Finding Inspiration with Max Lucado

Closed door. Hushed voice. Gossip. Cornered in an office. Put on the spot. My coworker unloading their annoyances about our coworker. I’m the newest person on the team. Expected to take sides. Slippery slope. Placed between a rock and a hard place. “Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.” ~Max Lucado When I came across

  • Autonomy is one of three employee psychological needs

Key Psychological Needs of Employee Motivation (1 of 3)

“My wife, Mary Jean, owned a soft ice cream store, which operated from April 15 through Labor Day. Both of our children, Kate and Andy, worked there during the summer months. After they had worked there a few weeks, Mary Jean made this comment to each of them: ‘You’ll often be working by yourself. I

The BEST Thing I Learned in Grad School

Grad school was no picnic for me. Not only was I required to conduct research and write a 63-page thesis (not including the appendices and references), I had to pass a 4+ hour comprehensive exam that required citing sources. It was A LOT of work AND totally WORTH IT!  Years later I still find myself

LEARNING FROM GIRAFFES: Vision (and mission) (Part 3 of 5)

Giraffes can see close, far, and wide thanks to their large, bulging eyes. Their amazing eyesight allows them to see what is in front of them AND what is in the distance and around them. (Did you know giraffes can see their feet when they look straight ahead?) Imagine having giraffe-like vision in your personal

LEARNING FROM GIRAFFES: Be social (Part 2 of 5)

Giraffes are social. And when they socialize, they like to be informal and mix things up. Giraffes move into and out of herds; they don’t stick with one group or develop territories (known as cliques or ingroups and outgroups in the workplace). Think of giraffes as being socially-fluid. What do you do at work? Do you

BECOME A BETTER COWORKER: Define and Communicate Boundaries (Part 4 of 4)

What boundaries are we taught to respect throughout our lives?  A quick brainstorm produced this list: Drive on this side of the dotted line. Obey the speed limit. Stay in your yard. Listen to your parents. Don’t swear at work. Don’t take what isn’t yours. Do what you were hired to do. and right now,

BECOME A BETTER COWORKER: Don’t Be Annoying (Part 3 of 4)

Let’s call her Lucy.  She walked around work like she was everyone’s best friend. She took every opportunity to publicly let others know how exceptional she was at her job. She presented herself as the most creative, most productive, most energetic person in the office. She answered her phone, “It’s a great day in [insert

BECOME A BETTER COWORKER: Latitude for Mistake-making (Part 2 of 4)

If you are perfect, stop reading. There is nothing in this article for you. On second thought, this article is probably more for you than it is for anyone else. (Because no one is perfect.) If you make mistakes, keep reading. If you struggle when coworkers screw up, keep reading. If you are fine working