We’ve proven we can work from anywhere. You can run a business, buy groceries, and order lunch, all without ever looking another human in the eyes. But something’s missing – HUMAN CONNECTION. Eye contact, unplanned conversations, the “got a sec?” chats that spark big ideas.

Let’s be real: human connection drives performance.

Face-to-face conversations – without the filter of a screen – promote collaboration, innovation, and trust.

• MIT research shows that in-person interaction drives team creativity up by 15%.
• Harvard Business Review found that companies with a strong human connection outperform peers by 20%.
• Body language, facial expressions, and personal stories – these shape dialogue in a way video never will.

This isn’t about going back to the office 5 days a week. It’s about making real connections a strategic priority:

• Sync in-office days so teams are together, not just online at the same time.
• Prioritize leaders’ time to coach, mentor, and model real collaboration.
• Redesign meetings to spark dialogue, not just share updates.
• Use office time for “connection ROI” – relationship-building that fuels results.
• Build rituals that bring people together – Monday huddles, Thursday coffees, Friday reflections.

Now is the time to turn ideas into action. At PeopleThink, we help you reignite connection, collaboration, and purpose in the workplace. Explore our Team Tune-Up and Keep It Real Leadership programs that are designed to cultivate more engaged, high-performing teams.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Human Connection: The Workplace Advantage That Still Matters Most appeared first on PeopleThink.

Certainly, there were things in the past year we’d all rather forget. And yet, you are doing yourself a major disservice if you don’t pause to reflect on – from a personal and professional standpoint – some highlights of your year. What did you accomplish? What did you learn? What challenges did you overcome? What new skills did you develop? Taking stock of these items will not only improve your view of the past year, it will also help guide your thinking as you plan your goals, intentions, whatever you want to call them, for the new year.

So. Grab a tablet, a pen (or your laptop), and a beverage of your choice. Find a quiet place and allow yourself 30 minutes or so to list out the following for 2018:

What I accomplished

What I learned

A challenge I overcame and how

A new skill(s) I developed

Once you’ve made your list, give yourself some time to reflect on (and feel good about) all that you’ve achieved. Focus on the positive! Then, as you plan for 2019 (and you are developing a plan, right?) let your list help guide your intentions (that’s what I like to call them) for the new year.

I think we’ve all figured out that New Year’s “resolutions” don’t work. They are typically too broad (lose weight, get out of debt, win the lottery) and not tied to specific actions or deadlines. Research shows that 80% of them are abandoned by February. So why bother, right? Wrong!

I suggest a different approach. First of all, keep it simple yet specific. Second, keep it balanced. Too often we focus so much energy on changing one aspect of our life that we totally neglect the other aspects. For example, there’s that promotion you want, so you put 110% of your energy into doing the work, gaining the visibility, and finding the opportunity that will get you there. Pretty soon you’re skipping the gym, eating junk food at the office for dinner, and saying “no” to time with family and friends. “Vacation? Not happening!” And do you get the promotion? Maybe. But at what cost?

Here’s my guide for creating a simple plan that will help keep your life balanced and moving forward. It’s called the Circle of Life. As you consider your intentions for 2019, think about the eight aspects of your life illustrated below. Where do you spend the most effort? As you look back on 2018, what aspect did you neglect or ignore? How will you change that this year?

Now make one or two intentions for each aspect. Make them simple, make them specific, and write them down! Include due dates wherever possible.

Once you’ve created your plan, keep it visible. Put it someplace where you can see it every day. Schedule time on your calendar once a month to assess how you’re doing. Pay attention to what’s getting out of balance, e.g., when work is eating into your intentions in personal growth or friends/family. Make some adjustments to get back on track.

Taking a look back before moving forward and being more intentional about creating balance in our lives are components of my GET REAL philosophy. So often we burden ourselves with what others tell us we SHOULD do – “find passion in your work,” “lean in,” “keep climbing that corporate ladder,” – that we lose sight of what we WANT to do. We are so focused on the destination that we miss the view along the way.

Here’s to an amazing and balanced 2019! I’m declaring it a year to GET REAL! Stay tuned for more GET REAL developments.

“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” – Neil Gaiman

Till next time,

Karen

The post A New Year: Look Back Before Planning Forward appeared first on PeopleThink.

We all know that a little stress is OK. It keeps our fight-or-flight juices working, and often helps us get the job done. And, we all know someone who lives by the motto: “I do my best work under pressure.”

However, too much stress can contribute to a laundry list of health issues, including headaches, nausea, high blood pressure, chest pain, and insomnia. Not to mention how being over-stressed (and no doubt cranky!) can impair relationships, decrease productivity, and increase the risk of accidents.

Having too much stress, or as we call it at Lumina Learning, being “overextended,” can even turn your positive qualities into negative ones. For example, someone who is detail-focused and analytical may exhibit “analysis paralysis” when overextended.  Someone who is typically creative and social, may become impulsive and over-emotional under extreme stress. And the “people person” who brings harmony to every meeting may suddenly become stubborn and resistant. When Mr. Nice Guy turns into Attila the Hun, it’s time to get a handle on stress.

So…how do you do it? Start by taking some time to sit down and review your day, your week, your life. Where and when do you notice your body crying “uncle” via a headache, mood swing, or other physical signal? Can you identify particular responsibilities, activities, people that are stress triggers for you? Is it the unexpected that gets to you, the volume of work, the work itself, or the fact that you never seem to get a break?

Write your personal/professional stressors down and then select and prioritize three that you will work on to reduce. Do you need to have a “difficult conversation” with someone to resolve a lingering issue? Do you need to request more resources to meet a looming deadline you are worried about? Ask for what you need.

And, to get started on reducing your stress level in general, here are some stress busters for you.

Set boundaries. Establish a time after which you do not take work phone calls or respond to work emails, texts, smoke signals, whatever. Manage expectations about your “work hours.”

Be willing to say “no.” When asked to do something with a clearly unreasonable deadline, or without appropriate resources, explain the impact it will have on your current work. Offer alternative dates or suggest alternative resources.

Stop and pause. Do a personal check-in. Adjust priorities, if necessary. Take a break.

Breathe. Deeply and often. Consider meditation. Take a walk in the park or along the beach.

Laugh. I can’t recommend this enough. Find something to laugh about every day. It’s good medicine!

“Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change…Life’s too short to be anything but happy.” – Unknown

Till next time,
Karen

The post Overextended? Try These Stress Busters! appeared first on PeopleThink.