individuals to acclimate to the company culture and their peers.”

It is vital to ensure that an employee’s first impression of the company is favorable. A study done by the Wynhurst Group reported that employees were 58 percent more likely to be with an organization after three years if there were on-boarding (orientation) programs.

2. Constantly Communicate with Employees

Feedback is crucial in encouraging worker engagement. Employees want their opinions to be heard, especially when it is directly impacting how they work. Opening channels for employees to provide feedback creates chances for management to re-evaluate their decisions and allows them to improve the workplace.

However, it isn’t just about receiving feedback from employees. Feedback goes both ways, and it is important for managers to provide feedback to employees.15Five’s research into employee engagement yielded these staggering statistics:

98% of employees who received little to no feedback are disengaged

Employees who received feedback on their weaknesses were 20x more likely to be engaged

Employees who received feedback on their strengths were 30x more likely to be engaged

Feedback between the two parties is a sign that each party is invested in the other’s success. For employees, giving and receiving feedback means they are part of the team –not just another invisible worker that has no voice in the company. For employers, it shows that employees are invested in the company’s wellbeing and want to share their opinions on how to better the workplace.

The other part is of course the type of language you use with your employees. The funny part is that the way you communicate with your customers often translates into how you communicate with your employees.

Jeremy Boudinet, a Marketing Manager at Nextiva, a VOIP phone system, CRM, chat and all inclusive communication suite for businesses puts it the following way:

“We see a TON of overlap in how a company communicates with its’ employees and how it communicates with their team. The language that you use, the frequency of communication, the type of communication – a ton similarities here. I’ll say even more – an influx of new angry customers usually correlate with employees leaving from a company.”

3. Highlight Employee Achievements

Workers now want to work for a place where they matter. Research done by Penna concluded that 43% of workers cited having an opportunity to contribute to the success of the company created a positive work environment.

Advertising

Employees want to know their work is impactful to the company. One of the factors causing disengagement comes from when a worker feels like their work is meaningless. They may see their job as more of a chore than a chance to improve the company. Employee recognition can be anything from a simple thank you letter to a feature on the company website.

Adam Legas, founder of Nanohydr8, a fitness drinks company, spends 1-2 hours per week making sure his employees are properly recognized, here is how he describes it:

“Recognizing an employee’s achievements shows them that their work is crucial towards company success –it gives their work meaning.”

4. Incorporate On the Job Training

While the requirements of a job may have many similarities, each company has its own procedure and expectations. New employees need to be trained in order to perform the functions of their jobs correctly and in a way that is in line with the company. Without training, it would be impossible for new hires to produce quality work.

A recent survey found that 40 percent of new hires that receive poor job training leave within the first year. It would be counter-productive to replace an employee if all it takes to help them succeed is training. Hiring a replacement is an expensive and time-consuming process –one that could be avoided by merely training the workers at hand.

5. Provide Support for Out of Office Learning

With the rise of automation, the future of the workforce depends on up-skilling and adapting to technology. A report done by McKinsey predicted that automation could destroy up to 73 million jobs in the United States by 2030. Workers will need new skills and training to be successful in a post-automation world.

Investing in your employees’ learning and up-skilling is essential to keeping engagement up. By supporting their learning initiatives outside of work, it shows them that the company is actively supporting their individual growth.

As an employer, providing learning opportunities for workers also increases brand awareness and favorability among job-seekers. With 42 percent of millennials citing learning and development opportunities as a deciding factor when choosing jobs, employers that encourage learning will have bigger talent pools to choose from.

Advertising

Employees want to work for companies that support their learning and development. It’s a widely held misconception that investment in employee training is riskier than it once was. In fact, since the 1980s, median job tenure has increased (from 3.5 to 4.6 years) and we are spending more time at work each year (1,638 to 1,811 hours per year).

As labor markets tighten and the half-life of skills shrinks, more employer-funded training is a win-win. Employers increase their appeal to new employees, as well as the engagement and productivity of current staff, and individuals enhance their skills, value and future employability.

6. Be Open-Minded with Experimentation

Experimentation allows employees to flex their creative muscles and offers them an opportunity to try something new. Experimentation doesn’t always end in success, but it is an opportunity to consider alternatives and new forms of thinking.

Experimentation builds trust between employers and employees by showing employees it’s okay to fail. Employees are more willing to apply new ideas and try new things if they know the company is supporting them –opening the opportunity for innovation.

7. Venture Out of the Office

Workplace engagement, at its core, is about humanizing the workplace. Aside from the brief time during interviews and reviews, management rarely has time to get to know their workers. The workplace environment leaves very little time and room for employees and employers to form relationships. Increasing engagement at work may require an approach that doesn’t include the workplace at all –a company trip.

Company trips are the perfect medium where management and employees can learn more about each other. The more people know each other, the more invested they will be in each other’s success. For employees, this is an opportunity to see managers in a different light –as humans.

Furthermore, company trips reward employees for their service and increase morale. It shows employees that their contributions do matter, resulting in higher engagement.

8. Offer Flexible Working Conditions

Working remotely has long been attached to the stigma of a lazy, unmotivated worker. However, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Remote workers carry the same responsibilities on-site workers do.

Advertising

Working at a desk in an office every day isn’t ideal for productivity. Different people prefer different environments, and remote work fills that need. A study done by Stanford concluded that remote workers were 13.5 percent more productive than their peers working in an office and 50 percent more satisfied with their job.

9. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle

Health is wealth, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the workplace. An engaged workforce must be healthy, both mentally and physically. It is important to encourage a healthier lifestyle because healthy workers are capable workers.

A survey done by Virgin Pulse found that 85% of companies say wellness programs support engagement. Unhealthy factors such as the lack of sleep, poor diet, and stress all play a role in determining how successful a worker is in the workplace.

Healthy initiatives can range from providing healthy snacks to providing stress management classes. It is essential to keep these initiatives because high stress is one of the most significant factors in causing disengagement. Promoting healthy initiatives prevents workers from being overworked and overstressed at work, creating a more engaged workforce.

10. Make a Positive Impact

Employees want companies that are positively impacting the world. Volunteer options to better the community not only builds brand awareness but also increases engagement and worker empowerment. Working together as a team to bring good into the world can be a valuable team-building exercise and creates an atmosphere of positivity.

Volunteer initiatives and philanthropic work enable workers to get involved with the community. It makes them feel good knowing that their company is standing for something positive. A recent report stated that participation in corporate social responsibility initiatives increased productivity in the workplace by 13 percent. In the same report, the authors also concluded that engaging in volunteer work reduces employee turnover rates by 50 percent.

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is a glimpse into a more human side of the workplace. In the past, we saw employees just as workers and companies as faceless entities –and it worked for a long time. However, the new generation of workers and the future of the workplace is more human than that –they want to change the world.

Engaged employees happily go to work knowing they’re positively impacting the world. It isn’t about the money –it is about being human and providing a place where workers can grow and learn.

Advertising

More About Team Management

Featured photo credit: Brooke Cagle via unsplash.com

from Zenhire https://ift.tt/2oNJzNf

[ixvyupdates]

For White Teachers Teaching White Boys in the Suburbs

If you haven’t read “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood,” a great book by Christopher Emdin for every teacher everywhere, please do.

We talk too much about White boys. Witness the Esquire article that gave us a look at “An American Boy” who likes football, doesn’t understand girls and worries the whole world doesn’t like him because he’s White and male.

We talk too much about White boys.

But, also, really. When we talk about them, we don’t say nearly enough. We don’t talk enough about the boys in our classrooms, the boys who spend too much time on Reddit and 4-Chan, who are playing with ideas around race, around gender, around attraction. We don’t talk enough about the White boys consuming messages about what is owed them, about what is being taken. We don’t talk enough about White boys at a crossroads, about what we can do to interrupt them inheriting the power and permission to pursue their worst instincts.

I teach eighth grade. I think a lot about the White boys I see every day.

A couple of years ago, I started a new job after being bounced out of jobs by a few awful administrators and some budget woes. The job I’ve now found a little weird home in is a school where there are more White kids than I had ever taught before, and a blizzard-level Whiteout of staff. It is not the job I’ve been working so hard to get good at.

Many of the same equity issues I’ve worked on before are still here. Our kids of color are underperforming and over-referred. With many immigrant and refugee families, my classroom now is actually more diverse than any I’ve ever taught before, and I have work to do to get all those voices represented in my class and curriculum.

That said, I’ve also got a whole bunch of White boys, and the behavior issues I see in my class, the disengagement I get during lessons is coming from them and is not evidence of oppression, but rather the result of entitlement.

I Won’t Give an Inch to Let White Boys Make My Class Unsafe, But I’ll Support Their Growth

I spend a lot of my days worried about White boys.

I worry about White boys who barely try and expect to be rewarded, who barely care and can’t stand being called on it, who imagine they can go through school without learning much without it impacting in any way the capacity for their future success, just because it never has before. White boys who expect privilege to carry and protect them, because that’s what it does, without ever stopping to wonder if it works the same for everyone else.

I worry about White boys who say, who believe, that it is very, very hard to be a White boy right now. They see Black Lives Matter and Black Panther as evidence that White boys are the enemy, simply because they are slightly less likely to be shown as the hero. There are White Boys who feel like even learning about different people is somehow an attack against them.

I’m trying. I am. But you know how the saying goes: You can lead a White male to anti-racism, but you can’t make him think.

But then, there are so, so many White Boys looking hard for a better path to walk.

Last year we did a little unit on masculinity and watched the documentary “The Mask You Live In.” I remember watching one boy in the back in the room, watching him stare dead-eyed at the movie, staying silent through the discussion. I worried that I had maybe pushed him a little too far too fast, enough that he wasn’t really listening, not trying to learn. Then I got an email from his mom. He went home that day and made her sit down and watch the movie with him. They talked about it for an hour. He thought it was so, so important.

This week, a student spoke up in class to say that every time a particular writer talked about White people and their role in racism, he would start to feel really guilty, and it made him not want to listen.

That kid is wrong, right? Screw your White guilt and your White fragility, right? That’s what Twitter-me would say.

But also, I did that. I know that when your worth is measured in power, that losing even a tiny bit of it can feel like powerlessness.

I went through that same guilty resistance, and I did it when I was in my 20s and didn’t have nearly the ability my student has to name and express those feelings. So, good on you, dude, let’s talk about White guilt next week, acknowledge and talk about how to move past it.

I try to hold myself in that spot, as someone White and male who is on the same damn journey but has maybe been doing it for more years, someone who sometimes gets it, and also who sometimes doesn’t.

I try to keep an arm around the boys who most need it, but it’s hard, because I’m also not willing to give an inch on making my room safe for my students of color. It’s not their job to keep hurting while White boys figure it out. So, sometimes I’m the bad guy to the “guys just being guys,” and we have to start back over on building trust.

The Path for White Male Success Involves Listening to Others

There is a path for White male success that does not involve bulldozing everyone else out of the way, that involves discomfort, struggle, growth. That demands excellence rather than mediocrity plus privilege. There is a path for finding strength by being challenged, for finding your voice through listening a lot harder to others. A path that interrupts, that demolishes every message that you are better than another just because you are entitled or you have ownership.

This path is not just important to minimize the destructive forces of privilege on marginalized people, but also it is plainly necessary for the success of White boys. More and more, we are getting called on our shit, and it’s well past time we expect more from ourselves.

There is pushback against “cancel culture,” against the wave of mostly White men who are losing money, jobs, fans, families because of the shitty-ass shit they’ve done. But a system that is calling so many White men to account for being racist or sexist isn’t a problem with the system, it is a problem among White men.

We can be much better than we are, but not by sticking to the path we’ve always taken.

What This Barber Can Teach You About Cultural Competency in the Classroom

https://educationpost.org/barber-can-teach-cultural-competency-classroom/embed/#?secret=0uTWdDPMg2

Photo by @OlgaM., Twenty20-licensed.

For White Teachers Teaching White Boys in the Suburbs syndicated from https://sapsnkraguide.wordpress.com